virtualbox.org

Hi,
My VirtualBox XP won't start on Ubuntu 8.10 64 bit workstation because it can't find the floppy (that xp on another boot partition finds OK):
05:17:14.115 ERROR [COM]: aRC=NS_ERROR_FAILURE (0x80004005) aIID={e3c6d4a1-a935-47ca-b16d-f9e9c496e53e} aComponent={Console} aText={The floppy controller cannot attach to the floppy drive.
05:17:14.115 VBox status code: -102 (VERR_FILE_NOT_FOUND)} aWarning=false, preserve=false
05:17:14.119 Power up failed (vrc=VERR_FILE_NOT_FOUND, hrc=NS_ERROR_FAILURE (0X80004005))

When I hit the start button I see this in an error box:

The floppy controller cannot attach to the floppy drive.
VBox status code: -102 (VERR_FILE_NOT_FOUND).
Result Code:
NS_ERROR_FAILURE (0x80004005)
Component:
Console
Interface:
IConsole {e3c6d4a1-a935-47ca-b16d-f9e9c496e53e}

I was looking around for a config file to hack to nuke any reference to a floppy. I found 2, "do NOT edit" .dat files and 1 very short .XML file in ~/.VirtualBox but no reference to a floppy.

In the log file, I found a few references to a floppy:
05:17:13.875 [/Devices/pcbios/0/Config/] (level 4)
....
05:17:13.875 FloppyDevice <string> = "i82078" (cch=7)
...
05:17:13.875 BootDevice0 <string> = "FLOPPY" (cch=7)
...
05:17:13.875 [/Devices/i82078/0/LUN#0/] (level 4)
05:17:13.875 Driver <string> = "HostFloppy" (cch=11)

I did a `locate Devices | grep pcbios` but found nothing.

I left the XP in the box in suspend mode and now I can't get it restarted to release my Photoshop license. I have re-re-re-re-installed it so many times, I have to spend half an hour on the phone to the trolls at Adobe to beg them to give me an override code to get it working each time I reinstall it. I can't get to the settings page because the XP machine is "saved".

Any ideas on how to make it ignore the floppy failure and boot anyway? What a brilliant design to crash the entire machine on the most trivial failure. ERROR: YOUR DOME LIGHT IS BURNED OUT. PLEASE REPAIR BEFORE ATTEMPTING TO START YOUR VEHICLE!

Thank you,
BrianP

You can't change settings while in Saved State. However, if the VM you want to resume crashes, then it will no longer be in saved state.
The VirtualBox.xml file contains all the media that is registered in the Media Manager. However, the <machine>.xml files contain the entries of attached media. Now that you have a saved state, you have to discard it before you are 'allowed' to change the file. I think I tried it once, and it messed up my VM.

You're free to try it yourself, but make a backup before you screw up.