windows guests are getting read-only filesystems

Discussions about using Windows guests in VirtualBox.
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scasparz
Posts: 2
Joined: 2. Jun 2022, 16:01

windows guests are getting read-only filesystems

Post by scasparz »

Hi guys,

Am a Linux Mint host running two Windows guests, an XP one and a Windows 7 one. Have noticed on both guests, respective file systems seem to turn to read/only, hence software I write for them will not write locally. Both guests are plain straightforward installations with nothing peculiar over. No additional software, no unusual settings, more or less plain as they come out of the box.

Can use windows file managers to alter the attributes of any given folder to read/write. Windows claims to have done so, yet when I inspect such a folder immediately after I have them changed, they are back to read-only. Looks as if there is some kind of a windows service that restores folders to ro again.

Problem comes before I install the vbox extensions, which makes me believe this is not vbox related. Have attempted some googling, it appears with other Hypervisors as well (eg VMWare).

Is there something that can be done with it?
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 guests are getting read-only filesystems

Post by scottgus1 »

scasparz wrote:this is not vbox related
Definitely not Virtualbox-related. Virtualbox doesn't have any way to make a VM OS's file system read-only.

This has to be something happening inside the VM OS, or possibly some permissions footling on the host OS. Though, I'd expect that if the host OS set the VM disk file read only, Virtualbox wouldn't be able to boot the VM, since write permissions are required. The average hard-disk-installed OS expects to be able to write to its disk. Unless the set to read-only happens after the VM has booted. Do you have any 3rd-party backup or AV software on the host that runs while the VM is running?

You'll have to troubleshoot this inside the VM OS's.
scasparz
Posts: 2
Joined: 2. Jun 2022, 16:01

Re: windows guests are getting read-only filesystems

Post by scasparz »

To begin with, thanks for replying.

The quick answer is no, there is no AV software running on either the Linux host or the Windows guests.
Also both windows guests are not exposed to the internet, thought it would be rather risky.
However both use the vbox's bridged network. Anyway the issue was there even before the network was activated.

Am puzzled about this. The same vbox host provides a number of additional Linux guests as well,
no problems there.


regards
s
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