Brand new Windows XP VM aborts immediately on first run (no install yet)

[Zyntax]

Host: Windows 10 64-bit / 8GB
Guest: Windows XP 32-bit / 2GB (have not installed yet, only set up the VM)

I've created and setup a new VM for Windows XP, but as soon as I start it (normally), the black window comes up saying the "Starting Virtual Machine" dialog box, the status moves a little bit then immediately closes, with the VM status showing as "Aborted". I've looked through the logs but I can't tell what the issue is. Is it a setting?

I've attached the logs.

Thanks in advance!

[scottgus1]

The guest log has this:

Code: Select all

00:00:05.857409 supR3HardenedErrorV: supR3HardenedScreenImage/NtCreateSection: rc=VERR_BAD_EXE_FORMAT fImage=1 fProtect=0x5 fAccess=0x2 \Device\HarddiskVolume6\Windows\System32\DriverStore\FileRepository\c0318486.inf_amd64_11ba0b4b7cc81d52\atikmdag.sys: NumberOfSections=116, implementation max is 42
00:00:05.857828 supR3HardenedErrorV: supR3HardenedScreenImage/NtCreateSection: cached rc=VERR_BAD_EXE_FORMAT fImage=1 fProtect=0x2 fAccess=0x5 cHits=1 \Device\HarddiskVolume6\Windows\System32\DriverStore\FileRepository\c0318486.inf_amd64_11ba0b4b7cc81d52\atikmdag.sys

The hardening log also has errors thrown on this file.

I wonder if your video drivers aren't signed by ATI? Maybe a driver update is in order?

[Zyntax]

Thank you for looking at this.

Yeah the video drivers were a good 1-2 years old, so I updated those to the most recent (dated 6 days ago, in fact!) but I still get the same issue. The drivers should have already been signed though - they've always come from the AMD website.

Updated log attached.

[mpack]

What is "Windows XP SP3 Integral Edition"?

No official retail version of XP included SP3, as that came as a fixes rollup long after XP itself was replaced by Vista, in fact ISTR it was almost into the Win7 period. If this isn't an official installer then there's no way to be sure what it is.

p.s. A tip, not related to your problem. Like all Windows, XP will run better on two cores. Your host can afford it, so make sure you have two cores selected in the VM before installing XP, as it is very hard to change this after XP is installed.

p.p.s. Try disabling 3D acceleration: you don't need it to get XP installed and then the Guest Additions, before that it's just a source of trouble. Disable audio too. Believe me, vendors forgetting to sign their DLLs is not a rare occurrence, so the fact that these came from the vendor's site is no guarantee, but in any case disabling 3D should eliminate the problem.

Disable those shared folders too. Again, they aren't relevant until you get XP plus the GAs installed. Baby steps. In any case it is INCREDIBLY unwise to share every root folder on your host with an XP VM! Create a specific folder on the host for shared access, don't let the VM access anywhere else, unless you particularly want the internet to have access to every file on your host. Also don't ever copy executable files from inside that folder to your host - or run them on the host at all of course. These are basic precautions - they really ought to be taught in schools.

[Zyntax]

Thanks for the recommendations but none of those fixed the issue.

If the Windows XP image I have is an issue I'll definitely try a different one, but we're not there yet.

[Zyntax]

In fact, any new VM I create (for any OS) seems to be aborting. I wasn't having this issue before I upgraded to the current version (came from v5.something).

I just tried a quick VM setup of Ubuntu 16.04 and gave it the image (I didn't modify any of the defaults) and it aborted.

[socratis]

I just tried a quick VM setup of Ubuntu 16.04 and gave it the image (I didn't modify any of the defaults) and it aborted.

Post the ZIPPED VBox.log from a complete such session...

[Zyntax]

Logs attached.

[socratis]

You're still having the same exact problem. All your VBoxHardening.logs end with:

2840.37ec: supR3HardNtChildWaitFor[1]: Quitting: ExitCode=0xc0000409 (rcNtWait=0x0, rcNt1=0x0, rcNt2=0x103, rcNt3=0x103, 7017 ms, the end);

And all your VBox.logs with exactly the same message:

00:00:05.810701 SUP: Loaded VBoxEhciR0.r0 (C:\Program
        Files\Oracle\VirtualBox\ExtensionPacks\Oracle_VM_VirtualBox_Extension_Pack\
        win.amd64\VBoxEhciR0.r0) at 0xXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX - ModuleInit at
        XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX and ModuleTerm at XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX using the native ring-0
        loader
00:00:05.810720 SUP: windbg> .reload /f C:\Program
        Files\Oracle\VirtualBox\ExtensionPacks\Oracle_VM_VirtualBox_Extension_Pack\
        win.amd64\VBoxEhciR0.r0=0xXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

That's really early in the boot process, VirtualBox is "invaded" at the most basic levels.

Please read really carefully the following FAQ: Diagnosing VirtualBox Hardening Issues for some generic guidelines/ideas. Remember, these are guidelines, not the exact solution, you have to use your judgement as to which program might be responsible.

[Zyntax]

Just let everyone know, and to those that might have this issue....

Updating Windows 10 to version 1903 fixed this issue.

[mpack]

I doubt it was any native Windows driver that caused this, but the Win10 feature update would have implied updates to third party drivers also. It was the fact of updating all all that was significant, not the version of Windows you installed.