VirtualBox Windows 32 bit DVD player error.

Discussions related to using VirtualBox on Windows hosts.
ermete74
Posts: 43
Joined: 21. Nov 2021, 19:00

VirtualBox Windows 32 bit DVD player error.

Post by ermete74 »

Regards, sorry me for my bad english.
I installed with VirtualBox a 32 bit version of Windows, on a PC with Windows 10 Professional 64 bit.
I've tried these 32-bit versions of Windows: Windows 7, Windows 8, Windows 8.1, and Windows 10.
With all these versions I always have the same error.
After booting the 32-bit version of Windows via VirtualBox, I insert a dual-layer DVD into the DVD player.
Almost always the double layer DVD is not read by the DVD player, the Windows 10 File Explorer window opens, tells me to insert a disc into the DVD player and simultaneously ejects the double layer DVD by opening the DVD player.
You will say that it is a problem of double layer DVD, damaged or that the DVD player cannot read.
But if I close the 32-bit version of Windows booted from VirtualBox, on Windows 10 the double layer DVD is always read on the first try.
I noticed a strange situation.
That very rare time that the 32-bit version of Windows booted from VirtualBox can read the double-layer DVD, when I remove the double-layer DVD from the DVD player and close the player drawer, in the File Explorer window of the Windows version a 32 bit booted from VirtualBox, the label of the double layer DVD remains displayed, as if the double layer DVD is still inserted, even if I have not inserted the double layer DVD.
I have tried everything, either by changing the installation steps used by VirtualBox, by activating or not activating the Hot Mode of the DVD player on VirtualBox, and by activating or not activating the Hot pluggable option.
How do you think I can solve it?
I am available to try your solutions.
Thanks.
scottgus1
Site Moderator
Posts: 20965
Joined: 30. Dec 2009, 20:14
Primary OS: MS Windows 10
VBox Version: PUEL
Guest OSses: Windows, Linux

Re: VirtualBox Windows 32 bit DVD player error.

Post by scottgus1 »

Lots of mention of '32-bit' and 'double-layer' in this topic. Are these important, as in 64-bit VM OS's play the DVD but 32-bit VM OS's can't? Or single layer DVDs play but dual-layer DVDs don't?

Or does this come down to "I can't play any DVDs in my VMs"? :D

Also, does another DVD work?

In the VM's Storage settings, select the Optical Drive, set it to use the host DVD drive, then enable the "passthrough" checkbox. Do the DVDs work then?
AndyCot
Posts: 296
Joined: 29. Feb 2020, 03:04

Re: VirtualBox Windows 32 bit DVD player error.

Post by AndyCot »

May sound like a dumb question, but what type of DVD is it? Data, Video, mixed, is it a commercial DVD or did you burn it (or get it from someone else who burn it)
Do you know if the format is ISO-9660, Joliet, UDF, HSG, HFS and HFS+ or some other format? Once you know this you can search to see if the Guest OS supports the format of the DVD.

I suspect that issue could be the format and the Guest OS used does not have support for the format. if you do not know the DVD format you may find one of the apps on the following page could be useful, but you will need to figure out which one work if any will give you the format info I have https://www.videohelp.com/software/sect ... dia-dvd-cd
ermete74
Posts: 43
Joined: 21. Nov 2021, 19:00

Re: VirtualBox Windows 32 bit DVD player error.

Post by ermete74 »

Thanks for the answers.
I don't know if 32 bit operating systems can't read double layer DVDs, but it seems strange to me they can't read.
As I wrote above I have tried these 32-bit versions of Windows:
Windows 7 Home, Pro, Ultimate, Windows 8.0, Windows 8.1, Windows 10 Pro, all these versions don't read double layer DVDs?
With single-layer DVDs it sometimes does not, while with double-layer DVDs it hardly ever reads double-layer DVDs.
You tell me, if the read error occurs even with single layer DVDs, it is not due to VirtualBox.
But I ask you, why when I close VirtualBox, all DVDs, both single-layer and double-layer ones, are always read on the first try by the DVD player on 64-bit Windows 10 Pro?
Then I would like to explain by you the error that I have noticed.
When I explore the DVD, the label of the DVD that was inserted in the DVD player remains displayed in the 32-bit Windows File Explorer launched in VirtualBox, even though it has been ejected.
It seems that VirtualBox, is lazy to read the contents of the DVD player.
To make the previous DVD disappear from the player, even if it is not inserted in the optical drive, I have to use the eject command.
Another strange fact, if I leave VirtualBox open and try to insert any DVD in the player, single or double layer, it gives me the same error on Windows 10 Pro, it cannot read the DVD, it opens a screen where it says to insert the DVD into the reader and opens the optical reader carriage.
If I close VirtualBox and try to insert any DVD, both single layer and double layer, Windows 10 Pro reads the DVD on the first attempt.
So it is as if the error present in VirtualBox carries over to Windows 10.
I think this is because in VirtualBox I checked the "Hot mode" option, which I understand makes the DVD player in connection between the Host system and the Guest system.
I think that if it is a single or double layer DVD related error, it should repeat itself in both Windows systems, Host or Guest, while without starting VirtualBox, it does not occur.
DVDs contain data.
They were mastered with ImgBurn
Regarding the settings of the optical reader, I have already written that I have tried to select the "Hot mode" and "Hot pluggable" option, I don't know in English what they are called, now I try to change the language and let you know.
Whether using these settings or not using them, does not change the result, I always have the problem of not reading single layer DVD sometimes, double layer almost always.
Regarding the DVD format, tell me which program to try, but if the error occurs with both DVDs, single or double layer, I don't think it depends on it.
Can you tell me the procedure to follow step by step for installing the Guest system, what to do before and what after and what settings to use, I don't know if something changes according to the sequence.
Type first install the extension pack, then the guest additions and then configure the Guest PC, which option to check in the optical reader "Hot mode" and "Hot pluggable", what happens if they are checked and when they should be checked.
Thanks.
scottgus1
Site Moderator
Posts: 20965
Joined: 30. Dec 2009, 20:14
Primary OS: MS Windows 10
VBox Version: PUEL
Guest OSses: Windows, Linux

Re: VirtualBox Windows 32 bit DVD player error.

Post by scottgus1 »

ermete74 wrote:You tell me, if the read error occurs even with single layer DVDs, it is not due to VirtualBox.
I did not say this, and it does not look like Andy said it either, so let's not jump too far. :D

It is entirely possible that Virtualbox has a glitch. It is also entirely possible that the ImgBurned DVDs or the data on them have a glitch too.

The manual https://www.virtualbox.org/manual/ch05.html#storage-cds says that regular CDs and DVDs should work. Video CDs do not work.

When the Optical drive is pointed at the host's physical CD/DVD drive, there is a "passthrough" option that gives the VM a closer connection to the host drive. This is the suggestion I made to try. The manual says that "passthrough" is required to play encrypted DVDs.
ermete74 wrote:in VirtualBox I checked the "Hot mode" option, which I understand makes the DVD player
'Hot mode' (probably "hot pluggable") only influences whether the drive can be removed from the VM 'hardware' while the VM is running, not how the drive handles media inserted into it. 'Hot mode' on or off will not fix the DVD read problem.
ermete74 wrote:Can you tell me the procedure to follow step by step for installing the Guest system,
There is no special procedure to install a VM OS for reading a physical DVD. Guest Additions and Extension Pack do not change any behavior regarding the DVD drive. Once you have a running OS inside the VM, that's all you need. The only option to try is "passthrough".

When "passthrough" is enabled, does a commercial purchased movie DVD work?
ermete74
Posts: 43
Joined: 21. Nov 2021, 19:00

Re: VirtualBox Windows 32 bit DVD player error.

Post by ermete74 »

Thanks for your answer.
Could you please show me the step to activate the "passthrough" option?
Today I am testing a DVD movie, which I remember testing, but I don't remember the result it gave me.
Thanks.
scottgus1
Site Moderator
Posts: 20965
Joined: 30. Dec 2009, 20:14
Primary OS: MS Windows 10
VBox Version: PUEL
Guest OSses: Windows, Linux

Re: VirtualBox Windows 32 bit DVD player error.

Post by scottgus1 »

ermete74 wrote:Could you please show me the step to activate the "passthrough" option?
viewtopic.php?f=6&t=104518&p=509453#p509418
scottgus1 wrote: In the VM's Storage settings, select the Optical Drive, set it to use the host DVD drive, then enable the "passthrough" checkbox.
ermete74
Posts: 43
Joined: 21. Nov 2021, 19:00

Re: VirtualBox Windows 32 bit DVD player error.

Post by ermete74 »

In my version of Virtualbox 6.1.28r, there is no "passthrough"


Image
scottgus1
Site Moderator
Posts: 20965
Joined: 30. Dec 2009, 20:14
Primary OS: MS Windows 10
VBox Version: PUEL
Guest OSses: Windows, Linux

Re: VirtualBox Windows 32 bit DVD player error.

Post by scottgus1 »

"Modalita Dretta" is "passthrough". You've already got it set. So it now comes down to if a commercial DVD movie works. Has such a DVD ever worked in this VM?

I see the VM is called "Windows lite". Was this a custom-made Windows? Does official Windows play DVDs in your VM?
ermete74
Posts: 43
Joined: 21. Nov 2021, 19:00

Re: VirtualBox Windows 32 bit DVD player error.

Post by ermete74 »

I tried to insert an original DVD of a movie.
The first time he didn't read it, the second time he did.
Sometimes it is read, sometimes it is not read.
When not reading the original DVD of a movie, I minimized Windows Guest open to VirtualBox, leaving VirtualBox open.
I tried to open the original DVD of a movie from Windows 10 and it was not reading it.
As I wrote above, the DVD read error carries over to Windows 10 when the Windows guest with VirtualBox is booted.
When I close VirtualBox, this error does not show up and in Windows 10 it reads the DVD.
Any idea about it?
mpack
Site Moderator
Posts: 39156
Joined: 4. Sep 2008, 17:09
Primary OS: MS Windows 10
VBox Version: PUEL
Guest OSses: Mostly XP

Re: VirtualBox Windows 32 bit DVD player error.

Post by mpack »

If this is a commercial DVD-Video disk then AFAIK it is not supported in VirtualBox, for the same reason that music CDs are not supported: it isn't intended to be a computer data disk.

Of course the underlying hardware is still there so with the correct software it's possible to bypass the Windows filesystem layers and access the DVD sectors directly - that is unless you are in a VM, because then there's no underlying hardware to access, because the VM is actually using a simulation layer sitting on top of the data layer.

Note that region coding too can interfere with the ability to read DVD-Video disks. This region protection is implemented at physical drive level. You typically get to set the region code once, and thereafter the drive will not play video content from other regions. So if you were trying to use a VM to bypass region protection... that isn't going to work.

The best you can do to overcome VM limitations is enable passthrough as you apparantly already did. That should give you the same limitations that the host has. If that still doesn't work then you're done.
ermete74
Posts: 43
Joined: 21. Nov 2021, 19:00

Re: VirtualBox Windows 32 bit DVD player error.

Post by ermete74 »

Excuse me, I'm not interested in having Virtualbox read a DVD of an original film, but in having Virtualbox read the double-layer DVD to install a program.
To be precise then, Virtualbox sometimes reads the DVD of an original film, other times it does not read the DVD.
The same thing happens with double layer DVD which contains data.
Tomorrow I try to do a clean install again.
I want to understand if it depends on the type of Windows installation I select, from DVD or from ISO.
I don't understand the reason for all this.
I tried to install Windows XP, do you know why it doesn't let me install the Guest Additions?
It does not complete the installation.
mpack
Site Moderator
Posts: 39156
Joined: 4. Sep 2008, 17:09
Primary OS: MS Windows 10
VBox Version: PUEL
Guest OSses: Mostly XP

Re: VirtualBox Windows 32 bit DVD player error.

Post by mpack »

ermete74 wrote:Excuse me, I'm not interested in having Virtualbox read a DVD of an original film...
ermete74 wrote:I tried to insert an original DVD of a movie.
Any idea about it?
The above statements directly contradict each other. I don't have time to carefully parse what you mean on a per-sentence level, so please stick to one subject matter per discussion topic.

VirtualBox doesn't know or care about the physical attributes of host media. That information is all stripped out before VirtualBox ever sees it. If the host can read the media and it is a data DVD then I suggest you rip it to an ISO image and use the ISO in the VM.
scottgus1
Site Moderator
Posts: 20965
Joined: 30. Dec 2009, 20:14
Primary OS: MS Windows 10
VBox Version: PUEL
Guest OSses: Windows, Linux

Re: VirtualBox Windows 32 bit DVD player error.

Post by scottgus1 »

Actually, I suggested the movie DVD to see if the self-burned DVD was causing the problem or the underlying Virtualbox structure may have an issue. If the movie DVD worked (which according to the linked part of the manual it ought to if "passthrough" is enabled and "encrypted DVDs" includes "movie DVDs") then the problem could have been with the self-burned DVD. But if movie DVDs aren't supported I guess that may not have been conclusive.
ermete74 wrote:I tried to insert an original DVD of a movie.
The first time he didn't read it, the second time he did.
Sometimes it is read, sometimes it is not read.
Curious that the movie DVD works sometimes. I wonder if other software on the host may be interfering.

Mpack's got a very good point, ermete74: if you have only data on the DVD, and there is no encryption, then it is merely a 8.5GB round thumb drive, and the data thereon can be copied to a folder on the host or into the VM via a real or Virtualbox shared folder.

So far we haven't been able to figure out why your particular DVD drive, DVD and VM cannot get along. So you may need to drop back and punt: use another method to get the data into the VM.
ermete74
Posts: 43
Joined: 21. Nov 2021, 19:00

Re: VirtualBox Windows 32 bit DVD player error.

Post by ermete74 »

I took this test yesterday.
I have disabled autoplay in the Host OS, Windows 10 Pro 64bit.
I boot the Guest OS, Windows 7 Pro 32bit from VirtualBox.
I insert the double layer DVD which contains the files to install a program in the optical drive.
Part of the earlier mistake has disappeared.
The optical drive carriage did not open, ejecting the dual layer DVD.
The File Explorer tab did not open from Windows 10 Pro 64bit.
But it did not read the contents of the double layer DVD.
I have ejected the double layer DVD.
This time Windows 7 Pro 32bit read the contents of the double layer DVD.
I have ejected this first double layer DVD to insert the second double layer DVD.
The same error occurred that I have noticed other times.
Even though the first dual layer DVD has been ejected from the optical drive, it remains "active" on Windows 7 Pro 32bit.
On the Windows 7 Pro 32bit File Explorer tab, the optical drive icon shows the label of the first dual-layer DVD, even if the dual-layer DVD has been removed.
I insert the second double layer DVD and it is not read by the optical drive.
If I click on the optical drive icon, it shows the label of the first double layer DVD, but the second double layer DVD is inserted, an error message is displayed and it does not open the contents of the second double layer DVD.
If I select the optical drive icon, which shows the label of the first double layer DVD, I click on open, it displays the contents of the first double layer DVD.
But right now the second double-layer DVD is inserted in the optical drive.
As if Windows 7 Pro 32bit fails to remove the contents of the first double layer DVD, even if it has been ejected.
If I leave the second double-layer DVD inserted in the optical drive, from the Device Manager, I open the optical drive drivers, deactivate the optical drive, reactivate the optical drive, the label of the second double-layer DVD appears in the Windows File Explorer tab 7 Pro 32bit.
Clicking on the label of the second double-layer DVD displays the content correctly.
Any idea about it?
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