64bit Windows 7 VM Locks up Ubuntu Machine

[Neal Gamradt]

I have a Windows 7 virtual machine that was working a few days ago, however, now when I try to boot it the entire machine locks up so hard that I have to reset it. I am running Ubuntu 12.04 and this is what I have currently for VirtualBox:

virtualbox:
  Installed: 4.1.10-dfsg-1
  Candidate: 4.1.10-dfsg-1
  Version table:
 *** 4.1.10-dfsg-1 0
        500 http://us.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ precise/universe i386 Packages
        100 /var/lib/dpkg/status

I have installed the guest additions and also the package that allows for USB 2.0. I don't know what has changed that is causing this particular VM to freak out. If I try to run a repair on the VM, it also locks up. I am not having this issue with my 32bit Windows XP VMs, they are still working without issue.

Is anyone else experiencing this issue? I know there was a kernel upgrade yesterday, perhaps that caused an issue?

[Neal Gamradt (ngamradt-d)]

This continues to be a problem and seems to be getting worse. The only way that I can currently boot this system is via a snapshot, trying to do a clean boot just causes my entire host Linux system to lock up completely. I have played with various settings and nothing seems to help, very odd.

Is anyone else experiencing this issue with 64bit guests on a 32bit host? This was working without issue in 11.10. I know 12.04 is still beta but I just wanted to report this as a problem I am experiencing.

[Rob Landry (rob-a-landry)]

I am not sure if the cause is the same, but I have 32bit Ubuntu 12.04 host with 64bit win7 in virtualbox and it also locks ubuntu until i hard reset. This happens within 30 seconds of booting windows 7.

[Lauren Matheson (inan-coldsnap)]

I have similar behaviour. My win7home premium 64 bit guest was running fine under Ubuntu 11.10, but after upgrading to 12.04 yesterday it no longer works. Initially it would not start, giving an error message that kernel modules were not loaded, but after doing a dpkg-reconfigure for the dkms package and starting via inet.d the guest would begin to boot. Shortly after starting the machine freezes. Kbd no longer works, and mouse clicks have no effect, though the pointer still moves. Unfortunately I do not have any snapshots to try.

The issue is not just my guest install, I tried creating a new vm and installing win7hp-64 and the system freezes in the same way during the first graphical "starting" screen.

Any help would be appreciated.

[Launchpad Janitor (janitor)]

Status changed to 'Confirmed' because the bug affects multiple users.

[Neal Gamradt (ngamradt-d)]

I am glad to know I am not the only one having this issue. For a bit I was beginning to think it was maybe just my machine. I even updated my BIOS to see if that would help. For me this issue seems to be completely at random, sometimes it will boot fully and then other times it will do the lock-up exactly at Lauren described. Given it is a hardcore lock-up, I am unsure the best way to try to capture data on the issue.

[Rob Landry (rob-a-landry)]

Issue still present on virtualbox 4.1.14 r77440.

[ric_ghory (ric-o-ghory)]

I resolved a similar host freezing problem following this procedure:

  http://8thstring.blogspot.com.br/2012/01/error-could-not-locate-dkmsconf-file.html

After that I did:

  sudo apt-get remove virtualbox-4.1
  sudo apt-get install virtualbox-4.1

Problem solved, no more freezing.

[Rob Landry (rob-a-landry)]

Looks to be resolved with latest vbox and linux kernel.

[yevgen (yevgen-bushuyev)]

ubuntu 16.04, virtualbox 5.018 - same problem.

[Gianfranco Costamagna (costamagnagianfranco)]

not sure, can you please open a new bug?
thanks