Intermittent console / graphic lock ups

[myxiplx]

Has anybody else seen this? I'm getting an intermittent problem whereby the virtualbox console becomes almost unusable.

I'm running a Ubuntu host and a Windows XP guest, certain programs on the XP guest seem to cause all kinds of problems with VirtualBox. It's happening most often with Outlook, replying to messages from one particular user cause this every time, with symptoms of:

- The entire screen goes black apart from the main pane of the one program running
- The keyboard becomes almost unresponsive, letters do appear, but there are minutes between each one arriving
- The text cursor is flickering like crazy
- The virtualbox console menu bar is unresponsive, I can't get into the machine or devices menu

However, the virtual machine itself is running fine. I can use another program to establish a remote connection to it, within that screen I can type normally, the cursor is fine, and there are no issues. But although I can see the computer running fine in the remote session, the virtualbox console is still messed up.

Once I close the application (or send the email), the virtualbox console pretty much recovers, although it's still very sluggish responding to input. I can now access the virtual machine menus though, allowing me to close and suspend the virtual machine.

Once I've done that, I can re-launch the virtual machine and everything is fine again.

So it appears there is a problem caused by certain applications within a virtual machine that really seriously affects the console, breaking graphical rendering, text input, and even the virtualbox menus.

[onlnagent]

I'm having this issue with VB 3.0.6 on Vista Ultimate (64 bit) running as guest on my Mac running Snow Leopard. This is occurring If I change the screen size or go to full screen.

[Perryg]

Please post the host memory and what you have the guest set for. Also the network adapter that you have assigned to the guests.

[myxiplx]

Sorry Perryg, I didn't know you'd replied - I had an email notification for onlnagent's message, but not for yours.

The host has 4GB of RAM, and the guest is set to use 768MB. They are using the PCnet-FAST III (bridged adapter, eth0)

I don't think it's either of those though - I think it's the VirtualBox GUI client. It's only triggered by certain apps, and affects screen drawing and keyboard input. The guest itself running absolutely fine - if I use one of our network remote control tools, I can connect to the guest that way and it responds absolutely fine (even though I can still see that the VirtualBox window is messed up).

As soon as I close the application causing this, the VirtualBox GUI returns to normal.

Should I just file this as a bug?

[Perryg]

Working on it. What version of Office are you using, and the version and SP of the guest?
Also is the host 32 or 64 bit?
Does the Host PC support hardware-v?
Also on the Host do you have Compiz and is it on? And do you have 3dEffects turned on in the guest?

@myxiplx, please update your profile so we can see without asking.

[myxiplx]

32 bit I believe:
$ uname -a
Linux ROB-055-Linux 2.6.28-15-generic #52-Ubuntu SMP Wed Sep 9 10:49:34 UTC 2009 i686 GNU/Linux

Outlook is 2003 (11.8217.8221) SP3, but this only happens for certain emails (I believe ones with html content). I can supply a sample email if it helps. This is completely reproducible if you have one of these emails.

The hardware is a Dell Vostro 400, I have both VT-x and Nested Paging enabled.

Yes, the host is running Compiz, but 3D effects are off in the guest.

The problem with updating my profile is that I have two different systems running VirtualBox, and don't often encounter the same problems on each.

PS. I *think* this problem was introduced with VirtualBox 3.0, I hadn't seen the problem before that, but there's always a chance it was a Ubuntu or XP upgrade that caused it rather than a VirtualBox one.

[Perryg]

Try it with the Host visual effects to off and let me know what happens.
Version 3.0.x has SMP in it and caused its own problems with Windows users that had turned on IO APIC and then upgraded. Now that was a mess, but I don't think that is your problem.

[myxiplx]

Hmm, interesting.

I don't get the screen blanking effect - I can still see the other applications as well as this one, but I still get the almost unresponsive system.

Making a quick test, it's taking a full second to respond to keyboard or mouse input (pressing backspace 10 times took just over 10s to complete).

Once I close that email, all back to normal. Really, really odd lol.

[Perryg]

OK we are getting somewhere at least.

I have found that outlook uses a lot of resources even on a real PC so throw into that mix that it is now on a virtual machine and well..... you get the point.

Next try to up the guest RAM to 1024 meg and make sure that you have the guest VRam set to no more than 10 Meg.

Then let me know how it goes.

[myxiplx]

Forgive me, but I think you're missing part of the point here:

The guest pc runs absolutely fine. If I connect to the guest using one of our network remote control programs, I can reply without any problem at all, so I don't think memory or VRam settings will have any effect.

It is purely the VirtualBox GUI interface that suffers this problem.

Since I have two screens on my host, I can see this clearly. With the VirtualBox GUI running on my right hand screen, I can see the keyboard / mouse input delay issue, and if compiz is running, can see that it is not drawing the screen properly.

But at the same time, on the left screen, if I load my remote control program, I connect to the guest and everything responds normally. I can type in Outlook and the screen is updated instantly. Yet on the other screen I can still see that the VirtualBox GUI is struggling - it's still not drawing other programs, and the text is only updated every second or so.

The guest is running just fine, but somehow the programs in the guest are affecting the VirtualBox front end.

[Perryg]

Ok.

[myxiplx]

And yes, I know how odd that sounds

[MarkCranness]

I had a recent problem very much like this.
I solved it (one example only, so this might be a coincidence) by pressing and releasing in turn: Alt then Ctrl then Shift (maybe also Esc and a few others).
I think Alt was the likely one that released it (Edit: In the guest I think). YMMV.

[myxiplx]

No, that sounds like something completely different Mark. I tested it just in case, but it's definitely not that.

Perryg: I do have another update today. This seems to occur only with html style emails with embedded images. I've also found that the graphical problems only occur *after* I start typing within VirtualBox.

If I use my remote connection to the machine, I can reply to the email fine and VirtualBox displays the entire process with no delays or other issues. As soon as I start to type within VirtualBox though, I get the delay responding to the keyboard & mouse, and it starts struggling to draw other windows.

So it seems like it's a VirtualBox GUI issue caused by keyboard input to the GUI, that only happens when certain applications are running in the guest.

[Perryg]

@myxilpx,

The reason that you can remote in and not see this problem is more than likely due to the fact that you are not using the Video resource of the guest.
As I said you should try what I suggested above and see if it helps. If so then we have some place to start checking, otherwise it is a waste of your time and mine.