[Solved] W7: Freezing VBox (vs. Actual Window Manager)

[XTech]

Hello,

i have a trouble with running VirtualBox 5.0 on my 32bit W7 system - i can t surpass and resolve this.
I trying to install Linux Mint both 32/64bit but the prime window freeze after couple of seconds. As a precaution I did uninstall VirtualPC 2007, and i allowed virtualisation features of my CPU (VT-d, etc.) in BIOS but the problem persists. And moreover, i found that my - in VirtualPC working - virtual XP system also does not work and freeze after couple of seconds.

But i found one curious thing: when i try to run my workable virtual XP on VirtualBox and while main window freeze in couple of seconds i see that my system running on small preview window in VirtualBox basic window!

Can anybody help, please? Is there anybody who experienced same troubles on his/her W7 host machine? I belive that it is a matter of some correct set up.

Thank you for your help.
Regards
XT

[mpack]

Please provide a VM log file: with the VM fully shut down, right click it, save "VBox.log" (ONLY) to a zip, and attach the zip here.

[XTech]

Ok, so here it is. I send both logs for "freezing" machines. Hope it helps;)
XT

[mpack]

Please stop talking about Virtual PC. It is quite irrelevant here. If anything, having a VM working in VPC 2007 is actually an indicator that it may not work on VirtualBox, since VirtualBox does not claim that it can run VPC VMs.

Here we will concentrate our focus on VirtualBox VMs.

Looking at the log, the main thing that jumps out is lack of host RAM. Perhaps as a consequence, the next thing I notice is a tiny amount of graphics RAM you are assigning to each guest. Since both VMs are 32bit I would reduce the RAM allocation to 512MB on both, and I'd increase the VRAM to 48MB.

In the Mint VM I would enable IO-APIC.

In the XP VM I would set the number of vCPUs to 1: you host has 2 cores total, so you can't give both to the VM.

Unfortunately I can't say much more since you seem to have grabbed the logs of both VMs while they were still running, contrary to what I asked for.

[XTech]

Hello,

thank you for your reply. As for VPC2007.. I absolutely did not want resolve VPC, i just informed that this my XP virtual machine is workable and was running on VPC, that s all. The matter is about VirtualBox, of course.

Anyway, i tried all your recommendations. I sat up 512MB RAM, 48MB VRAM, enabled IO-APIC on Mint vmachine and reduced CPU to 1 on XP vmachine. But the problem persists - still the same - window freezing on both XP and Mint vmachines.

About logs. Well, i closed VirtualBox before exporting these logs. You probably meant to close background proccesses that still running after closing the application. Actually i found VBoxSVC.exe running after closing the programme. Ok, i restarted PC and in attachment i send you those logs again.
Are there any hidden proccesses or services they need to be closed too? If yes, let me know, please. (I guess that VSS and vds services has nothing to do with this).

Thanks
XT

[mpack]

VSS and VDS are not VirtualBox processes.

If you had shut down the VM, and the VM had not aborted, then I would see the shutdown sequence in the log. I don't. All I have is a startup sequences - 15 seconds and 24 seconds for the XP and Mint VMs respectively.

If the VM is aborting then it might be useful to see the hardening log (VBoxHardening.log) for one of the VMs. I don't need both, in fact let's just concentrate on the XP VM.

[XTech]

I just edit my last message - check it out, please. I send you new logs.
XT

[mpack]

The new mint log is still truncated. The XP log shows the XP VM being suspended after a runtime of only 8 seconds.

Where did this XP VM come from? You said VPC, but was it actually a Win7 XP mode VM? If so, that VM will only run on the original Win7 host.

[XTech]

Heureka!

the problem is resolved;) I had suspicion on graphic sort of the matter becaus only prime window was freezing while on preview window OS was running. I checked the VBoxHardening log and i saw there a mention about AWM (Actual Window Manager). This program is usable for Windows but some sophisticated programmes aimed on graphic work (phtsp, etc.) have problem with AWM and they are disabled for them by default.

So now everything runs, both Mint and XP vmachine;)

So this is verified BUG for Windows user using Actual Window Manager (AWM):

AWM is in conflict with VirtualBox and must be deactivated first or you should create a rule in AWM and disable AWM for VirtualBox. At this point i have to note that disabling AWM is not neccessary, rules working but you have to create more rules, not just the basic one for VirtualBox.exe. If you make only the one for VirtualBox.exe it will not help and prime VB window will fall again after couple of seconds. You should create 2nd rule for service VBoxSVC.exe or alternatively you can copy this name "VBoxSVC.exe" to Window caption > Exact match field and keep it active. This will make your VirtualBox working again;)

Thank you for your effort and help!
XT

p.s.: maybe will be nice to resolve this BUG by someone from VirtualBox team or AWM team.

[mpack]

Thanks for reporting the solution.