virtualbox - RTR3InitEx failed with rc=-1912 (rc=-1912)

[Humphrey van Polanen Petel]

update manager prompts me to install some updates
one of the updates concerns virtualbox
after update completes starting a VM results in
RTR3InitEx failed with rc=-1912 (rc=-1912)

ProblemType: Bug
DistroRelease: Ubuntu 16.04
Package: virtualbox-qt 5.1.34-dfsg-0ubuntu1.16.04.2
ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 4.13.0-37.42~16.04.1-generic 4.13.13
Uname: Linux 4.13.0-37-generic x86_64
NonfreeKernelModules: nvidia_uvm nvidia_drm nvidia_modeset nvidia
ApportVersion: 2.20.1-0ubuntu2.15
Architecture: amd64
CurrentDesktop: Unity
Date: Mon Apr 2 16:09:18 2018
ExecutablePath: /usr/lib/virtualbox/VirtualBox
InstallationDate: Installed on 2017-12-13 (109 days ago)
InstallationMedia: Ubuntu 16.04.3 LTS "Xenial Xerus" - Release amd64 (20170801)
SourcePackage: virtualbox
UpgradeStatus: No upgrade log present (probably fresh install)

[Humphrey van Polanen Petel (hpvpp)]

running "modprobe vboxdrv" as advised does not resolve the problem

[Humphrey van Polanen Petel (hpvpp)]

The Ubuntu Software package indicated the presence of an OS-update so I ran that.
After completion, virtualbox does appear to start the VM, but then a message box pops up identifying itself as a "Guru Meditation". It directs me to the virtualbox conmmunity and supply the VBox.log and VBox.png and suggests to press <OK>, because pressing <Ignore> presumes special knowledge (which I don't think I have).

However, I think virtualbox should not behave like this after a system initiated update and so I think this is not just a problem, but a bug.

Note: while this panel is up, the system will not respond, i.e. I cannot start shutter to take a screenshot.

Meanwhile, I still can't run my VM.

[Humphrey van Polanen Petel (hpvpp)]

VBox.log says
HM: HMR3Init: Falling back to raw-mode: VT-x is not available

did the update disable VT-x ?

[Humphrey van Polanen Petel (hpvpp)]

VBox.log says
HM: HMR3Init: Falling back to raw-mode: VT-x is not available

perhaps the update disabled VT-x ?

[Gianfranco Costamagna (costamagnagianfranco)]

Hello, can you please check the bios of your pc to see if VT-x are actually enabled?

[Gianfranco Costamagna (costamagnagianfranco)]

Also, the properties of your VM Settings->System->Acceleration should have VT-x checked

[Humphrey van Polanen Petel (hpvpp)]

I am running Ubuntu 16.04 LTS on a Dell Vostro 420
Ubuntu reports: Intel® Core™2 Quad CPU Q8200 @ 2.33GHz × 4
Dell specifies that cpu does not support VT-x (see https://ark.intel.com/products/spec/SLB5M ) and a relevant setting is not available in the BIOS

$ sudo modprobe msr
$ sudo rdmsr 0x3a
returns 1

VM Settings->System->Acceleration is grayed out

But

I have been running a WindowsXP VM in VirtualBox for 10+ years.

[Humphrey van Polanen Petel (hpvpp)]

Issuing command "VBoxManage modifyvm "Windows XP" --hwvirtex off" as per recommendation in https://www.virtualbox.org/ticket/17522 did not solve the problem.

Giving more memory to the VM as per recommendation of https://www.virtualbox.org/ticket/2761 did not solve the problem.

[Humphrey van Polanen Petel (hpvpp)]

I posted in the VirtualBox Community forum (at https://forums.virtualbox.org/viewtopic.php?f=7&t=87387) and they referred me to here.

[Humphrey van Polanen Petel (hpvpp)]

I just found out that "raw mode", i.e. not requiring VT-x has been phased out with recent VirtualBox releases. Accordingly, there is no solution here.

[Humphrey van Polanen Petel (hpvpp)]

marked invalid