Backup ova file won't run/start?

[Michael-DXC]

I don't really have a lot of experience in troubleshooting OVB problems so I'm hoping someone can help.

I had to reimage my PC so I copied all the current files (or at least I think I did). A VDI, OVA and WMDK.
I also did an export to a single OVA file.

I D/L VB 6.1.2r135662 and installed as admin.
When I import the single OVA file and start the virtual, I get the starting message, the logo with 6.1 then it's a black screen, nothing every happens after.

I tried opening the standalone files as well, I'm getting the same result.
I have uninstalled VB 6.1 and reinstalled but still the same thing.

Any thoughts? thanks

As a follow up, if I try to reset/shutdown/whatever it appears hung and I have to crash out of the window

[scottgus1]

I copied all the current files disk drives (or at least I think I did). A VDI, OVA and WMDK.

FTFY. Assuming this report is complete, then aside from the OVA, all you took were the guests' disk drives. The 'hardware', the rest of the 'PC' that the guest OS needs to run, got deleted. (This 'hardware' is defined in the guests' .vbox files).

additionally, an OVA changes the guest's files to conform to the OVF standard, which means that you cannot confirm the backup, so yo don't know if the OVA is good.

See Moving a VM and re-interpret it as "Backing Up a VM". A complete copy of a standard-format Virtualbox guest (one guest folder, containing the guest .vbox file, guest drive file, Logs and Snapshots folders) in a fully-shut-down sate, is the best backup. It can be 'FC' file-compared when backed up onsite, and hashed for file compare on offsite backup. Restoring is a simple overwriting of the original with the backup copy.

Now that you know what to do next time, let's see if we can fix what you have this time.

I tried opening the standalone files as well

Did you have to rebuild the guest settings? Maybe something is wrong.

Assuming the export to the OVA worked, let's use that guest. Start it from cold boot, not save-stated, run until it it don't run no more, then close the guest window. Zip and post the guest's vbox.log using the forum's Upload Attachment tab.

And do feel free to ask questions on how to save your guests when something serious has to be done to the host, we'd be happy to help preserve things, even more than help to recover things.

[Michael-DXC]

when I import the export ova file, it has all the HW setting from before

I have attached the log

thanks

[scottgus1]

Your log contains these lines:

00:00:05.315922 HM: HMR3Init: Attempting fall back to NEM: AMD-V is not available
00:00:05.454336 NEM: WHvCapabilityCodeHypervisorPresent is TRUE, so this might work...

You might notice in the guest window's Status Bar the green turtle: The choice of animal is appropriate: Your guest is running, just really slow. This is because a service that uses Microsoft Hyper-V is running on your host PC. Normally Hyper-V blocks Virtualbox. But your PC is of the type and OS where Virtualbox can attempt to run the guest using the Hyper-V engine. This arrangement is still being developed and isn't 100% yet.

If VirtualBox is running without Hyper-V enabled, and nothing else is interfering with hardware virtualization (VT-x / AMD-V), then the usual virtualization icon () will be seen in the Status Bar.

To turn Hyper-V off completely, do this:

1. Shut down all programs. You will have to reboot your host.

2. Find the Command Prompt icon, right click it and choose Run As Administrator.

3. Enter this command:

bcdedit /set hypervisorlaunchtype off

4. Enter this command:

shutdown -s -t 2

5. When the computer turns off, unplug it for 20 seconds. Then plug it in again and boot up Windows 10.

Your Virtualbox should be running now. If the green turtle still appears and the tell-tale lines are in the log, try all the steps again. If you don't get the standard virtualization icon, post back exactly what you did and we'll try to help some more.

For further info, see I have a 64bit host, but can't install 64bit guests and https://www.tenforums.com/tutorials/139 ... puter.html

[Michael-DXC]

let me explain again, this is a reimage. Nothing was changed on the HW, not any of the settings. Everything was working before I redid it back to windows 10.

I'm not doing any Hyper-V. this is a windows 10 OS on a HP laptop

I will restart and check the BIOS, I don't think the virtualization would have been changed

[scottgus1]

Nothing was changed on the HW

Nothing has to be. Windows 10 now uses Hyper-V for a lot more than just running virtual machines. It's all software, and a "reimage" can trigger it.

Enabling Hyper-V != changing virtualization technology setting.

[Michael-DXC]

I hate window 10 . . .

I will try these steps and let you know

thanks

[Michael-DXC]

still have the green turtle. this is a laptop do I need to pull the battery out and let it set after the commands?

[scottgus1]

do I need to pull the battery

I'd wager so. That "pull the plug" probably wouldn't do much if there was still power available.

[Michael-DXC]

1: Disabled the HV Host Service (Provides an interface for the Hyper-V hypervisor to provide per-partition performance counters to the host operating system.)
2: Pulled the battery
3: ran the commands
4: power off pulled power let set for 2 mins
5: still doing the green turtle
6: uploaded newest logs
7: thanks

[scottgus1]

Yep, the log messages are still there.

A recent post I can't remember the location of implies the possibility there's a couple other things that can enable Hyper-V outside of the bcdedit command. Please also give attention to the 64-bit tutorial, viewtopic.php?f=1&t=62339#p417512 points 2 & 3 about a couple more *guard things and Windows AV settings. You have an EFI BIOS, so these might be pertinent:

00:00:04.545435 Firmware type: UEFI
00:00:04.546845 Secure Boot: Enabled