virtualbox.org

Salutations. I've run into a strange problem trying to install Windows XP on VirtualBox. I've followed many tutorials, researched on Google about the error I receive, and searched this forum for a solution, but to no avail.

I am running Windows 7 64-bit with Oracle VM VirtualBox 4.2.10, attempting to install at least one of a few different versions of Windows XP. First, I started a Windows XP VM, set it most defaults (but giving more RAM to the CPU and Video), then I chose from where to install. After pressing the Start button, virtual DOS would show the Windows Setup (non-graphical). After the licensing agreement part, I created a partition on an unpartitioned space with the NTFS file system. Formatting was successful. However, between 20% and 70% the file copying for Windows setup afterward, I received a BSOF with the error "PFN_LIST_CORRUPT".

Regardless which copy I try to install, the result appears to be the same. I even tried different settings, including downgrading from PIIX4 to PIIX3 for the storage type (as I had read in suggestions from my research). Aside from this, I tried uninstalling VirtualBox and reinstalling it, with no change in outcome. What could I be doing wrong? Thank you in advance.

Please attach a zipped VM log, The VM log file is called "VBox.log", and can be found in the "Logs" subfolder of your VM folder.

Also, what size disk are you creating in the VM?

Are you installing XP from a physical CD or an ISO, and either way, where did the setup CD come from?

mpack wrote:Please attach a zipped VM log, The VM log file is called "VBox.log", and can be found in the "Logs" subfolder of your VM folder.

Also, what size disk are you creating in the VM?

Are you installing XP from a physical CD or an ISO, and either way, where did the setup CD come from?

Hello, mpack. Thank you for responding. VirtualBox has been reinstalled a couple times since the initial problems with Windows XP installation, but attached is a log showing at least one (failed) attempt to install Windows XP Home Edition.

The disc size attempted is 10.0 GB, dynamic allocation.

I own two copies of Windows XP Home Edition in CD format, but both appear missing. So, I am using an ISO that matches my license. I have tried a few different verified ISOs of Windows XP to rule out corrupt ISO data.

Ahem. I was quite specific about which log I wanted, and that isn't it!

Although it should technically be large enough, 10GB is rather small for an XP disk, I would suggest 32GB.

Also, I assume you are aware that CDs bundled with home PCs are often "System Restore" CDs rather than real setup CDs. This means that the installer gets much of its data from a hidden partition on the host drive, rather than from the CD. Naturally that will not work on a virtual PC.

Ack! Very sorry! I didn't realise there was more than one folder for logs. Once I located what looked like log data, I thought I found it. Okay, hopefully this time I have it right.

EDIT: Oh, I see you edited your post. Well, I did not "rip" my CDs, and with the ISO size being over 600MB, I'm fairly sure I've been attempting to install a full copy. I could be wrong, though. Hopefully that log file will reveal what the problem really is.

EDIT 2: I tried starting a new VM with 32 GB virtual hard disk as you suggested, but the error resulting is the same.

Is this log file actually for a faulty session as described in the first post? I ask because I see the VM beginning a shutdown after only 1min 43sec, which seems rather fast to have booted, formatted a disk and copied 70% of install files.

I see nothing else of concern in this log, though facts of interest is that I see the CD label says this is a retail version of XP with SP3? I didn't know those existed, I thought SP3 was released after the XP retail channel ended. Also, despite having a 64bit CPU, your's doesn't seem to support VT-x, which is a pity as I'd like to have tried enabling it. Also it would seem odd to bundle a retail version of XP.

I've been hunting around trying to find the meaning of the "PFN List Corrupt" error message. As best I can tell it seems to be caused by a bad driver passing illegal memory references. I guess its possible, if this XP disk was bundled with specific hardware, that it loads drivers for that hardware at some point.

Thanks for getting back with me. I'm not sure when that log starts, but I became pretty quick at setting up a Windows XP VM. File copying reached 70% only once before. A few times, it resulted in that error at 20% or less.

You're most likely right about SP3 with XP, since that came later in its lifetime...but it doesn't explain why other packages, such as with SP2, had the exact same error. I even tried WIndows 2000 just to see if I could get that running instead, but PFN_LIST_CORRUPT showed up even sooner with that one. Very interesting, considering I've successfully installed Windows 95 and Windows 98 (both of which licenses we've owned here in some form).

Should I try other alternatives for Windows XP packages, or is this something unavoidable with this operating system, regardless of medium? I'm in the process of transferring data from my 10-year-old XP computer to this one, and will likely destroy it once it's done. Some of my applications are not compatible in Windows 7 64-bit, even with compatibility adjustments, so this is why I'm trying to run XP in VirtualBox. I'd settle for Windows 2000, but I don't own a license for that OS.

Sorry, I take on issues one at a time, not as a melange. If you want to discuss issues with a different VM then create a topic for it (unless the issue is exactly the same) and provide appropriate logs etc.

No, this issue is not inevitable with XP. XP is probably still the most popular choice of guest OS, and this is the first time I've ever seen this error reported.



In any case I don't see how it is possible to get the same error with multiple VMs. Please post a screenshot of the error message so I can see the context.

...? With all due respect, I think you misunderstood my final comment. I'm not asking for help with Windows 2000 here; it was just an afterthought that considers my options. I don't detect anything else in my message that may have indicated that I wanted help with something else here.

As for the screenshot, here you go.

Any leads connected to the error screen, mpack? Again, thank you for your help so far.

All information on the web about the Stop 0x4e error point to bad drivers.
Are you sure you found/are using a generic XP installation CD and not a version for a specific system/vendor?

The error you show is specific to the OS that you are installing. I don't recall seeing it here before and searching shows is has a small amount of times.

But never on install. The error usually indicated a driver issue but I wouldn't expect to see that on install. Have yo checked the MD5 checksum of the ISO against the location you downloaded it from? I normally find a corrupt download causes these kinds of errors.

Martin - Fairly sure. I tried to avoid anything designed for Dell or the like. The objective was to find that which matched my license, but I even tried Professional just in case. Both Home and Professional caused this.

Perryg - Several of the ISOs were verified to be good, and even from "trusted" sources. I'm not too familiar with checksum verfication. How may I go about that?

My guess is that this is a custom OEM build of XP, despite mention of "Retail" in the CD label. The setup relies on a driver which would work fine on the intended hardware, but not in a VM. Either that or someone has messed up a slipstream (XP+SP3) project.

You guys were right. Something was wrong/proprietary with each and every ISO I tried. I finally found one that installed without that error. It's so strange that I went through five or six trusted ISOs before finally having a working one that didn't have that identical problem. This particular problem is solved, so the topic may be closed if a moderator wills it. Thank you all for your assistance.