winxp cd crash

[exekutive]

I'm not sure if this is supposed to work or not, but I thought I'd provide the feedback in case it helps, and maybe find a solution.

Trying to boot from a Windows XP 32 SP3 recovery CD causes the vm window to crash. I've tried two different disk images. It actually gets through loading drivers and then crashes on "Setup is starting Windows ..."

VirtualBox test build macOS/ARM64 BETA 7.0.x revision 160546
Sonoma 14.1.2 , M2 MBP

log and recording attached

[scottgus1]

Please see M1/M2 Mac 7.0 Beta Status.
XP is the latest Windows OS reported working on the M1/M2 beta. However, if I remember correctly, it was a pre-existing XP VM that had already been installed and running.

More modern Windows won't run yet. Similar limits in Linux.

[exekutive]

Yeah that's what I'm currently trying to do.

I have an existing VMware VM (known good) that I want to use on my Mac (it's an Apache database server running on XP). Right now it reboots when it gets to the agp440 driver.
I found instructions (https://www.virtualbox.org/wiki/Migrate_Windows), and I was trying to access the recovery console on the install CD to delete the driver.
I can't access the guest file system (VMDK dile) from my Mac to do it, so I guess I need to build the VM using VB on a Windows PC first, and then bring it over?
Is it possible to bring VirtualBox configurations from Windows to Mac ARM? Should I convert the disk image first?
Would be really handy to get this working.

[multiOS]

To install/run x32-64 Bit OS on Apple's 'M' Series hardware it is essential to use a 'Virtualisation' application that can also deliver CPU emulation, which is not supported by Apple.

IME that choice is relatively easy at present as neither Parallels, nor VMware support emulation and there is no indication that they ever will move in that direction. So the 'choice' is limited to any application which also provides additional hardware emulation via QEMU, i.e. the UTM open source app; and/or any others you may be able to find that offer similar facilities.

My own early testing with the VirtualBox Developer Preview/'Beta' builds was successful in installing and running Windows XP VMs but, for me, the current 7.0.97_BETA5-160496-macOSArm64 now fails to boot existing XP installations or the XP installation media.

[exekutive]

To install/run x32-64 Bit OS on Apple's 'M' Series hardware

Mine is 32 bit

neither Parallels, nor VMware support emulation

I did discover that. That's why I'm here attempting it with VB

My own early testing with the VirtualBox Developer Preview/'Beta' builds was successful in installing and running Windows XP VMs

On Apple ARM? Great, then your experience is valuable to me. I'm interested to learn how you did it.

for me, the current 7.0.97_BETA5-160496-macOSArm64 now fails to boot existing XP installations or the XP installation media.

So you're saying that earlier versions worked? Which one?

[multiOS]

I should probably have said x86 rather than x32-64. To confirm, the XP VMs I previously tested successfully were the more generally available 32-bit versions (Home & Pro). A legitimate Windows XP-64 Pro version is a rare beast to find; and no 64-bit OS installed/ran at all in my early BETA tests. Nor did any 32-bit Windows version later than XP.

The early BETA versions I was able to test have been replaced many times by the Development Team and those builds currently listed on the Test Builds page are the only downloads now available as there is no public archive of previous Builds. I didn't keep a record of the builds previously tested as I hadn't anticipated a substantial reverse in capability, but I will be doing some more detailed testing of both 'current builds' as soon as I can find time and can borrow the M2 Max Machine I previously used, as my own Mac workhorse is 2019/20 Intel architecture which I'm in no hurry to change.

Both the Mac 7.0.xx Test Builds and 7.0,97 Developer Preview/BETA builds are now straightforward installs on both Intel and 'M' Series (ARM) Macs, as permission for Kext installation is no longer involved; and the VM setup/installation process on M Series Macs is almost identical to that on Intel Macs, but on Mac ARM Builds more VM template choices are now available to cover what will presumably be the supported range of ARM OS versions.

If I can re-run some installations tests over the next few days I will provide an update my experience with each of the currently available 'Test' Builds.

[fth0]

there is no public archive of previous Builds

FWIW, this is only true for the test builds and development snapshots from the VirtualBox test builds page. In the official VirtualBox downloads folders you'll find the 7.0.0|2|4|6|8 BETA4 builds.

[multiOS]

@fth0

Thanks for the reminder (and page link). I'd forgotten about the Mac ARM BETA versions that were initially appearing alongside the stable builds. Having checked back on my earlier notes about what initially worked the last Build I had tested successfully with Windows XP was 7.0.4, which is still available from the linked download page.

I have just managed to re-run some initial checks with XP Home on a MacBook Pro M2 Max but they proved to be an epic fail!

1. VirtualBox-7.0.13_BETA4-160546-macOSArm64

Test 01: Windows XP Home (Previously working VM created on an Intel Mac) - Aborted on attempting Startup - VBox.log saved as “01 WINXPHome - VBox.log”

Test 02: Windows XP Home (Attempted New Install) - VM 'halted' on the initial installation screen with message "ata0 master: VB" - VBoxLog saved as “02 WINXPHome Attempted Install - VBox.log”


2. VirtualBox-7.0.97_BETA5-160496-macOSArm64

Test 03: Windows XP Home (Previously Working VM from Intel Mac) - Aborted exactly as in Test 01 - VBox.log “03 WINXPHome - VBox.log”

Test 04: Windows XP Home (another attempted New Install) - Installation once again ‘halted’ on black screen with the message- “ata0 master: VB” and a flashing cursor - no response to keyboard, forced shutdown to capture VBox.log “04 WINXPHome Attempted Install - VBox.log”

The VBox.log files from each test run are contained in the attached Archive.zip if anyone wants to cast their eyes over them for any clue as to the reason(s) for the failure(s).

Archive.zip

(67.1 KiB) Downloaded 293 times

I have use of the MacBook Pro for a few days so may see if I have any luck with some Linux 'ARM' OS' builds.

[klaus]

Note that the emulation is still under heavy construction and can be fixed and broken several times per day. I've uploaded new development snapshots, but don't take that as any promise you'll get different results with your test VMs...