Windows is loading files infinite loop

[BIguy]

Hi All,

I am very new to VMs and I am encountering the following problem. I am trying to open .vdi file using virtualbox, but I get stuck in the "Windows is loading files..." which just alternates with the VM logo and then starts again. I've checked that I have VT-x enabled. It actually says in my UEFI settings - <VT-x Only>. The host is Windows 10. Guest is Windows 7. Not sure what additional information might be needed here. I checked the forum and I found some threads where enabling VT-x resolved the issue, so that's enabled for me. I am attaching the log file. Please let me know your thoughts.

[Martin]

Where did you get this vdi file?
Something inside the guest is resetting the system.

[mpack]

I see you talk about the VDI, i.e. one file, rather than the VM - which consists of several important files.

Where did the VDI come from?

[BIguy]

Guys, thanks alot for the quick replys. So i have the following files:

Win7.vdi
0.ntfs
1.ntfs
2 - no file extension

And I am deploying the Win7.vdi file by using the "Use an existing virtual hard disk file" option. I got the VM from a friend as set of .7zip files. Once I extract, the only file I get is the .vdi. At first I tried with this file only, but I was getting the looping windows message. Then I actually unzipped the .vdi file (just improvising), and I got the .ntfs files. Now if I keep extracting these .ntfs files I actually get the Windows installation folders with Program Files, Program Files (86x), etc. But I know that's not the proper way to get to that VM. Is something wrong with the file(s) I got?

[mpack]

Only the Win7.vdi is a VirtualBox file at all. I have no idea what the others are.

A VDI file is a disk image. If you consider how well your PC would run if you had a disk drive - and nothing else - , then you might get an idea of your problem. Even accepting that you have to build a new PC around the disk drive - it isn't a job for the faint hearted. One slipup in the VM recipe and you get a VM that fails to boot, which is what I think we have here. The correct way to move a VirtualBox VM is described here: Howto: Move a VM.

Next, Windows 7 is copyrighted software - do you have your own license to use it?

Finally, the practical matter: Windows 7 must be activated before use. It almost certainly won't remain activated now that it has been separated from the VM, and you can't reactivate it without killing your friend's activation - unless you install your own product key first (Google for how).

[Meshx86]

In case someone is coming from a converted VMware (through ovftool), i noticed when importing the client, Virtual Box detected guest OS as Windows 32 bit while it was actually 64 bit, changing the OS type to Windows 64 bit solved the problem.

[mpack]

That doesn't seem to be related to the above discussion in any way. If you have an OVF then the disk format is VMDK, and it is certainly not a bare VMDK.

[Slackmaster117]

@mpack, Even though this post is a little old, I had to login to let some poor person in the future know that Meshx86 was actually very helpful with their comment. What they described is exactly what happened to me. Because of that post, I only spent 2 minutes troubleshooting and now my VM is up and running. In my case, I have a 64 bit Windows 2008 server.

Why in the world does VirtualBox think it is 32 bit? Anyways, I am glad it was an easy fix.

[mpack]

Why in the world does VirtualBox think it is 32 bit? Anyways, I am glad it was an easy fix.

VirtualBox is not a person, it is incapable of thought. It will create a 32bit VM because the OVF tells it to do so.

[Sage]

@mpack, Even though this post is a little old, I had to login to let some poor person in the future know that Meshx86 was actually very helpful with their comment. What they described is exactly what happened to me. Because of that post, I only spent 2 minutes troubleshooting and now my VM is up and running. In my case, I have a 64 bit Windows 2008 server.

Why in the world does VirtualBox think it is 32 bit? Anyways, I am glad it was an easy fix.

Seconded. Helped me too. Thanks @mpack