P2V with acronis fails if IO APIC was disabled

[emilicus]

Hello, i had a really annoying problem with p2v and v2v windows xp machines into vbox.
I setup a windows guest in virtualbox and attached a acronis iso to boot from in order to restore my windows xo tibs files.

The restoring process works ok BUT in my tests:
- if i restore with IO APIC enabled in vbox guest, then the restored guest boots OK
- if i restore without IO APIC enabled in vbox guest (for maximum performance of the guest), then the guest simply won't boots up (black screen NO bsod).

This appens in all of the scenario below (from phisical or virtual guest TO vbox):

1) from one old P3 >
2) from one core2Duo Laptop
3) from one uniprocessor guest with no apic and acpi
4) from one multiprocessor guest with apic anc acpi enabled

TIA

[mpack]

What's your point? You are describing the normal behaviour of a Windows guest: it can crap out when imaged and moved into different hardware (such as IO APIC present / not present). You should take this up with the guys in Redmond, I don't see why you are raising it here.

I think you should consider yourself lucky that IO APIC was the only issue you had with P2V of a Windows guest!

[MarkCranness]

What you have to do is keep IO APIC on until the conversion is finished/stable, and then change the XP HAL to a non-IO APIC HAL. Note: AFAIK, it is not whether IO APIC is enabled that determines performance, it is if the OS uses IO APIC or not.
Search this site for HALu to find a tool that will let you change the HAL.

[emilicus]

thank you Mark for your infos.
i further investigate on this.
could you point me to a direct link for such HAL tools?

TIA

[emilicus]

hello Mark,
i did some other shots at this.
- leaving io apic enabled in vbox vm's settings and made these steps for both a non-apic AND apic original machines imaged with acronis:
i succesfully started xp guest with io-apic hal, then shutdown the guest, changed the hal to a non-apic and restarted >>> i got a bsod

- disabling io apic in vbox vm's settings and starting any of the above imaged vms lead always to a blank screen with a flashing cursor

any lights?

[vbox4me2]

Code: Select all

 Directory of Kernal\VB_W2KsP4_KRNL\DuoCore
02-12-2004  04:59            85.888 HAL.DLL
06-03-2007  05:04         1.717.504 NTOSKRNL.EXE

 Directory of Kernal\VB_W2KsP4_KRNL\SingleCore
19-06-2003  12:05            66.848 HAL.DLL
06-03-2007  05:04         1.693.888 NTOSKRNL.EXE

Code: Select all

 Directory of Kernal\VB_XPsP3_KRNL\DuoCore
14-04-2008  00:01           134.400 HAL.DLL
14-04-2008  00:57         2.188.928 NTOSKRNL.EXE

 Directory of Kernal\VB_XPsP3_KRNL\SingleCore
14-04-2008  00:01           131.840 HAL.DLL
14-04-2008  00:57         2.188.928 NTOSKRNL.EXE

[MarkCranness]

i did some other shots at this.
- leaving io apic enabled in vbox vm's settings and made these steps for both a non-apic AND apic original machines imaged with acronis:
i succesfully started xp guest with io-apic hal, then shutdown the guest, changed the hal to a non-apic and restarted >>> i got a bsod

- disabling io apic in vbox vm's settings and starting any of the above imaged vms lead always to a blank screen with a flashing cursor

I should have perhaps been clearer about which HALs are non-io apic.

These HALs are IO APIC:
Computer type: ACPI Multiprocessor PC
Computer type: ACPI Uniprocessor PC

This HAL is non- IO APIC:
Computer type: Advanced Configuration and Power Interface (ACPI) PC

These HALs can't be used:
Computer type: Compaq SystemPro Multiprocessor or 100% Compatible
Computer type: MPS Uniprocessor PC
Computer type: MPS Multiprocessor PC
Computer type: Standard PC