Windows 10 unusably slow on MBP 2017 host

[bobtista]

My Windows 10 VM has keyboard lag, I lose my mouse pointer due to lag, everything is just painfully slow. After reading other similar posts, I've tried setting the scaling to 200% in VirtualBox preferences, turning down the resolution to 800x600 in the Windows vm, setting the RAM to 4gb (host has 16gb), CPUs to 2 (host has 4), and I've tried turning on 3d and 2d acceleration, though I noticed that the 2d unchecks itself. Nothing has helped so far. I've attached logs here. Thank you in advance for your help!

[fth0]

Update the Guest Additions. Does the problem persist?

[bobtista]

Update the Guest Additions. Does the problem persist?

Thank you for your help. Yes, the problem persists. Also, I tried installing an application (Origin), and the VM becomes unresponsive. There is an advertisement animation in the installer window that keeps on playing, but if I click anything in the window or even the menu bar on the top of the VM window, nothing happens. I tried sending a shutdown command from virtualbox, but nothing happened, so I hit the power down button. I've attached new logs here.
Update: I restarted and ran the installation of origins successfully. The VM is still painfully slow though. Text lagging, mouse pointer lagging etc.

[fth0]

I haven't seen anything in your new VBox.log file indicating your problems. If the problems are inside the guest OS itself, this is expected. In consequence, I suggest to further analyze inside the guest OS, like you would on a real PC.

There's one more thing you could try: Since your Intel i5-7267U CPU has only 2 cores, provide the VM with only 1 core (just for a test).

[bobtista]

I haven't seen anything in your new VBox.log file indicating your problems. If the problems are inside the guest OS itself, this is expected. In consequence, I suggest to further analyze inside the guest OS, like you would on a real PC.

There's one more thing you could try: Since your Intel i5-7267U CPU has only 2 cores, provide the VM with only 1 core (just for a test).

Ok I tried this, and I'm still getting the same performance issues. I also tried running a game on Origin and got two quirky issues. First, Origin gave me an error to please upgrade my OS to Windows 7 or higher... this is a Windows 10 VM. I ignored the error and ran a game called Zero Hour, which played the intro video with considerable choppiness, then crashed at the end when the game menu appeared with a "you have encountered a serious error" error message back in Windows. I'm wondering if the video drivers are bad or something? New logs attached.

[fth0]

Windows 7 or higher... this is a Windows 10 VM

This could be an implementation error from the ancient times, when version numbers sometimes were compared alphabetically (instead of numerically), so that "10" < "7" (like in a dictionary).

a game called Zero Hour

Generally speaking, you should virtualize an OS that the game was released for. Additionally, VirtualBox doesn't use your real graphics card, but emulates a rather old virtual graphics card, maybe even older than the game you're trying to run (but I'm not sure about that).

[bobtista]

Windows 7 or higher... this is a Windows 10 VM

This could be an implementation error from the ancient times, when version numbers sometimes were compared alphabetically (instead of numerically), so that "10" < "7" (like in a dictionary).

This all worked when Parallels worked on my machine, so I don't think it's that Origin doesn't know Windows 10. Parallels is broken now after updating to Mac OS Catalina More precisely, the VM will start, but it runs unusably slowly.

a game called Zero Hour

Generally speaking, you should virtualize an OS that the game was released for. Additionally, VirtualBox doesn't use your real graphics card, but emulates a rather old virtual graphics card, maybe even older than the game you're trying to run (but I'm not sure about that).

I tried running an XP machine last year with no luck. Also Origin won't let me run games using XP starting in two weeks I'll try again now anyway to see if it at least runs. Then maybe I could try Win 7? Anyway, Installing XP sp3 now...

[bobtista]

Ok I installed Windows XP sp3, and the VM runs smoothly But the game won't run. It says that I need directx 8 or that my video card doesn't meet the min requirements. I installed directx 9. I get the feeling this is a video card driver issue. Any idea here? I could also try getting a Win7 iso somewhere and running in xp compatibility mode. DxDiag log attached

[fth0]

VirtualBox 6.1.0 + Windows XP -> no 3D acceleration (any more)

I'd suggest to use either
VirtualBox 6.0.14 / 5.2.34 with VBoxVGA and 3D acceleration + Windows XP
or
VirtualBox 6.1.0 with VBoxSVGA and 3D acceleration + Windows 7.

[bobtista]

VirtualBox 6.1.0 with VBoxSVGA and 3D acceleration + Windows 7
Windows 7 has the same performance issues as Win10. Even trying to watch a video on youtube is really laggy, and mouse clicks take up to 5 seconds to react.

5.2.34 with VBoxVGA and 3D acceleration + Windows XP
Same error: My computer needs directx 8, or my video card doesn't meet the minimum requirements. (It has directx 9, and I'm not sure what more I could do for video)

I wonder why Windows 7 and Windows 10 are both so laggy?

For kicks, I tried 6.0.14 with Windows 7 and still no luck. A youtube video will start playing, the video will be choppy and laggy, and the mouse pointer disappears and is unresponsive - clicking anywhere or trying to use spacebar to stop the video will be delayed about 5 seconds. Log attached.

[fth0]

Log attached.

This time you forgot to downgrade the Guest Additions. Uninstall the Guest Additions, reboot, install the Guest Additions matching the VirtualBox version, thereby choosing the experimental 3D driver (WDDM) during the installation.

I wonder why Windows 7 and Windows 10 are both so laggy?

Me too. Can you elaborate a bit on when it is laggy (e.g. only when watching a YouTube video)? If it is only laggy at special times, note the exact times so that we can identify the time in the corresponding VBox.log file.

Are your problems maybe dependent on the host? Can you copy the VM to another host for comparison?

[bobtista]

I followed your instructions to uninstall guest additions (the mismatched version) then reinstall the correct version and to use the WDDM 3d driver, but the issue is still the same. The OS is generally choppy/laggy, but specifically when I try watching a youtube video, I notice the video is choppy and the mouse pointer disappears, and then any input (mouse or keyboard) is about 5 seconds delayed - eg hitting spacebar for pause doesn't pause the video until 5 seconds later. On this session, I started, went to youtube, found a video, watched it for a minute or so and then shut down the vm. Logs attached. Thank you again for your support here.
Edit: Tried to clarify that I changed versions for guest additions, didn't just reinstall the same version.

[fth0]

The OS is generally choppy/laggy

In the VirtualBox forums, there are several threads about slow VMs on macOS Catalina hosts, so you're not alone. (This was the reason for my suggestion to try another host.) There is an indication in your latest VBox.log files for something maybe unusual:

00:00:20.496375 PIT: mode=2 count=0x4ad (1197) - 996.81 Hz (ch=0)
00:00:20.606539 PIT: mode=2 count=0x2ead (11949) - 99.85 Hz (ch=0)
00:00:20.947112 PIT: mode=2 count=0x4ad (1197) - 996.81 Hz (ch=0)
00:00:20.987693 PIT: mode=2 count=0x2ead (11949) - 99.85 Hz (ch=0)
[...]

@all: Did anyone encounter this flapping behavior of the Programmable Interval Timer (PIT) in the past?

[fth0]

@bobtista:
Just another idea that may appear far-fetched at first (and maybe it is ):

On your host, go to "System Preferences > Security & Privacy > Accessibility" and disable VirtualBox. Reboot your host. Does the problem persist?

[bobtista]

Oddly enough, I can't uncheck it... I unlocked the lock in the window, and I can uncheck other entries like VLC media player, but VirtualBox is stuck on