virtualbox.org

host = w8/64, guest = xp/32 - does my xp guest need network adapter(s) installed if it doesn't access the internet or is part of a network? or are virtual machines automatically part of the same network used by the host, i.e. if the guest does not have network adapter(s) installed it can't function as a host's guest? the reason i'm asking is because, based on helpful info provided by a forum member on another thread, it seems that my guest machine is searching for a connection during it's load routine which is causing it to load slowly. my guest machine boots fine, it just takes a while for the boot screen to appear and get started, there's a significant delay between the time i select the vm and the time the boot screen appears. any help would be appreciated.

A guest OS without a network connection is pretty limited. What are you planning to do with it?

Slow loading time can be caused by about a million issues, and cannot be solved like that. But the fact you have or don't have a NIC has nothing to do with it, if you installed the VM yourself with no NIC from the start.
If you think there is something wrong with the VM, consider reading Minimum information needed for assistance and provide the listed information, including the guest config.

last night i had a chance to play around with my vm settings and it appears that my 7-port usb hub may be the culprit, responsible for the very slow load time of my vm. i disabled the network setting and it didn't seem to make a difference, so i re-enabled it and disabled the usb service - this did seem to make a significant difference as my vm now responds promptly once the icon is selected. when i first installed vb it responded quickly upon launch, there wasn't a noticeable delay, even tho i had at least 2-3 usb devices connected. but these usb devices were connected directly to my pc, no hub was involved, now all of my usb devices are connected to the hub, i.e. no usb devices are connected directly to my pc, so i'm guessing this is the prob. also, i recently added a usb tv tuner to the mix, it's also connected to the hub, and it alone may be causing the problem given my system tends to go through a searching process for this device. anyway, i don't have a big need for usb connectivity when it comes to my vm and, when i do need usb support, it's easy enough to re-enable support as needed, so i guess i'll just go that route...

btw, i use two monitors - i use the secondary monitor for my vm and for my tv tuner (windows media center). the application shortcuts for both of these programs reside on my primary monitor but when they are selected the programs launch on the secondary monitor, which i want. however i've noticed that if i have the tv tuner running and then launch vm, vm kills the tv tuner, even if the tuner is minimized. not sure why this occurs.

USB tends to slow down (a lot) boot time yes - there is a search for every connected devices, driver load, etc. the more device you add, the more time it takes (1 to 3 sec per device, or more if your hub is not of good quality), so if you have 7 ports hubs, make the count

As for your TV Tuner issue, I would more think the issue is with the TV Tuner program and the fact the windows rezide on the 2nd screen - video/3d programs tend not to like to be put on the 2nd screen (can get lower GPU ressources).