Failed to create the host-only adapter - windows 1

Question

I've recently run into this problem after having used docker toolbox without a problem for a while.

Started happening after windows update?

Windows 10 Home - 64

Uninstalled and reinstalled Docker toolbox

Uninstalled and reinstalled various versions of VirtualBox

Still get the same error

Running pre-create checks...
Creating machine...
(default) Copying C:\Users\me\.docker\machine\cache\boot2docker.iso to C:\Users\me\.docker\machine\machines\default\boot2docker.iso...
(default) Creating VirtualBox VM...
(default) Creating SSH key...
(default) Starting the VM...
(default) Check network to re-create if needed...
(default) Windows might ask for the permission to create a network adapter. Sometimes, such confirmation window is minimized in the taskbar.
(default) Creating a new host-only adapter produced an error: C:\Program Files\Oracle\VirtualBox\VBoxManage.exe hostonlyif create failed:
(default) 0%...
(default) Progress state: E_FAIL
(default) VBoxManage.exe: error: Failed to create the host-only adapter
(default) VBoxManage.exe: error: Querying NetCfgInstanceId failed (0x00000002)
(default) VBoxManage.exe: error: Details: code E_FAIL (0x80004005), component HostNetworkInterfaceWrap, interface IHostNetworkInterface
(default) VBoxManage.exe: error: Context: "enum RTEXITCODE __cdecl handleCreate(struct HandlerArg *)" at line 71 of file VBoxManageHostonly.cpp
(default)
(default) This is a known VirtualBox bug. Let's try to recover anyway...
Error creating machine: Error in driver during machine creation: Error setting up host only network on machine start: The host-only adapter we just created is not visible. This is a well known VirtualBox bug. You might want to uninstall it and reinstall at least version 5.0.12 that is is supposed to fix this issue
Looks like something went wrong in step ´Checking if machine default exists´... Press any key to continue...

Answer 1

I was able to get this working by disabling all of the network adapters, besides the physical one, during installation. Once installation is complete you can re-enable them. To disable the adaptors, do the following steps:

1. Open Control Panel
2. Network Connections
3. Select each adaptor and then select 'Disable this network device' from the top

Answer 2

tl;dr If you are using Trend Micro or Symantec antivirus solutions, try uninstalling Virtualbox, then re-install it with the antivirus disabled. It may work with others as well.

I am adding this answer for the record.

My coworkers and I started having a similar issue just after updating from Windows 10 Pro version 1703 to version 1709.

I tried rolling back to version 1703, and it worked, but of course this is not an acceptable solution.

For some reason, this had to do with the antivirus, which in our case is Trend Micro Office Scan. After doing a clean re-install with the antivirus disabled, the host-only adapter was available again.

The issue has been reported in the Virtualbox forum and issue tracker:
https://forums.virtualbox.org/viewtopic.php?f=6&t=86179#p413876
https://www.virtualbox.org/ticket/17354#comment:22

Unfortunately, this error is quite frequent, and it has been reported dozens of times with different causes. In our case, the settings shown in bszom's answer were already correct.

Answer 3

Unfortunately I also had the Issue (Win10, 1709,virtualbox 5.1). While Using vagrant to pull linux images from the web.

This fixed it

Get your network drivers to the latest stand

Uninstall Virtualbox

Reinstall Virtualbox

Check if you have the "host only" virtual adapter in your network adapters config. If yes than you're good to go. If not. Try to install it from vboxmanage.

C:\Program Files\Oracle\VirtualBox\VBoxManage.exe hostonlyif create

And uninstall HyperV Virtual ethernet Adapter from the device manager if you see it (this blocks usually creation of virtualbox virtual network (Host-Only Ethernet adapter))

I had this issue on one type of computer of my company but not on others types. So this must be related to the type of network adapter itself. so sometimes you are lucky sometimes not. But I was more lucky having hardware to the latest stand.

Answer 4

I got the same error.

Checking Window's device manager, revealed a Virtualbox network adapter device with an exclamation mark.

The device's status stated that there was a signature problem for some reason.

I'm not encouraging anyone to ignore the warning, but I chose to do that :)

I turned off Window's signature verification using the method described in this link and I could finally use Virtualbox with a host-only adapter.

Note: this answer was duplicate. I've removed the other ones

Answer 5

I got to the same error.

But I don't have "VirtualBox NDIS6 Bridged Networking Driver" in properties of physical connection. A have same driver "NPCAP ..." from wireshark installation. If look at description you can see this is NDIS6 driver.

Then I remove all wireshark packages: NPCAP, WinPCAP, Wireshark and remove VirtualBox.

Restart.

Reinstall Virtual Box. Install Docker ToolBox(Uncheck install NDIS5). And Create default VM for docker.

docker-machine create -d "virtualbox" default

Host-only interface created normally

docker-machine status
Running

That works for me.

Answer 6

I first installed Docker Toolbox yesterday since I have Windows 10 Home which does not support Docker Desktop.

Rebooting or installing Java did not solved it for me. What did was to delete Oracle's VM that was installed with the Toolbox (5.2.12 or something), and reinstall the new 6.1.8. Checking their website, this makes sense: