Windows XP Mode guest stopped working in 5.1

[dustwalker]

Hi, I run VirtualBox on Windows 7 x64, using Linux and "Windows XP Mode" as guest operating systems. Both guest operating systems worked fine on VirtualBox 5.0.24-108355.

I updated VirtualBox to 5.1.0-108711. The guest Linux runs fine. On the other hand, "Windows XP Mode" does not boot. It just shows a black screen without popups or error messages.

Removing VirtualBox 5.1 and reinstalling VirtualBox 5.0.24 solved the problem.

Notes: To install "Windows XP Mode", I had extracted VirtualXPVHD from an xmp file which was extracted from WindowsXPMode_en-us.exe. I also downloaded pcbios.bin from VMLite and input the command:

VBoxManage.exe setextradata XPvhd VBoxInternal/Devices/pcbios/0/Config/BiosRom" "C:\VirtualBox\pcbios.bin"

Best Regards

[Frank Mehnert]

I would like to see at least a VBox.log file for your "XP mode" VM. At least when running with VBox 5.1.0.

[michaln]

Please attach your pcbios.bin. We need to have a look.

[dustwalker]

Log of failed attempt to load a XP Mode virtual machine

[dustwalker]

BIOS file needed by the XP Mode virtual machine

[dustwalker]

Replying to frank:

I would like to see at least a VBox.log file for your "XP mode" VM. At least when running with VBox 5.1.0.

The VBox.log file attached comes from VirtualBox-5.1.2-108956-Win installed with its extension pack over my VirtualBox-5.0.24-108355-Win install (without previous uninstall). When I tried to load the XP Mode virtual machine, I got the black screen. After a few minutes, I closed the screen.

[michaln]

Thanks for the BIOS image. Unfortunately, this is something that's not going to work. The old BIOS is simply not suitable for VirtualBox 5.1 because it does not fully initialize the local APIC. That's something which wasn't a problem with VirtualBox 5.0 because it did not correctly emulate the APIC, but 5.1 correctly emulates the initial APIC state and extra the initialization is required.

This is not a bug. You are simply trying to put two incompatible pieces together. You need to ask whoever provided that pcbios.bin to fix it, or modify it yourself. It clearly comes from VirtualBox 4.1.2 OSE so any modifications must be provided under the terms of the GPL.