Updated Nvidia driver triggers WinXP VM failure under VB 6.0.24

[Javic]

I'm running VirtualBox 6.0.24 on 64-bit Windows 7.

First, to answer the obvious question: I'm running VirtualBox 6.0.24 because (according to my understanding) it's the last version that has 3D acceleration and DirectX support for Windows XP via VBoxVGA. I can use VBoxSVGA but (again, as I understand it) that provides no DirectX support for a WinXP VM. So...

I have a Windows XP VM with 3D acceleration enabled using VBoxVGA that was working fine until I updated my host's graphics driver (card is Nvidia GTX 1060 6GB). Now when I try to start the VM I get an error from VirtualBoxVM.exe (see attached screenshot). I know the problem is triggered by the graphics driver because if I roll back (via Device Mgr.), the VM once again starts fine. Also, the VM runs fine with newer drivers if I uncheck "Enable 3D Acceleration" in the VM settings.

In case it's helpful, the last video driver version that works is 471.41. Anything after that (471.68 or higher) causes the VM failure.

I don't know if this is a Nvidia driver issue or a VirtualBox issue (or both) but thought I'd start here. Any ideas/suggestions for getting the WinXP VM working with updated Nvidia drivers? (Alternatively, if there's another way to get accelerated DirectX support in the WinXP VM, that would be fine too.)

[mpack]

Strangely, the VM seems to error out long before it gets to the stage where I'd expect it to care about 3D acceleration.

Have you tried checking the NVidia site for even newer drivers? You might also want to zip and attach the VBoxHardening.log as NVidia have a track record of forgetting to sign DLLs, leading to VM hardening related crashes.

[Javic]

Sadly, because of EOL for Win7, there are no "newer drivers" beyond what I've tried. I've tried every driver between the last one that works (471.41) and the last one available (474.11), seven driver versions in all. Nothing works beyond 471.41.

I did check the Nvidia site before coming here, and found some posts that discuss what seemed to be similar errors. Those posts pointed to some problems with Nvidia driver signing. But those discussions all involved newer video cards, a newer OS, and a newer VirtualBox, so it wasn't clear how relevant they are. Plus, they quickly devolved into detailed discussions of certificates and such that I simply couldn't understand. (I'm a casual user of virtualization, and know next to nothing about driver signing.)

Here's the VBoxHardening.log for your consideration. Thanks.

[mpack]

Well on top of everything else you also have Kaspersky AV installed, which sometimes interferes with VirtualBox.

I'm afraid that sticking with a Win7 host is going to become increasingly impractical as time passes. I sympathize, I too tend to stick with what works for far longer than is advisable, which is why I ended up switching almost directly from XP to Win10, skipping the intermediate Vista and Win7 stages. I quite like Win10 despite all the complaints about MS spying - which I cared about for a while but now largely disregard: if it was a serious problem we'd be reading about it from more than the usual suspects.

And another good thing: Win10 needs no security help from suspected agents of the Russian state, or anyone else!

[Javic]

It seems unlikely that KAV would be the culprit given that things were working fine with it running until I updated my video driver. Still, it was easy to terminate KAV and try again. As I expected, it made no difference.

So is there anything in either log that would suggest the cause of my problem?

Yes, eventually I'll probably move beyond Win7. But I fear that might not fix my problem given that I must still stick with VirtualBox 6.0.24 to get DirectX hardware acceleration support for my WinXP VM. That is, if I have a problem with recent drivers for the GTX 1060 on Win7, will a newer card and/or a newer OS work any better?

Although I find the Nvidia forums rather hard to use, maybe I'll post a note there to see if somebody has an idea when looking at the problem from that side.

[mpack]

The hardening log reports a series of (possible) problems like these:

5cc.23c: supR3HardenedScreenImage/LdrLoadDll: cache hit (VINF_SUCCESS) on \Device\HarddiskVolume2\Windows\System32\version.dll
5cc.23c: supR3HardenedIsApiSetDll: Warning! 'api-ms-win-core-synch-l1-2-0' looks like an API set, but it's not in the list!
5cc.23c: supR3HardenedIsApiSetDll: '齷㾛
' -> false
5cc.23c: Detected loader lock ownership: rc=VINF_SUCCESS '\Device\HarddiskVolume2\Windows\System32\api-ms-win-core-synch-l1-2-0.dll'.

I don't recognize this. I'm still thinking Kaspersky interference. To prove otherwise I'd take a hardening log with no mention of Kaspersky over a mere assertion that the latter was successfully suppressed.

[scottgus1]

a Windows XP VM with 3D acceleration enabled using VBoxVGA that was working fine until I updated my host's graphics driver (card is Nvidia GTX 1060 6GB). Now when I try to start the VM I get an error from VirtualBoxVM.exe (see attached screenshot). I know the problem is triggered by the graphics driver because if I roll back (via Device Mgr.), the VM once again starts fine.

It would be curious if the Kaspersky AV were doing something to the new video drivers that it wasn't doing to the old drivers. Note that:

it was easy to terminate KAV and try again.

isn't usually enough. A complete uninstall of Kaspersky is necessary for the test. If the new drivers don't start working correctly to let the VM run, then Kaspersky certainly can be reinstalled again.

I'd lean toward the new video drivers simply not being compatible with the older Virtualbox, and you'll have to balance the needs of your setup:
Do you really need 3D acceleration in XP? If not, then turn it off and use the new video drivers.
If you need 3D XP, then you'll have to use the old drivers.
If the new drivers were needed for something else, then 3D can't run in XP.
Scylla and Charybdis time...
If the problem with the new drivers is an unsigned DLL, then maybe the drivers' devs could sign it.

[Javic]

Thanks for the responses!

Scylla and Charybdis time...

I think you're right. I'd already mentally articulated the alternatives you list, but thought I'd check here first on the chance that a straightforward solution was available from folks who know more about VirtualBox than I do.

FWIW I did check the Nvidia forums again and found quite a few folks having 3D acceleration trouble with VirtualBox after updating Nvidia drivers, even with newer versions of both. Driver signing seems to be an ongoing issue here. But I don't think that's what's affecting me; my logs don't contain the kinds of messages I saw mentioned in those posts.

Unfortunately I'm faced with a choice I don't really want to make (for reasons I won't bore folks with), but...well...stuff happens. Thanks again.

[fth0]

FWIW, there's a null pointer exception while nvoglv64.dll calls into the Windows ntdll.dll, but that doesn't tell if it's an NVIDIA issue or a VirtualBox issue (or both).

FWIW too, I don't think that the issue has anything to do with the NVIDIA drivers' (certificate) signing issues (that I've analyzed in the last ~4 years ).

I'd also recommend uninstalling the Kaspersky and Malwarebytes softwares for a test.

As a wild guess, you could investigate if the missing wldp.dll file plays any role here.

[Javic]

As a wild guess, you could investigate if the missing wldp.dll file plays any role here.

FWIW There's no "wldp.dll" on my system but my research indicates that this DLL was introduced in Window 8, so it's no surprise it's absent on my Win7 system. I presume VB can handle that (I've been running it on Win7 for several years).

One of these days, I might try removing KAV and MalwareBytes. Other things taking priority right now.