The system freezes

Discussions related to using VirtualBox on Windows hosts.
Jiger
Posts: 100
Joined: 11. Jan 2017, 17:33
Primary OS: MS Windows 10
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Guest OSses: MS Windows XP, Linux Mint
Location: Stockholm

The system freezes

Post by Jiger »

I have Windows 10 Home as host with all updates except the fall 2018 update and Windows XP Pro (sp4) with all recent updates as guest. When starting Windows XP it takes a few minutes and then the whole system (including host) freezes.
I have tried to have only the Virtual Box loaded (with no VM loaded) - no problem. I have tried to use a fully functioning Windows XP pro VM from another host system -the same freezing problem. The only thing to do was to switch off the whole systerm and restart.
Later...
I changed the guest to 2 CPU cores instead of 1 previously and now the system has been stable for the last 11 hours. But after about 12 hours, the system freezed again and on day 2, the system frezzed after only minutes again...
Any idea on what could be wrong here??
Btw, I have updated the host to v 1809 now.
I WOULD REALLY APPRECIATE SOME HELP/SUPPORT HERE...!
Last edited by Jiger on 22. Dec 2018, 16:39, edited 2 times in total.
socratis
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Re: The system freezes

Post by socratis »

Not without a VM log (ZIPPED) or other host information, for example what were they both (host/guest) doing at the time of the freeze.

The only info you gave us is "The system freezes". Well, to that I could only reply "Thaw it!" :)
Do NOT send me Personal Messages (PMs) for troubleshooting, they are simply deleted.
Do NOT reply with the "QUOTE" button, please use the "POST REPLY", at the bottom of the form.
If you obfuscate any information requested, I will obfuscate my response. These are virtual UUIDs, not real ones.
Jiger
Posts: 100
Joined: 11. Jan 2017, 17:33
Primary OS: MS Windows 10
VBox Version: OSE other
Guest OSses: MS Windows XP, Linux Mint
Location: Stockholm

Re: The system freezes

Post by Jiger »

I have changed the guest´s base memory down to recommended 1024 MB and gone back to 1 CPU and now it again seems to work as it should (9 hours) . But if and when the problem arises again, I will come back with a zipped log. Exactly which log is it that would be relevant for this purpose?
BillG
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Re: The system freezes

Post by BillG »

That would indicate that the vm was created as a single-CPU version of XP. In XP you cannot simply change from one to two CPUs. You have to change the HAL (hardware abstraction layer).

https://www.experts-exchange.com/questi ... r-HAL.html
Bill
Jiger
Posts: 100
Joined: 11. Jan 2017, 17:33
Primary OS: MS Windows 10
VBox Version: OSE other
Guest OSses: MS Windows XP, Linux Mint
Location: Stockholm

Re: The system freezes

Post by Jiger »

When I woke up today, I found that the system had freezed again. I had to shut down the system and restart and I have saved and zipped the log, which is enclosed here.
I hope you have some idea of what has gone wrong...
Attachments
Windows XP-2018-11-29-01-29-27.zip
(19.05 KiB) Downloaded 9 times
socratis
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Location: Greece

Re: The system freezes

Post by socratis »

Except your VRAM which is 18 MB and could use a boost, as well as 2D/3D acceleration which is disabled, everything looks really normal.

The question is: 1) what is the guest doing at the time, 2) what is the host doing at the time, 3) what system modifying software you have on your host like antivirus, debuggers, etc.

And finally, what does the Event Viewer on your host has to say about it. Any errors (application or system) when the freeze is happening?
Do NOT send me Personal Messages (PMs) for troubleshooting, they are simply deleted.
Do NOT reply with the "QUOTE" button, please use the "POST REPLY", at the bottom of the form.
If you obfuscate any information requested, I will obfuscate my response. These are virtual UUIDs, not real ones.
mpack
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Posts: 39156
Joined: 4. Sep 2008, 17:09
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Re: The system freezes

Post by mpack »

3D acceleration is disabled in most of my XP VMs, they run just fine that way and leaves it less prone to host graphics driver bugs. I only enable it in VMs which need OpenGL.

@Jiger. What kind of drive is "K:" ?
Jiger
Posts: 100
Joined: 11. Jan 2017, 17:33
Primary OS: MS Windows 10
VBox Version: OSE other
Guest OSses: MS Windows XP, Linux Mint
Location: Stockholm

Re: The system freezes

Post by Jiger »

Questions about events during this night between 1 and 5.30 on my ASUS laptop:

1: Guest: was doing absolutely nothing - I was sleeping
2: Host: was doing absolutely nothing - I was sleeping
3: I have IOBit Malware Fighter v 6.3 in both host and guest and that software is working while nothing else happens on the system (i e when I am asleep). Btw I have exactly the same set of software and settings in my ASUS desktop (host and guest) with no problem whatsoever.

When studying the windows 10 log (as well as the XP log), I could not find anything apart from "information" and "successful examination" etc between 1 and 5.30.

In fact the freezing so far occurs only when I am not at the computer and doing something.

Should I change the VRAM setting, if so to what? Should I enable 2D/3D acceleration? Should I disable IOBit Malware Fighter on one or both systems?

K is just an internal drive, which I chose to call K instead of E for instance.

A bit later...

The VM XP made the system freeze immediately at start up now, the windows 10 log only had a Kernel thing to say: The system has been stopped down without being correctly finnished. That´s all.
The program WhoCrashed had nothing to say.

I enclose a new and recent VM XP log for you to study...

Somewhat later: When restarting VM XP again, chckdisk had very much to do...but only a few minutes later VM XP has frezzed the whole system again...
I chose not to start VM XP now for the time being.

I don´t know whether this point is interesting or not: I have an app on the windows 10 home host called MyPhoneExplorer, which connects my Android mobile to the host system via WIFI. Every time when VM XP has freezed down the system and I had restarted the host, it is impossible for the host to connect with the phone if less than I restart the phone. I do not have this app on the desktop.
The laptop is connected to the internet via WIFI and the desktop via cable.
Attachments
Windows XP-2018-11-29-11-07-03.zip
(20.7 KiB) Downloaded 6 times
Last edited by Jiger on 2. Dec 2018, 11:56, edited 1 time in total.
mpack
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Posts: 39156
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Re: The system freezes

Post by mpack »

Jiger wrote: In fact the freezing so far occurs only when I am not at the computer and doing something.
That could be a clue that it has something to do with power saving modes. Try disabling guest options which turn off the monitor or hard disks.
Jiger
Posts: 100
Joined: 11. Jan 2017, 17:33
Primary OS: MS Windows 10
VBox Version: OSE other
Guest OSses: MS Windows XP, Linux Mint
Location: Stockholm

Re: The system freezes

Post by Jiger »

Well, the last two times the system freezed almost very shortly after start...

I don´t know how to disable guest options which turn off the monitor or hard disks.
mpack
Site Moderator
Posts: 39156
Joined: 4. Sep 2008, 17:09
Primary OS: MS Windows 10
VBox Version: PUEL
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Re: The system freezes

Post by mpack »

Right click the XP desktop, "Screen Saver" tab, then click Power button. Select the "Always On" power scheme and make sure that "Turn off monitor" and "Turn off hard disks" are both set to "Never".

p.s. I don't normally provide Windows usage tuition. Please don't start expecting it!
Jiger
Posts: 100
Joined: 11. Jan 2017, 17:33
Primary OS: MS Windows 10
VBox Version: OSE other
Guest OSses: MS Windows XP, Linux Mint
Location: Stockholm

Re: The system freezes

Post by Jiger »

Thank you for the tips. The only thing I had to change was "always on."
I have also shut down MyPhoneExplorer and at present the system goes since about two hours...

Well, that did not fix the issue - freezing occurred again...

I noted that every time the system had freezed and I restarded, the shared folder was disconnected (in Explorer) but not in the settings.

I decided to:

1. Disable the shared folder
2. Uninstall (restart) and reinstall (restart) the Guest Additions
3. Connect and enable the shared folder
4. Restart

Now, the whole system has worked with no problem whatsoever for more than 16 hours...

Well, very sorry to say, freezing again after 20 hours. Here is the latest log.

I chose to restart the host next time without MyPhoneExplorer.

Well, the freezing reocurred after about 75 hours. I chose to use a backup from middle of November of the whole system and that seems to eliminate the problem.
This thread can be closed now.
Attachments
Windows XP-2018-12-01-08-12-51.zip
(27.08 KiB) Downloaded 12 times
Jiger
Posts: 100
Joined: 11. Jan 2017, 17:33
Primary OS: MS Windows 10
VBox Version: OSE other
Guest OSses: MS Windows XP, Linux Mint
Location: Stockholm

WinXP VM freezes

Post by Jiger »

I have Windows 10 Home as host with all updates and Windows XP Pro (sp4) with all recent updates as guest in my ASUS laptop. When starting Windows XP it takes some time and then the whole system (including host) freezes. This can vary from a few minutes up to days, but when the freezing is a fact, there is nothing more to do than a drastic restart of the host. At the moment I am not running the XP VM on the laptop, but I can have VBox started with no problem. I enclose the last two crash logs here.
Attachments
Windows XP-2018-12-08-22-58-01.zip
(18.93 KiB) Downloaded 10 times
Windows XP-2018-12-08-19-18-42.zip
(19.72 KiB) Downloaded 7 times
mpack
Site Moderator
Posts: 39156
Joined: 4. Sep 2008, 17:09
Primary OS: MS Windows 10
VBox Version: PUEL
Guest OSses: Mostly XP

Re: WinXP VM freezes

Post by mpack »

This seems to be identical to the problem you already created a discussion topic for. Is it?

If so then please note that cross posting is against the forum rules. Bumping the existing topic would be appropriate.
socratis
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Re: WinXP VM freezes

Post by socratis »

[color=#BF0000]Previous post[/color] wrote:I have Windows 10 Home as host with all updates except the fall 2018 update and Windows XP Pro (sp4) with all recent updates as guest. When starting Windows XP it takes a few minutes and then the whole system (including host) freezes.
[color=#0000BF]Current post[/color] wrote: I have Windows 10 Home as host with all updates and Windows XP Pro (sp4) with all recent updates as guest in my ASUS laptop. When starting Windows XP it takes some time and then the whole system (including host) freezes.
Yeah, it's the same issue alright methinks...
Pending confirmation, we should either Lock this as a Duplicate, or Merge it with the previous one.
Do NOT send me Personal Messages (PMs) for troubleshooting, they are simply deleted.
Do NOT reply with the "QUOTE" button, please use the "POST REPLY", at the bottom of the form.
If you obfuscate any information requested, I will obfuscate my response. These are virtual UUIDs, not real ones.
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