Windows XP static IP address problem

[Victor13F]

Hello,

I have started using VBox a few months ago as we needed to set a Windows XP Virtual machine to run some ancient software at work and so far it's run flawlessly except for one little (big) problem..
It is for us necessary that the machine has a fixed IP Address and although I can assign the VM an IP Address, it loses it every single time on reboot and this is the behaviour:

Let's say my connection on the XP control panel is called "LAN Connection #1". and I assign the IP address to it.
When I restart the VM my connection will then be called "LAN Connection #2" and it will no longer be configured to have a fixed IP Address. It it as though XP detects a new Network card everytime the machine starts.
My Network settings on Vbox are configured as bridged adapter since it is the one that seemed to work best for our case scenario, but I'm not sure anymore since this problem could be derived from it. For us it is only necessary that other machines in the network can reach it and that it can reach the other machines. Internet access is really not necessary.

I would greatly appreciate any tips anyone might have on how to solve this problem.

[socratis]

Let's say my connection on the XP control panel is called "LAN Connection #1". and I assign the IP address to it. When I restart the VM my connection will then be called "LAN Connection #2"

That seems really unconventional. Are you sure you're only using the Bridged option, and you're not modifying the VM settings in between reboots?

Also, can you describe in detail how you're setting up the IP address?

[Victor13F]

Hello, sorry for the delayed reply.

It is a strange problem to have. I have Bridged option selected, and nothing else has been touched or changed, since it works flawlessly (except for our little problem).
I set the IP address up the conventional way on Windows XP and on every other Windows since XP as far as I know. Control Panel -> Network -> LAN connections etc etc..

Stranger still, this VM is the result of a cloned HDD from an old computer (Which didn't have this problem) and since I converted it to VHD it has been run on two different PCs under VBox and in both it showed the same problem. I cannot for the life of me figure what it's causing the problem.

Thank you.

[socratis]

Stranger still, this VM is the result of a cloned HDD from an old computer (Which didn't have this problem)

Stranger? Why stranger? That's the exact reason why you're seeing this weirdest of behaviors. Your old physical PC didn't have the same equipment as the virtual one, right? And, if nothing else, WinXP is not known to be easily adapted to hardware changes. Yeah, there was PlugNPlay and everything, but that was version 1.0.

Check out Device Cleanup program that helps you to remove any unused devices from your computer, mainly multiple "Host-Only Adapter #n" and other niceties.

But at the moment this doesn't seem like a VirtualBox problem.