Keep Machine State for super fast boot

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Bonedaddy
Posts: 3
Joined: 25. Mar 2012, 10:59

Keep Machine State for super fast boot

Post by Bonedaddy »

I have portable Virtual Box on my USB stick. The stick is very slow (Class 2). However, I just found out when i save the machine state (which takes about 4-5 min), I can resume in just 20 secs. My virtual drive is immutable (write protected).

Is there a way, to keep this Machine state, beeing able to resume to this state as often as I want, and not having to save a new state when I swhitch off? At best, I'd like to just power off the virtual machine, because with my drive beeing immutable, it wouldn't matter anyway.

Guest is Windows XP, host is Win 7. I tried to Hibernate the Guest from within, switch the disk to immutable, but resume won't work that way (guest hangs after progress bar reaches 100%). Furthermore, its very slow. (Takes about 1min until the progress bar "resume from hibernation" is at 100%)
Last edited by Bonedaddy on 25. Mar 2012, 11:10, edited 1 time in total.
mpack
Site Moderator
Posts: 39134
Joined: 4. Sep 2008, 17:09
Primary OS: MS Windows 10
VBox Version: VirtualBox+Oracle ExtPack
Guest OSses: Mostly XP

Re: Keep Machine State for super fast boot

Post by mpack »

Portable VirtualBox is not supported on this site. You need to go to their site.
Bonedaddy
Posts: 3
Joined: 25. Mar 2012, 10:59

Re: Keep Machine State for super fast boot

Post by Bonedaddy »

Switched from Portable to normal install, no difference. I can't see an option to keep the last state and hibernated VM keeps crashing after loading the Memory image.
Leak
Posts: 242
Joined: 31. Mar 2009, 13:00
Primary OS: MS Windows 7
VBox Version: VirtualBox+Oracle ExtPack
Guest OSses: Debian Testing, Windows XP, Windows Server 2003/2008 R2

Re: Keep Machine State for super fast boot

Post by Leak »

Bonedaddy wrote:Switched from Portable to normal install, no difference. I can't see an option to keep the last state and hibernated VM keeps crashing after loading the Memory image.
Take a snapshot right after the VM has booted up, then close the window, choose "Power off the machine" and restore that snapshot before starting the machine the next time?
Bonedaddy
Posts: 3
Joined: 25. Mar 2012, 10:59

Re: Keep Machine State for super fast boot

Post by Bonedaddy »

Leak, i tried that. I made the last snapshop write protected. Unfortunately, Virtual Box shows me the coresponding machine as switched off, when I switch it off. I had to trick Vbox to use that last saved state, but I have no idea how to do so.
Leak
Posts: 242
Joined: 31. Mar 2009, 13:00
Primary OS: MS Windows 7
VBox Version: VirtualBox+Oracle ExtPack
Guest OSses: Debian Testing, Windows XP, Windows Server 2003/2008 R2

Re: Keep Machine State for super fast boot

Post by Leak »

Bonedaddy wrote:Leak, i tried that. I made the last snapshop write protected. Unfortunately, Virtual Box shows me the coresponding machine as switched off, when I switch it off. I had to trick Vbox to use that last saved state, but I have no idea how to do so.
In that case you're doing it wrong.

Make a regular old snapshot when the machine is running, close the VM window and choose "Power off the machine" (which is a cold power off without any saving of state) and check the "Restore current snapshot 'foo'" box below it (which makes sure this snapshot gets loaded on the next VM start instead of a cold boot).

If you turn the machine off via the guest OS you'll have to restore the snapshot in the VirtualBox manager by hand before starting the VM.
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