BAD_POOL_CALLER error when starting XP

Cobaltounet · Post by **Cobaltounet** » 11. Oct 2007, 20:14

Hello,

I have been struggling with this error for some time already.

I have 2 partitions on my laptop : one with linux (my main one) and one with Windows. I am trying to run my Windows XP partition within Virtual box when I am using Linux.

The good news is that virtualBox allows to virtualize a physical partition. The user documentation explains quite well how to do so (in the chapter 9 if I remember correctly) and the following HowTo gives a few useful tips

However when I start my VM, Windows starts correctly and then stop with a blue screen and a BAD_POOL_CALLER error. And unfortunately, I have no idea of how to solves this. (And, of course this error does not appear when I boot directly on my windows partition)

The most raging thing, is that I am probably very close to have my physical partition running: When I start my VM and asks windows to boot in failsafe mode, everything runs smoothly!!!

Post by **Ingo** » 13. Oct 2007, 23:37

I suppose you already have repaired your installation. It seems there is any "old" driver left over from your old hardware (the physical laptop) and causes the BSOD. Find it and deactivate it. Deactivation is a minor problem because you already can boot in failsafe mode and e.g. rename the problematic driver. The more difficult problem is to find the failed driver. Does the blue screen tells something about a driver (*.sys) causing the problem?

Cobaltounet · Post by **Cobaltounet** » 19. Oct 2007, 18:42

Hello Ingo,

I suppose you already have repaired your installation.

I do not understand why you want me to repair my installation. Everything is working perfectly fine when I boot directly with Windows.

From what I found on the Internet, there is indeed an issue with one driver on some sort. But because it is a generic error, it can come from almost everywhere : memory, USB, controler, etc.

I tried to create another hardware profile where most of my hardware is deactivated. I did not solve the problem : however a have a serious doubt about the effectiveness of the windows profile manager.

The more difficult problem is to find the failed driver. Does the blue screen tells something about a driver (*.sys) causing the problem?

The blue screen looks like this one. I just have slightly different hexadecimal values. These values are supposed to help me discover which driver is triggering this issue, but the least I can tell is that there use it is not very convenient...

Post by **Ingo** » 21. Oct 2007, 22:10

Cobaltounet wrote:I do not understand why you want me to repair my installation.

Here is a quote from the HowTo you have linked to above:

So as a first step, you either have to enable IO APIC support in VirtualBox or replace the HAL. Replacing the HAL can be done by booting the VM from the Windows CD and performing a repair installation.

Read it again carefully.

Cobaltounet · Post by **Cobaltounet** » 23. Oct 2007, 22:31

Ok,

By default, the IO APIC option in VB is indeed not actived. I had the issue : in this case, the VM simply does not boot up.

I currently have IO APIC activated => I boot correctly in failsafe mode, but I got a blue screen in normal mode.

My understanding is the tip proposed in the howto will only force Windows to use a different HAL (ACPI). However, if it is a driver issue, I am afraid that the result wil be the same than with IO APIC.

Post by **Ingo** » 24. Oct 2007, 13:57

XP is running on a physical machine and you clone it into a virtual machine. It is complete another environment. Do you hope XP will run if you clone it from a Desktop to a Laptop?

Cobaltounet · Post by **Cobaltounet** » 24. Oct 2007, 18:56

Sorry but I do not see the point.

I used the same methodology on one desktop that I have personally configured and everything is running smoothly

Cobaltounet · Post by **Cobaltounet** » 30. Oct 2007, 22:32

Ingo wrote: Here is a quote from the HowTo you have linked to above:
So as a first step, you either have to enable IO APIC support in VirtualBox or replace the HAL. Replacing the HAL can be done by booting the VM from the Windows CD and performing a repair installation.
Read it again carefully.

Just because I am a curious guy, I tried to change the HAL in windows.... And I almost managed to crash entirely my system. And of course the BAD_POOL_CALLER error was still here, whatever the HAL chosen.

Conclusion : NEVER change the HAL, that is not the solution.

However I found a way to remove the BAD_POOL_CALLER error. I booted in windows and deinstalled all my drivers. I booted back under linux and started the VM => the system starts, no more blue screen

I go back under windows and reinstall the first of the drivers I have just removed. I test the VM under linux. It is working => it means that the drivers have just installed is not the cause of the blue screen.

I do the same for the second driver and so on until the blue screen reappears. Once the faulty driver is identified, I remove it, for ever... I my case it was a storage controller of some sort. I will manage to leave without it.

Post by **Ingo** » 1. Nov 2007, 17:51

Ingo wrote:The more difficult problem is to find the failed driver. Does the blue screen tells something about a driver (*.sys) causing the problem?

I see you have managed it :-)

Cobaltounet wrote:Just because I am a curious guy, I tried to change the HAL in windows....

But... how do you change the Hardware Abstraction Layer in Windows? The only way I know is to do a repair with the installation CD.

Cobaltounet · Post by **Cobaltounet** » 5. Nov 2007, 21:29

Ingo wrote:But... how do you change the Hardware Abstraction Layer in Windows? The only way I know is to do a repair with the installation CD.

Right click on "computer" in the system manager, properties, then selected update drivers.