Failure to load VM and rescuing files

[cergel]

I can not load up Xp guest on Mac OS 10.5.8 host due to the Sharing and Permission issues.
Tried almost everything, starting with "repair disk permissions" from D.U. to interfering with commands and terminal,
but unfortunately could't make it work.
The reason I've been trying to fix instead of erase and install is that I've got valuable files within the guest OS,
but I am tired trying to understand and solve these matters which makes me wonder a shortcut, like rescuing those files somehow, then I'd happily back-up and reformat.
There is this XP.vdi file in the Library/Virtualbox folder which is the hard disk volume of the guest OS, jpg attached below.
You saviors out there, please help out if there is a way extracting files from the VM volume or to associate the XP.vdi file with another VM (Xp guest) setup ?
any effort is very much appreciated.

[mpack]

I see that this is a VirtualBox 3.x (or earlier) VM. What VBox version are you using now?

I'm also curious how you managed to install XP in a VM which you can't access due to permissions problems. Part of the story is missing perhaps.

[cergel]

Thanks for your interest.

I'm also curious how you managed to install XP in a VM which you can't access due to permissions problems. Part of the story is missing perhaps.

XP installed around 2009 and been working properly ever since.

I see that this is a VirtualBox 3.x (or earlier) VM. What VBox version are you using now?

Well, I've been ignoring VM updates for a while because I was afraid facing a problem like this.
Time Machine backups gave errors and turned out it was TVMobili app. causing the problems,
removed the app and TM backups healed up but probably I did something wrong along the way,
in the Terminal window my user still appears as tvmobili user name:

bravia5c63d57e0133f10f:~ cergel$

and after a while VM fails to load by giving the error below;

"Failed to open a session for the virtual machine XP.
Failed to load VMMR0.r0 (VERR_SUPLIB_OWNER_NOT_ROOT).
Result Code: NS_ERROR_FAILURE (0x80004005)
Component: Console
Interface: IConsole {1968b7d3-e3bf-4ceb-99e0-cb7c913317bb}"

First I thoght I should upgrade VM to latest 4.1.8 r75467 and received same error.

Suggestions led me to repair disk permissions, that did't help,
figured that VM not owned by root so tried; "sudo chown root Applications" from Terminal, that did't work.

it seems Virtualbox VMs folder permissions should be;

staff, everyone and User(admin)

so I tried

"sudo chgrp staff VirtualBox VMs"

but somehow staff previlages won't show up in the finder "get info"
again tried the repair permissions twice from Disk utility
and now this error pops up;

Failed to open a session for the virtual machine XP.
Failed to load VMMR0.r0 (VERR_SUPLIB_WRITE_NON_SYS_GROUP).
Result Code: NS_ERROR_FAILURE (0x80004005)
Component: Console
Interface: IConsole {1968b7d3-e3bf-4ceb-99e0-cb7c913317bb}

spent hours with risk of crash and still no go, this is way over my head now, can't go any further.
appreciate sparing time on this mess.

[mpack]

The only thing I can say that is that your final command looks like wrong syntax. I would have expected "VirtualBox VMs" to be in quotes because it contains spaces. Also the message about not being able to load the kernel is kind of familiar, but if the problem is permissions I would expect to fix it by modifying permissions on a program folder, not data folders as you have been doing. However I could be wrong on that.

If it were me I would try completely uninstalling VirtualBox and then reinstalling. This will not cause you to lose the VM - however having said that a backup is never a bad idea.

Other than that I'm afraid you've gone beyond me as well, because I'm not a Mac user. Perhaps someone else can help.

[cergel]

thanks for your reply.

If it were me I would try completely uninstalling VirtualBox and then reinstalling. This will not cause you to lose the VM - however having said that a backup is never a bad idea.

Before trying out your suggestion, if one of the fallowing methods work I"d be free to reformat and get things straightened out from head to toe, hopefully.

1- Do you think it is possible to work with that XP.vdi file to recover files from within?
2- Would it work to switch XP.vdi file with another VM(XP)'s XP.vdi file on another computer running same version of VM(XP)?

[mpack]

As I said in my previous reply, uninstalling and then reinstalling VirtualBox will not cause you to lose any VM. The xp.vdi file is part of a VM, and while it's true you could build a new VM around this, there really should be no need. Once the VirtualBox program is fixed it should have no problem with your existing VM. Of course if it didn't then we would have a reason to think about that.