Suddenly CPU usage reach 100%

[Lorenzo_]

My Host is Windows 7 64 bit.
I have 2 guests:
- Windows XP sp3
- Windows 7 32 bit

I used them for months without any problem.
2 months ago those guests began having a problem: sometimes after 10 minutes, sometimes after some hour, CPU reach 100% usage and never go down.
Sometime on the W7 guest, sometime on the XP guest. When both are runnig, the problem appear on both vm almost simultaneously.
I' ve tried a lot of solutions searching on the web, but nothing solved this.
The problem appears when I use one of those VM and even when both are running.
I tried:
- to change antivirus (security essential > trend micro) (vm w7 and xp)
- to remove antivirus (vm w7 and xp)
- to scan guests and host with Combofix (vm w7 - nothing found - and xp: removed 3/4 dll)
- to scan guests and host with Malwarebytes (vm w7 and xp) (nothing found)
- to set video memory to 32, 64 and 128 MB (vm w7 and xp)
- to move the W7 vm on an eSata HDD , then to an USB HDD (vm W7)
- to remove nested paging (vm W7 and XP)
- to install APIC (vm W7)
- to change VirtualBox Version (4.2.10 > 4.2.12 > 4.2.14)

It seems that it has something to do with Network load: once, disconnecting a Cisco VPN, the CPU load came back to normal values; once when I disabled the Network Device (from Machine > Devices > Network).
I tried to work with bridge card and with NAT, but even this can't prevent the problem.

Please help me...

[Perryg]

You may want to search bugtracker. I seem to remember seeing an issue reported there, and if so attach your issue to it or create a new ticket. Be sure to explain as well as you have and also attach a guest log file of one of these preferably after it failed.

[Lorenzo_]

I saw that page, I asked here hoping someone could have found there something I didn't found.

To get a VirtualBox Log I suppose I have to follow [.../]VBoxLogging indications:
- is enough the "Guest Additions logging" section?
- how big could a log file become after 2-3 hours of work? From the vm I use vpn connections, rdp connections, Crystal Reports, SQL Server, Visual Studio... sometimes only 1, sometimes all of these.

Thanks a lot

[Perryg]

See Online Users Manual for the location of the file.
If the log file is too large compress it. Be sure to attach and not simply post the text!

[Lorenzo_]

I can't get the guest log file
In the link you posted I found:
"Every time VirtualBox starts up a VM, a so-called "release log file" is created containing lots of information about the VM configuration and runtime events. The log file is called VBox.log and resides in the VM log file folder. Typically this will be a directory like this:
$HOME/VirtualBox VMs/{machinename}/Logs"

But is the same file on which these system variables work?
Host:
set VBOX_LOG="-all+dev_vmm_backdoor.e.l.f+dev_vmm.e.l.f"
set VBOX_LOG_FLAGS="thread tsc"
Guest:
set VBOX_LOG="all"

Or are two different files in two different locations? And if, where the second file is located? I tried with VBOX_LOG_DEST="c:\vboxlog.log" but this seems not to work.

Thanks
Lorenzo

[Lorenzo_]

I confirm that setting the network device to "not connected", pausing the vm for some minute and then resuming everything works again.
It is also possible to reconnect the network device without any problem.

Anyway it's very boring and time-consuming, so... anyone could help me?

Which log file do I have to attach to bugtracker? How can I get it?
There so many options, I can't figure which is the right configuration!

[noteirak]

The VM Log file is the one you're looking for. It's located in the "Logs" subfolder, within the VM folder.

[Lorenzo_]

This is the ticket I've just created:
https://www.virtualbox.org/ticket/11945

As I written there, I found a way to get the vm working normally after the problem appears:
- Devices > Network Device > set "Not Connected
- Pause the VM for some minute
- Resume the VM: the cpu load will go back to normal values
- Restore the network device as needed.

[Lorenzo_]

Unplugging network cable from the host can also solve the problem in a few minutes.

[NerdToTheBone]

Host : Fedora 19
Guest : Windows XP

Go to Control panel -> Automatic updates and disable. Also, Control Panel -> Adminstrative Tools -> Services. Change Startup Type for Automatics Updates to Manual.

This worked for me.

Guyz who say disconnecting from the network worked for them. Actual root cause could be this.

[rseiler]

I'm curious, what process is consuming the CPU? When I see this happen, it's Vboxservice.exe.

[socratis]

Windows Update. Try a simple search on the web for "Windows XP high CPU usage".

[rseiler]

And what process would that be?

We must have different causes then, since that's not what's doing it here. It's Vboxservice.exe, and weirdly randomly, too. I just restart the VM to stop it. I'm not even using XP but Win 8.1.

[socratis]

Then maybe you need to open a new thread where you describe the problems in greater detail? Before you do that, make sure you read: Minimum information needed for assistance.

[rseiler]

I could, but I did what I thought was the right thing and searched the forum first for the existing issue (damned if you do, damned if you don't).

The OP mentioned more than just XP, so I didn't think it was an XP issue.

What no one has mentioned before is the process in question, which would go a long way in aligning what they're seeing with what I'm seeing.