Windows10 VM on Windows10 Host Freezes/BSOD IRQL NOT LESS OR EQUAL

[scottgus1]

FC is a command line command, it means File Compare.

Open a command prompt and type

fc /?

A freeware program called WinMerge will do the same thing in a GUI.

Good, the old SSD guest appears to still work. Can you copy it again and file-compare the copy?

[operation420.net]

Oh thanks I never heard of fc only the comp command.

Yes, I've heard of WinMerge and use BeyondCompare as well. In fact, I think I used Beyond Compare to copy the .VirtualBox and VirtualBox VMs Folders...

[operation420.net]

OK so I recopied the VM from drive F:\ (Old SSD in USB enclosure) to drive C:\ (New SSD on laptop motherboard) again.

FC and Beyond Compare said files matched. I created a .md5 file and copied that over. When I opened the .md5 file in FlashSFV it said all the files were good.

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C:\Users\<username>>fc /b "F:\Users\<username>\VirtualBox VMs\Windows10\Windows10.vdi" "C:\Users\<username>\VirtualBox VMs\Windows10\Windows10.vdi"
Comparing files F:\Users\<username>\VIRTUALBOX VMS\Windows10\Windows10.vdi and C:\Users\<username>\VIRTUALBOX VMS\Windows10\WINDOWS10.VDI
FC: no differences encountered

I got the flickering graphics errors and manged to get a screenshot this time. Also two more BSODs IRQL not equal.

[scottgus1]

Ok, so the guest disk file is copied correctly, good. The "motherboard" file (.vbox) does not appear to have been tested, at least in the posted report in

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 tags. Did you copy the .vbox file again too?

If you did copy the whole folder with the .vbox and FC the whole folder, and your Virtualbox is using the FC'd copies, then I don't understand why the identical copy fails but the original and a new guest work. 'Tis a puzzle...

[operation420.net]

Yes, I recopied the whole folder. Can you use fc on folders? I only did the .vdi file since it was the largest file (and most likely to get corrupted?) and the file that contains most of the guest OS.

I did do a beyond compare on the whole folder since I know I can use BC to compare folders. All the files matched there and I imagine they would in FC since BC says the files do match.

I am thinking of swapping back into the old SSD and running it from there as the internal/boot drive. I could also try running the VM off the new SSD in the enclosure and seeing what happens there...

When I boot the old SSD I will try Linux and see if I'm getting the same issues I am getting there and if I can get enough details make a separate topic under Linux guests and/or make a topic in Windows hosts...

[operation420.net]

I got another screenshot of GFX issues on the shutdown screen (The black strip on the bottom is from my black desktop wallpaper).

Would the minidumps from C:\Windows\minidump (or whatever) be of any use?

Do they contain anything I don't want to be public? When I try to upload them I get error

The extension dmp is not allowed.

[scottgus1]

A minidump from the guest OS can be used to figure out why the copied guest is failing. Microsoft has debugging suites and there are online tutorials showing how to use the suites. Minidumps are too big for the forum. Try debugging the minidump, so you can see where the BSOD faulted.

That the original guest and a new guest work show that you Virtualbox is working. There must be something different about the copy, what it is I can't figure out. You could try posting the original and copy .vbox files, in a zip folder, labeling each, then we can see if there is a difference. Get the original from the old SSD. Get the copy by right-clicking the guest in the main Virtualbox window's guest list and choosing Show in Explorer.

[fth0]

FWIW, the 3 BSODs seem to happen in Windows 10 1903 (10.0.18362).

Additionally, the new SSD has a new Windows installation, possibly with another graphics driver version. When using 3d acceleration in a VM, there could be a dependency on this graphics driver.

[operation420.net]

Since my last post (before the replies to it), I swapped the SSDs and am running off the old SSD.

I am having network problems, NAT works but not bridged mode and I use RDP to connect to this machine whose primary purpose depends on having Internet Access.

Oddly I have no BSODs running the VM off the old ssd as the boot drive or running it off the new SSD in a USB enclosure.

I get Invalid settings detected because the VM is using VboxVGA instead of VBoxSVGA but that never caused BSODs before I swapped the drives. I'll look more into the GFX settings...

The host OS on boths SSDs is Win10 v1909. The version on the old/stock SSD is Version 1909 (OS Build 18363.836)

[operation420.net]

I bought another SSD to try that and see if it works (works as in gives expected behaviour and doesn't give the issues I was having on the old SSD)...

[operation420.net]

I've been running off a WD SSD for a while now and it's all fine.

https://forum.level1techs.com/t/ssd-mig ... ine/110276
Seems like I'm not the only one...

[scottgus1]

Great! Strange the SSD was the problem. It happens, though. Glad you're up and running.

[operation420.net]

My Amazon return Window is up, but I might have Samsung warranty yet. If I return this I have to transfer all my stuff, but I think I have most of it....

In another laptop I have a Samsung SSD and VBox freezes, VMWare is somewhat usable, I couldn't get VBox running or install, but in VMWare I could install Windows, but not use the imported OVF file In the other latop I paid over $800 for the SSD, at that price I should be getting top performance, especially with a well-known brand as Samsung...

[scottgus1]

I checked a dead SSD that I had for a couple years and was certain was out of warranty, just tried on the manufacturer's website, just for kicks, and lo and behold! it was still covered! Got a good drive in a couple weeks.

The other laptop's trouble might or might not be SSD-related. Post a vbox-log in a new topic, let's see what can be done.

[operation420.net]

I checked a dead SSD that I had for a couple years and was certain was out of warranty, just tried on the manufacturer's website, just for kicks, and lo and behold! it was still covered! Got a good drive in a couple weeks.

The other laptop's trouble might or might not be SSD-related. Post a vbox-log in a new topic, let's see what can be done.

Sorry for the delay in my response, been busy with stuff and still am. But was able to look at it figuring it's better to take the time now to see if I can fix it than having to swap out the SSD, return the old one, reinstall, etc... I have to tear the back off this laptop to change the drive and it's wearing out and I lost a few screws from all the times I openen/closed it and that's not helping (the cover comes loose and the CPU fan, the only moving part since there's no spinning drive AKAIK,l grinds and one time I left it had the fan got stuck and the CPU started getting hot )

This VM, the Windows 10 v2004 test VM I created, and the other test VM I created w/ Win 10v 20H2 (whatever that means H20 water LOL) seem to be OK. The VM I am posting about isn't running the swiftest, it wasn't the fastest before either (time for a reinstall at some point??) but at least it's usable unlike before where this VM and the v2004 VM (I only recenly installed 20H2 VM, it was my only separate test VM other than the main) were unusable.

No BSODs either. Confused but grateful the VM is running... I'll have to check Windows update logs and see if there was a firmware or driver update or something like that...

Thanks.