Win 8.1 64bit on Catalina working with 6.1.46, but not with 7.x.x (the latest)

[jbweld]

Hello. I have Macbook Pro mid 2012 with OS X Catalina.
I messed my virtual machines somehow (a bit long story), and am trying to rebuild. Now, I have VBox 6.1.46 now, I installed WIn 8.1 64bit. It's working. But as I update VBox to the latest one, it stops working: it goes into auto-repair. Win 8.1 32bit is fine with the updating, so was win10. But I have a software that requires 64bit, so I need it working. I brought it back to 6.1.46, it works again.
I used Win8.1_English_x64.iso, available directly from Microsoft.

As the support for vbox 6.1 ends this year, it would be nice if I can get it work with a newer version. Or would it be also OK to stay with 6.1 ?
I would appreciate your suggestions!

[mpack]

VirtualBox 7.x uses the Apple Hypervisor. This is not currently recommended for any Apple host before Ventura. I would stay with 6.1.x for as long as you can.

[fth0]

In addition to what mpack wrote, there's a known (and solved) issue with the VirtualBox Guest Additions 6.1.48 and 7.0.12 leading to the auto-repair that you've been experiencing.

Please use the VirtualBox Guest Additions VirtualBox test builds 6.1.49r160107 or 7.0.13r160164 (or newer) in your Windows 8.1 guest.

[jbweld]

Thank you very much for your replies! The 8.1 64bit guest addition which I installed seems to be fine, though I didn't pay much attension to the version. I will stay with VBox 6.1 then!

One of the "messed up" virtual machines was indeed due to the issue of guest addition: it's XP. It just remains black, and I don't know how to fix it. I looked around online, it says that I have to open and install the proper guest addition disc inside XP, but if it's all black and I don't see anything, I cannot do anything in it, even though it makes the right start-up sound, and the sounds of clicks and pops (some kind of notification) are there: aside from that it's black, it seems to be working.

I would appreciate your help with my dead-XP, too!

(Another dead machine: 8.1 64 bit. I installed this program: "Ripes" (some kind of learning program for computer) then it went into "auto repair" mode as I restarted again, and never came back.)

[scottgus1]

it's XP. It just remains black, and I don't know how to fix it.

It should be possible to boot XP into Safe Mode by tapping the F8 key while the VM is booting, then uninstalling the Guest Additions. If uninstalling doesn't work because of a service missing, try renaming a Guest Additions file as suggested here: viewtopic.php?p=543330#p543330

[jbweld]

Hello! Thanks a lot for the hint! I tried
3. rename C:\windows\system32\drivers\vboxguest.sys to vboxguest.sys-disabled

but it didn't help.... it's still black....
What else could I try?

[jbweld]

@scottgus1 Hello! Now I did manage to make it work, I mean, for my dead XP guest: after renaming the file, inside the safe mode I uninstalled the wrong guest addition using add/remove programs. Then restart, my XP came back !!! Thanks a lot !! I installed the right guest addition, that's working, too!! I will never touch virtualbox 7.x.x again!! Thanks a million!

[jbweld]

p.s. I discovered, as I fixed the dead XP, my dead 8.1 came back as well !!! I was trying to start it in safe mode, pressing F8, to see if I can save this, too. But then it just started up, without saying either "safe mode", or "auto repair". It was already fixed ! I wonder how something could kill XP and 8.1 at the same time, besides, as I mentioned before, 8.1 died at a different occasion. But anyway, it's back!! Thanks a lot again to all !!