preset defaults: XP versus 2003

[pedwardsRRI]

I've been using VirtualBox for a long time, but always with Linux-based guests. Now I find that I need to install a Windows guest for a testbed.

Searching both the user manual, this forum, and google has not helped me with this beginner's question: when creating a new guest machine, what exactly are the differences between choosing "Windows XP" versus "Windows 2003", given that the operating system I'm actually installing inside the VM will be a (heavily modified) Windows 7 Enterprise? That is, what under-the-hood preset settings change in the VM Manager? I've been poking and prodding around and for the life of me, I cannot spot the differences.

[mpack]

If you intend to install Win7, why consider telling it that you have XP?

The main differences will be the default m/b chipsets, audio chipsets and NICs supported by the guest. Also XP doesn't have native support for SATA. You should use the template which best matches your guest OS.

[pedwardsRRI]

If you intend to install Win7, why consider telling it that you have XP?

Well, there's no option for Win 7; the dropdown list ends with XP and 2003. The default choice is XP; presumably there was a reason you guys made it the default, so presumably it's worth considering for use.

I've tried both XP and 2003 presets without success so far; booting the guest VM from the installation iso image gets a little ways into the Windows installer, then a "guru meditation" critical error popup from VB.

It may be that this particular customized Windows edition isn't permitted to run inside virtual environments -- it's been heavily modified and constrained, with almost zero documentation for its victimsusers. Some of the other operating systems built here have similar "detect when running as a guest and die" changes made to them... which may or may not be written down anywhere. So before I spend any more time on this experiment, I need to go find out whether it's already required to fail, and they didn't bother telling me. It's that kind of tech support!

If however this is supposed to work in a virtual environment, then I'll rummage around inside VB's logs and see if I'm doing something obviously dumb.

Cheers!

[Martin]

Which version of Virtualbox do you try to use?

[loukingjr]

There are 23 Windows Version templates to choose from in VirtualBox, not 2.

[pedwardsRRI]

Which version of Virtualbox do you try to use?

We had just downloaded the latest from the front page, v4.3.18 r96something, the About box self-hides as soon as any other window is clicked.

The host is Windows 7, 64-bit. Other guest OSes have been running with VB 4.2 with no troubles, but as I say, they were all Linux based with very low hardware requirements. For this experiment, before we even tried making a new VM, first thing we did was download and install the latest VirtualBox, then boot and use some of the other guests to make sure nothing weird had changed going from 4.2 to 4.3. They all continue to run wonderfully under 4.3!

edit: the Linux guests boot reaaaaaaalllly slowly now under 4.3, but once up, they run noticeably faster. Totally okay with that tradeoff.

[pedwardsRRI]

There are 23 Windows Version templates to choose from in VirtualBox, not 2.

*shrug* The list here stops with no scrollbar or other dropdowns available.

Honestly, I don't know that the presets would even make a difference; I asked out of curiosity. In practice, it doesn't look like this guest is allowed to be virtualized, but I'm still checking. If it's meant to be allowed, then I'll revisit the problem of presets-vs-editable-settings, etc.

[mpack]

Honestly, I don't know that the presets would even make a difference

It can make a big difference. Windows 8.1 won't even install if you use the wrong template. Others will install, but the hardware will be less than expected for OS's of the newer era.

[loukingjr]

I think there has to be something wrong with your VirtualBox install if you only see 2 templates.

Here's mine.

[pedwardsRRI]

I think there has to be something wrong with your VirtualBox install if you only see 2 templates.

Here's mine.

Um. I never said I only see two templates. All the stuff older than XP is there also. I only bothered considering XP and 2003 because XP is the default and 2003 is the other, newer, choice available. As I said in previous messages, the list ends with XP and 2003 -- and maybe there is something wrong in that case, but it's not "list only has two entries".

If something went wrong with the installation, it would fit right in with the kind of day I'm having... None of the rest of the VM Manager window is affected AFAICT, however, and the other guests are fine, so I'm reluctant to spend more time on something which may not matter. I'll try reinstalling next week.

[pedwardsRRI]

Honestly, I don't know that the presets would even make a difference

It can make a big difference. Windows 8.1 won't even install if you use the wrong template. Others will install, but the hardware will be less than expected for OS's of the newer era.

I see. I was under the impression that the templates pre-set the selections made in the Settings window, but it sounds like they do more than that, behind the scenes. That is, they also make changes which we don't see (or can't influence?) via the Settings window.

[mpack]

Yes, some of the templates do things that you can't affect using the GUI. However, of greater importance is the encapsulated expertise of which OS supports what.