virtualbox.org

Hi - I have VirtualBox 4.2.4 on a Windows 7 Ultimate Host. I am attempting to run a XP Pro ( Ver 2002; 32-bit) guest xmdk that WAS working in vmware. As the vm and vmdk I received is for a class, I am not sure of the original version # they were created under, however, they do open and run under workstation 9.0. I clone the vmdk in vm workstation, verify in workstation that the clone is working.

After installing the virtual drive in VBox, and matching the settings of the vmware vm, I start the system and receive an 'Error loading operating system' message' <system hangs>. Power off required.

Going back into vm workstation, I attempt to run with the same virtual drive and voila, it runs.

Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated. I have all my other vm's and projects on Vbox, and would like to stay with one virtual system.

Thanks.

The VM recipe in VirtualBox must match the recipe used in VMWare. Pay particular attention to disk controller type, and IO APIC setting. Also remember to remove the VMWare tools.

mpack - Thanks for the prompt reply. Below you will find my results from executing your troubleshooting plan.

1. I verified the controller type and address (both buslogic scsi, 0-0) <No change, so not an issue>;
2. At some point during my initial I installed vmtools (were not installed initially), so I uninstalled vmtools - negative results.
3. The IO APIC setting is not clearly listed in vm workstation, and as such, I tried loading VBox without IO APIC (default) and with IO APIC with negative results.
4. I also cloned 2 more copies of this vm from workstation; one at hardware compatibility 8.0 and the other at hardware compatibility 6.5-7.x just to try something - negative results in all cases with and without IO APIC.
5. As workstation was configured for automatic vt/x and nested paging and VBox has no automatic option, I booted through the various options to see if there existed any difference - negative results.
6. Another feature in VBox but not seen in workstation was PAE/NX, so as a last resort, I did try this on off (default) then on) - negative results.
7. A review of the VBox log file seems okay until lines 799-801 (see attached) right after the system attempts to boot from the hard disk.

I cannot help but feel that there is probably some minor issue here as VBox works flawlessly on my system with over a dozen different vm's of all flavors and sizes.

Thank you again.

ps - I have attached, if needed (wanted) a copy of the respective working .vmx and hopeful vbox files as well as the most recent vbox log file.

"Error loading operating system" means that the virtual BIOS can't find a bootable partition on an accessible disk. So, either the hdd controller is wrong (the usual error scenario), or you're looking at the wrong disk.

If I were you I would try configuring an IDE controller.

Thanks.

The config files show that I was using the same 'good' vmdk file. I cycled through ALL possible variations of controllers just for kicks (SCSI, SATA, IDE) and their various sub-categories (buslogic vs. lsilogic; PIIX4, PIIX3, ICH6 as well as host I/O cache on then off) - negative results.

Here is the kicker.... Now the disk is no longer boot-able (same error message!) in workstation! So, somewhere along the way it was slightly altered?!! Odd.

I doubt the disk was altered. How could it be? - the OS that might do the altering refuses to boot.

More likely that you've made some basic error, such as only copying the base disk in a snapshot chain, or only copying a difference disk, or only the first segment of a segmented disk - something of that nature. I would guess you are now seeing problems in VMWare because you have now somehow repeated the error on that platform, e.g. unmounting a snapshot chain and remounting just the base disk.

If you can get the VMWare VM to boot again then it might be simpler to run Disk2VHD inside it to image the virtual disk from the inside. That guarantees that the disk will be stand alone.