VBoxManage guestcontrol works for calc.exe but not for WINWORD.EXE

[tvg]

I managed to open the Calculator on my Windows 10 guest from my Ubuntu 23.04 host using the command:

VBoxManage guestcontrol $MY_VM_NAME run --exe "C:\\Windows\\System32\\calc.exe" --username $MY_USERNAME --password $MY_PASSWORD

However, when doing the same for Microsoft Office apps or Adobe Acrobat Reader, it doesn't work:

VBoxManage guestcontrol $MY_VM_NAME run --exe "C:\\Program Files\\Microsoft Office\\root\\Office16\\WINWORD.EXE" --username $MY_USERNAME --password $MY_PASSWORD

In this case, Microsoft Word shows up in the Background processes list of the Task Manager.

This has been discussed on the forum: ​https://forums.virtualbox.org/viewtopic.php?t=109933

[tvg]

I've create a HelloWorld script that I converted to an executable file on the guest. From the host, when I do

toto@toto-pc:~$ VBoxManage guestcontrol $MY_VM_NAME run --exe "C:\\Users\\Toto\\Desktop\\runapp\\runHello.exe" --username $MY_USERNAME --password $MY_PASSWORD
Hello, World!
toto@toto-pc:~$

note that "Hello, World!" shows up in the Terminal of my host instead of the guest.

[tvg]

More elements can be found here: ​https://askubuntu.com/questions/1484798/opening-applications-on-windows-10-virtual-machine-from-ubuntu-23-04

[tvg]

zipped logs

[tvg]

I've upgraded to Ubuntu 23.10. Unfortunately, that did not solved the issue.

[tvg]

The problem is still going on with VirtualBox v7.0.12.

[tvg]

The issue comes from VirtualBox Guest Additions (GA) v7. Downgraded the GA to a v6 version solve the problem.

None of the GA v7 seems to work.

Then, I've downgraded both VirtualBox and the GA to the v6.1.48.

It seems there is a bug to fix in v7 to make the 'VBoxManage guestcontrol' command working properly.

[fth0]

FWIW, the issue is also reproducible with "C:\Windows\System32\notepad.exe" in a Windows 10 guest.

[tvg]

The following bug might be related to this one: https://www.virtualbox.org/ticket/21230

[tvg]

Seems to work fine on Ubuntu 24.04 with VirtualBox 7.0.16.