Windows XP Guest on Windows 8 Host

Discussions about using Windows guests in VirtualBox.
Post Reply
DonVetOne
Posts: 96
Joined: 2. Feb 2018, 14:13

Windows XP Guest on Windows 8 Host

Post by DonVetOne »

Good day all

The machine loads OK but when trying to 'see' the local network the system hangs.
I have attached the vbox.log
Work Windows XP-2021-06-07-15-30-22.zip
(29.35 KiB) Downloaded 12 times
Thanks.
scottgus1
Site Moderator
Posts: 20965
Joined: 30. Dec 2009, 20:14
Primary OS: MS Windows 10
VBox Version: PUEL
Guest OSses: Windows, Linux

Re: Windows XP Guest on Windows 8 Host

Post by scottgus1 »

I don't see any problems in the operation of the VM environment. No network glitches appear and the VM does not show any pauses or seize-ups.
DonVetOne wrote:Windows XP Guest ... trying to 'see' the local network
If this means trying to see the shared folders on the network, XP only has the old SMB1 shared folder protocol, which was turned off by Microsoft when WannaCry hit. XP can't see modern networked Windows shared folders, unless these are Virtualbox Shared Folders.

If the above was not what you refer to, please clarify what you were attempting.
DonVetOne
Posts: 96
Joined: 2. Feb 2018, 14:13

Re: Windows XP Guest on Windows 8 Host

Post by DonVetOne »

Just clicking on the My Network Places from within the Win XP Guest system creates the hang.

I seem to recall somewhere having to enable SMB1 - probably in the host system?
mpack
Site Moderator
Posts: 39156
Joined: 4. Sep 2008, 17:09
Primary OS: MS Windows 10
VBox Version: PUEL
Guest OSses: Mostly XP

Re: Windows XP Guest on Windows 8 Host

Post by mpack »

It's common for XP to hang for a long time while failing to find something on the network. That's just how it behaved - and it's made more obvious if you only give it one core. Bear in mind however that XP is not plug and play when it comes to motherboard features: if XP was installed with a single processor HAL then it won't recognize a second core.
DonVetOne
Posts: 96
Joined: 2. Feb 2018, 14:13

Re: Windows XP Guest on Windows 8 Host

Post by DonVetOne »

Do you recommend I give it TWO cores?
mpack
Site Moderator
Posts: 39156
Joined: 4. Sep 2008, 17:09
Primary OS: MS Windows 10
VBox Version: PUEL
Guest OSses: Mostly XP

Re: Windows XP Guest on Windows 8 Host

Post by mpack »

I recommend that all VMs are given 2 cores, except of course for ancient (DOS era) single core OS's. But bear in mind what I said if XP is already installed with a single processor HAL.
scottgus1
Site Moderator
Posts: 20965
Joined: 30. Dec 2009, 20:14
Primary OS: MS Windows 10
VBox Version: PUEL
Guest OSses: Windows, Linux

Re: Windows XP Guest on Windows 8 Host

Post by scottgus1 »

And re-enabling SMB1 in the host OS, while allowing XP to see the host's shared folders, will leave you open to WannaCry-like attacks. It is a risk assessment for you. Web-search how to do it, the internet has instructions for turning that protocol back on.
DonVetOne
Posts: 96
Joined: 2. Feb 2018, 14:13

Re: Windows XP Guest on Windows 8 Host

Post by DonVetOne »

mpack wrote:I recommend that all VMs are given 2 cores, except of course for ancient (DOS era) single core OS's. But bear in mind what I said if XP is already installed with a single processor HAL.
?

Yes that is a big risk... not sure what is meant by HAL...
mpack
Site Moderator
Posts: 39156
Joined: 4. Sep 2008, 17:09
Primary OS: MS Windows 10
VBox Version: PUEL
Guest OSses: Mostly XP

Re: Windows XP Guest on Windows 8 Host

Post by mpack »

Your lack of knowledge about a HAL is easily resolved using Google.

https://www.google.com/search?l=en&as_q ... type=&tbs=

But the top hit seems pretty good: viewtopic.php?f=2&t=89110.
scottgus1
Site Moderator
Posts: 20965
Joined: 30. Dec 2009, 20:14
Primary OS: MS Windows 10
VBox Version: PUEL
Guest OSses: Windows, Linux

Re: Windows XP Guest on Windows 8 Host

Post by scottgus1 »

FWIW when you follow through Mpack's link to the sub links you'll get to the 'HALu' update system zip file, (shortcut viewtopic.php?f=1&t=24823&start=15#p111502) which can update the HAL to allow for multiple processors, at least on XP. I ran HALu on a Server 2003 VM (which is XP with all the server stuff included) and the process worked perfectly to take the 2003 VM from one processor to two. (I eventually went to 4 processors on the VM due to added apps, but HALu was only needed once to break out of single-processor to multi-processor.)
DonVetOne
Posts: 96
Joined: 2. Feb 2018, 14:13

Re: Windows XP Guest on Windows 8 Host

Post by DonVetOne »

Thanks will check it out... :-)
Post Reply