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I was trying to run Windows XP under Virtual Box (host system Ubuntu 10.04) and I've got an error message saying:

Kernel driver not installed (rc=-1908)

The VirtualBox Linux kernel driver (vboxdrv) is either not loaded or there is a permission problem with /dev/vboxdrv. Re-setup the kernel module by executing

'/etc/init.d/vboxdrv setup'

as root. Users of Ubuntu, Fedora or Mandriva should install the DKMS package first. This package keeps track of Linux kernel changes and recompiles the vboxdrv kernel module if necessary.

This is terminal output:

maria@maria-laptop:~$ sudo /etc/init.d/vboxdrv setup
 * Stopping VirtualBox kernel modules                                            *  done.
 * Uninstalling old VirtualBox DKMS kernel modules                               *  done.
 * Trying to register the VirtualBox kernel modules using DKMS                  
 * Failed, trying without DKMS
 * Recompiling VirtualBox kernel modules                                         *  done.
 * Starting VirtualBox kernel modules                                            *  done.

After that I can run XP on Virtual Box, but when I try to log into user's account, I have the message that I have to register XP (I haven't done it yet, as each time I was cliking on pop-up window suggesting registration, nothing was happening). I click that I want to register it now and appears the message about error 0x80004005, which prevents Windows to check the license for that computer (the message is in Polish, so I don't post it here...). I forgot to install DKMS first, but I've done it after.

What should I do to run virtual machine? It was using it already, the problem occured only today.

Thanks for any suggestion

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  • This looks like a Windows problem to me. You don't need to DKMS to run VirtualBox (although it helps when kernel updates) and if windows is running that far as to ask for registration, it's likely not an VBox problem. I believe that you will have more luck on a Windows forum. Mar 11, 2011 at 15:22
  • @Javier I was wandering myself if it's Windows or Linux problem. The olny thing is that it was running till today... First that kernel driver warning (I thought maybe it's becouse of some updates in my host system), and after that the problem with Windows error occured... Till now I was using XP on Virtual Box without problems.
    – maria
    Mar 11, 2011 at 15:27
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    Windows problem. Can't check it's licence (see here). Are you using the same VDI as before when it was fine?
    – Takkat
    Mar 11, 2011 at 15:36
  • @Takkat Thanks a lot for the link! As for your VDI question I'm not sure if I understand... I haven't changed anything but usual updates of Ubuntu. I'll try to repair the windows installation, as soon as I get an external CD-drive...
    – maria
    Mar 11, 2011 at 15:54

1 Answer 1

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XP has noticed the hardware has changed and is asking you to re-register. This happens because the virtual hardware presented by VirtualBox to the Guest OS (in this case XP) has changed so XP believes it's been moved from one host to another.

Call Microsoft with your license key handy and they should just unlock it for you.

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  • @ popey Thanks. XP is not asking to re-register, because I haven't registered it yet. When I try to register it now, there is that error message. I don't know how to call Microsoft with my license key handy...
    – maria
    Mar 11, 2011 at 15:38
  • That is easy to do. Take your phone and call Microsoft and before doing that just make sure you have your key at hand as you'll have to tell them your key. Mar 11, 2011 at 16:58
  • @maria I obsessively hate advocating non-FOSS, but the number in the US and Canada is 1-(800)-642-7638
    – nanofarad
    Jul 6, 2012 at 23:10

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