[SOLVED] No sound on Windows XP guest

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Lucmove
Posts: 30
Joined: 30. Sep 2020, 08:08

[SOLVED] No sound on Windows XP guest

Post by Lucmove »

I've been through this before. Here.

Still unsolved.

Back then, it was a Windows 8 guest on Linux host. Now, it's a Windows XP guest.

Back then, I was told the problem might have been caused by an imported vmdk file from VMWare (where sound works just fine), but this time I installed WinXP from scratch on a VirtualBox VM using just vdi files. VMWare was never involved in any part of the process.

I have another WinXP installation from the same CD on a VMWare VM running on VMWare and sound works fine in it. I really wish I could leave VMWare behind and only use VirtualBox, but I can't seem to get any sound in VirtualBox.

Is there a fix for that?

TIA
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scottgus1
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Re: No sound on Windows XP guest

Post by scottgus1 »

Your linked topic shows no responses from you if anything there helped.

Default audio controller card for an XP 32 or 64 bit VM is ICH AC97. Yours is set to SoundBlaster16. Why the change?

Your host appears to still be using Alsa audio. In your linked topic, forum guru fth0 pointed out:
fth0 wrote:FWIW, other users had more success when using PulseAudio instead of ALSA on the host side.
FWIW 64-bit XP was really rare. the 'SP3' in the VM name suggests that your XP is really 32-bit? I don't know if this would cause the audio problem though.

Also, XP does not have 3D acceleration in 6.1.x Virtualbox anymore. You can turn that off.

Please switch the VM sound card to ICH AC97. If that does not get audio working, please enable host PulseAudio.
Lucmove
Posts: 30
Joined: 30. Sep 2020, 08:08

Re: No sound on Windows XP guest

Post by Lucmove »

1) I began with ICH AC97 and there was no sound. So I launched my VMWare instance of the same WinXP (same installation CD) and saw that it uses SoundBlaster16 so I decided to try that choice in VirtualBox. Neither SoundBlaster16 or ICH AC97 works in VirtualBox. There is a third option, but then Windows can't even identify it or find drivers for it.

2) PulseAudio is anathema in my computer. I've always had problems with it. It is the first thing I remove whenever I install Linux. Run a quick Google search on that and see if I am the only one. Spoiler: far from it.

FWIW, this screenshot here displays most of (not all) applications I have that work fine with ALSA in conjunction with JACK. Notably absent from the screenshot are the Windows applications that run on Wine. Yes, all of them work and have sound. I've seen Windows applications that wouldn't run at all, but all those that ever ran had sound.

So if VirtualBox doesn't support ALSA, then VirtualBox doesn't support ALSA, and that is the end of the story. I see I'm going to have to stick to VMWare for a long time yet, which has often prevented me from upgrading the system because VMWare hadn't caught up with the new kernel and I do need VMWare for my day job. I just can't afford to live without it. I guess that's just part of life.

Thank you very much for your attention once again.
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scottgus1
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Re: No sound on Windows XP guest

Post by scottgus1 »

Lucmove wrote:I launched my VMWare instance of the same WinXP (same installation CD) and saw that it uses SoundBlaster16 so I decided to try that choice in VirtualBox.
Ok, sounds like a good troubleshooting test.
Lucmove wrote:if VirtualBox doesn't support ALSA
I'm no Linux guru, so I don't know about this. Trying PulseAusio was a suggestion as a troubleshooting step.

I wonder if it's the old kernel:
00:00:00.846009 OS Release: 4.9.0-3-amd64
00:00:00.846009 OS Version: #1 SMP Debian 4.9.30-2+deb9u5 (2017-09-19)

Linux Virtualbox hosts don't universally have no VM sound; could be a manually-changed host OS setting that breaks Virtualbox sound.

What I would try if I were you is to switch host drives and install a fresh Linux OS with no alterations, then install Virtualbox from https://www.virtualbox.org/wiki/Linux_Downloads and see if a VM has sound. If so, start making your usual alterations and trying Virtualbox again each alteration, maybe it will pin down a change that causes the problem.
Lucmove
Posts: 30
Joined: 30. Sep 2020, 08:08

Re: No sound on Windows XP guest

Post by Lucmove »

I don't know about any manually-changed host OS setting. I don't even have the knowledge to do any such thing.

Did you see all those audio applications I have that work with my sound system just fine? They are so many I thought it easier to collage and upload four screenshots than just merely count those applications. All of them work and VirtualBox doesn't. Please excuse me for rating VirtualBox as broken.

I'm giving up on this for a while. Should check again from time to time when new versions come out. But again, thank you for the attention.
fth0
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Re: No sound on Windows XP guest

Post by fth0 »

I just noticed that you're still using VirtualBox 6.1.18. Please try VirtualBox 6.1.26 and see if your problem persists. Background rationale:

The VirtualBox audio-related code underwent a major overhaul between VirtualBox 6.1.18 and 6.1.24, which solved a lot of audio issues for many users. Additionally, ALSA is generally supported, but I think its user base is much smaller than the PulseAudio one, and so it's natural that problems with VirtualBox are rarely reported.
Lucmove
Posts: 30
Joined: 30. Sep 2020, 08:08

Re: No sound on Windows XP guest

Post by Lucmove »

fth0 wrote:I just noticed that you're still using VirtualBox 6.1.18. Please try VirtualBox 6.1.26 and see if your problem persists. Background rationale:
The VirtualBox audio-related code underwent a major overhaul between VirtualBox 6.1.18 and 6.1.24, which solved a lot of audio issues for many users. Additionally, ALSA is generally supported, but I think its user base is much smaller than the PulseAudio one, and so it's natural that problems with VirtualBox are rarely reported.
Aaaaaah... YESSSS! It finally works! I have sound!!! Huzzah!

Not only in the new WinXP installation, but also in the old Win8 installation I had imported from VMWare which I had mentioned in that other post six months ago. The whole issue has been fixed. Absolutely excellent. I am one happy camper! Thank you!

Before I go, just a little reporting to whomever it may concern:

I was still using the SoundBlaster16 sound card after I updated VirtualBox to 6.1.26. It worked, but I noticed something unpleasant about the sound quality. It seemed a little "scratchy." So I changed to ICH AC97 and now the sound quality is crystal perfect. This is really exciting.

That was on Windows XP. On Windows 8, I have to use Intel HD Audio. The other options don't work, but because Windows can't find the audio device. Maybe that can be "fixed" from within Windows, but the Intel HD Audio works and it works vert well, so I'm not going to waste any time on that.

Once again, thank you!
fth0
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Re: [SOLVED] No sound on Windows XP guest

Post by fth0 »

You're welcome! :)
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