Very slow graphics since 5.1.12

[cs2015]

Since my VB installation updated to 5.1.12, the graphics performance of my Win XP Pro guest has taken a massive hit. Now, dragging windows around on screen is like wading through treacle. The onscreen movement can lag behind the cursor movement by up to 10 seconds. Nothing else has changed, just the version of VB. Before, the movement was instant. (Sound is very choppy on this version too).

I have increased the guest settings to 3GB RAM and 128MB of video memory, but this made no difference. 2D acceleration in on, but 3D is off.

My iMac (2010 3.06GHz Core 2 Duo) is running 10.12.2, and has 8GB RAM, and a 512GB SSD.

On Edit:
Just tried reverting to Ver. 5.0.28 (and corresponding Ext Pack / Guest Additions), and the graphics is restored.
This means there is definitely something seriously wrong with 5.1.X
Why do they have to keep fiddling with it ? It always gets worse.

[socratis]

Why do they have to keep fiddling with it ?

I can easily reverse the question; if it works with your setup, why do you have to keep fiddling with it?

Since you're one of the few, if at all, users that are reporting this, if you really want answers, you should know the drill by now: Minimum information needed for assistance.

[cs2015]

I can easily reverse the question; if it works with your setup, why do you have to keep fiddling with it?

Because, when I launch VB and it tells me a new version is available, I naturally assume it is an improvement.

But anyway, here is the info requested:
VB version 5.1.12, Guest additions installed.
MacOS 10.12.2 host (64 bit), 8GB RAM, 3.06GHz Core 2 Duo iMac
Win XP Pro Ver 2002, SP3, guest (32 bit), 3GB RAM, 128MB video RAM+*

Log file attached (only 74kB, so not zipped)

I had uninstalled 5.1.12 then installed 5.0.28, which worked properly (normal fast graphics). I then did the reverse, so that I am now back to 5.1.12, and the graphics is like treacle again. Moving or resizing a window in XP Pro is extremely laggy and almost unusable, so it isn't a subtle effect.

[socratis]

Because, when I launch VB and it tells me a new version is available, I naturally assume it is an improvement.

That's what OSX tells me too, but I don't really like the "improvements", so I'm still at 10.9.5. I would still be at 10.6.8 if I could

VB version 5.1.30, Guest additions installed.

Installed, yes, but not updated. You're still using the old VirtualBox GAs:

00:00:09.847312 VMMDev: Guest Additions information report: Version 5.0.28 r111378 '5.0.28'

One other thing that I noticed is that you have a rather peculiar screen size. Compare yours and mine (mine is the 2nd one):

00:00:02.626141 VMMDev: SetVideoModeHint: Got a video mode hint (1661x941x0)@(0x0),(1;0) at 0
00:00:02.676851 VMMDev: SetVideoModeHint: Got a video mode hint (1280x1024x32)@(0x0),(1;0) at 0

1) Your resolution is not "standard" and 2) the color depth is "weirdly not set" to say the least. Can you set your WinXP guest to something that is proposed by the OS itself and not something you're resizing manually to almost fit the screen? 32-bit color depth color is the appropriate one, as it is the fastest (no translation required). As for the size, I'd go with 1600x900, if it's offered by the OS. Nice 16:9 and usually managed by the OSes quite nicely.

For future reference, you should completely shut down the VM before grabbing the VBox.log. You should always ZIP it, since it saves a couple of (virtual, digital) trees...

[cs2015]

I have now installed the latest guest additions again, but that made no difference.

Just set the display size to 1600 x 900 but that also made no difference.
The colour depth was already set to 32 bit in the XP display control panel.

[socratis]

Have you installed the Direct3D accelerated version of the GAs by booting into safe mode? I took a second look at the log and I don't think you have...

[cs2015]

Just tried that, and it makes it even worse !

Also doesn't explain why it worked perfectly with 5.0.28.

[socratis]

Can you post a new log after the Direct3D enabled GAs? ZIPped please.

[cs2015]

New log attached.

[mpack]

I note that you have a dual core host, and have assigned two cores to the VM. In that case I would not be surprised by poor performance, but I'm not sure why a VBox update would make it better or worse.

[cs2015]

Just tried it with one core - same result.

[mpack]

Then look in the task list in the guest and the host, and identity the process which is taking all the CPU or I/O. There should be no need to speculate.

[cs2015]

It doesn't provide any useful information:
In the Guest (Win XP), Task Manager just shows the CPU activity spiking up from around 0% to 50% whenever I move or resize any window, and as expected the dominant process is Explorer.exe.
Activity monitor on the Mac just shows VirtualBox becoming the dominant process when I do the above.

With 5.1.12, VB seems to have become chronically poor at emulating the graphics card - quite absurdly slow actually. The rest of the Guest performance is fast. Populating a window with its enclosed folders is instant, and software (such as CAD simulation software) runs very fast. It is just the moving or resizing of windows which has become unusable.

This didn't happen with 5.0.28, and I have tried reverting to that version, then back again to 5.1.12 to confirm this. So it wasn't just a coincidental change - It really is a problem with the new version of VB.

[socratis]

It really is a problem with the new version of VB.

No it is not. The question is why it is a problem with your installation. My guess is that something that you have installed on the guest conflicts somehow with the updated GAs. I couldn't even begin to speculate. A theme? A window manager? A ... something else?

[socratis]

New log attached.

The log shows that 3D is not installed. Did you follow the instructions in the manual, i.e. did you boot XP in safe mode?