Virtualbox crashes when 64-bit extensions are enabled

[pwaring]

Binary package hint: virtualbox-ose

I have an Intel E6500 processor with virtualisation extensions in a desktop with 4GB of RAM. I've tried creating 32 and 64 bit guests under the latest (in the Karmic repositories anyway) version of VirtualBox OSE and I find the following issues when running guests:

1. If I disable the virtualisation extensions in the BIOS, Virtualbox will start 32 bit guests without any problems. However, I get an error message about 64 bit support not being enabled if I try to run a 64 bit guest.

2. If I enabled the virtualisation extensions, the entire system freezes up (mouse and keyboard are unresponsive) whenever I try to launch a 32 or 64 bit guest, and the only way to resolve the problem is to press the reset switch on the front of the machine.

The result I expect is for Virtualbox to run 32 and 64 bit guests when the extensions are enabled, or at the very least not to freeze my entire system.

I've run memtest without any errors, and everything else on the machine seems to work, so I don't think it's a hardware issue.

Possibly useful system information (please ask if more is required):

lsb_release -rd
Description: Ubuntu 9.10
Release: 9.10

apt-cache policy virtualbox-ose
virtualbox-ose:
  Installed: 3.0.8-dfsg-1ubuntu1
  Candidate: 3.0.8-dfsg-1ubuntu1
  Version table:
 *** 3.0.8-dfsg-1ubuntu1 0
        500 http://gb.archive.ubuntu.com karmic/universe Packages
        100 /var/lib/dpkg/status

uname -a
Linux mondas 2.6.31-17-generic #54-Ubuntu SMP Thu Dec 10 17:01:44 UTC 2009 x86_64 GNU/Linux

[pwaring (launchpad-pwaring)]

Marking this as invalid as it seems to be a general problem with virtualisation software - VMWare Player freezes up the system in the same way when virtualisation extensions are enabled.