▷ How to correct the error “Could not acquire COM object from VirtualBox”.

Multiple users report that they cannot start VirtualBox. The critical error message that appears is' Could not acquire VirtualBox COM object. The application will terminate. In some cases, the error is also accompanied by a second error message indicating the problem. The problem does not appear to be specific to a certain version of Windows, since it has been confirmed that it happens both in Windows 8.1 as in windows 10.

Could not acquire COM VirtualBox object. The application will end now.

What is causing the error “Could not acquire COM object from VirtualBox”?

We investigated this matter by examining various user reports and the repair strategies that are commonly implemented successfully in this particular scenario.. It turns out that there are several culprits that could end up causing this problem:

• VirtualBox does not install with administrator access: Virtualbox is one of those software products that will require you to install them with administrator privileges to configure all the necessary services. Otherwise, some services may not be enabled by default. In this case, the easiest way to fix the problem is to install Virtualbox the right way.

• Incorrectly formatted guest master record: in some cases, this particular error will occur due to a possibly malformed guest master record. If this particular scenario is applicable, you should be able to solve the problem by moving the .VirtualBox folder to the desktop, forcing the app to create a new healthy version.

• Insufficient permissions: even if VirtualBox is installed with administrative access, you may need administrator privileges to start some services required for VM operations. Several affected users have managed to resolve the problem by configuring the VirtualBox shortcut to run with administrative privileges.

If you are currently looking for a solution that solves this problem, This article will provide you with several troubleshooting steps that could solve the problem. Next, you will find several methods that other users in a similar situation have used successfully to solve the problem. All the possible solutions mentioned below have been confirmed to work for at least one affected user.

For best results, We recommend that you follow the methods in the order they are presented, since they are ordered by efficiency and gravity. Regardless of the culprit causing the error “Could not acquire COM object from VirtualBox”, one of the following possible solutions should help you solve the problem.

Method 1: Start VirtualBox with administrator privileges

You may run into this problem because you are trying to start VirtualBox from a shortcut that is not configured to run with administrator access. Several affected users have reported that they were able to resolve the error “Could not acquire COM object from VirtualBox” configuring the VirtualBox shortcut to run with administrator access.

Here is a quick guide on how to do this:

1. First, Let's test if this theory is true by right clicking on the Virtualbox shortcut and choosing R a as administrator.

   Note: If these steps have eliminated the error, continue with the next steps to make the changes permanent.

2. Right-click on the same VirtualBox shortcut and choose Properties from the context menu.

3. On the Oracle VM VirtualBox Properties screen, select the Compatibility tab and check the box associated with Run this program as administrator (from the Settings screen)

4. Click Apply to make the change permanent.

5. Restart Virtualbox and see if the problem is resolved.

Running Virtualbox with administrative privileges

If the error still appears “Could not acquire COM object from VirtualBox”, scroll down to the next method.

Method 2: install VirtualBox with administrator privileges

VirtualBox is one of those programs that must be installed with administrator privileges to work. If administrator access is not granted to the VirtualBox installer, some critical services will not be configured correctly. Several affected users who also encountered the error “Could not acquire COM object from VirtualBox” reported that the problem no longer occurs after uninstalling their current VirtualBox installation and then reinstalling it successfully.

Here is a quick guide on how to do this:

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1. Press the Windows key + R to open the Run dialog. Then write “appwiz.cpl” and hit Enter to open the Programs and Features window. Type appwiz.cpl and hit Enter to open the list of installed programs

2. In Programs and Features, scroll through the list of applications and find Oracle VM VirtualBox. Once i see it, right click on it and click Uninstall. Uninstall VirtualBox

3. Later, follow the onscreen instructions to complete the uninstall and restart your computer.

4. When the following boot sequence is complete, visit this link (here). Once i get there, click Windows hosts (in VirtualBox platform packages) to start the download. Download the latest Virtualbox installer

5. Once the installer has successfully downloaded, don't double click on it like you normally would. Instead, right-click on your browser's download bar and click Show in folder.

6. In the VirtualBox installer location, right click on it and choose Run as administrator. Run the VirtualBox installer as administrator

7. Follow the onscreen instructions to complete the Virtualbox reinstallation.

8. Restart your computer and see if VirtualBox won't start without the error message.

If you still see the error “Could not acquire COM object from VirtualBox” when starting the program, scroll down to the next method.

Method 3: move the .Virtualbox folder to a different location

This particular issue can also occur due to a malformed guest master record. The error “Could not acquire COM object from VirtualBox” it may be due to a faulty Virtualbox.xml file or some other corrupted file in VirtualBox folder.

Several affected users have reported that they have been able to resolve the issue by moving the entire .VirtualBox folder to a different location. This procedure will force Virtualbox to create a new healthy folder from scratch, which will end up solving any corruption problem located inside the Virtualbox folder.

Here is a quick guide on how to move the .Virtualbox folder to a different location.

1. The first is the first, make sure VirtualBox is completely closed.

2. Open File Explorer and navigate to the following location:

   C:N-User * Your User Name *

   Note: * Your username * it is simply a placeholder for your personal Windows user account. Replace it with your own name.

3. Once you reach this location, right-click on the .VirtualBox and choose Cut from the context menu. What's more, you can press Ctrl + X to cut the file directly.

4. Paste the .Virtualbox folder in a convenient location like the desktop.

   Note: you can also delete the .Virtualbox folder. But moving the folder is a better alternative as it will allow you to move it again in case it doesn't finish solving the problem.

5. Once the folder is moved to a different location, start VirtualBox again and see if the program starts without the error “Could not acquire COM object from VirtualBox”.

Force VirtualBox to create a new folder

SUGGESTION: If none of the methods have solved your problem, we recommend that you use the Reimage repair tool, which can scan repositories to replace damaged and lost files. This works in most cases, when the problem originates due to a system corruption. Reimage will also optimize your system for maximum performance. You can download Reimage for By clicking here