Black Screen After Moving Ubuntu VM

[mdhollis]

I recently tried moving my Ubuntu VM from a Windows 7 host to a Windows Server 2003 host. When I start my VM on the Server 03 host, I get a screen asking if I want to start Linux or run a memory test. When I select to start Linux I get a black screen with a single underscore in the top left corner. Despite the underscore, I can not type in this screen.

I am using the latest versions of VirtualBox and Ubuntu on both boxes.

My Windows 7 computer is 64 bit with hardware virtualization enabled and used by VirtualBox.
My Server 03 computer is also 64 bit but does not have hardware virtualization. I disabled this option in VirtualBox and switched to a 32 bit version of Ubuntu.

If I disable virtualization in my VM settings on the Windows 7 computer, the VM behaves similarly to the one on the Server so I suspect this is the problem. Is there any way around this? I've seen suggested here that I should just wait it out as the VM takes longer to start up without hardware virtualization but I've waited for over 30 minutes and it is still hanging at the black screen.

Attached is my log file from the Server 03 box.

Thanks for any help.

[mpack]

VirtualBox VM 4.2.16 r86992 win.x86 (Jul 4 2013 16:33:12) release log
00:00:01.202086 Log opened 2013-08-13T15:38:35.988532100Z
00:00:01.202094 OS Product: Windows 2003
00:00:01.202098 OS Release: 5.2.3790
00:00:01.202100 OS Service Pack: 2
00:00:01.202152 Host RAM: 8191MB total, 7685MB available

Hmm. There's something I'm not used to seeing - a 32bit Windows host with almost 8GB free RAM. Still, I wouldn't count on VirtualBox being able to use more than the normal amount on a Windows host.

Are you absolutely sure you installed a 32bit version of Ubuntu? If so I would try reducing the RAM allocation below 2GB as a 32bit guest shouldn't need that. I would try 1GB.

I also see this error which you should fix.

aText={Shared folder path 'C:\Users\mhollis\Documents\Shared' does not exist on the host}, preserve=false
00:00:02.032142 Console: VM runtime error: fatal=false, errorID=BrokenSharedFolder message="The shared folder 'Shared' could not be set up: Shared folder path 'C:\Users\mhollis\Documents\Shared' does not exist on the host.
00:00:02.032146 The shared folder setup will not be complete. It is recommended to power down the virtual machine and fix the shared folder settings while the machine is not running"

The log file seems to offer no other clues.

[mdhollis]

Thanks for the help! I reduced my RAM to 1GB and have the same problem.

The VM was originally 64 bit. However, when I copied it to the new machine, I changed it to 32 bit. To narrow down the problem, I switched the original VM (on the Windows 7) from 64 bit to 32 bit and it started up fine so I dont think this switch is a problem.

Hmm that second error is strange. I already deleted that shared folder in the settings, I don't know why it is still looking for it..

[noteirak]

So the guest OS is 64 bits? If so, setting the VM profile to 32 bits will cause you issues for sure...

[Perryg]

You can not run a 64-bit OS without VT-x/AMD-v. Just changing the VBox tag to read 32-bit does not matter if the guest is 64-bit.

[mdhollis]

Well, in the BIOS it said something about being 64 bit (I dont have access to that now as its on a server) but now that Im looking at the "My Computer" properties, it shows 32 bits. So its a 64 bit box running a 32 bit Windows Server OS running a 32 bit Linux VM.

Is that possible? I could be completely crazy. My Computer shows 32 bit.

[mpack]

running a 32 bit Linux VM.

Is the VM 32bits? Your comments are rather ambiguous on this point in the text above. If you took a virtual disk containing a 64bit OS image then it remains a 64bit image even if you build a 32bit VM around the disk - and the 64bit image will not run.

[mdhollis]

Im not sure.. Here is exactly what I did:

1. Created 64 bit Ubuntu VM on 64 bit Windows 7 with VT-x
2. Copied folder from "VirtualBox VMs"
3. Pasted folder into "VirtualBox VMs" on 32 bit Windows Server 2003 without VT-x
4. Opened settings for the VM in VirtualBox Manager
5. Changed "Version" from "Ubuntu (64 bit)" to "Ubuntu." and clicked "OK"
6. Start machine, get black screen.


Typing that out, I think I understand what you're saying the problem is. Is there anyway to fix this? I have a rather complex Guacamole (RDP over HTML) set up installed on the original VM that I really don't want to try to duplicate. Is there any way to make this work besides a fresh 32 bit install and re-configuring everything?

[noteirak]

So you only changed the label, which doesn't change the content.
Not having VT-x will prevent your 64 bits VM from running.

So if you must run it on that 32 bits host without VT-x, reinstall is the only way.

[mdhollis]

That's what I was afraid of... Ok, thanks for your help.

Is there some sort of way to copy all my files from the 64 bit one to the 32 bit?

[noteirak]

Nothing specific to Virtualbox, no.

[mpack]

You can't use this VM on your 32bit host, so you situation is now the same as any other person wanting to move an application between two PCs. If you run the VM again on the original host then the application concerned may provide some feature that allows documents and settings to be copied or exported to another PC, but as Noteirak implies, these application mechanisms are actually beyond VBox's scope.