virtualbox bugs? slow when installing or runnning anything DOS based

[michaelweaser]

I am having an issue with the newest version of virtualbox, I am having an issue with slowness , when I use DOS or any version of windows that is based on it windows 95, 98, me it has speed issues. I don't always upgrade to the latest version of virtualbox , So I do not remember what version was on my computer before. I have never had this issue before. Its being slow all the time, when I try to install windows 98 it takes forever to install, When I load the DOS boot disk for the ability to install windows 98 ms-dos gets stuck at using the cd-rom driver, when loading standard DOS like ms-dos 6.22, it gets stuck at himem.sys for awhile, and also takes awhile to install DOS? anyone know what is happening? The only issue that is happening is the processor is constantly at 100% and I also found out when I start virtualbox it automatically uses 70% even when running no VM.

[mpack]

I will first point out that none of those are supported guests. If they work they work, if they don't work (well) then nobody much cares. They are curiosities, nothing more.

That said, I have DOS and Win98SE VMs in my "Nostalgia" folder, and they all still seem to be working fine for me. No speed change in v5.1.26.

Pick one example, provide a VM log.

[michaelweaser]

If it's not virtualbox , then why does a Older version of it , not have the problem? The version I had was probably using, was released over a year ago, I don't upgrade to the latest version every time. I also don't know how to get a VM log, so that will have to be explained to me

[socratis]

About the VBox.log.zip:

• Follow a "start the VM from cold-boot" / "observe error" / "shutdown the VM" cycle.
• With the VM shut down completely (not paused or saved), right-click on the VM in the VirtualBox Manager and select "Show Log".
• Save only the first "VBox.log", ZIP it and attach it to your response (see the "Upload attachment" tab below the reply form).

Just to add to mpack's observations, I too have a couple of old guests and I have not noticed any difference in speed. I have a suspicion about what might be causing your problem, but I'll hold judgement until the log comes in.

As to why an older VirtualBox version might have not shown the problem, the answer is simple; newer versions assume newer hardware with better capabilities, as the technology progresses, so if your host is older, some things might break.

If it ain't broken, don't fix it...

[michaelweaser]

the Log , that was asked for.

[mpack]

Why did you enable 3D acceleration for a Win98 or DOS guest? Host support for 3D acceleration is useless without GAs in the guest, and there are no GAs for DOS based OS's. The only graphics API available to a DOS guest is VESA.

And two cores? No DOS based OS supports multiple CPU cores. The second core is entirely wasted and providing it will slow down the VM.

64MB for a DOS guest is a bit questionable too.

I think perhaps you need to do some research on typical (or even extreme) PC specs from the era you are targetting. Providing resources - which involves work to save and restore but which the guest OS doesn't know how to use - will only slow things down.

p.s. Win98SE is not "Select Edition", it is "Second Edition". Think of it as Win98 SP3. It was a major revamp of the original Win98.

[socratis]

Save only the first "VBox.log", ZIP it and attach it to your response

the Log , that was asked for. (vbox.log)

Honestly sometimes I wonder if underlying and bold text is not enough. I'm going to start putting it in BOLD RED. As in:

Save only the first "VBox.log", ZIP it and attach it to your response (see the "Upload attachment" tab below the reply form).

[michaelweaser]

Information on a few things :

Windows 98 SE Select, apparently there is a windows 98SE Retail disc called that which I was told includes windows 98 plus on the disc. I originally got it from [warez site removed], I have had it for a few months. That is what people from [warez site removed] told me. I am still testing that out to see if that is true.

1st off why I enabled video acceleration in the VM, I was having graphical issues as well as the slow down. When it loads graphics, it does it very very slowly line by line for some unknown reason. Why there was 2 cores , I was enabling and testing anything to fix the issue I am having.

another thing I made another VM this time It is for DOS only, this time video acceleration is off, I only gave it 16MB of ram, and also its only on one core. It still does the same thing as the previous VM I made. There is going to be another Log of the latest VM uploaded correctly this time.

[socratis]

Please do not discuss warez sites, or about ISOs downloaded from them, otherwise the topic will be locked.

[mpack]

So when you say the guest is slow, you actually mean that the display is slow?

As I said, a Win98 VM has VESA graphics only, so you can't expect really smooth operation.

And DOS doesn't have graphics at all (*) - text mode only, so I have no idea what you are describing when you say it is slow. Text mode is always "line by line" - it's a text terminal.

(*) Apps in the DOS era had to provide their own graphics drivers - DOS didn't have any. DOS apps from this era will be using 16bit drivers. These are not going to run well in a 32 VM on a 64bit host.

[michaelweaser]

OK , the issue is everything is slow in general , including the video, I did a test I tried to replicate the same issue on my desktop computer, which I keep at my parents house because they don't have a computer. my desktop doesn't do it while my laptop is the computer with the problem, I captured the video from both of the computers , to show you that the laptop has the problem and the desktop doesn't. Some more about the laptop and desktop, they were actually both bought at the same exact time, they are also both intel gen 3 cpus and also they both have the same Intel HD graphics as well. Finally we might get somewhere with the issue now that I can show it. The VM's are set up exactly the same as well.

My laptop with the problem :

https://my.mixtape.moe/jgrlug.webm

The desktop with no problem :

https://my.mixtape.moe/bycsce.WEBM

[socratis]

The VM's are set up exactly the same as well.

For the VBox.log.zip:

• Follow a "start the VM from cold-boot" / "observe error" / "shutdown the VM" cycle.
• With the VM shut down completely (not paused or saved), right-click on the VM in the VirtualBox Manager and select "Show Log".
• Save only the first "VBox.log", ZIP it and attach it to your response (see the "Upload attachment" tab below the reply form).

I would also like to see the "recipe" of the VM, the ".vbox" file:

1. Right-click on the VM in the VirtualBox Manager. Select "Show in Finder/Explorer/Whatever".
2. ZIP the selected ".vbox" file and attach it to your response.

Now do this for BOTH your laptop and your desktop.

[michaelweaser]

here are the requested files that Socratis wanted.

[socratis]

On the laptop, VM Settings » System » Motherboard » Enable I/O APIC, uncheck that.

[michaelweaser]

On the laptop, VM Settings » System » Motherboard » Enable I/O APIC, uncheck that.

Ok still does the same thing, slow, still looks the same as the video I made showing the issue