VMs cannot start

[Panos Kavalagios]

When you try to start a VM the following error occurs:

Failed to open a session for the virtual machine MS Windows XP.

VT-x is not available. (VERR_VMX_NO_VMX).

Result Code: NS_ERROR_FAILURE (0x80004005) Component: Console Interface: IConsole {8ab7c520-2442-4b66-8d74-4ff1e195d2b6}

[Panos Kavalagios]

The bug seems to be an improved version of bug #12222. There you couldn't restore a VM. Now you can't even start it.

A workaround is to stick with version 4.2.20 that works perfect.

[Frank Mehnert]

You can fix your VM by executing

VBoxManage modifyvm "MS Windows XP" --longmode off

We have to check how we can fix such busted VM configurations automatically.

[Panos Kavalagios]

Hello Frank,

Your workaround has worked and I was able to boot the VM, but apparently bug #12222 hasn't been fixed, as a restore attempt on a saved VM session produced the following error:

Failed to open a session for the virtual machine MS Windows XP.

Failed to load unit 'PATM' (VERR_SSM_STRUCTURE_MAGIC).

Result Code: NS_ERROR_FAILURE (0x80004005)
Component: Console
Interface: IConsole {8ab7c520-2442-4b66-8d74-4ff1e195d2b6}

back to 4.2.20 again, which seems to be the only workaround.

[Jacob Klein]

I have been tracking a 'PATM' VERR_SSM_STRUCTURE_MAGIC error in VirtualBox 4.3.4:
Ticket #12414 ==> https://www.virtualbox.org/ticket/12414
No response yet from Frank or Oracle dev team. :-/

[Panos Kavalagios]

Jacob,

It looks like a duplicate of bug #12222. It has been re-opened twice. We are waiting the next release that might fix our issue. Let's keep the present issue only for the VM start issue, when VT-x is not enabled and the config reports longmode on.

[Frank Mehnert]

The SSM issue is really a duplicate of #12222, the initial report in this ticket is not.

[Jacob Klein]

Sorry for any confusion.

[Frank Mehnert]

The initial issue should be also fixed with VBox 4.3.6.

[Panos Kavalagios]

Confirmed on many old Windows and Linux Guests. It works fine.

[fanZel]

Don't know if the fix in 4.3.6 covers all variants of this issue. At least my Win XP guest still runs in the SSM error, c.f. Zulu.log