WINXP - performance

[_AZ_]

hello,
i run 2.6.32-220.7.1.el6.x86_64 #1 SMP (RHEL 6.2) on AMD Phenom(tm) II X4 830 Processor as a host and win xp with SP3 as a guest.
VBox is VirtualBox-4.1-4.1.14_77440_rhel6-1.x86_64 with latest extensions and GA.

the performance of the guest is real bad - the windows refresh rate is horrible. For example if i close the window i can observe for a few seconds how it gets removed from the task bar and then i can see how all other windows on the task bar are been shifted to the left to replace the recently closed one.

is there anything i can do to identify the source of the problem?
cpu stays under 90% all the time and there is no hard disk delays ...

TY
AZ

[stefan.becker]

Post the log file.

[_AZ_]

Post the log file.

TY ! here is one attached.

[mpack]

That is the service (VBoxSvc.exe) log file. We need the VM log file: VBox.log, from the Logs subfolder of the VM folder. As a zipped attachment please.

[_AZ_]

That is the service (VBoxSvc.exe) log file. We need the VM log file: VBox.log, from the Logs subfolder of the VM folder. As a zipped attachment please.

i'm sorry i guess i did upload the wrong file.. Please let me know if i'm looking at the wrong place tho - here is the one i took from /home/<user>/VirtualBox VMs/winxp/Logs. before compressing it i renamed to vbox.log0

[stefan.becker]

Try disabling IOAPIC in tge guest settings.

[_AZ_]

Try disabling IOAPIC in tge guest settings.

thank you. in the description to "AI OPIC" it says that once win guest is installed the option (ioapic) should not be disabled. if i disable it what are the consequences?

update:
it warned that i hve to decrease the count of cpu to 1. i did that. after which an attempt to power on the guest failed with black screen. i seems that it finds the loader - present with menu "safe mode", "safe mode with net" etc. i can see the countdown from 30 secs to 0 and then nothing happens.
log attached.

[mpack]

You can't simply disable the IO APIC after Windows has been installed.

I would however try enabling it and then set the CPU count in the guest to 1. That should make it go faster.

I agree that XP VMs generally run faster without IO APIC, but you usually have to install them that way, otherwise XP will have installed a multiprocessor HAL. Google "HAL site:forums.virtualbox.org" for info on how to revert to an ACPI HAL on a Windows image that already exists.

[_AZ_]

You can't simply disable the IO APIC after Windows has been installed.

I would however try enabling it and then set the CPU count in the guest to 1. That should make it go faster.

I agree that XP VMs generally run faster without IO APIC, but you usually have to install them that way, otherwise XP will have installed a multiprocessor HAL. Google "HAL site:forums.virtualbox.org" for info on how to revert to an ACPI HAL on a Windows image that already exists.

yeap, did that - cpu -> 1, enable IO APIC. Seems a bit faster. i'll read on ACPI . TY!
AZ

[squall leonhart]

http://www.ngohq.com/processors/11891-h ... ndows.html