Win7 audio warning for all guests? Try this solution

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Getting this...

warning.png (24.32 KiB) Viewed 2473 times

...and seeing this in your logs?

Code: Select all

00:00:02.162575 Audio: Trying driver 'dsound'.
00:00:02.220744 DSound: Could not initialize DirectSoundCapture
00:00:02.222094 Audio: set_record_source ars=0 als=0 (not implemented)
00:00:02.222851 AC97: WARNING: Unable to open PCM IN!
00:00:02.222866 AC97: WARNING: Unable to open PCM MC!
00:00:02.222881 VM: Raising runtime error 'HostAudioNotResponding' (fFlags=0x0)
00:00:02.222892 Console: VM runtime error: fatal=false, errorID=HostAudioNotResponding message="Some audio devices (PCM_in, PCM_mic) could not be opened. Guest applications generating audio output or depending on audio input may hang. Make sure your host audio device is working properly. Check the logfile for error messages of the audio subsystem"

Then try this...

sound_1.png (37.43 KiB) Viewed 2473 times

sound_2.png (40.05 KiB) Viewed 2473 times

No warnings or errors in the logs, and you don't even have to have your mic or anything plugged in - your mileage might vary.

[noteirak]

Or simply disable (read configure properly) the Audio in the VM configuration...

[fade2gray]

Or simply disable (read configure properly) the Audio in the VM configuration...

So why was this previously not a problem?

I only started getting this warning (if I didn't plug a mic in or disable audio) after having to reinstall Win7 due to a couple of unresolvable failed security updates.

Also, prior to reinstalling W7, I noted that VB informed me of an available update from 4.3.10 to 4.3.12, so after reinstalling W7 I installed 4.3.12, and this was when I first started seeing the audio warning for my recovered guests. I reverted back to 4.3.10 but still received the warnings and then I also discovered discovered the check for update problem.

So, with failed W7 security updates = no problems with VB.
Reinstalled and fully updated W7 = problems with VB.

Go figure.

[noteirak]

From your screenshots, every single audio adapater is disabled, but you have Virtualbox configured to redirect audio from the guest to the host.
This will require that the Virtualbox process connects to the audio, but it can't, since everything is disabled.
Once you enable the mixer (which is the main audio device), it works.
This is a genuine configuration/manipulation error as far as what I gather with the information provided.

As of why it was not a problem before - who knows. You talk about updates, maybe that included a sound driver. All this is only speculation but your Virtualbox problem is a symtomp of another one, not the source of it.

[fade2gray]

From your screenshots, every single audio adapater is disabled...

Really? If you look at sound_1.png again, you can see that mic and line-in are enabled but don't have anything plugged in.

The thing is, why - when the speaker/'phones, mic and line-in adapters are all enabled - does VB complain if speakers and/or 'phones are plugged in without the mic, but not if the mic is plugged in without speakers or 'phones?

P.S. The security updates in question were KB2868626 & KB2871997 - I don't think they affect the issue.

[noteirak]

I worded it wrong, my bad. The adapaters may be enabled, but if you disable the main mixer, that won't do you any good. Virtualbox still use the "main audio adapater" (whcih is a virtual device provided by the OS) that redirects to the real device.

[fade2gray]

...but if you disable the main mixer, that won't do you any good...

I only stumbled on the mixer by chance when right clicking on the Sound/Recording settings window - it was disabled by default - and I certainly don't recall having to enable it in the previous W7 installation to avoid getting the warning.

[peter jones]

You have unplugged some device, speaker, headphones, microphones, something between sessions you have started on this guest. Guest remembers them, but they are not there. Shut down the guest reconnect them, restart the guest and you'll see there'll be no warning anymore.