Nvidia driver incompatibility

[TaserShots]

Please forgive me as this is my first post here, and I'm sure I'll unknowingly break some rules.

I'm using VirtualBox 6.1.12 r139181 (Qt5.6.2) and am having the same problem with both NVIDIA MX150 AND the integrated Intel 620 hardware: all is OK when 3D acceleration is disabled; cannot shutdown when enabled. This is true for all efforts to shutdown: Start Menu / press "Power Button": send CTRL+ALT+Delete, press power button; send CTRL+ALT+Delete, logoff, press power button; Click Machine / APCI Shutdown. All have no response. The only choice I found to stop the VM is to power it off.

The log file is attached here.

The laptop offers 2 video cards, and both have the same problem:
- Integrated Intel 620 (works normally when 3D is disabled)
- Integrated Intel 620 (cannot shutdown when 3D is enabled)
- NVIDIA MX150 (cannot shutdown when using this card and 3D is enabled)

Notes:
This is a new VM I built today using Windows 10 32-Bit Pro Version 2004. No updates applied yet.
I have the exact same problem with a Windows 10 64-Bit Pro updated to Version 2004 with all current updates applied.

Hardware:
Huawei Matebook D i7 8550U
16.0 GB memory
2 SSDs

I need the extra boost the NVIDIA offers. Thank you for any help / guidance!

Jack

[scottgus1]

I split your post from the topic you added onto, as it appears to be a different issue. (So you busted one rule, not to post on other topics with different subjects. We'll let you go this time. )

Your guest log shows 3D enabled, good guest specs (except for the CPU count) and the host video drivers being used.

Being unable to shut down the guest with 3D enabled is surely unusual. I've never heard of that one.

First, re the CPU count, you have all four physical host cores available for the guest to use. Such a setup can starve the host if the guest goes 100% on all cores, and more cores without data to fill them h=up slows down the guest. Consider reducing guest cores to 2. (BTW hyperthreads don't count in Virtualbox.)

Try these ideas:

From the guest's Run... box try the command (after saving and closing open programs):
shutdown -s -t 2

Use the Windows 7 install media to make a new test guest, install Guest Additions and 3D, and try the usual shutdown methods.

[TaserShots]

scottgus1,

Thank you for the quick reply and moving my inquiry (and even being nice about it ). Also thank you for your shutdown suggestion; I'll give it a try.

As for the CPU, I understand what you're saying. My processor has 4 cores with 8 total threads. You say hyperthreads don't count yet they are included in the CPU count in the guest's VirtualBox settings. I figured I was giving it "half." I'll make the adjustments you suggest and try again.

At this point I'm tinkering trying to increase performance. CPU, Memory, and Disk seem perfectly fine. My problem is clearly poor video performance when I use the default GPU (Intel). I know this because it shows in the GPU 0 section of task manager's performance tab without 3D enabled. It may well be I'm just under powered and will have to do something else. But the laptop has that NVIDIA hardware, and I would like to try it if possible. Maybe I should try to install the NVIDIA drivers on the guest? (Duh!)

Just to be clear, I have the same exact problem if I use the default GPU integrated in the Intel processor with 3D enabled. I can send a log using that one if you like. Note that in all cases there is no load on the guest or host systems.

To clarify, the guest is Windows 10 Pro (new today) with Guest Additions installed, and the host is Windows 10 Home. OR . . . are you suggesting I create a new Windows 7 and perform the same tests?

You said you have not seen this problem before, but I thought the thread I originally hijacked indeed had the same problem. I've seen a few others complaining as well. In fact it was one of those where I read how to invoke the NVIDIA hardware in a VirtualBox guest. But the VM still won't use it without 3D enabled.

Here is the link on how to use NVIDIA if you're interested:
https://superuser.com/questions/779070/ ... virtualbox

I would greatly appreciate hearing any other thoughts you or anyone else has on this.

Thank you again!

Jack

[scottgus1]

and even being nice about it

I do try. Can't say I always succeed, but I take my best shot.

If I remember right the other topic had issues with the host video drivers that your log says your guest doesn't have. And I think the other poster could not run the guest with 3D, whereas yours can. So it appears the source of the other topic's trouble is different than yours.

That CPU slider numbering and coloring has been discussed before and has a different ultimate reason behind the display besides just showing the host core setup and what can be given to the guest. Example: I have the 4 & 4 green & red typical coloring of a 4-core hyperthreaded CPU on one host. That PC has an I5-750 in it, which is 4 cores with no hyperthreading. So there are no eight cores physical or logical on it, but the slider is colored for 8 cores with 4 max recommended...

Maybe I should try to install the NVIDIA drivers on the guest?

That would hurt, not help. The guest OS does not see the Nvidia or the built-in video card, only the Virtualbox video card. I suspect you'd have to use the host video configuration program to get Virtualbox to calculate on the Nvidia card rather than the integrated car if that is possible.

Sorry about the confusion about the Windows 7, I had my posts crossed. Try a fresh 10 guest to see if the shutdown problem happens.

I looked over the Superuser link, it looks like a good idea to try. Check the Virtualbox executable that you set up for, it's called 'VirtualboxVM.exe' now.

[TaserShots]

@scottgus1 (or anyone else),

Sorry. I got a bit sidetracked and couldn't get back to this until now.

I'm still a little confused about assigning processors. I understand your i5 has only 4 processors to give. My i7 has hyper-threading, so that gives me 8 total. Regardless, I set the VM to 2 CPUs for now (see attachment "Processor" image).

On to the main problem . . .
I did add 'VirtualboxVM.exe' to the nVidia Manage 3D settings settings. As I expected, the nVidia adapter only gets used when I set the VM to use 3D in System settings. Otherwise I see no activity on that adapter, only on Intel.

To attempt to show the 3D problem, I attached 2 additional pictures. "3D Screen" shows what I see when I press the Windows key (note that the cursor is in the search box which functions normally). You can also see the icons from pressing the Windows key are transparent showing the icons underneath. I can press the "Power" icon which would give a 3rd layer of icons, but nothing happens when I do (which is what made it a bit difficult to shutdown). What I find interesting is the "Settings" icon works normally. But then it's opening a separate window rather than trying to display a third level of icons. Finally, I also included an "Attempting Updates" image which shows inadwquate screen painting following a screen timeout.

The bottom line . . . I get the same conditions using either graphics adapter when I check the 3D box, so it's not just an nVidia problem. The Windows 10 screen just does not work properly after login using 3D. Note that I tried this on other VMs (same host, though) and got the same results.

I appreciate any help you can give me and will send logs or whatever else I can to provide more information.

Thank you again for your time!

Jack

[scottgus1]

I'm still a little confused about assigning processors.

That's OK, I was confused about the meaning of the green/red slider. It's a graphic to help the user know he/she might be overcommitting the guest's processor count, which in some esoteric developer use cases can be done. For the average John Q. Public users like me & most other posters on the forum, best use is max one less core (not counting hyperthreading) than the number of physical cores the host has, and usually two for modern OS's, one for anything less than XP-era, and not more unless there's 3rd-party parallel processing software installed that can generate data that benefits from more cores. This is all anecdotal from forum responses that the advice worked.

But since the slider is there one can experiment to one's heart's content.

Re the I7's 8 "cores", check the ark.intel.com website for the processor. If it says 8 cores, then there's 8 available. If it says 4 cores & 2 threads per core, then there's really only 4 cores and your OS is 'lying' to you to make you feel better. But experimentation is possible with the slider.

We have found that disabling Settings > Personalization > Colors > Transparency Effects in your Windows guest helps with see-through menus & such.

[TaserShots]

Once again, thanks for your help. I disabled "Transparency Effects," and it seems to be working normally. Now back to my original tests.

You've been most helpful! Thank you for your time!

Jack

[scottgus1]

Great! Glad you're up and running.