virtualbox.org

Hello,
Recently i was working with my Windows 8.1 on a virtualbox 5.0.12 r104815. Everything was fine until i decided to move .vdi image to a newer 6.0.14 r133895.

I created new machine Windows 8.1 put the same settings like in the old virtualbox and attached the vdi image. I have the error:

Your PC needs to restart. Please hold down the power key Error Code: 0x000000C4 Parameters: 0x00000...000091 (lots of zeros)

I tried all kind of variations of:

vboxmanage setextradata windowsa /CPUM/CMPXCHG16B
vboxmanage setextradata windowsa CPUM/CMPXCHG16B
vboxmanage setextradata windowsa /CPUM/IsaExts/CMPXCHG16B
vboxmanage setextradata windowsa CPUM/IsaExts/CMPXCHG16B
vboxmanage setextradata windowsa /VBoxInternal/CPUM/IsaExts/CMPXCHG16B
vboxmanage setextradata windowsa VBoxInternal/CPUM/IsaExts/CMPXCHG16B
vboxmanage setextradata windowsa /VBoxInternal/CPUM/CMPXCHG16B
vboxmanage setextradata windowsa VBoxInternal/CPUM/CMPXCHG16B

With and without 1/0 behind. Also tried all these variants but instead my vms name i used global. So totally 48 tests.

I am also unable to boot with simple iso install image of windows 8.1/10. Have the same error. I am attaching my vbox.log file. What could be the reason it does not work on version 6.0 ?

sanitariu wrote: Everything was fine until i decided to move .vdi image to a newer 6.0.14 r133895.
I created new machine Windows 8.1 put the same settings like in the old virtualbox

Why? None of that is necessary when updating VirtualBox. Now you certainly made a mistake in creating the new VM settings, meaning that Windows 8.1 will not boot. Even if your intention was to move the VM to a new PC, you MOVE THE VM, not bits of it.

Howto: Move a VM.

Lets make it clear:

I have 2 identical servers. One has virtualbox 5.0 with the windows 8.1 working normally. I shutdown the virtual machine then copied win.vdi over the network to my new machine. There i created new windows 8.1 and attached win.vdi file.

Before i tested CMPXCHG16B of course i tried boot normally but it does not. I has the same error:

Your PC needs to restart. Error Code: 0x000000C4...

Also I mentioned that even if i just create empty windows 8.1 machine and attach bootable iso downloaded from Microsoft i am still unable to boot it. Still have the same error.

Thanks for the manual of moving but lets say it simple i need to create windows 8.1 machine and boot from original microsoft iso without having the error code: 0x000000C4....

sanitariu wrote:copied win.vdi over the network to my new machine.
There i created new windows 8.1

This is not how to move or copy a guest from one Virtualbox host to another.
You are copying the guest's hard drive. That's not all of the guest there is. There's also the "hardware".

Imaging you move a hard disk from one PC to another. All the hardware is different. Or maybe one really important piece, the CPU. Often operating systems will at least complain if they see new hardware, or just won't boot at all.

Essentially you're taking the memory out of one body and putting it into another body. What do you think the brain would do? You'd need to expect some Frankenstein moments.

Now on the other hand if you "copied" the whole body? Then the memory would work, because its still the same body.

The tutorial does cover a lot of things, and it is called "How to Move a VM", not " How to Copy a VM". So some reading comprehension and deduction is required. I'll simplify it by quoting one of the red-highlighted spots in the tutorial that can be applied:

The basic procedure for moving VMs created by VirtualBox v4.x and later is to copy the VM folder (with contents) to your preferred location, then use the GUI's Machine|Add menu item to register the .vbox file (found in the VM folder) from its new location.

See what you can get with this.

Hello,
Thank you for your time but you still do not understand me. Forget about the copy ... i am testing other.

I just downloaded windows 8.1 from microsoft official website. Then i created new machine windows 8.1 with empty drive nothing copied from anywhere. I mount the downloaded ISO image and still have the same error. I just even can not boot ISO image with windows installation. I hope you understand me now.

Other iso with linux boots just fine. The problems is the error 0x0000..... Maybe i should change the topic to virtualbox 6 can not boot windwos 8.1 iso ?

I attached logfile. Hope somebody can guide/help me whats wrong. Also i tested windows 10 official ISO - same error.

sanitariu wrote:Thank you for your time but you still do not understand me.

We understood you just fine. You weren't following proper procedure for copying an existing VM.

However, we'll forget about the copy and address the fresh new 8.1 guest still getting the error:

sanitariu wrote:Your PC needs to restart. Please hold down the power key Error Code: 0x000000C4

A quick google shows this is a Windows 8.1 error, not a Virtualbox error. The physical CPU must support WIndows 8.1. The physical CPU does get into the guest: in fact it's the only piece of physical host PC hardware that appears in the guest OS.

sanitariu wrote:I have 2 identical servers

If this is true and you used the correct New Guest Template (Ie Windows 8.1 correct bittedness) then you shouldn't have trouble. The forums would have blown up with 8.1 failures on 6.0.14 by now. Please prove that your servers are identical.

scottgus1 wrote:Please prove that your servers are identical.

... by providing a VBox.log from the working one. ZIPPED VBox.log please...

VBox.log file wrote:00:00:00.298818 CPUM: WARNING! Can't turn on NX/XD when the host doesn't support it!
[...]
00:00:00.299974 NX - No-Execute/Execute-Disable = 0 (0)
[...]
00:00:03.855970 IEM: wrmsr(0xc0000080,0x0`00000d01) -> #GP(0)

You have to enable NX/XD in your host's BIOS settings to be able to execute a 64-bit guest OS.

Thank you fth0 !!!
I confirm that enabling NX (No-Execute bit) solves problem with booting windows 8.1/10 (64 bit). I think it will be good idea virtualbox to check it and shows what is exactly the problem.

About moving i did it my way.

• Stop virtual machine on the old server.
• Create new machine on the new server using the same settings from old one ... like memory,cpu etc...
• Then i copy vdi image over the network and attach it to the new machine.

This always work years for me.

Thank you people

sanitariu wrote:I think it will be good idea virtualbox to check it and shows what is exactly the problem.

It ... kind of did, didn't it?
Just not in a user-friendly way...

Hats off to 'fth0, marking as [Solved].

sanitariu wrote:About moving i did it my way

I believe that you meant "copying", not "moving". But it's all the same, minus a delete operation...

See the FAQ "Moving a VM" and interpret it as "Backing up a VM" or "Copying a VM". Specifically for your way, you don't have to re-create the VM, if you include the "<VM>.vbox" file (and register it) when you copy your "<VM.vdi>", then it all falls into place...

Not that your way is wrong, far from it! It may even have some advantages, like starting up with a clean slate.