Disabling "Hardware Virtualization Support"

Discussions related to using VirtualBox on Windows hosts.
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Wirecutter
Posts: 3
Joined: 15. Jun 2021, 16:45
Primary OS: MS Windows 10
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Guest OSses: various Ubuntu 10-18

Disabling "Hardware Virtualization Support"

Post by Wirecutter »

(Mod edit: originally posted in "VirtualBox 6.1.2 and Hyper-V Windows Server", title changed)

I'm posting this for information - I don't wish to bicker.

I have been using VirtualBox on Windows hosts for over a decade. It has always been rock solid (unlike Windows) until very recently. I think the problems started with major version 6 of VB, but I have not done an exhaustive regression on all versions of VB. I am using VB for work. My PC is running Windows 10 Enterprise LTSC, version 1809. I am running VirtualBox version 6.1.18, hosting multiple versions of Ubuntu Linux, primarily 14.04 and 18.04. I also use Microsoft Teams extensively, and it appears to be also involved. I have several coworkers running the same configuration. I have created a common Ubuntu VM image for our use within the company, and it has several common tools pre-installed, which is helpful for the uninitiated that want to use the same tool set.

Starting around April 2021, and for the first time in years, I began experiencing the dreaded Blue Screen of Death, with the reason given either a watchdog timeout (computer freezes for a couple seconds, then BSOD) or something about "HyperV"-something. This was happening several times daily.

Googling around, I learned that some applications (such as VirtualBox) and anti-virus systems have recently begun leveraging "Hardware Virtualization Support" or some such in the more recent Intel (and others?) processors. The problem is said to be that only one entity (or hypervisor?) can use the HVS at one time. I'm getting into the weeds here - I'm not expert on the really low-level stuff. It is further said that disabling HVS comes with a performance penalty, but for our use, that is not really a concern. Every BSOD costs me 20 minutes waiting for Windows to dump whatever info to wherever, then rebooting and restarting the apps I had running.

Anyway, my IT dept. got involved and disabled Hardware Virtualization Support for all applications on my PC. That seems to have fixed the problem, and currently we're doing the same for my coworkers that experience the recently-introduced instability. If interested, I'll try to reply with the exact steps used by my IT department to fix this instability.

-Wirecutter
scottgus1
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Re: Disabling "Hardware Virtualization Support"

Post by scottgus1 »

(Moved from original topic: this is not related to booting a Virtualbox VM from a VHD disk image.)

It sounds like your use of the term "Hardware Virtualization Support" refers to the computer's VT-x or AMD-V virtualization systems. Running without VT-x/AMD-V will solve the whole problem of lots of apps wanting to use those capabilities at the same time and interfering with each other. (Take the toy away and the children can't fight themselves over it. But they may fight you for it... :lol: )

Disabling these capabilities comes at a cost. Virtualbox 6.1.x will require VT-x or AMD-V enabled to run any VM. 6.0.x allows non-VT-x/AMD-V VMs, but only 32-bit 1-processor VMs Windows 8.0 & earlier, (Linux OS's probably similar version limitation though I don't know the break point). However, 6.0.x is not being developed anymore.

It is possible to run with VT-x/AMD-V enabled and work though the glitches with other apps. We have been doing this on the forum for years, and lots of folks are successfully running Virtualbox in Windows with VT-x/AMD-V enabled. Antivirus can be told to not use VT-x/AMD-V, and Virtualbox is working on running under Microsoft Hyper-V, though it is still a work in progress, and turning Hyper-V off enables Virtualbox to run. (There is a way to make a boot toggle to allow Hyper-V or no Hyper-V, depending on whether you want Hyper-V or Virtualbox enabled.)

If you re-enable "Hardware Virtualization Support" and post a zipped vbox.log using the forum's Upload Attachment tab, and accurate error messages, we may be able to tell what is causing the problem.
Wirecutter
Posts: 3
Joined: 15. Jun 2021, 16:45
Primary OS: MS Windows 10
VBox Version: OSE other
Guest OSses: various Ubuntu 10-18

Re: Disabling "Hardware Virtualization Support"

Post by Wirecutter »

scottgus1 wrote:(Moved from original topic: this is not related to booting a Virtualbox VM from a VHD disk image.)
Sorry - it wasn't my intent to hijack or derail the thread. Thanks for the move and prompt reply.
scottgus1 wrote:Take the toy away and the children can't fight themselves over it. But they may fight you for it... :lol: )
lol - I'm going to use that one.
scottgus1 wrote: If you re-enable "Hardware Virtualization Support" and post a zipped vbox.log using the forum's Upload Attachment tab, and accurate error messages, we may be able to tell what is causing the problem.
If I get to that point, I'll try to do that. To continue the "fighting children" analogy, I didn't want to get to the point of "Do I need to stop this car?" I need to get on down the road.
scottgus1 wrote: Virtualbox 6.1.x will require VT-x or AMD-V enabled to run any VM
Ok, I need to get my Google on again. Is this the "Enable Nested VT-x/AMD-V" setting under System->Processor? That's disabled and the VMs run fine. My (very general) understanding was that the problem was with "the children" fighting over the use of features of newer processors that were designed to support hypervisors and virtualization. My problems seemed to cease once my IT disabled access to such features. (Yeah, I know, post hoc ergo propter hoc)

If it happens again, I'll try to post the log file.
-Wirecutter
scottgus1
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Re: Disabling "Hardware Virtualization Support"

Post by scottgus1 »

Wirecutter wrote:"Do I need to stop this car?" I need to get on down the road.
Been there done that. :D Work's gotta get done, come back to it later.
Wirecutter wrote:
scottgus1 wrote:Virtualbox 6.1.x will require VT-x or AMD-V enabled to run any VM
Is this the "Enable Nested VT-x/AMD-V"
No, "Enable Nested VT-x/AMD-V" passes active host VT-x/AMD-V into the VM so one can run another layer of VM inside the VM (only Virtualbox inside Virtualbox is fully supported). It's for Nested Virtualization, which some folks are trying now, if their computer has the ability. Forum guru 'fth0' has put together a list of Intel CPU features and theoretical AMD CPU features that show up in the VM's vbox.log if the CPU is capable of nested virtualization. Please feel free to post a new topic if you're interested.

VT-x/AMD-V have to be enabled in the physical computer's BIOS. Intel sometimes calls it "Virtualization Technology", AMD sometimes calls it "SVM".
Wirecutter
Posts: 3
Joined: 15. Jun 2021, 16:45
Primary OS: MS Windows 10
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Guest OSses: various Ubuntu 10-18

Re: Disabling "Hardware Virtualization Support"

Post by Wirecutter »

I'm new to this forum, so let's see if I got it right. I attached the VBoxSVC.log file (zipped) to this post. This was from a BSOD one of my coworkers got using the same PC and VB setup. He had gone through the reboot cycle and had not yet restarted VirtualBox. I looked at the log, but my untrained eye didn't see anything too meaningful.

Is there some kind of debug flag that can be enabled to provide more info on a crash? I'd be willing to take a performance hit if it meant that I can find a solution for my coworkers. Plus, I'd be a local hero. :) Thanks.
-Wirecutter
Attachments
VBoxSVC.log_CRH_15Jun21_1234.1.zip
I hope this is the correct log file, zipped
(1.77 KiB) Downloaded 4 times
mpack
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Re: Disabling "Hardware Virtualization Support"

Post by mpack »

It's a VM log we actually need. Not the VBoxSVC log.

Make sure the VM is fully shut down, then right click it in the manager UI. Select "Show Log" and save "VBox.log" (no other file) to a zip file. Attach the zip here.
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