XP Authentication Problems on MacOSX

[marksails]

Hi All,

I was wondering if anyone has this problem and if they were able to fix it. ..and How they fixed it.

I installed XP Pro in Virtualbox. All loaded fine. Input the key and all good. When XP starts, it says I need to activate it. I activate it via the Internet and all goes well and is activated.
Then immediately XP reverts into the log in window and says I need to activate Wndows again. I click yes and then on the desktop the Activation window pops up and says it's already activated. I click "exit" and it takes me back to the log in window saying XP is not activated. It's an endless loop.

I am using Macbook, MacOSX 10.5.8

Any solutions greatly accepted!

Thanks
Mark

[Perryg]

You can try to reboot the host and start the guest again but the only time I myself have see this is when I was trying to activate a VHD file from Microsoft or I have seen this when someone was trying to activate a TinyXP (not a good thing) with a real key. Can you pass more information along? Is this a full CD/DVD install or ISO file?

[marksails]

Hi perryg
This was a direct CD install with key

[Perryg]

Some things to check.
Is it possible that your firewall is blocking the actual registration of the Auth. Key?
Anything blocking the Active-X software that MS uses to authenticate the install?
Is the VM HDD set to immutable which would not allow the actual addition of the key to be stored?

[nickermell]

I have been having the same problem... My XP has been working fine for months, but only once I had installed the Guest Additions today did it go into this loop.
I used an ISO file.

[Perryg]

Run from the host terminal/command windows VBoxManage showvminfo <VM Name> --details --machinereadable and post here. Replace <VM Name> with the actual name of the VM. Use "" if the name has a space in it.

[nickermell]

VirtualBox Command Line Management Interface Version 3.1.2
(C) 2005-2009 Sun Microsystems, Inc.
All rights reserved.

ERROR: Could not find a registered machine named '<Windows>'
Details: code VBOX_E_OBJECT_NOT_FOUND (0x80bb0001), component VirtualBox, interface IVirtualBox, callee nsISupports
Context: "FindMachine (Bstr(VMNameOrUuid), machine.asOutParam())" at line 2017 of file VBoxManageInfo.cpp

[Process completed]

[nickermell]

This error comes up for all of my VM's... I also have a Windows 2000 which is running (and registered), which gives the same error message.

[Perryg]

You don't put the <> just the name of the VM <name> would equal "Windows XP" if the name was Windows XP
type VBoxManage list vms and it will show you the complete list of VMs

[nickermell]

VirtualBox Command Line Management Interface Version 3.1.2
(C) 2005-2009 Sun Microsystems, Inc.
All rights reserved.

name="Windows"
ostype="WindowsXP"
UUID="5cefec3a-7cff-4c60-9932-b718373fc541"
CfgFile="/Users/peter/Library/VirtualBox/Machines/Windows/Windows.xml"
hardwareuuid="5cefec3a-7cff-4c60-9932-b718373fc541"
memory=512
vram=16
cpus=1
synthcpu="off"
bootmenu="messageandmenu"
boot1="floppy"
boot2="dvd"
boot3="disk"
boot4="none"
acpi="on"
ioapic="off"
pae="on"
biossystemtimeoffset=0
hwvirtex="on"
hwvirtexexcl="off"
nestedpaging="off"
vtxvpid="off"
VMState="poweroff"
VMStateChangeTime="2010-03-02T00:04:27.447000000"
monitorcount=1
accelerate3d="off"
accelerate2dvideo="off"
teleporterenabled="off"
teleporterport=0
teleporteraddress=""
teleporterpassword=""
storagecontrollername0="IDE Controller"
storagecontrollertype0="PIIX4"
storagecontrollerinstance0="0"
storagecontrollermaxportcount0="2"
storagecontrollerportcount0="2"
storagecontrollername1="Floppy Controller"
storagecontrollertype1="I82078"
storagecontrollerinstance1="0"
storagecontrollermaxportcount1="1"
storagecontrollerportcount1="1"
"IDE Controller-0-0"="/Users/peter/Library/VirtualBox/HardDisks/NewHardDisk1.vdi"
"IDE Controller-ImageUUID-0-0"="bdba2099-8672-48d1-9ca7-39e8c341b936"
"IDE Controller-0-1"="none"
"IDE Controller-1-0"="emptydrive"
"IDE Controller-1-1"="none"
"Floppy Controller-0-0"="emptydrive"
"Floppy Controller-0-1"="none"
natnet1=""
macaddress1="080027797213"
cableconnected1="on"
nic1="nat"
nic2="none"
nic3="none"
nic4="none"
nic5="none"
nic6="none"
nic7="none"
nic8="none"
uart1="off"
uart2="off"
audio="coreaudio"
clipboard="bidirectional"
vrdp="off"
usb="on"
GuestStatisticsUpdateInterval=0

[Process completed]

[marksails]

Hi All
Thanks for your help. I ended up deleting that XP partition and installing a new XP Pro from a different disk. Worked smooth as a charm.
Best
Mark