VirtualBox no longer works after uninstalling Docker on Windows 10

Question

VirtualBox was working fine on my Windows 10 machine. For another project, I had to install Docker. After that work was done, I uninstalled Docker. Now my VirtualBox VMs are no longer working (some kind of VT-X problem?). I checked the BIOS and the VT-x settings are enabled.

Can anyone advise why uninstalling Docker would cause this, and how to get VirtualBox working again. The machine is an E470 Thinkpad.

Answer 1

To get VirtualBox running again, complete the following steps:

• Open the "old" Windows Control Panel -> Programs and Features
• On the left side choose "Turn Windows features on or off:

• Deselect "Hyper-V" in the list of features:

• Click "OK", let Windows deinstall Hyper-V and reboot at end
• After reboot you have to reinstall/repair your installation of VirtualBox with the original installer!
• Reboot again and it should work 🙂

Answer 2

After that work was done, I uninstalled Docker. Now my VirtualBox VMs are no longer working (some kind of VT-X problem?).

When you installed Docker it required you to also install Hyper-V

Can anyone advise why uninstalling Docker would cause this, and how to get VirtualBox working again? The machine is an E470 Thinkpad.

You need to uninstall Hyper-V. You won't be able to run a 64-bit guest within a VirtualBox VM until you do that

Hyper-V is automatically enabled on a Docker for Windows install.

Microsoft Hyper-V

Answer 3

Installing Docker Desktop 2.3.0.5 broke my VirtualBox 6.1.14 Windows guests (Windows host)

Even after uninstalling Docker they were still broken

• Tried uninstalling Windows Subsystem for Linux
• Resolution was to uninstall the Windows Feature Virtual Machine Platform

I arrived at the solution by checking Event Viewer => Setup to discover what changes Docker installer had made

Selectable update VirtualMachinePlatform of package Microsoft-Windows-HyperV-OptionalFeature-VirtualMachinePlatform-Disabled was successfully turned on.

Initiating changes to turn on update VirtualMachinePlatform of package Microsoft-Windows-HyperV-OptionalFeature-VirtualMachinePlatform-Disabled. Client id: DISM Package Manager Provider.

Notes

1. Guests were running HyperV paravirtualisation
2. HyperV was already uninstalled when started troubleshooting