running slow

[CompTech]

I installed the version 4.3 of virtualbox. After installing virtualbox my vm's started running slow. So slow that I had to uninstall it and re install 4.2.18. attached is the log file from the vm that I was running.

[Frank Mehnert]

Could this be 3D-related, i.e. what happens if you disable 3D for that VM?

[CompTech]

No it still is causing a blue screen of IRQL_NOT_LESS_OR_EQUAL

STOP: 0X0000000A (0X00000016, 0X0000001C, 0X00000000, 0X804FA2D6)

that is with 3d disabled. When I reboot it will do the same thing. that is what started it in the first place. blue screen then on second boot it will be slow.

[Ramshankar Venkataraman]

Does reducing the guest CPUs to 1 make any difference?

[CompTech]

It didn't blue screen but the vm is still running slow. Taking a long time to get to the login screen. It still has not come up to the windows login screen. I will include the current log file for the vm and going back to 4.2.18

[CompTech]

this is the vbox logfile from today with the changes suggested.

[kernelOfTruth]

Host is Linux, 2D-Acceleration used,

Chipset PIIX3, Storage PIIX4

Guest is Windows XP Pro SP3,

when allowing only 1 Processor everything runs fast, with 2 Processors (after upgrade from 4.2.18) cpu load is almost all the time at 200% (2 cpus), until everything has loaded, GUI is very sluggish

and it (windows xp) already hardlocked several times

strange thing:

after setting back to 2 processors - the guest (windows xp) is pretty fast, will see how long this goes ...

[Paul2]

FWIW, I have the same problem. As soon as I upgraded to 4.3, my guest is running like molasses.

The host is slow too. In the host, VirtualBox.exe is taking 40-90% of cpu. Didn't do that before.

[CompTech]

Version 4.3.2 is a little better. It is stable at least. It is still slow running but it does not hang now. I still have to revert back to 4.2.18 to get any speed in my vm's. The cpu meter on my desktop shows that the cpu is being used very heavily.

[Klaus Espenlaub]

What so far no one mentioned is if there is high load inside the VM. Because if that's the case then high CPU load on the host is unavoidable, and we need to find out what's triggering this unexpected guest activity (process name, any further hints?).

[Paul2]

No particular process seems to be slowing the guest. Something's happening with it though, because the sound is choppy. And Guest Additions has crashed twice now. I'll try updating to 4.3.2, see what difference that makes.

[Paul2]

Upgraded to 4.3.2. I don't see anything taking cycles on the guest (XP) at idle, but whenever I try to do anything at all, processor usage jumps way up and stays there for several seconds. No particular process seems to be doing it; they all take a lot of cpu.

This guest used to be snappy, now even drawing a window is slow.

Without process names and usage number specifics, this probably isn't much help. Sorry. "Just a feeling" isn't much to go on.

This came just from opening My Computer. Seems like a lot of activity for opening a window that has not much in it: ​http://thumbsnap.com/zLZ6KZ8C

[Danial]

I can confirm this,

it appears to primarily effect 32bit virtual machines on 64bit hosts.

the CPU load for the virtual machine will hit the maximum for the given cores assigned and the host will actually behave sluggish, seeming to clear up once the os has finally booted.

a 64bit guest on the other hand is using minimal load during the virtual machine boot process

I could previously boot both guests at the same time very quickly, now the 32bit host bogs down both vm's when i try to under 4.3.x

[Frank Mehnert]

Still relevant with VBox 4.3.6?

[Van Stokes Jr]

Still relevant in 4.3.28. Host: Ubuntu 14.04.02 (x64) Guest: Windows XP (x32)

Per guest performance occurs when setting CPU count to two(2) (or greater than one) and enabling "I/O APIC".

[Frank Mehnert]

AmenRa, please attach a VBox.log file for such a VM session.