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I have a Windows NT Guest OS that naturally BSODS due to drivers. I am wondering how I can install the VBoxGuest Additions into a Non-Bootable WinNT4 VMDK Disk Image.
I looked at 4.2.1.4. Manual File Extraction for the Guest Additions - where and how do I install the Guest Additions ?

I know how to do this with a bootable Guest but this one will not boot - it will BSOD due to a driver issue. I have gone the normal routines of Selecting up the type of Drives and Bridges etc every scenario I could think of.. but I am still BSOD.. So I thought if I can install the Guest Additions into the NT drive it might Automagically install the drivers and boot .. any ideas or assistance is appreciated.

When Windows NT BSODs it should tell you which driver the exception was generated by. Is is a VirtualBox driver?

The usual way to resolve these issues was to press F8 to get the boot menu, boot into Safe Mode and then uninstall/replace the faulty driver from there.

-Andy.

1. I don't have an Virtual Box Drivers loaded in the NT4 Disk for it to BSOD on.
2. Windows NT 4.0 and earlier do not have a Safe mode.
3. I have a BSOD that indicates Driver - but I am not aware of how to find the offending driver as of yet .. I will look into that as soon as I find out how to install VBox Guest Additions (as this normally fixes any other driver issues I have had in the past with other VM's).

.. I suspect that if I install the VBox Additions NT4t will load an appropriate driver for the virtualized hardware ..As I am sure the VirtualBox virtualized drivers are probably newer levels than the NT4 had support for.

TDSKen wrote:1. I don't have an Virtual Box Drivers loaded in the NT4 Disk for it to BSOD on.

Then it's not a VirtualBox issue. Not that I thought for a minute that it was, that was an assumption that you made based on zero evidence.

TDSKen wrote:2. Windows NT 4.0 and earlier do not have a Safe mode.

Yes they do, I'm looking at it right now. Plus, I know that they do, I had a PC that was running NT4 for years, I've gotten into the safe mode, aka [VGA mode], plenty of times.

TDSKen wrote:3. I have a BSOD that indicates Driver - but I am not aware of how to find the offending driver as of yet

Maybe if you started by asking the owner of the VMDK?

TDSKen wrote:I suspect that if I install the VBox Additions NT4t will load an appropriate driver for the virtualized hardware

No. A guest *will* be operational without any custom drivers whatsoever. Try to start in safe mode and see if you can pinpoint the offending driver...

TDSKen wrote:As I am sure the VirtualBox virtualized drivers are probably newer levels than the NT4 had support for.

I'm afraid that you shouldn't be so sure about that part, either. WinNT4 is a supported guest, with supported drivers, there's no basis to what you're claiming...

If you want to continue this discussion, we need to see a complete VBox.log, from a complete VM run, where the problem occurs:

• Start the VM from cold-boot (not from a paused or saved state) / Observe problem / Shutdown the VM (force close it if you have to).
• With the VM completely shut down (not paused or saved), right-click on the VM in the VirtualBox Manager and select "Show Log".
• Save only the first "VBox.log", ZIP it and attach it to your response. See the "Upload attachment" tab below the reply form.