virtualbox.org

I have a [relatively] fresh installation of Windows XP SP2 running as a guest on VirtualBox (only thing I installed is an antivirus program and I think VB Guest Additions) and VirtualBox crashes every time Win XP gets to the desktop. Booting XP into Safe Mode actually works fine (but I obviously need to boot in normal mode). Updating to the latest version of VirtualBox doesn't solve the problem (3.1.x to 4.0.4r70112).

Any ideas on how to resolve this issue?

P.S. - The WinXP guest is 1 GB of memory, 32 MB of video memory and using 1 of the host's CPUs. The host machine is Core 2 Quad Q6600 2.4 GHz, 8 GB of memory, NVIDIA GeForce 8600 GTS with 256 MB of video memory and Windows 7 64-bit with Service Pack 1 (installed last night).

Have you tried to boot into safe mode and uninstall the virus software to see if that was the problem?
What is the virus software by the way?

No, but I booted into safe mode and uninstalled Guest Additions 3.2.x and that solved the problem. This obviously sucks since Guest Additions gives better mouse and video features. I'll update to WinXP SP3 (maybe some other Windows Updates too) and then try the latest Guest Additions and hopefully then the guest OS will startup/work fine.

Avast 5.x Free/Home Edition is the antivirus program I have installed.

Well if you update everything and it still fails try removing the avast virus software and see if that is/was the problem.

I updated the guest to SP3 and then installed Guest Additions (4.0.4) and the guest machine crashed at startup. I uninstalled the antivirus software (actually was Avast version 6.0.x) and the guest machine still crashed at startup. I upgraded Guest Additions (uninstalled 3.0.x, restarted the guest and installed 4.0.4) on my Win 7 guest machine and it then froze during startup (at the black Windows loading animation screen). It wasn't doing this with the old Guest Addition (3.0.x) and Avast. I uninstalled Guest Addition on both guest machines, left Avast 6.0.x installed and they are running fine (but without the features of Guest Additions).

Is this a known issue (Guest Additions crashing guests)?

Do you or have you previously installed the GAs in safe mode to get 3D/2D? Try installing the 3.2.12 GAs and see if they work in the 4.0.4 and let me know.
http://download.virtualbox.org/virtualbox/3.2.12/

It appears 2D video acceleration was the problem. GAs 3.2.12 crashed on the XP which had 2D and 3D acceleration enabled. GAs 3.2.12 did NOT crash on the Win 7 guest which didn't have 2D or 3D acceleration enabled (these features probably weren't available in VB when I first installed the Win 7 guest so I never bothered to turn 'em on over the VB upgrades over the years). To make a long story short: both XP and Win 7 guests runs perfectly (no more crashing during startup) with GAs 4.0.4 & avast! Antivirus 6.0.1000 installed and 2D video acceleration DISABLED. Enabling 3D acceleration works fine.

I don't even know the benefit of 3D or 2D acceleration and most likely don't need them for the purpose of my guest machines. Chalk it up to being an American.

probably the video drivers on the host.

And we have a winner! I updated my video drivers (on the host) to the latest and lo and behold both guest runs without problems with 2D video acceleration now enabled.