ntvdm.exe and 75% load CPU

[dbehterev]

Hello all!
I have installed Ubuntu 9.10 Carmic on AMD64 platform. My configuration: CPU AMD Phenom 2 X3, 4Gb RAM, 750Gb HDD. Also I use Windows XP Professional SP3 OS as guest OS. Last MS service packs installed. I use VirtualBox 3.1.0 r55467. For guest machine I gave 128Mb RAM for video and 1Gb RAM and 1 CPU. Problem is that when I run old 16-bit applications in guest OS ntvdm.exe process heavily load CPU (75% and above). Usually it's normal in real environment, but in guest OS it's scary, I see full degradation performance guest system. But sometimes, 16-bit run quickly (also as in real environment). I don't understand my problem, I need help.

[vbox4me2]

Guest VM settings?

[dbehterev]

Guest VM settings?

What settings do you need know?

[vbox4me2]

Run: [VBoxManage showvminfo "VMNAME"], and post results here.

[dbehterev]

Run: [VBoxManage showvminfo "VMNAME"], and post results here.

Code: Select all

VirtualBox Command Line Management Interface Version 3.1.0
(C) 2005-2009 Sun Microsystems, Inc.
All rights reserved.

Name:            xp
Guest OS:        Windows XP
UUID:            2bc0f4ac-f441-4dac-befa-382299a17596
Config file:     /root/.VirtualBox/Machines/xp/xp.xml
Hardware UUID:   2bc0f4ac-f441-4dac-befa-382299a17596
Memory size:     1024MB
VRAM size:       128MB
Number of CPUs:  1
Synthetic Cpu:   off
CPUID overrides: None
Boot menu mode:  message and menu
Boot Device (1): HardDisk
Boot Device (2): Floppy
Boot Device (3): DVD
Boot Device (4): Not Assigned
ACPI:            on
IOAPIC:          on
PAE:             on
Time offset:     0 ms
Hardw. virt.ext: on
Hardw. virt.ext exclusive: on
Nested Paging:   on
VT-x VPID:       off
State:           powered off (since 2009-12-12T20:54:00.179000000)
Monitor count:   1
3D Acceleration: on
2D Video Acceleration: on
Teleporter Enabled: off
Teleporter Port: 0
Teleporter Address: 
Teleporter Password: 
Storage Controller Name (0):            IDE Controller
Storage Controller Type (0):            PIIX4
Storage Controller Instance Number (0): 0
Storage Controller Max Port Count (0):  2
Storage Controller Port Count (0):      2
Storage Controller Name (1):            Floppy Controller
Storage Controller Type (1):            I82078
Storage Controller Instance Number (1): 0
Storage Controller Max Port Count (1):  1
Storage Controller Port Count (1):      1
IDE Controller (0, 0): /var/vmimages/virtualbox/xppro/xppro.vdi (UUID: 9495eb5f-1288-4800-a98c-fd3167287c63)
IDE Controller (0, 1): /var/vmimages/virtualbox/xppro/30Gb.vdi (UUID: a2c0400d-bf66-4619-a3d6-27bb18c5c7ed)
IDE Controller (1, 0): /usr/share/virtualbox/VBoxGuestAdditions.iso (UUID: 3439f92f-b2b6-45ac-a6a1-602d5c40c172)
Floppy Controller (0, 0): Empty
NIC 1:           MAC: 0800278F6B74, Attachment: Bridged Interface 'eth0', Cable connected: on, Trace: off (file: none), Type: Am79C973, Reported speed: 0 Mbps
NIC 2:           disabled
NIC 3:           disabled
NIC 4:           disabled
NIC 5:           disabled
NIC 6:           disabled
NIC 7:           disabled
NIC 8:           disabled
UART 1:          disabled
UART 2:          disabled
Audio:           enabled (Driver: PulseAudio, Controller: AC97)
Clipboard Mode:  Bidirectional
VRDP:            disabled
USB:             enabled

USB Device Filters:

Index:            0
Active:           yes
Name:             Panasonic KX-MB263RU [0100]
VendorId:         04da
ProductId:        1503
Revision:         0100
Manufacturer:     Panasonic
Product:          KX-MB263RU
Remote:           no
Serial Number:    28AR05007342

Index:            1
Active:           yes
Name:             WebCAM USB2.0 [0102]
VendorId:         0458
ProductId:        702a
Revision:         0102
Manufacturer:     
Product:          WebCAM USB2.0
Remote:           no
Serial Number:    

Index:            2
Active:           yes
Name:             Aladdin Knowledge Systems Ltd. Token 4.28.1.0 2.7.195 [0100]
VendorId:         0529
ProductId:        0600
Revision:         0100
Manufacturer:     Aladdin Knowledge Systems Ltd.
Product:          Token 4.28.1.0 2.7.195
Remote:           no
Serial Number:    

Index:            3
Active:           yes
Name:             Y-E DATA USB Floppy Drive [0601]
VendorId:         057b
ProductId:        0000
Revision:         0601
Manufacturer:     Y-E DATA
Product:          USB Floppy Drive
Remote:           no
Serial Number:    

Index:            4
Active:           yes
Name:             Prolific Technology Inc. ATAPI-6 Bridge Controller
VendorId:         067b
ProductId:        2507
Revision:         0000
Manufacturer:     Prolific Technology Inc.
Product:          ATAPI-6 Bridge Controller
Remote:           no
Serial Number:    D6251008F

Index:            5
Active:           yes
Name:             Zebra ; TLP2844 [0001]
VendorId:         0a5f
ProductId:        000a
Revision:         0001
Manufacturer:     Zebra ;
Product:          TLP2844
Remote:           no
Serial Number:    41A081901676

Index:            6
Active:           yes
Name:             Y-E DATA USB Floppy Drive [0601]
VendorId:         057b
ProductId:        0000
Revision:         0601
Manufacturer:     Y-E DATA
Product:          USB Floppy Drive
Remote:           no
Serial Number:    

Index:            7
Active:           yes
Name:             Prolific Technology Inc. Mass Storage Device [0100]
VendorId:         067b
ProductId:        3507
Revision:         0100
Manufacturer:     Prolific Technology Inc.
Product:          Mass Storage Device
Remote:           no
Serial Number:    0

Shared folders:  

Name: 'incoming', Host path: '/var/incoming' (machine mapping), writable

Guest:

Statistics update:                   disabled

[vbox4me2]

It might be typical for a 16bit app. to run high utilization depending what the app. does, if for instance it uses interrupts alot its normal what you see in a VM, a real machine handles such things differently. Consider using dos-idle or tame-res for this app.