[Solved] VMs not starting after system crash - VERR_VMX_MSR_ALL_VMX_DISABLED - BIOS setting correct

[jeroenes2]

First of all: thanks to the community for all the hard work on virtualbox! It is an excellent program and I have been using it to satisfaction for many years.

After a system crash I found myself facing my VMs not starting. A log is attached, the error message is on VT-x. I browsed forums and could find plenty of entries on the BIOS setting. However, when opening the BIOS the VT option is set to Enabled. Further browsing did not come up with many additional results.

Since Ubuntu 18.04, signing is automatic, but on the automatic pilot I suspected a kernel update problem. I have upgraded to latest with apt, reconfigured dkms, and I also switched sources to virtualbox and installed the latest stable (5.2.22). Nothing helped. Kernel is the 4.15.0-39 release BTW. Modules are loaded fine.

When looking at cpuinfo, it reports vmx as a flag, so I suspect the error really is somewhere else.

When looking at kern.log entries, the last successful start had a line after VMMR0.r0 message of vboxdrv, with VBoxDDR0.r0, but not any more after the crash.

If someone could help me getting my machines up and running again, would be greatly appreciated!

Jeroen

[mpack]

When looking at cpuinfo, it reports vmx as a flag, so I suspect the error really is somewhere else.

cpuinfo tells you that you CPU supports VT-x, not whether your BIOS enables it.

There is probably no VT option in the BIOS. Please be accurate: the CPU options are called VT-x and VT-d, and only the former is relevant. All of the volunteers have had this discussion lots of times, and the most likely reason for VirtualBox reporting that VT-x is diabled in the BIOS is... VT-x being disabled in the BIOS.

The other thing is that I assume you did a full power down and reboot of the PC?

[jeroenes2]

Thanks for your reply mpack.

My BIOS does only display the option “Virtualization” and it is set to Enabled.

Previously it was working fine and I have not changed BIOS settings.

Is there any way I can bring you more useful information?

Jeroen

PS: indeed I did a full power cycle and reboot. Multiple times, before and after the upgrade.

[mpack]

Previously it was working fine and I have not changed BIOS settings.

The first thing to accept is that VirtualBox cannot be wrong about this. VirtualBox tries to use VT-x and finds it blocked. The exact reason why is open to error, but the fact itself is not.

So, either the feature is blocked in the BIOS, or blocked somewhere else, or something else is using it (VT-x can't be shared, but it can be passed along cooperatively I think, i.e. that's up to the first app to grab the feature).

Is there perhaps some new Ubuntu host feature which manages access to this resource? A group that you have to belong to?

I would also try explicitly turning the BIOS flag off and on (with full power cycles in between), just in case something got lost during the crash.

[jeroenes2]

I would also try explicitly turning the BIOS flag off and on (with full power cycles in between), just in case something got lost during the crash.

That was the ticket! Great advice, thanks so much. Recycling the BIOS flag did the trick. Would have never thought of that myself.

Super vague as to how the crash caused it, guess we will not find out. Most importantly for me now, I can get back to work. Marvelous. Thanks again!

[socratis]

Marking as [Solved].