[SOLVED] CD-ROM:VMs refuse to start after upgrade to 3.2.0B1

Postings relating to old VirtualBox pre-releases
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Technologov
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[SOLVED] CD-ROM:VMs refuse to start after upgrade to 3.2.0B1

Post by Technologov »

Host: Windows XP, VBox 3.2.0-BETA1

After upgrading VirtualBox, many VM refuse to start

details:
I have many VMs (shutdown, aka offline snapshots), with GuestAdditions.iso still inserted in them, because I forgot to eject it.
Obviously they all refuse to start, because GuestAdditions.iso path on host has changed from "Sun" to "Oracle". See screenshot.

Steps to reproduce:
1. Install Sun VirtualBox 3.x (3.1.6 recommended)
2. Create empty VM (you don't need guest OS)
3. insert GuestAdditions.iso
4. Create offline snapshot
5. Run VM
6. Create live snapshot
7. kill VM
8. upgrade to Oracle VirtualBox 3.2.x

Actual behavior:
VMs refuse to start

Recommended behavior:
1. Since those VMs are offline snapshots (shut down), the most logical is to warn user about lacking CD, and create new GUI dialog with buttons: "Eject CD and Launch VM" and "Shutdown VM". This will solve the problem all CDs, not just GuestAdditions, but only offline snapshots. (because in some cases I _do_ delete CD ISOs from HDD, esp. games that I stop playing)
-and-
2. Installer could try a bit harder to automatically change paths in XML files. This will solve the problem for both Live/offline snapshots, but only for GuestAdditions CD.
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tarzanek
Posts: 6
Joined: 23. Jun 2009, 12:43
Primary OS: MS Windows Vista
VBox Version: PUEL
Guest OSses: OpenSolaris, Ubuntu, DOS, ipcop

Re: CD-ROM: VMs refuse to start after upgrade to 3.2.0-B1

Post by tarzanek »

Wondering that there could be workarounds - e.g. 1) change the paths in the XML file
2) symlink from Oracle to Sun

In Windows one can create symlinks (not only "shortcuts")
in cmd:
> mklink [[/D] | [/H] | [/J]] link target
frank
Oracle Corporation
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Re: CD-ROM: VMs refuse to start after upgrade to 3.2.0-B1

Post by frank »

For the record: Beta 2 still does not contain a fix. We hope to get one for the final release. The correct fix is to make a missing .iso image a non-fatal error; same applies to shared folders -- we are aware of this.
Roel
Posts: 9
Joined: 4. May 2010, 23:33
Primary OS: MS Windows 7
VBox Version: PUEL
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Re: CD-ROM: VMs refuse to start after upgrade to 3.2.0-B1

Post by Roel »

Hi Frank,
Frank Mehnert wrote:For the record: Beta 2 still does not contain a fix.
In this case, could the "[SOLVED]" topic be changed?

I tried Beta2 today and it did not fail for me anymore, but then I am not sure if the link with the guestadditions had been removed previously.
Frank Mehnert wrote:We hope to get one for the final release.
IMO, this would be a showstopper bug.
Roel
Posts: 9
Joined: 4. May 2010, 23:33
Primary OS: MS Windows 7
VBox Version: PUEL
Guest OSses: Windows XP, Ubuntu

Re: [SOLVED] CD-ROM:VMs refuse to start after upgrade to 3.2.0B1

Post by Roel »

The original error I saw was somewhat different: http://www.virtualbox.org/ticket/6636 but not sure if that was because of http://forums.virtualbox.org/viewtopic.php?f=15&t=30325
achimha
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Joined: 10. May 2007, 09:24

Re: [SOLVED] CD-ROM:VMs refuse to start after upgrade to 3.2.0B1

Post by achimha »

Beta 2 respin contains the fix so the problem can be regarded as solved.
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