No sound on WinXP guest (which used to work perfectly)

[Commodore]

I did extensive search on this issue, but found no concluding or relevant solution to my case. Anyway, I'm now using VirtualBox 5.1.12 r112440 (used to update regularly, but eventually switched to last known fully functional version - with prior complete uninstall and cleanup of the host machine's VirtualBox remnants of course). I have a Windows XP guest which I used for various things in the past: from playing old games to using it for scanner compatibility.

At some point, issues with scanner, freezing, and sound came along. For now, only the scanner issues (discussed in another thread) persist, and the fact that there's no sound coming out of the guest machine any longer. This is a bad issue because it makes old games on this machine useless. I tried all possible sound device combinations - nothing helped (other than creating visible errors/notices in Device Manager or elsewhere, when using other settings - so I switched back to defaults). Also, there are no notifications or errors whatsoever about it - it's just without sound.

Any idea what else should I try to make it work like it used to?

[mpack]

Audio is working fine for me with 6.1.10 and an XP guest using default audio settings (AC'97 chipset, DirectSound host API). That proves that the virtual hardware works, which AFAIK leaves only user configuration issues.

[Commodore]

Back to trying to fix this. Sound is still missing (and this is the case only in this virtual machine). I'm enclosing the last VBox log file, if someone can please have a look at it.

What I did during the session (in order to hopefully add something useful to the log file):
-started the VM
-tried changing the system volume a bit up and down (I think the system tray froze briefly at that point)
-opened system sounds settings, and tried to playback one of the system sounds (the "play" button icon (triangle) switched to "stop playback" icon (square), and didn't switch back to "play" the way it's supposed to after finishing playback)
-played an AVI file in Windows Media Player - video was OK, no sound.
-shut the VM down

The VM audio settings are:
Host Audio Driver: Windows DirectSound
Audio Controller: ICH AC97

I hope we can make this work.

Also, I copied this virtual machine image to a Windows 10 tablet (running the latest VirtualBox), and the sound works normally there.

[mpack]

Also, I copied this virtual machine image to a Windows 10 tablet (running the latest VirtualBox), and the sound works normally there.

Implies that there's some problem with the host. Assuming that audio is working at all on this host then try right clicking the speaker icon in the notification area, and go to volume mixer, and make sure that audio isn't muted for the VirtualBox app.

[Commodore]

It's not muted. Besides, this is the only VM that causes these problems here. And it worked in the past, so I presume that some obscure setting/driver got changed somewhere along the way.

[Commodore]

I added another log file. This time I tried the following:

- opened Sound and Audio Devices Properties
- clicked Voice tab
- clicked Test Hardware button (for both Playback and Recording "Intel(r) Integrated Audio" was indicated)
...which started sound hardware testing wizard

It took a few minutes, but nothing happened on the outside, though.

Also, on another occasion I was monitoring the host machine's Volume Mixer while playing a file on the guest machine. The sound level indicator (below the volume slider) for VirtualBox wasn't animated, so it seems nothing was coming out of the virtual machine / VirtualBox in the first place.

[Commodore]

Anyone?
I thought uploading log file used to do miracles in the past.

Other things I tried in the meantime:
-upgraded to the absolutely latest 6.1.16 version
-upgraded to the latest version of the 5.2 series

...and in both cases I didn't solve anything, I just got reminded why I switched to the last known good 5.1 version in the past: Because WinXP guest freezes while booting in all the above cases.

[mpack]

In my mind the problem was already solved, so adding more log files is not necessary.

Also, I copied this virtual machine image to a Windows 10 tablet (running the latest VirtualBox), and the sound works normally there.

Implies that there's some problem with the host.

If the VirtualBox version is the same on both hosts, if the nominal host OS is the same on both, and the guest image is the same on both, then the only variable ISTM is the configuration of the host.

[Commodore]

The host OS is not the same on both. The tablet has Windows 10, and is more or less recent, also with the latest version of Virtual Box. The computer in question has Windows 7. The problems arose some time in the past with the updates between the 5.1 and 6.x versions of VirtualBox.

I've double-checked the settings on Win7 host, because there are multiple multimedia devices, and everything seems in order.

The only Virtual Box related entry in System event log (Win7 host) is "The driver detected an internal driver error on \Device\VBoxNetLwf." (however, network works just fine there).

So there's nothing pointing to guest's errors in the log files?

[mpack]

So there's nothing pointing to guest's errors in the log files?

The only odd thing I'm seeing in the log file is related to the audio configuration. Did you maybe configure multiple sound cards using VBoxManage?

I was using my XP VM yesterday, and audio was working fine. But, I'm running 6.1.16 so the logs may not be strictly comparable.

I'll try to do an interleaved comparison of your log and mine:

00:00:01.141926 [/Devices/ichac97/0/AudioConfig/] (level 4)
00:00:01.141927
00:00:01.141928 [/Devices/ichac97/0/Config/] (level 4)
00:00:01.141929 Codec <string> = "STAC9700" (cb=9)
00:00:01.141930
00:00:01.141930 [/Devices/ichac97/0/LUN#0/] (level 4)
00:00:01.141931 Driver <string> = "AUDIO" (cb=6)
00:00:01.141932
00:00:01.141932 [/Devices/ichac97/0/LUN#0/AttachedDriver/] (level 5)
00:00:01.141934 Driver <string> = "DSoundAudio" (cb=12)
00:00:01.141935
00:00:01.141935 [/Devices/ichac97/0/LUN#0/AttachedDriver/Config/] (level 6)
00:00:01.141937 StreamName <string> = "WindowsXP" (cb=10) (tho my VM has a different name, not important).

Then my log has several lines that your log does not.

00:00:03.242083 [/Devices/ichac97/0/LUN#0/Config/] (level 5) // YOUR LOG HAS THIS LINE ONLY.
00:00:03.242084 BufferSizeMs <integer> = 0x0000000000000000 (0)
00:00:03.242084 DriverName <string> = "DSoundAudio" (cb=12)
00:00:03.242085 InputEnabled <integer> = 0x0000000000000001 (1)
00:00:03.242085 OutputEnabled <integer> = 0x0000000000000001 (1)
00:00:03.242086 PeriodSizeMs <integer> = 0x0000000000000000 (0)
00:00:03.242086 PreBufferSizeMs <integer> = 0x00000000ffffffff (4 294 967 295)
00:00:03.242087

Then your log seems to have a much more fleshed out definition of a second sound card on LUN#1. All I have are stub entries here, and no mention of VRDE.

00:00:01.141939 [/Devices/ichac97/0/LUN#1/] (level 4)
00:00:01.141940 Driver <string> = "AUDIO" (cb=6)
00:00:01.141941
00:00:01.141941 [/Devices/ichac97/0/LUN#1/AttachedDriver/] (level 5)
00:00:01.141943 Driver <string> = "AudioVRDE" (cb=10)
00:00:01.141944
00:00:01.141944 [/Devices/ichac97/0/LUN#1/AttachedDriver/Config/] (level 6)
00:00:01.141946 AudioDriver <string> = "AudioVRDE" (cb=10)
00:00:01.141946 Object <integer> = 0x0000000004925340 (76 698 432)
00:00:01.141948 ObjectVRDPServer <integer> = 0x00000000049745d0 (77 022 672)
00:00:01.141949 StreamName <string> = "WindowsXP" (cb=10)
00:00:01.141950

[mpack]

If you zip up and post your .vbox file, I'll have a look. If you don't see a WindowsXP.vbox file then you have Windows configured to lie to you about filenames. Go into File Explorer view settings and turn off the option "Hide extensions for known file types".

[Commodore]

I''ve attached the .vbox file. No, I never touched VBoxManage. I was only trying to change guest's settings in VirtualBox some time after the failure (thinking that maybe the audio settings were changed somehow), but changed it back then.

The host machine has external Sound Blaster X-Fi Surround 5.1 Pro plugged via USB most of the time. On some occasions (other locations), I use the built-in audio (I believe Conexant CX20671).

[mpack]

Your audio config in the VM settings is identical to mine, it basically only says "use DirectSound". There must be some other reason for the VRDE audio stuff in the log.

One thing: VRDE is a VirtualBox module that enables a VirtualBox Remote Desktop client, but it can only work if the Extension Pack is installed on the host, and I see from the log that no Extension Pack has been installed on this host. I would recommend that you do so. Note that the Extension Pack is a functionality plugin for VirtualBox running on the host, it has nothing to do the the Guest Additions, which are driver packs you install in the guest to make it work better with VirtualBox.

[fth0]

I just got reminded why I switched to the last known good 5.1 version in the past: Because WinXP guest freezes while booting

Then my log has several lines that your log does not.

Generally speaking, I'd suggest to use VirtualBox 6.1.16 and try to solve the freezing problem first, which could also be audio related BTW. There have been several changes in audio processing in the previous years, which incidentally lead to having additional audio log messages available to investigate.

The second VBox.log file in this thread has all information from the first VBox.log file and more, so I'll concentrate on the former:

00:00:01.141926 [/Devices/ichac97/0/AudioConfig/] (level 4)
00:00:01.141928 [/Devices/ichac97/0/Config/] (level 4)
00:00:01.141929   Codec <string>  = "STAC9700" (cb=9)

00:00:01.141930 [/Devices/ichac97/0/LUN#0/] (level 4)
00:00:01.141931   Driver <string>  = "AUDIO" (cb=6)
00:00:01.141932 [/Devices/ichac97/0/LUN#0/AttachedDriver/] (level 5)
00:00:01.141934   Driver <string>  = "DSoundAudio" (cb=12)
00:00:01.141935 [/Devices/ichac97/0/LUN#0/AttachedDriver/Config/] (level 6)
00:00:01.141937   StreamName <string>  = "WindowsXP" (cb=10)
00:00:01.141938 [/Devices/ichac97/0/LUN#0/Config/] (level 5)

00:00:01.141939 [/Devices/ichac97/0/LUN#1/] (level 4)
00:00:01.141940   Driver <string>  = "AUDIO" (cb=6)
00:00:01.141941 [/Devices/ichac97/0/LUN#1/AttachedDriver/] (level 5)
00:00:01.141943   Driver <string>  = "AudioVRDE" (cb=10)
00:00:01.141944 [/Devices/ichac97/0/LUN#1/AttachedDriver/Config/] (level 6)
00:00:01.141946   AudioDriver      <string>  = "AudioVRDE" (cb=10)
00:00:01.141946   Object           <integer> = 0x0000000004925340 (76 698 432)
00:00:01.141948   ObjectVRDPServer <integer> = 0x00000000049745d0 (77 022 672)
00:00:01.141949   StreamName       <string>  = "WindowsXP" (cb=10)

VirtualBox is configured (CFGM) to provide its virtual AC97 device (with the STAC9700 codec) to the guest, to use its DSoundAudio driver to connect it to the host's DirectSound (LUN#0), and to use its AudioVRDE driver to connect it to ... the VirtualBox VRDP server that isn't enabled (LUN#1). Since the latter doesn't make much sense, it was changed in VirtualBox 6.0 and later (I think), which is why mpack doesn't see the AudioVRDE driver in his VBox.log files. The AudioVRDE driver could be one source of the problems ...

00:00:01.475650 Audio: Initializing DirectSound audio driver
00:00:01.475675 Audio: Using VBox 5.0.x audio code!
00:00:01.534026 DSound: Output: GUID: {678E4995-0A00-4AB1-BE23-CFA47A76385C} [SPDIF-Out (Sound Blaster X-Fi Surround 5.1 Pro)] (Module: {0.0.0.00000000}.{678e4995-0a00-4ab1-be23-cfa47a76385c})
00:00:01.534070 DSound: Output: GUID: {CCFAEF85-0CE9-418C-847D-7BC20C6DCE78} [Speaker (Sound Blaster X-Fi Surround 5.1 Pro)] (Module: {0.0.0.00000000}.{ccfaef85-0ce9-418c-847d-7bc20c6dce78})
00:00:01.534081 DSound: Output: GUID: {DB47F358-76D5-4BAB-8594-AC8533F3340D} [Speakers (Conexant CX20671 SmartAudio HD)] (Module: {0.0.0.00000000}.{db47f358-76d5-4bab-8594-ac8533f3340d})
00:00:01.630575 DSound: Input: GUID: {CAC0C000-7714-4D48-BE51-55A79C7BEB67} [Line-In/Mic-In (Sound Blaster X-Fi Surround 5.1 Pro)] (Module: {0.0.1.00000000}.{cac0c000-7714-4d48-be51-55a79c7beb67})
00:00:01.630594 DSound: Input: GUID: {1A2BE780-4732-4EBC-9350-6CAF009813D5} [Microphone (Conexant CX20671 SmartAudio HD)] (Module: {0.0.1.00000000}.{1a2be780-4732-4ebc-9350-6caf009813d5})
00:00:01.630601 DSound: Input: GUID: {385BF777-BFD7-45D7-8CD2-BA5F7F3495B4} [Stereo Mix (Conexant CX20671 SmartAudio HD)] (Module: {0.0.1.00000000}.{385bf777-bfd7-45d7-8cd2-ba5f7f3495b4})
00:00:01.630607 DSound: Input: GUID: {BF970BA7-A0C7-4420-9003-0CFE2CD80133} [What U Hear (Sound Blaster X-Fi Surround 5.1 Pro)] (Module: {0.0.1.00000000}.{bf970ba7-a0c7-4420-9003-0cfe2cd80133})
00:00:01.630617 DSound: Found 3 host playback devices
00:00:01.630625 DSound: Found 4 host capturing devices
00:00:01.631163 Audio: Host audio backend supports 3 output streams and 4 input streams at once

00:00:01.631196 Audio: Initializing VRDE driver
00:00:01.631207 Audio: Using VBox 5.0.x audio code!
00:00:01.631217 Audio: Host audio backend supports 1 output streams and 2 input streams at once

00:00:01.631234 AC97: Reset
00:00:01.631591 DSound: Guest "Line In" is using host device with GUID: {Default device}
00:00:11.785402 DSound: Creating capture buffer failed with E_FAIL
00:00:11.785777 DSound: Guest "Microphone In" is using host device with GUID: {CAC0C000-7714-4D48-BE51-55A79C7BEB67}
00:00:21.934876 DSound: Creating capture buffer failed with E_FAIL

When VirtualBox initializes its two drivers, it sees the input and output devices as shown above. When VirtualBox initializes the virtual AC97 device, it has some problems creating capture buffers for audio input. I'm not sure if this indicates a problem, because I've seen such error messages in working setups in the past. @mpack: Do you see such error messages in your own VBox.log files?

00:00:31.386008 AC97: Reset

00:01:04.483805 DSound: Starting playback failed with E_ACCESSDENIED
00:01:04.487149 VMMDev: vmmDevHeartbeatFlatlinedTimer: Guest seems to be unresponsive. Last heartbeat received 6 seconds ago
00:01:04.706756 VMMDev: GuestHeartBeat: Guest is alive (gone 7 086 964 041 ns)

00:04:49.684006 DSound: Guest "Line In" is using host device with GUID: {Default device}
00:04:59.833569 DSound: Creating capture buffer failed with E_FAIL
00:04:59.835062 VMMDev: vmmDevHeartbeatFlatlinedTimer: Guest seems to be unresponsive. Last heartbeat received 11 seconds ago
00:05:00.684479 VMMDev: GuestHeartBeat: Guest is alive (gone 11 991 804 369 ns)
00:05:00.962126 DSound: Guest "Line In" is using host device with GUID: {Default device}
[...]

When the guest OS is running, there is an audio output related error message at 00:01:04, which could be the important one to investigate further ...

My next question may seem strange at first, but is triggered by the fluctuating responsiveness of the guest (see viewtopic.php?f=6&t=100550 for some background info):

On your Windows host and guest, open a command prompt, enter powercfg /a and post the output.

Edit:
I've just learnt that "Connected Standby, the predecessor of Modern Standby, was invented for Window 8, so that probably doesn't exist in a Windows 7 host. But the fluctuating responsiveness may have something to do with power saving anyway.

[Commodore]

Thanks for the inputs, here are the updates from me for now:

1)
I've installed the latest VirtualBox 6.1.16 now, and also added the Extension Pack. The WinXP guest freezes, as before, a few seconds after the booting process starts (the boot screen "progress indicator" stops moving). I'm attaching the vbox.log file of the session.

2)
powercfg /a on the host machine outputs the following (but Fth0 already mentioned it's not supported before Win8):

Code: Select all

The following sleep states are available on this system: Standby ( S3 ) Hibernate Hybrid Sleep
The following sleep states are not available on this system:
Standby (S1)
        The system firmware does not support this standby state.
Standby (S2)
        The system firmware does not support this standby state.

3)
I also tried to run Win98 and Win10 Insider Preview guests (which I hadn't run in a long time).
Win98 boots just fine, but if I go into Control Panel and open Multimedia, the options on the first tab are grayed out, saying "No playback devices available" and "No recording devices available".
Win10 also boots fine. However, a few seconds after login, it freezes. I.e. I can still move the mouse around, but it won't take any input from either the mouse or the keyboard (trying to send CTRL+ALT+DEL via guest window controls also doesn't do anything).