Installation of Guest Additions in a Windows XP VM hangs

Discussions about using Windows guests in VirtualBox.
fth0
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Re: Installation of Guest Additions in a Windows XP VM hangs

Post by fth0 »

Unfortunately, I cannot interpret anything more into those log files.
Rotator
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Re: Installation of Guest Additions in a Windows XP VM hangs

Post by Rotator »

OK, now I have found out something very weird, and I am nearly sure that this actually is the real cause of the problem.

This is what I did on the host:

- Mount the guest additions ISO ("C:\Program Files\Oracle\VirtualBox\VBoxGuestAdditions.iso") as drive letter E:
- Using 7zip, extract "E:\VBoxWindowsAdditions-x86.exe" to "C:\temp\vbox" (after this step, "C:\temp\vbox" obviously contains every VB guest driver and utility in unpacked form).
- Create an ISO file containing everything in "C:\temp\vbox"
- Attach that ISO file as a virtual CD/DVD to the problematic VM, using the UI of VirtualBox
- Start the problematic VM

Then I continued in the guest:

- Log in as administrator
- Identify the drive letter of the virtual CD/DVD mentioned above (in my case, it is D:)
- Open the device manager
- Among the devices that have a yellow exclamation mark, identify the "base system device" (check that the vendor ID is 0x80EE and the device id is 0xCAFE)
- Update the driver for that device manually by not letting Windows search automatically for the driver, but forcing it to install the driver from D:

Now the real problem shows up; please have a look at the attached screenshot. First, it successfully creates a new device "VirtualBox Guest Device" in the device manager. Immediately afterwards, it tries to copy the driver files, which seemingly succeeds for a few of them. But when it tries to copy "VBoxControl.exe", it gets stuck. This situation is shown in the screenshot. The attempt to copy that file takes forever; I have let it run for over an hour.

During this time, there are no other problems in the guest; everything except the driver installation (specifically: the file copy) works as usual, except the shutdown. The shutdown getting stuck is probably due to the half-installed driver, though.

This is really weird, and I haven't seen something like that before. I first thought that a virus scanner prevented Windows from copying that file, but nope: There is no virus or malware protection in that guest.

Can anybody explain this?

Out of curiosity, the next thing I'll try is whether I can copy that file manually to "C:\Windows\system32". Not that I have great expectations, but perhaps I can learn something from it.
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scottgus1
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Re: Installation of Guest Additions in a Windows XP VM hangs

Post by scottgus1 »

What is the source of your XP installation CD/DVD/ISO? Is it an Nlite'd version? Download from non-Microsoft source? Actual Microsoft DVD or ISO therefrom?
Rotator
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Joined: 16. Mar 2023, 13:34

Re: Installation of Guest Additions in a Windows XP VM hangs

Post by Rotator »

scottgus1 wrote:What is the source of your XP installation CD/DVD/ISO? Is it an Nlite'd version? Download from non-Microsoft source? Actual Microsoft DVD or ISO therefrom?
This is happening in a professional environment where only official CDs, DVDs or installation images have been used, and where every piece of software has been properly licensed. The installation source hasn't been modified in any way. It is Windows XP Pro (not Home). Everything else fortunately is running fine in the VM.

The VM was working fine under VMware Player; the installation of the VMware guest tools was no problem. That's many years ago, though, and we haven't used the VM since then. But as we currently convert every old VMware-based VM to VirtualBox, it would be very nice if we could solve the problem. Currently there are more and more signs that we'll need that VM again in a few weeks :-)
scottgus1
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Re: Installation of Guest Additions in a Windows XP VM hangs

Post by scottgus1 »

OK, just checking. MY XP also is an official Microsoft setup. Some folks try to run an Nlited XP and run into trouble, then they ask for help while forgetting to tell us the XP image is not complete.

The fact that you're having trouble could be because VMware was in there once, or it could be that a failed GAs install in the past is still getting in the way.

Curious that copying VboxControl.exe is seizing up. This file is the GAs version of "vboxmanage" in the host. I wonder if there is already a "VboxControl.exe" in the System32 folder, which is somehow being held onto by the XP OS.

I'd go so far as to reboot the XP VM, perhaps in Safe Mode, then go to System32 and move any file named "Vbox*" to a folder on the Desktop. Also move "C:\Program Files\Oracle\VirtualBox Guest Additions" to the Desktop if it exists. Then reboot XP again to regular mode and try the GAs install.
fth0
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Re: Installation of Guest Additions in a Windows XP VM hangs

Post by fth0 »

FWIW, I just learned that the setupapi.dev.log file only exists starting with Windows Vista. In Windows XP, you can enhance the logging to the setupapi.log file according to Setting SetupAPI Logging Levels.
Rotator
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Re: Installation of Guest Additions in a Windows XP VM hangs

Post by Rotator »

scottgus1 wrote:The fact that you're having trouble could be because VMware was in there once, or it could be that a failed GAs install in the past is still getting in the way.
Originally, I thought the same, until I noticed that VBoxControl.exe can't be copied. I can't imagine in what way this could be related to an incomplete removal of the VMware software.
scottgus1 wrote:Curious that copying VboxControl.exe is seizing up. This file is the GAs version of "vboxmanage" in the host. I wonder if there is already a "VboxControl.exe" in the System32 folder, which is somehow being held onto by the XP OS.
I am nearly sure that the VBox... files did not exist in the System32 folder when I tried to install the GA the first time. Since that VM ran under VMware for several years, then was not used at all for another several years, nobody could have been tempted to install the VirtualBox tools there, until recently when we converted it to VirtualBox.
scottgus1 wrote:I'd go so far as to reboot the XP VM, perhaps in Safe Mode, then go to System32 and move any file named "Vbox*" to a folder on the Desktop. Also move "C:\Program Files\Oracle\VirtualBox Guest Additions" to the Desktop if it exists. Then reboot XP again to regular mode and try the GAs install.
This is a good idea in every case. I'll try it and report back.
scottgus1
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Re: Installation of Guest Additions in a Windows XP VM hangs

Post by scottgus1 »

Rotator wrote:I am nearly sure that the VBox... files did not exist in the System32 folder when I tried to install the GA the first time.
I'd be surprised if you looked for them there. I wasn't aware they got copied there until I saw your trouble screenshot above.

Please let us know how the System32\Vbox* deletion and re-attempt of GAs install went.
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