Windows 10 sporadically freezes

Discussions about using Windows guests in VirtualBox.
gVboXm
Posts: 6
Joined: 18. Feb 2022, 16:21

Windows 10 sporadically freezes

Post by gVboXm »

I am running the latest VirtualBox 6.1.32 on a MacOS host, and my Win10 guest OS sporadically freezes, forcing me to reset or power down the VM. The VirtualBox application itself does not crash or anything.
I use some USB devices and shared folders all the time, but I don't see any correlation to what exactly I am doing inside the guest OS when it happens.
Log is attached. Any hints?
Attachments
Windows 10 VM-2022-02-18-15-16-54.log.zip
(43.47 KiB) Downloaded 46 times
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 10 sporadically freezes

Post by scottgus1 »

Thanks for the log, but it shows a VM starting from a saved state, which does not show all the diagnostics of a VM started from complete shutdown.

Please 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 Log. Save the far left tab's log, zip it, and post the zip file, using the forum's Upload Attachment tab.
gVboXm
Posts: 6
Joined: 18. Feb 2022, 16:21

Re: Windows 10 sporadically freezes

Post by gVboXm »

Here's a new log, from fresh start to forced power-off.
Attachments
Windows 10 VM-2022-02-21-09-16-07.log.zip
(34.09 KiB) Downloaded 34 times
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 10 sporadically freezes

Post by scottgus1 »

You have a VM OS slowdown here:
00:27:42.356565 VMMDev: vmmDevHeartbeatFlatlinedTimer: Guest seems to be unresponsive. Last heartbeat received 4 seconds ago
But I don't see in the log if there is any Virtualbox cause for it.

Can you try the VM without the USB devices?
00:00:02.178256 VUSB: Attached '00007fc88f589230[proxy 0ce9:1016]' to port 2 on RootHub#1 (HighSpeed)
00:14:46.271292 VUSB: Attached '00007fc88f05d580[proxy 0483:5740]' to port 3 on RootHub#1 (FullSpeed)
gVboXm
Posts: 6
Joined: 18. Feb 2022, 16:21

Re: Windows 10 sporadically freezes

Post by gVboXm »

scottgus1 wrote: Can you try the VM without the USB devices?
I tried (disconnected all of them from the guest), but so far, it did not freeze again.
So the USB may well be the reason for the freeze. However these USB devices are the main reason for using a VirtualMachine with Windows in the first place, so simply unplugging them is not really a solution.
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 10 sporadically freezes

Post by scottgus1 »

Good, so we're getting closer.

If you start the VM, confirm that the VM is up and running responsively, then insert the USB devices, does the VM remain responsive or start slowing down?

And if it does start slowing down, do both devices cause it? only one or the other?

According to the vendor and product IDs, the devices are an oscilloscope and a COM port. Do other USB devices like thumbdrives cause the slowdown?
gVboXm
Posts: 6
Joined: 18. Feb 2022, 16:21

Re: Windows 10 sporadically freezes

Post by gVboXm »

scottgus1 wrote:Good, so we're getting closer.
If you start the VM, confirm that the VM is up and running responsively, then insert the USB devices, does the VM remain responsive or start slowing down?
There is no gradual slow down at any point, it just freezes completely (the shared mouse pointer still moves, but there is no reaction to mouse clicks or keyboard input anymore) at a rather arbitrary point in time. It does not seem to be connected to any specific action inside the VM.
And if it does start slowing down, do both devices cause it? only one or the other?
According to the vendor and product IDs, the devices are an oscilloscope and a COM port. Do other USB devices like thumbdrives cause the slowdown?
Sorry, but all I can say is that it does not seem to freeze without the devices, however I have no reason to use the Windows-VM this way, so I cannot test it this way for many hours as it would be necessary to be sure. Even with the devices connected, it sometimes takes many hours before the freeze occurs. It was pure (bad) luck that it happened fairly quickly when I recorded the log files.

Yes, it is a picosscope and a rather exotic COM port device. Both work flawlessly on a real Windows PC. I need them for my daily job, so I typically spend many hours using the VM with them, but I have no time to test the VM in the same way without them or with any others.
scottgus1
Site Moderator
Posts: 20965
Joined: 30. Dec 2009, 20:14
Primary OS: MS Windows 10
VBox Version: PUEL
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Re: Windows 10 sporadically freezes

Post by scottgus1 »

gVboXm wrote:Even with the devices connected, it sometimes takes many hours before the freeze occurs.
Interesting. So I'll surmise that it's neither the devices nor Virtualbox causing this, but something else. Perhaps power-saving control settings for the VM OS or the drivers, shutting off the devices?

Despite your time limitations, if you want to fix this you'll have to do something. Try to pin down if it's one device or the other.
gVboXm
Posts: 6
Joined: 18. Feb 2022, 16:21

Re: Windows 10 sporadically freezes

Post by gVboXm »

scottgus1 wrote:So I'll surmise that it's neither the devices nor Virtualbox causing this, but something else. Perhaps power-saving control settings for the VM OS or the drivers, shutting off the devices?

Despite your time limitations, if you want to fix this you'll have to do something. Try to pin down if it's one device or the other.
Today I experienced the same kind of freeze:

00:52:21.811308 VMMDev: vmmDevHeartbeatFlatlinedTimer: Guest seems to be unresponsive. Last heartbeat received 4 seconds ago

without any device connected at all, only about 1h after a fresh restart of the VM.
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 10 sporadically freezes

Post by scottgus1 »

gVboXm wrote:without any device connected at all
OK, so apparently the initial assumption about the added USB devices was incorrect.

Please post the log where the VM has seized while the devices are not connected.

Also please try installing Windows 10 on a fresh VM and see if it seizes too.
gVboXm
Posts: 6
Joined: 18. Feb 2022, 16:21

Re: Windows 10 sporadically freezes

Post by gVboXm »

scottgus1 wrote:
gVboXm wrote:without any device connected at all
Please post the log where the VM has seized while the devices are not connected.
Here you go.
Attachments
Windows 10 VM-2022-04-20-16-35-35.log.zip
Freeze without any USB devices attached.
(38.67 KiB) Downloaded 6 times
Valada
Posts: 2
Joined: 17. Oct 2022, 16:52

Re: Windows 10 sporadically freezes

Post by Valada »

Hello, I'm still facing the same issue after following all the steps discussed before, including reinstalling the WIN 10 on a fresh VM.
The issues persist, but I have new information to share, although I'm not sure if it will be helpful.

First, when the VM freezes, most of the time, I press RCTRL + P to pause it and the same button again to unpause the VM. Usually, it comes back for a while, but sometimes, after doing the previous procedure, it keeps on freezing. Sometimes only the right click of the mouse works, but is rare.

Other times neither of the solutions work. Hence, I tried the shortcut RCTRL + H, and it seems to work periodically like previously mentioned.

Most of the time, pausing and resuming resolve the issue for 5 to 10 seconds, but other times, like in the logs attached, the VM remains unfrozen for a couple of hours.

Regarding the Battery mode, it still needs testing. At the moment it is on performance mode and screen sleep is disabled.

I hope that this information can help us find the issue for once. I think it can be something related to driver or some compatibility issue with external devices, like the keyboard and mouse or sound devices. trying to mitigate sound problems I have disabled, on device manager, everything related to sound, but I don't know if it is enough to mitigate the problem.
Attachments
2022-10-17-14-43-56.log
third log, all methods didn't worked, restart the VM needed
(42.95 KiB) Downloaded 6 times
2022-10-17-11-09-26.log
second Log, pause the VM worked again
(102.32 KiB) Downloaded 3 times
2022-10-17-09-45-10.log
Fist Log, pause the VM worked
(88.36 KiB) Downloaded 3 times
Valada
Posts: 2
Joined: 17. Oct 2022, 16:52

Re: Windows 10 sporadically freezes

Post by Valada »

Updating my observations...

After the VirtualBox 7.0 Update the issue remains, but now the VM is aborting.

The last info shown in the logs state that the VM became irresponsive. It came back in a short while, then everything broke.

Follow the logs...

Update: 21/10/2022 - VM aborted again that is the logs
00:02:13.296200 Changing the VM state from 'RESUMING' to 'RUNNING'
00:02:13.296232 Console: Machine state changed to 'Running'
00:02:17.340317 VMMDev: GuestHeartBeat: Guest is alive (gone 9 385 346 162 ns)
00:02:17.364695 AIOMgr: Async flushes not supported
00:02:18.705881 GUI: User requested to shutdown VM.
00:02:18.705939 GUI: Sending ACPI shutdown signal..
00:02:46.969975 VMMDev: Guest Log: VBOXNP: DLL unloaded.
00:03:16.813198 OHCI: USB Suspended
00:03:37.399100 OHCI: Software reset
00:03:37.399263 OHCI: USB Reset
00:03:37.456055 OHCI: USB Operational
00:04:21.367657 OHCI: USB Suspended
00:04:28.105315 OHCI: USB Operational
00:07:49.291605 TM: Giving up catch-up attempt at a 60 000 201 996 ns lag; new total: 60 000 201 996 ns
00:10:13.233685 TM: Giving up catch-up attempt at a 60 000 656 017 ns lag; new total: 120 000 858 013 ns
00:11:13.107652 AHCI#0: Port 0 reset
00:11:13.108833 VD#0: Cancelling all active requests
00:14:31.283692 TM: Giving up catch-up attempt at a 60 000 206 645 ns lag; new total: 180 001 064 658 ns
Attachments
2022-10-27-13-29-56.log
NEW LOG
(93.45 KiB) Downloaded 3 times
Seidor-2022-10-19-15-15-04.log
(94.32 KiB) Downloaded 4 times
Gelvin
Posts: 2
Joined: 1. Mar 2023, 21:06

Re: Windows 10 sporadically freezes

Post by Gelvin »

Had the same problem with windows 10 guest in VirtualBox 7.0.6.
The fix is obscure for me:
  • set Guest settings > Display > Graphics controller = VBoxVGA
  • set Guest settings > System > Acceleration = Hyper-V ("Hyper-V features" are disabled on my host windows machine)
No freezes since that time.

UPD:
additionally changed:
  • set Guest settings > System > Processor > Execution Cap > decrease to 90% (Processor Intel Core i5-11400H)
  • set Guest settings > Storage > Storage Device > uncheck "Solid-state Drive"
I've spent almost whole day testing different combinations and these 4 settings seems did the trick. Tried to set any of them to default value and caught freezes after 30-60 mins of using VM.
Last edited by Gelvin on 2. Mar 2023, 13:51, edited 7 times in total.
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 10 sporadically freezes

Post by scottgus1 »

Gelvin wrote:set Guest settings > System > Acceleration = Hyper-V
If it was "Default" before, then it would have been "Hyper-V" under the hood.
Gelvin wrote:set Guest settings > Display > Graphics controller = VBoxVGA
This probably did it, by disabling the ability of the VM to use 3D acceleration. Turning off 3D acceleration probably would do the same thing while using the default VboxSVGA.
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