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VirtualBox and Extension Pack

How to install the Extension Pack manually, bypassing possible policies existing in a Windows DC.

  1. The .vbox-extpack file that can be downloaded. Actually, it is just a .tar.gz archive so its contents can be unpacked.
  2. Place these contents in subdirectory ExtensionPacks of the VirtualBox installation directory, tipically C:\Program Files\Oracle\VirtualBox
  3. That's it. Run Virtualbox and click on Install extension in the corresponding section. Installation now will be successful.

How to Enlarge a Virtual Machine’s Disk in VirtualBox

In VirtualBox, go to File > Virtual Media Manager and use the slider to adjust the disk size. In VMWare, right-click your virtual machine (VM), then go to Settings > Hard Disk > Expand, and expand the disk. Finally, boot your VM and expand the partition using GParted on Linux or Disk Management on Windows.

VirtualBox Troubleshooting Guide (Memory Ballooning Issue)

1. Check VirtualBox Memory Settings

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VBoxManage showvminfo "VM_NAME" | grep -i memory

Ensure Configured memory balloon is set to 0MB.

2. Disable Memory Ballooning

Using VBoxManage

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VBoxManage modifyvm "VM_NAME" --guest-memory-balloon 0

Then verify:

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VBoxManage showvminfo "VM_NAME" | grep -i memory

Using VirtualBox GUI 1. Open VirtualBox. 2. Select your VM. 3. Click Settings → System. 4. Disable Memory Ballooning or set it to 0 MB. 5. Click OK and restart the VM.

3. Restart VirtualBox Kernel Modules

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sudo systemctl restart vboxdrv

If the above fails, manually remove and reload the modules:

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sudo modprobe -r vboxdrv vboxnetflt vboxnetadp
sudo modprobe vboxdrv

4. Kill Stuck VirtualBox Processes

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ps aux | grep -i vbox

Kill any stuck processes:

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sudo kill -9 <PID>

5. Restart VirtualBox Service

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sudo systemctl restart vboxdrv

6. Start the VM Again

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VBoxManage startvm "VM_NAME"

7. Check for Secure Boot Issuesç

If kernel modules fail to load, check Secure Boot status:

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mokutil --sb-state

If Secure Boot is enabled, disable it from BIOS.

8. Check VirtualBox Version & Dependencies

If VirtualBox still has issues, reinstall it properly:

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VBoxManage --version

Ensure necessary dependencies are installed:

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sudo apt install -y linux-headers-$(uname -r) dkms

If vboxdrv fails to load:

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sudo /sbin/vboxconfig

Final Notes - The main fix is setting --guest-memory-balloon 0 or disabling it in the GUI. - Ensure VirtualBox modules are loaded (lsmod | grep vbox). - If VirtualBox keeps freezing, try removing and reinstalling it:

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sudo apt remove --purge virtualbox
sudo apt install virtualbox
  • If all else fails, reboot after applying these changes:
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sudo reboot
Last update: 2025-03-16
Created: January 25, 2023 17:26:59