High CPU using Windows 10 Version 1803 as host and guest

Discussions related to using VirtualBox on Windows hosts.
ecassette
Posts: 2
Joined: 27. Jun 2018, 13:22

Re: High CPU using Windows 10 Version 1803 as host and guest

Post by ecassette »

Hello.
I had the same problem and solve it by changing the following setting : VirtualBox Manager / System / Chipset : PIIX3 ==> ICH9.
But take a snapshot before trying this solution ;-)
Regards.
socratis
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Re: High CPU using Windows 10 Version 1803 as host and guest

Post by socratis »

ecassette wrote:by changing the following setting : VirtualBox Manager / System / Chipset : PIIX3 ==> ICH9
That is
COMPLETELY WRONG!

Do not change the chipset to something that's labelled as unsupported!
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ecassette
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Joined: 27. Jun 2018, 13:22

Re: High CPU using Windows 10 Version 1803 as host and guest

Post by ecassette »

Hello,

I must admit that don't know if this is risky.

But it worked for my VMs.

You can test by booting from an ISO image of a W10 installation disk :

-Configuration : Chipset = PIIX3
--Boot the VM from an ISO image of a W10 V1703 installation disk and wait for the first prompt : host UC used by VirtualBox Manager = 0 percent
--Boot the VM from an ISO image of a W10 V1803 installation disk and wait for the first prompt : host UC used by VirtualBox Manager = constant N percent (25 for my host)

-Configuration : Chipset = ICH9
---Boot the VM from an ISO image of a W10 V1803 installation disk and wait for the first prompt : host UC used by VirtualBox Manager = 0 percent

Regards
Eric
sessionzero
Posts: 4
Joined: 22. Jun 2018, 08:03

Re: High CPU using Windows 10 Version 1803 as host and guest

Post by sessionzero »

EDIT: ignore this post, was just a coincidence. See my later post below.

I've been a bit time-poor lately but I did a little more digging around and some accidental testing:
  • I built a VM with the latest 1803 ISO, fully updated it and found it did not have the issue
  • I activated the VM which was pegging a core ... later that afternoon I checked the host CPU utilisation and it was normal ie. the problem had stopped
  • I then realised I activated it with the wrong key (already using it on a different host), so I uninstalled it with 'slmgr /upk' and it started pegging a core again!
Certainly not conclusive but very strange! When I get more time I'll do it a bit more methodically.
Last edited by sessionzero on 30. Jun 2018, 00:56, edited 1 time in total.
socratis
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Re: High CPU using Windows 10 Version 1803 as host and guest

Post by socratis »

ecassette wrote:But it worked for my VMs.
Coincidence. And if it worked, don't expect it to be a problem-free ride for too long.
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sessionzero
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Re: High CPU using Windows 10 Version 1803 as host and guest

Post by sessionzero »

Had some time this morning and can replicate the issue. And it's strange!

So I have two Windows 10 Pro VMs both running 1803. They're limited on resources to 1 core and 2GB RAM. If I run one VM by itself it will chew up a core. The moment I start the other VM, they both go back to idle. And then I stop a VM and the remaining one's CPU use will go back straight back up. I can keep doing this with the same result :?

Also if I give the VM an additional core it doesn't have the issue.
ardatun
Posts: 3
Joined: 7. Jul 2018, 10:22

Re: High CPU using Windows 10 Version 1803 as host and guest

Post by ardatun »

I also have something like this.

Host: Windows 10 Pro 64bit
VM: Windows 10 Pro 64bit

After sometime I start the VM(it can be 2 hours or 2 days, I can't figure when it happens), VM OS get very slow and the task manager of the host shows max cpu usage for Virtualbox. In that state, when I check the cpu usage in VM, it shows no cpu load. But the VM OS it's nearly unresponsive and unusable. After restarting the VM OS, it works normally for some time.

I'm using the latest build now, 5.2.14. This is going on for some months.

Is there a solution?
socratis
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Re: High CPU using Windows 10 Version 1803 as host and guest

Post by socratis »

Do you have Drag'n'Drop enabled? See if you disable it (VM Settings » General » Advanced » Drag'n'Drop) changes the situation...
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mhanor
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Re: High CPU using Windows 10 Version 1803 as host and guest

Post by mhanor »

This is definitely a bug. It's very easy to reproduce. All you have to do is boot the 64-bit disk image of Windows 10 1803. For comparison, boot the 1709 setup image. The EMT thread is spinning something, it might be related to a timer device.
socratis
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Re: High CPU using Windows 10 Version 1803 as host and guest

Post by socratis »

mhanor wrote:All you have to do is boot the 64-bit disk image of Windows 10 1803.
I have. And I haven't seen any differences. I'm talking guest here, not host, right? My Win10-64 1803 is not on the power side, but I could try it there, as long as I know what I'm looking for... (see next Q).
mhanor wrote:The EMT thread is spinning something
What's the "EMT thread"?
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mhanor
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Re: High CPU using Windows 10 Version 1803 as host and guest

Post by mhanor »

About EMT: https://www.virtualbox.org/pipermail/vb ... 11184.html
In my case, I see that the EMT thread is eating CPU time, while the guest is idling. It's all about the guest, not about the host.
socratis
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Re: High CPU using Windows 10 Version 1803 as host and guest

Post by socratis »

mhanor wrote:I see that the EMT thread is eating CPU time
How? And assuming that you see "a thread", how do you know it's the EMT thread? Could you post a VBox.log to see the CPU internals of your host?

PS. You're going to make me fire up the "grandpa" after all, you got my curiosity up and running... :)
Do NOT send me Personal Messages (PMs) for troubleshooting, they are simply deleted.
Do NOT reply with the "QUOTE" button, please use the "POST REPLY", at the bottom of the form.
If you obfuscate any information requested, I will obfuscate my response. These are virtual UUIDs, not real ones.
mhanor
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Re: High CPU using Windows 10 Version 1803 as host and guest

Post by mhanor »

I've build a non-hardened debug build, I can look at the individual threads of the VirtualBox process.
Attachments
VBoxlog.zip
(53.76 KiB) Downloaded 29 times
ardatun
Posts: 3
Joined: 7. Jul 2018, 10:22

Re: High CPU using Windows 10 Version 1803 as host and guest

Post by ardatun »

socratis wrote:Do you have Drag'n'Drop enabled? See if you disable it (VM Settings » General » Advanced » Drag'n'Drop) changes the situation...
Upgraded to 5.2.16, today it happened again. I wasn't even using the Vm Os but it went off. Had to restart the Vm.

Now I will disable the Drag'n Drop and see if it works. Thanks.
Simple07
Posts: 133
Joined: 5. Nov 2014, 16:05

Re: High CPU using Windows 10 Version 1803 as host and guest

Post by Simple07 »

Try this:
- Uninstall VirtualBox
- Delete Oracle folder in C:\Program Files\
- Rename the folder ".VirtualBox" to XVirtualBox in C:\Users\your-user\

Now, install VirtualBox afresh then VirtualBox_Extension_Pack, then install Windows 1803 and check if you still have the problem..

To get your original setup, uninstall VirtualBox and delete the new ".VirtualBox" in C:\Users\your-user\ then rename XVirtualBox back to ".VirtualBox" before reinstalling VirtualBox.

Good Luck.
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