Ubuntu 16.04: Windows XP Guest will not launch

[brendonwq]

I'm having a similar problem to the post below with Ubuntu guests failing to launch. Yesterday I was working with the VM. Did a normal apt-get update / upgrade, and received a VB update. Seemed to install fine, but this morning the same guest VM crashed during start. Gets to the Win XP "Failed to start properly last time", with menu of choices.
Starting in Safe Mode is fine. Restarting in Normal Mode crashes every time. The log file and png are attached.
I tried starting the prior version of the kernel, and it recompiled the kernel fine. Same error comes back.
Thanks!

[mpack]

"Post below"?

VirtualBox VM 5.1.34_Ubuntu r121010 linux.amd64 (Feb 2 2018 12:27:46) release log

You are not using VirtualBox, you are using the Ubuntu fork, so you need to go to the Ubuntu forums for support. Or, you can install the official version of VirtualBox then let us know if you still have a problem after that.

One tip: you have VT-x enabled in the VM settings, on a host that doesn't support VT-x. This seems to be a really popular problem recently.

[brendonwq]

Thanks will do. I was referring to the post with title "ubuntu 16.04 updated virtualbox, now clients will not launch".

[brendonwq]

Have completely removed VirtualBox as installed from Ubuntu repositories, and downloaded Oracle 5.1 in case I needed to roll back. Same error occurs. I have also used:
VirtualBox VMs/Work-Win-XP$ VBoxManage modifyvm Work-Win-XP --hwvirtex off

As I cannot get at the System/Acceleration settings to turn off VT-X (I imported this machine a while ago from a host which had VT-X).

The output of "showvminfo" is below:

Code: Select all

VirtualBox VMs/Work-Win-XP$ VBoxManage showvminfo Work-Win-XP
Name:            Work-Win-XP
Groups:          /
Guest OS:        Windows XP (32-bit)
UUID:            37583d07-865e-4ca4-ac1f-97738089cdd0
Config file:     /home/brendon/VirtualBox VMs/Work-Win-XP/Work-Win-XP.vbox
Snapshot folder: /home/brendon/VirtualBox VMs/Work-Win-XP/Snapshots
Log folder:      /home/brendon/VirtualBox VMs/Work-Win-XP/Logs
Hardware UUID:   37583d07-865e-4ca4-ac1f-97738089cdd0
Memory size:     2048MB
Page Fusion:     off
VRAM size:       16MB
CPU exec cap:    75%
HPET:            off
Chipset:         piix3
Firmware:        BIOS
Number of CPUs:  1
PAE:             off
Long Mode:       on
Triple Fault Reset: off
APIC:            on
X2APIC:          off
CPUID Portability Level: 0
CPUID overrides: None
Boot menu mode:  message and menu
Boot Device (1): Floppy
Boot Device (2): DVD
Boot Device (3): HardDisk
Boot Device (4): Not Assigned
ACPI:            on
IOAPIC:          off
BIOS APIC mode:  APIC
Time offset:     0ms
RTC:             local time
Hardw. virt.ext: off
Nested Paging:   on
Large Pages:     off
VT-x VPID:       on
VT-x unr. exec.: on
Paravirt. Provider: Legacy
Effective Paravirt. Provider: None
State:           powered off (since 2018-03-30T10:23:57.000000000)
Monitor count:   1
3D Acceleration: off
2D Video Acceleration: off
Teleporter Enabled: off
Teleporter Port: 0
Teleporter Address: 
Teleporter Password: 
Tracing Enabled: off
Allow Tracing to Access VM: off
Tracing Configuration: 
Autostart Enabled: off
Autostart Delay: 0
Default Frontend: 
Storage Controller Name (0):            IDE Controller
Storage Controller Type (0):            PIIX4
Storage Controller Instance Number (0): 0
Storage Controller Max Port Count (0):  2
Storage Controller Port Count (0):      2
Storage Controller Bootable (0):        on
IDE Controller (0, 0): /home/brendon/VirtualBox VMs/Work-Win-XP/Snapshots/{4785c804-786d-4e81-bbd4-c133929b990e}.vdi (UUID: 4785c804-786d-4e81-bbd4-c133929b990e)
IDE Controller (0, 1): /home/brendon/VirtualBox VMs/Work-Win-XP/Snapshots/{20d63d21-3006-4abc-91da-617fcf96fce0}.vdi (UUID: 20d63d21-3006-4abc-91da-617fcf96fce0)
IDE Controller (1, 0): Empty
NIC 1:           MAC: 08002759B59C, Attachment: NAT, Cable connected: on, Trace: off (file: none), Type: Am79C973, Reported speed: 0 Mbps, Boot priority: 0, Promisc Policy: deny, Bandwidth group: none
NIC 1 Settings:  MTU: 0, Socket (send: 64, receive: 64), TCP Window (send:64, receive: 64)
NIC 2:           MAC: 080027BD7EC1, Attachment: Host-only Interface 'vboxnet0', Cable connected: on, Trace: off (file: none), Type: Am79C973, Reported speed: 0 Mbps, Boot priority: 0, Promisc Policy: deny, Bandwidth group: none
NIC 3:           disabled
NIC 4:           disabled
NIC 5:           disabled
NIC 6:           disabled
NIC 7:           disabled
NIC 8:           disabled
Pointing Device: USB Tablet
Keyboard Device: PS/2 Keyboard
UART 1:          I/O base: 0x03f8, IRQ: 4, disconnected
UART 2:          disabled
UART 3:          disabled
UART 4:          disabled
LPT 1:           disabled
LPT 2:           disabled
Audio:           enabled (Driver: PulseAudio, Controller: AC97, Codec: STAC9700)
Clipboard Mode:  Bidirectional
Drag and drop Mode: disabled
VRDE:            disabled
USB:             enabled
EHCI:            enabled
XHCI:            disabled

USB Device Filters:

<none>

Bandwidth groups:  <none>

Shared folders:  

Name: 'Dropbox', Host path: '/home/brendon/Dropbox' (machine mapping), writable
Name: 'LITERATURE', Host path: '/home/brendon/ResearchDocuments/RESEARCH/LITERATURE' (machine mapping), writable

Video capturing:    not active
Capture screens:    0
Capture file:       /home/brendon/VirtualBox VMs/Work-Win-XP/Work-Win-XP.webm
Capture dimensions: 1024x768
Capture rate:       512 kbps
Capture FPS:        25

Guest:

Configured memory balloon size:      0 MB

[mpack]

Please post an updated log.

[brendonwq]

Attached

[mpack]

Ok, something is seriously off with this VM.

00:00:41.762135 fatal error in recompiler cpu: Trying to execute code with memory type addr_code=00000000b9b3f020 addend=00007f95f761f000 at 00000000b9b3fca3. (iHandlerMemType=0x38 iMMIOMemType=0x30)

Basically, that error usually means that the guest has self modifying code, or code in a data area. Since XP has always runs fine in VirtualBox I conclude that something is non standard about this VM.

The only caveat to that is that you aren't running the latest 5.2.x branch of VirtualBox - I assume that is deliberate, however of greater concern is that you are still running an even older 5.0.x version of the GAs. I think it would be a good idea for you to bring the GAs up to the same level as the VBox version you're running.

[brendonwq]

I've now updated Oracle Virtualbox and Extensions to 5.2.8. The host-only network settings were out (manual client IP outside range of DHCP server). I've exported a VT-X disabled OA from another host (using the Ubuntu Virtualbox fork held back) and this also crashes.

Have attached the log if you can have a look would be much appreciated!

PS Have tried installing using dpkg (as per viewtopic.php?f=7&t=87335) rather than Ubuntu Software Centre but the problem persists.

[mpack]

The log still shows the Guest Additions at 5.0.40.

00:00:14.797977 VMMDev: Guest Additions information report: Version 5.0.40 r115130 '5.0.40'

Note that the extension pack (installed on the host) is entirely separate from the driver pack which you install in each guest, which is called the Guest Additions.

[mpack]

Will the XP guest start in safe mode?

[brendonwq]

Yes, the XP guest loads successfully in Safe mode, and Safe Mode with Networking. Should I boot into Safe Mode with Networking and see if I can load updated Guest Extensions?

EDIT: Have updated the Guest Extension from Safe Mode. Still crashes on normal start up. Have attached the log file.

[mpack]

Well, at least the fact that it boots in safe mode tells you something. This isn't a problem with XP, and probably not the Guest Additions either now that you've updated them (you could prove that by uninstalling the GAs in safe mode then trying a normal boot without them).

But, there must be other third party code getting run on a normal boot: and it's most probably a driver of some kind, since I doubt that user level code can cause this kind of fault.

Where did this XP guest come from? I assume it did not begin life as a VirtualBox VM?

[brendonwq]

Thanks for the feedback. This VM was installed from scratch as a software testing environment a long time ago.

The problem may have something to do with system issues. After every boot i get a message along the line of "VirtualBox Service is Exiting", because some driver is not running. This has been happening for a while so I ignored it.

Today my Ubuntu system is refusing to boot, and googling around there seem to be kernel instability issues that have lead to others freezing their kernel version a while ago

[mpack]

Hmm. Well anything is worth considering at this point, but I'd be surprised if a host kernel problem didn't stop XP from booting in safe mode too. Safe mode is after all just a normal XP boot without some drivers.

[Fummeleisen]

Hi brendonwq,

2 questions:
- after Your normal apt-get update / upgrade, did You do an update too via system properties menue / information button?
- did You start XP in the logging modus? What said the logfile?

F.