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I am using Version 6.1.22 r144080 (Qt5.6.2) with Guest additions. Host Windows 10 64 bit, guest windows XP Pro, I attach the zipped log file.

On my older laptop, I use Vbox to run four old CD based applications (e.g. Dictionary of National Biography) under Windows XP as Microsoft no longer supports 16 bit programs and DNB and the others have not been, and are unlikely ever to be, rewritten for newer machines. I copied the CD contents into folders on my C:drive and shared them with Vbox and everything works OK.

I have recently bought a second laptop (same maker and range) and am trying to install the same group of applications on it. I have followed, so far as I can see, the same procedure as I did on my old machine. I have included them all as permanent shared folders with full access and auto mount but when I try to use them I get the message:

Missing files Cannot find DNB application files. Put the DNB CD into drive F and press OK to try again.

I do not normally have my CD drive attached to either machine. I get the same message with the other applications.

The Windows XP guest shows the applications as: <name> on @VboxSvr (W,X,Y, or Z) just as on my other computer.

F A Scott (alan.scott@ccc.ox.ac.uk)

It appears there is a drive letter discrepancy between where the program's files are and where they are expected to be:

00:00:17.260600 VMMDev: Guest Log: 09:40:02.618549 automount vbsvcAutomounterMountIt: Successfully mounted 'DNB' on 'Z:'
00:00:17.262208 VMMDev: Guest Log: 09:40:02.618549 automount vbsvcAutomounterMountIt: Successfully mounted 'OED' on 'Y:'
00:00:17.264258 VMMDev: Guest Log: 09:40:02.629565 automount vbsvcAutomounterMountIt: Successfully mounted 'SOED' on 'X:'
00:00:17.267186 VMMDev: Guest Log: 09:40:02.629565 automount vbsvcAutomounterMountIt: Successfully mounted 'WHOSWHO' on 'W:'

fascott wrote:Missing files Cannot find DNB application files. Put the DNB CD into drive F and press OK to try again.

Did you copy the whole VM folder to the new PC, or did you copy just the vdi disk file and rebuild the VM from scratch? Copying the whole VM folder would have kept the old working settings.

fascott wrote:as Microsoft no longer supports 16 bit programs

Actually they do. But it's never been supported on 64bit hosts, not even in the XP era. But if you install the 32bit version of the host OS, and enable the NTVDM feature (on Win10 this now defaults to disabled) then 16bit apps are still supported.

fascott wrote:I have included them all as permanent shared folders with full access

"Permanent shared folders"? Does that mean full network shares, as opposed to Guest Additions shares? If yes then Windows 10 disables the SMB1 network file sharing protocol by default. By all accounts it was inefficient and terribly insecure. Unfortunately XP will not understand SMB2. So you either need to install a later version of 32bit Windows 32bit (as mentioned above, all should be able to run your app), or enable SMB1 on the Win10 host.

I'm puzzled by mention of "VBoxSVR" later on. That is for GA shared folders. Note that GA shared folders are not really network shares, despite appearances, so the SMB issue doesn't apply.

Finally, VirtualBox has no control over how a guest OS chooses to label devices. For example it does not control what letters are assigned to drives. The guest OS does that, and XP definitely allows you to change it in control panel.