Windows7 guest keep freezing after a few minutes

[ArnoWil]

Hi all,

I am running a windows 7 guest on an Linux Mint 18.2 Cinnamon host. I have it running since a year now but I only use it one or twice a month. For a few months now, the guest keep freezing after a few minutes of use. Usualy I don't need it for a long time, so I manage with it, but it is quite annoying... So I decided to look into it and try to find what if wrong.

I tried a few things, but nothing worked ! So I hope someone here can help me.

The only message the log gives it a "vmmDevHeartbeatFlatlinedTimer" flag :

Code: Select all

00:02:46.247890 PIT: mode=2 count=0x2ead (11949) - 99.85 Hz (ch=0)
00:02:46.538055 PIT: mode=2 count=0x4ad (1197) - 996.81 Hz (ch=0)
00:02:46.571645 PIT: mode=2 count=0x2ead (11949) - 99.85 Hz (ch=0)
00:03:47.308630 PIT: mode=2 count=0x4ad (1197) - 996.81 Hz (ch=0)
00:06:42.087908 VMMDev: vmmDevHeartbeatFlatlinedTimer: Guest seems to be unresponsive. Last heartbeat received 4 seconds ago

I attached the whole log file.

Then, all I can do is to shut off the guest...

For a time, I thought it was the host running out of RAM, but after a few try, the problem also appeared with only 80% of the host RAM used, (and 0 swap) so it doesn't look like it...
I also activated and deactivated 2D and 3D acceleration, to no effect.

Any one have an idea ?

Arno

[socratis]

VirtualBox VM 5.1.34_Ubuntu r121010 linux.amd64 (Feb  2 2018 12:27:46) release log

It looks like you're using the distro's fork version of VirtualBox. You can either ask in their forums for help, or completely remove/uninstall/delete/purge their version and install the official version from the Downloads section of VirtualBox.

You can even add VirtualBox as a repository, so you could use your traditional install/upgrade/uninstall tools.

[ArnoWil]

Thanks for your anwser ! I intalled VB from the default repositories, I didn't tought about that..

If I upgrade VB, I guess I have to recreate completely my guest installation right ?

[socratis]

I intalled VB from the default repositories, I didn't tought about that..

Just make sure to completely remove/uninstall/delete/purge their version.

If I upgrade VB, I guess I have to recreate completely my guest installation right ?

Fortunately, you're completely, 100% wrong!

Your VMs are similar to your OpenOffice documents. If you upgrade OpenOffice, or even if you switch to LibreOffice, your documents are going to be unharmed, no? Same thing with your VMs and your VirtualBox preferences...

[ArnoWil]

Fortunately, you're completely, 100% wrong!

Great ! I will try upgrading VB right now then !

[ArnoWil]

OK, I reinstalled VB, and updated the guest additions, but to no use, the problem is still here...

Below is the log obtained. The error message is still the same.

[socratis]

Sorry for the late response...

00:00:03.446035 HM: HMR3Init: Falling back to raw-mode: AMD-V is disabled in the BIOS (or by the host OS)
00:00:03.616689 Full Name: "AMD Athlon(tm) II X2 260 Processor"

Your CPU has theoretically AMD-V capabilities, so it would be a matter of enabling them in the BIOS (if possible). See if this improves the situation.