VirtualBox 4.2.12 crashes if running multiple instances of VirtualBox

[grahame]

I have VirtualBox 4.2.12 running on a Windows 7 Pro 64-bit host system. I have noticed that if I accidently launch a second instance of virtualbox and then start a Windows 8 virtual machine in that instance when I shut down the virtual machine VirtualBox crashes. This happens intermittently.

Is it possible to get VirtualBox to check to see if it is already running and then to prevent another instance from starting? I believe this could be the reason for the crashes.

[Frank Mehnert]

With 'second instance of VirtualBox' you mean a second VirtualBox VM selector window?

[grahame]

Replying to frank:

With 'second instance of VirtualBox' you mean a second VirtualBox VM selector window?

Hi Frank. Yes, that is what I mean. This might be a tricky problem to solve as I have only experienced this on a few occasions. What happens is that I open the VirtualBox application and then I minimise it to the taskbar (without starting any VMs) whilst I do something else (check emails, etc). Forgetting that I already have VirtualBox running, I then double-click the shortcut to VirtualBox on the desktop and launch VirtualBox again. So now I have two "instances" of VirtualBox running! In this second instance I then start a VM (eg Windows 8). When I shut down the Virtual Machine (not VirtualBox itself) VirtualBox crashes (only this instance of VirtualBox - the other one minimised to the taskbar still runs OK). I should have attached the log files when I first reported this so I'll see if I can reproduce the crash. Thanks for your reply mate.

[Alex]

Hello. Can you attach log files and crash dump (minidump) if available please. I can't reproduce this problem.

[Frank Mehnert]

No response, closing.