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I was recently using VirtualBox to test a networked WPF app that I am experimenting with and I got the ‘oh no, something went horribly wrong’ dialog:

Here are the details of the exception logged using log4net.

System.Runtime.InteropServices.COMException (0x88980406): Exception from HRESULT: 0x88980406
   at System.Windows.Media.Composition.DUCE.Channel.SyncFlush()
   at System.Windows.Media.MediaContext.CompleteRender()
   at System.Windows.Media.MediaContext.CreateChannels()
   at System.Windows.Media.MediaSystem.ConnectChannels(MediaContext mc)
   at System.Windows.Media.MediaContext..ctor(Dispatcher dispatcher)
   at System.Windows.Media.MediaContext.From(Dispatcher dispatcher)
   at System.Windows.Media.Visual.VerifyAPIReadWrite()
   at System.Windows.Media.VisualCollection.VerifyAPIReadWrite(Visual other)
   at System.Windows.Media.VisualCollection.Add(Visual visual)
   at System.Windows.Controls.UIElementCollection.AddInternal(UIElement element)
   at System.Windows.Controls.UIElementCollection.Add(UIElement element)
   at System.Windows.Controls.UIElementCollection.System.Collections.IList.Add(Object value)
   at System.Windows.Markup.BamlRecordReader.AddToContentProperty(Object container, Object contentProperty, Object value)
   --- End of inner exception stack trace ---
   at System.Windows.Markup.XamlParseException.ThrowException(String message, Exception innerException, Int32 lineNumber, Int32 linePosition, Uri baseUri, XamlObjectIds currentXamlObjectIds, XamlObjectIds contextXamlObjectIds, Type objectType)
   at System.Windows.Markup.XamlParseException.ThrowException(ParserContext parserContext, Int32 lineNumber, Int32 linePosition, String message, Exception innerException)
   at System.Windows.Markup.BamlRecordReader.ThrowExceptionWithLine(String message, Exception innerException)
   at System.Windows.Markup.BamlRecordReader.CreateInstanceFromType(Type type, Int16 typeId, Boolean throwOnFail)
   at System.Windows.Markup.BamlRecordReader.GetElementAndFlags(BamlElementStartRecord bamlElementStartRecord, Object& element, ReaderFlags& flags, Type& delayCreatedType, Int16& delayCreatedTypeId)
   at System.Windows.Markup.BamlRecordReader.BaseReadElementStartRecord(BamlElementStartRecord bamlElementRecord)
   at System.Windows.Markup.BamlRecordReader.ReadElementStartRecord(BamlElementStartRecord bamlElementRecord)
   at System.Windows.Markup.BamlRecordReader.ReadRecord(BamlRecord bamlRecord)
   at System.Windows.Markup.BamlRecordReader.Read(Boolean singleRecord)
   at System.Windows.Markup.TreeBuilderBamlTranslator.ParseFragment()
   at System.Windows.Markup.TreeBuilder.Parse()
   at System.Windows.Markup.XamlReader.LoadBaml(Stream stream, ParserContext parserContext, Object parent, Boolean closeStream)
   at System.Windows.Application.LoadBamlStreamWithSyncInfo(Stream stream, ParserContext pc)
   at System.Windows.Application.LoadComponent(Uri resourceLocator, Boolean bSkipJournaledProperties)
   at System.Windows.Application.DoStartup()
   at System.Windows.Application.<.ctor>b__0(Object unused)
   at System.Windows.Threading.ExceptionWrapper.InternalRealCall(Delegate callback, Object args, Boolean isSingleParameter)
   at System.Windows.Threading.ExceptionWrapper.TryCatchWhen(Object source, Delegate callback, Object args, Boolean isSingleParameter, Delegate catchHandler)

It turns out that this is a known defect in VirtualBox that occurs when using 3D acceleration.

The workaround is fairly simple: shut down the VM and disable 3D acceleration in the virtual machine display settings. The WPF app should now run correctly.

It appears that this bug affects multiple OS versions (XP, Vista) but I my case this was occurring on a Windows XP SP3 guest OS running on a Windows 7 64-bit host.