Get --startvm error when I double click on icon for any of my VMs. (#18207) (2024)

ModEdit; related ticket: #18207: VM shortcut start does not work (anymore)

Upgraded to the latest 5.2 on Windows 10 Pro X64. When I then double click on any of the icons on my desktop for my Oracle VMs, I get the following error:

--startvm is an option for the VirtualBox VM runner (VirtualBoxVM) application, not the VirtualBox Manager.

When I close the error window, the VM opens okay. Looking at the Properties for a Win 10 VM, the Target field is like this:

"C:\Program Files\Oracle\VirtualBox\VirtualBox.exe" --comment "Windows 10 Pro X64" --startvm "b6bfc1a9-d849-4eda-a88c-c83baa90e269"

It's unchanged from before updating the latest Oracle VB 5.2. I then tried updating to Oracle VB 6.0 but still have the same problem. A Google search does not yield and results.

I created the desktop icons from Oracle Virtual Box Manager by right clicking on each VM and selecting Create shortcut on Desktop.

Ztruker wrote:Upgraded to the latest 5.2 on Windows 10 Pro X64.

Are you absolutely sure that you're seeing this with 5.2.x (mind that there's no 5.2)? Because (if I'm not grossly mistaken), this was a feature that was introduced with 6.0.0 beta, not before that.

Ztruker wrote:A Google search does not yield and results.

Here are two:

• Error message when running a VM from a shortcut created by VBox 5.2
• VM shortcuts created even by the *beta* do not work

Explanation: The VirtualBox Manager (VirtualBox.exe) used to launch the VirtualBox Manager and run the VMs:

• VirtualBox.exe --startvm <UUID>

Now that functionality has been split in two; "VirtualBox.exe" is the good old VirtualBox Manager only, and the VM starting/handling/monitoring is done by the application "VirtualBoxVM.exe".

Solution: You need to re-create your shortcuts, or edit the shortcut and change the application from "VirtualBox.exe" to "VirtualBoxVM.exe".

I did re-create the shortcuts and as reported, it made no difference. I'll edit the shortcut. Thank you.

PS: I'm pretty sure it was 5.2 but can't be 100% certain.

I'm getting exactly the same behaviour on Virtualbox 6.0.0 r127566

Deleting & recreating the desktop shortcut doesn't fix it. But manually modifying the shortcut to VirtualBoxVM.exe does fix it.

It appears that the code to create the desktop shortcut hasn't been updated.

Can someone report this as a bug?

Many thanks,
Don.

It is unfortunate that bug like this is not solved during the beta testing.

For crying-out loud Oracle, you had Virtualbox 6.0 Beta 1, 2 and 3 -- and this simple bug was not quashed during the beta period.

Just change the target of the shortcut from:

"C:\Program Files\Oracle\VirtualBox\VirtualBox.exe" --comment "Windows 10 Pro X64" --startvm "b6bfc1a9-d849-4eda-a88c-c83baa90e269"

to

"C:\Program Files\Oracle\VirtualBox\VirtualBoxVM.exe" --comment "Windows 10 Pro X64" --startvm "b6bfc1a9-d849-4eda-a88c-c83baa90e269"

This issue is across the board, in my Linux Mint 19 XFCE 64-bit host, I needed to change the target of my shortcut from VirtualBox to VirtualBoxVM.

Maynne wrote:Just change the target of the shortcut from:

"C:\Program Files\Oracle\VirtualBox\VirtualBox.exe" --comment "Windows 10 Pro X64" --startvm "b6bfc1a9-d849-4eda-a88c-c83baa90e269"

to

"C:\Program Files\Oracle\VirtualBox\VirtualBoxVM.exe" --comment "Windows 10 Pro X64" --startvm "b6bfc1a9-d849-4eda-a88c-c83baa90e269"

This solved to me too, thanks for the tip!!!

Numbergod wrote:Can someone report this as a bug?

Done, actually 2 days before your comment. Ticket #18207: VM shortcut start does not work (anymore).

But only change the VirtualBoxVM.exe part, not the long nonsense string which is computer-specific.

And thanks for the hack - it saved me, 3 years later!