virtualization doesn't work on windows 8 guest.

Discussions about using Windows guests in VirtualBox.
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Ruud14
Posts: 13
Joined: 22. Dec 2018, 21:06

virtualization doesn't work on windows 8 guest.

Post by Ruud14 »

I can't get virtualization to work on my windows 8 guest machine. (It doesn't show up in task manager>performance>CPU)
My host machine is a dell r710 server running ubuntu server.
in "vboxmanage showvminfo" it says:

Hardw. virt.ext: enabled
Effective Paravirt. Prov.: HyperV

and ubuntu server itself has virtualization enabled.
mpack
Site Moderator
Posts: 39156
Joined: 4. Sep 2008, 17:09
Primary OS: MS Windows 10
VBox Version: PUEL
Guest OSses: Mostly XP

Re: virtualization doesn't work on windows 8 guest.

Post by mpack »

The VirtualBox host sees and uses the VT-x feature, not the guest.
Ruud14
Posts: 13
Joined: 22. Dec 2018, 21:06

Re: virtualization doesn't work on windows 8 guest.

Post by Ruud14 »

mpack wrote:The VirtualBox host sees and uses the VT-x feature, not the guest.
Yeah, but some applications need virtualization to run.
the newer versions of "Kodi" for example.
Or what if I wanted to run a new virtualbox inside of my current (windows 8 ) virtualbox guest?
then It isn't possible to enable virtualization.

Is there a way to enable this?
mpack
Site Moderator
Posts: 39156
Joined: 4. Sep 2008, 17:09
Primary OS: MS Windows 10
VBox Version: PUEL
Guest OSses: Mostly XP

Re: virtualization doesn't work on windows 8 guest.

Post by mpack »

VirtualBox has traditionally never supported nested virtualization.

VirtualBox v6 has the beginning of such support, but it's early days and only works on AMD host CPUs.

p.s. Paravirtualization has nothing to do with nested VM. It's about the type of API it can present to a modern VM-aware guest: VirtualBox can look like a Hyper-v host (for Windows guests), or like a KVM host (for Linux guests). These APIs have to do with more direct guest/host communications, not with allowing nested VM.
Ruud14
Posts: 13
Joined: 22. Dec 2018, 21:06

Re: virtualization doesn't work on windows 8 guest.

Post by Ruud14 »

I Wasn't planning on running a nested vm. it was just an example :)
I don't fully understand what you mean with "It's about the type of API it can present to a modern VM-aware guest"
Is there any option to make "virtualization: Enabled" show up in my task manager and run programs like "Kodi"?
mpack
Site Moderator
Posts: 39156
Joined: 4. Sep 2008, 17:09
Primary OS: MS Windows 10
VBox Version: PUEL
Guest OSses: Mostly XP

Re: virtualization doesn't work on windows 8 guest.

Post by mpack »

If you want VT-x to be passed to the guest, that's nested virtualization, whether or not you actually run a VM program inside the guest.

As I said, paravirtualization is not virtualization, so no, there is nothing you can do to make VT-x visible to a guest in VirtualBox v6 (or earlier).
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