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▷ Arrangement: VBOX_E_FILE_ERROR (0x80bb0004)

Multiple users report receiving the vbox_e_file_error error (0x80bb0004) when they try to connect a virtual disk to the virtual machine using VirtualBox. Other users report that for them the problem occurs when they try to export a previously created device to VM VirtualBox Manager.

Error de vbox_e_file_error (0x80bb0004)

What is causing the vbox_e_file_error error (0x80bb0004)?

We investigated this particular problem by looking at multiple users and the method they supposedly used to resolve the error message. Based on what we were able to collect, there are several fairly common scenarios that will trigger this particular error message:

The .vmdk or .vdi file is corrupted: this particular error usually occurs when the user tries to import a virtual device downloaded from the internet. This can occur due to an incomplete download or a network problem.
vbomxmanage.exe does not have administrative privileges: Another common reason that will trigger this problem is when a component involved in the import or export process lacks admin rights. This is reported to mostly occur when the user tries to connect a virtual disk hosted on a USB drive.
Machine configuration needs to be updated: the error can also occur because some manual intervention has corrupted the current virtual machine configuration. Some users in a similar situation have managed to fix the problem by recreating the virtual machine from scratch in VirtualBox.
The .vdi or .vmdk file contains bad sectors: Several users have reported that the problem has been fixed after using the CHKDSK utility to scan the file for bad sectors. This suggests that the error may also occur due to file corruption.
Corrupt VM VirtualBox installation: a corrupt installation of Windows VirtualBox can also cause this error message. Some users have managed to solve the problem by uninstalling the entire VM VirtualBox client along with all associated components.

If you are currently having difficulty solving this particular problem, this article will provide you with a list of verified troubleshooting steps. Below is a list of methods that other users in a similar situation have used to solve the problem.

For best results, follow the possible solutions below until you find one that is effective for your particular situation.

Let us begin!

Method 1: re-download the .vmdk or .vdi file

If this particular error occurs when trying to import a virtual device into Oracle VM VirtualBox Manager, it is very likely that it is some kind of corruption.

Most affected users reported that they managed to resolve the issue after re-downloading the virtual appliance or after performing a full CHKDSK.

If your situation is similar to the one described above, start by re-downloading the .vmdk file (if you got it online). It can be an interrupted update or partially downloaded.

Once the download is complete, try importing the virtual device again into your VM VirtualBox Manager. If the vbox_e_file_error error reappears (0x80bb0004), just confirmed that the error does not occur due to a corrupt download.

If you still see the error or have not downloaded the .vmdk file from the Internet, go to next method

Method 2: open vboxmanage.exe with administrative privileges

If the error code is wrapped in an Access Denied error, it is very likely that you will run into the problem because you are not opening the vboxmanage executable with administrative privileges. Some affected users have reported that the issue was resolved after opening VirtualBox and vboxmanage.exe as administrator.

This is quite common when trying to connect a virtual disk (hosted on a USB drive) to a virtual machine. It turns out that RAW access to the USB device will require administrator rights, which could end up producing the error.

Therefore, before trying anything else, make sure to use the administrator rights when doing the administration part by right clicking on vboxmanage.exe and selecting Run as administrator.

Running vboxmanage.exe as administrator

If this method did not solve the problem, go to next method.

Method 3: create a new virtual machine

Multiple users who encountered the VBOX_E_FILE_ERROR error (0x80BB0004) while trying to import the device's OVA file into VirtualBox they reported that they managed to solve the problem by creating a new virtual machine from scratch.

Here is a quick guide on how to do this:

Open Oracle VM VirtualBox and click New to create a new virtual machine. Create a new virtual machine
Name your new virtual machine, then select the Type and Version of the emulated operating system. Create a new virtual machine
Select the memory size allocated with the toggle and click Next one more time. Memory allocation
On the next screen, choose Use an existing virtual hard disk file, click on the folder icon and navigate to the location of the .vdi file. Find the location of the VDI file before creating the new machine
Once the new virtual machine is recreated, repeat the steps that previously triggered the vbox_e_file_error error (0x80bb0004) and see if the problem has been resolved.

If you keep seeing the same error message, scroll down to next method below.

Method 4: Run CHKDSK

Several users have reported that the problem was fixed after performing a CHKDSK scan on their computer. Apparently, the CHKDSK utility is perfectly capable of finding and correcting errors in the .vdi file.

If the error occurs due to some bad sectors in the .vdi file, the following procedure should solve the problem completely. This is what you have to do:

Note: If you run into this problem on Linux, you can use FSCK utility (File system check).

Press the Windows key + R to open a Run dialog. Then write “cmd” and press Ctrl + Shift + Enter to open an elevated command window. Run dialog: cmd, then press Ctrl + Shift + Enter
Inside elevated command prompt, just run the following command and hit Enter to start a scan.
```
 chkdsk X: /f /r /x 
```
Note: Note that X is simply a placeholder for the volume letter of the drive that contains the .vmdk or .vmi file. Replace it accordingly to make it look like this: chkdsk c: / f / r / x
The command you just ran will scan the volume and try to correct any errors found, in addition to trying to recover information from bad sectors. Once the procedure is completed, close the elevated command prompt and restart your computer.
In the next start, see if the problem has been solved by repeating the same procedure that previously showed the error vbox_e_file_error (0x80bb0004).

If you still encounter the same error message, scroll down to final method below.

Method 5: reinstalar Oracle Virtual Box

Some users who encountered the same vbox_e_file_error error (0x80bb0004) reported that the problem was only fixed after reinstalling the entire Oracle Virtual Box installation. This seems to suggest that a corrupt installation could also be responsible for this particular error.

Here is a quick guide to reinstall Oracle VirtualBox:

Press the Windows key + R to open the Run dialog. Then type »appwiz.cpl» and hit Enter to open Programs and Features. Run dialog: appwiz.cpl
In Programs and Features, scroll down the application list and find Oracle VM VirtualBox. Once i see the entrance, right click on it and choose Uninstall. Uninstalling Oracle VM VirtualBox
Click Yes on the confirmation message to uninstall Oracle VM VirtualBox. Oracle VM VirtualBox Installation Confirmation
Once the uninstall process is complete, restart your computer.
In the next start, visit this link (here) and click Windows hosts to download the latest version of VirtualBox for Windows.
Open the installation executable and follow the on-screen instructions to reinstall the software on your system.
Try connecting the virtual disk to the virtual machine again and see if the error persists.