All guests using 100% CPU

Discussions related to using VirtualBox on Windows hosts.
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Michele31415
Posts: 8
Joined: 27. Nov 2022, 19:15

All guests using 100% CPU

Post by Michele31415 »

I'm running VB Version 6.1.40 r154048 (Qt5.6.2) on a Windows 11 Pro host with all updates up to date. I have three VB guests: Ubuntu, Debian, and Win XP. This setup has been working fine for almost a year. I could leave all three guests running for weeks on end with no problems.

Recently I find that I can boot a guest normally and it opens fine, using < 0.5% of its CPU. Then suddenly at some point around 45 or 50 minutes after booting the guest CPU usage jumps to 100% and the guest is completely locked up. I can move the mouse but can't even get a prompt in a terminal window when I hit Return. Note that this now happens with all three guests, so it's not specific to one particular OS.

There are suggestions on the web about trying different VB settings, like turning 3D acceleration on (or off), playing with Display memory, etc. I've tried them all to no effect. I left top running in the Debian guest and it shows nothing unusual right up to the point when the system hangs.

I *think* this started happening after I updated VB to 6.1.40 but I'm not certain. In any case, I'm mystified. :?:
scottgus1
Site Moderator
Posts: 20965
Joined: 30. Dec 2009, 20:14
Primary OS: MS Windows 10
VBox Version: PUEL
Guest OSses: Windows, Linux

Re: All guests using 100% CPU

Post by scottgus1 »

Start the VM from full normal shutdown, not save-state. Run until you see the problem happen, then shut down the VM from within the VM's OS if possible. If not possible, close the Virtualbox window for the VM with the Power Off option set.

Right-click the VM in the main Virtualbox window's VM list, choose Show in Explorer/Finder/File Manager. In the "Logs" subfolder, zip the VM's "vbox.log", and post the zip file, using the forum's Upload Attachment tab.
Michele31415
Posts: 8
Joined: 27. Nov 2022, 19:15

Re: All guests using 100% CPU

Post by Michele31415 »

Well I guess there's nothing like going public with a problem for a solution to emerge. I started the Ubuntu guest and it ran for two hours without a problem. Then I started the other two. The three VM's have now been running over 24 hours and they're all still fine. The only thing I did different was to reboot the host first. I don't see how that could have helped but I guess it did. If this problem returns I'll update this post. I hesitate to call this problem solved but for the time being it's gone into hiding. Strange stuff.
scottgus1
Site Moderator
Posts: 20965
Joined: 30. Dec 2009, 20:14
Primary OS: MS Windows 10
VBox Version: PUEL
Guest OSses: Windows, Linux

Re: All guests using 100% CPU

Post by scottgus1 »

Michele31415 wrote: for the time being it's gone into hiding.
Do gotta love those intermittent problems... :lol:
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