Win7 Host BSOD: IRQL_NOT_LESS_OR_EQUAL when starting VBox

[moomoo]

I'm running a Win7 Enterprise host on an Intel i7 2.80 GHz with 8GB RAM. I had VBox installed and running fine initally, but after some update [ it might have been a windows update, VBox update, or both ] I get a blue screen of death [ IRQL_NOT_LESS_OR_EQUAL ] as soon as I try to start up VirtualBox. I have uninstalled and reinstalled and rebooted many times, trying with versions 3.2.12, 4.0.2, and 4.0.4 and I keep getting the BSOD. I have attached the dump files of the latest crash using 4.0.4.

[moomoo]

BSOD dump file

[Denis Andrienko]

Host: Windows 7 Professional; Guests: latest stable releases of Ubuntu and Fedora. Issue: running fine initially, but suddenly I get BSOD with IRQL_NOT_LESS_OR_EQUAL when trying to start VBox. Reinstalling does not help. Attached is the dump file.

[sunlover]

Please check if the following new build fixes the BSOD:

​http://www.virtualbox.org/download/testcase/VirtualBox-win-4.0-rel-4.0.5-r70391-MultiArch.exe

[Denis Andrienko]

Yes it does. Thanks.

[irishguy]

Same problem. Windows 7 Entreprise Host. Guest: Ubuntu 10.10. I get a BSOD with IRQL_NOT_LESS_OR_EQUAL when trying to start VirtualBox. Reinstalling 4.0.4 doesn't help. Installing 4.0.5 above also does not work.

[sunlover]

irishguy, please attach a minidump of the crash.

See ​http://www.virtualbox.org/wiki/Core_dump At the end of the page there are some details about minidumps on Windows.

[irishguy]

I am now unable to provide a minidump. I downgraded to 4.0.2 which produced the same error -BSOD with same message when I tried to start it- although it had worked previously. Any attempt to upgrade back to 4.0.4 failed because the installer rolled back at the end of the installation. I then deleted the c:\Program Files\Oracle\VirtualBox folder and reinstalled 4.0.2. The installer gave an error about a network connection existing with the same name which I ignored. This installation of 4.0.2 now works again.

[algotr]

Had the same problem: Windows 7 x64 Host, worked nicely with 3 x 1 GB memory - failed with 2 x 2 + 2 x 1 (=6) GB memory. BSOD: IRQL_NOT_LESS_OR_EQUAL

[algotr]

It turns out it wasn't the memory, it was the Aero-theme. I had turned on the Aero-theme after I added the memory.

Without windows Aero (one colour background only) VirtualBox seems to work fine with all the memory.

I guess it's the OpenGL support that doesn't work.

Virtual PC 2007 SP1 works nicely with or without Aero.

I have a really cheap Sapphire ATI Radeon 5450 (1 GB DDR3) with passive cooling.

[moomoo]

4.0.4 had been working for me for a while. Then I applied Windows update, and the BSOD is back. I will attach 3 dump files. The first is still with 4.0.4 that used to work just fine for me until this last windows update. Then I uninstalled that and installed the latest 4.0.8 -- again blue screen. Finally I tried 4.0.8 but after turning off Aero, and still no luck.

[moomoo]

VBox 4.0.4 BSOD minidump

[moomoo]

VBox 4.0.8 BSOD minidump

[moomoo]

VBox 4.0.8 BSOD minidump after turning off Aero

[sunlover]

moomoo, thanks for minidumps. They show that the BSOD is related to VBox USB host drivers. However in all cases a third party umpusbvista.sys driver is involved. This is a USB to Serial driver according to internet search. May be there is an incompatibility issue between VBox and the umpusbvista.sys driver. Could you try to uninstall the driver and check if this helps?

Also as a workaround you could reinstall VBox without USB support. But of course in this case you'll not be able to pass USB devices to VMs.

[moomoo]

Thanks so much for your prompt advice!

Uninstalling umpusbvista.sys did indeed prevent BSOD, as well as installing VBox without USB support.

Incidentally, I think driver load order might matter? That is, if I've installed VBox with USB support:

Uninstall umpusbvista.sys Start VBox : no BSOD Close VBox Reinstall umpusbvista.sys Start VBox : no BSOD Reboot computer Start VBox : BSOD.

[Pablo G.]

Start number 5 of de VM

[Pablo G.]

Star number 4 of the VM

[Pablo G.]

I have the same problem.

I install the VirtualBox 4.2.10 r84104. Then in a VM I install a Debian Linux.

When I star the VM, it appear a blue screen with IRQL_NOT_LESS_OR_EQUAL.

My machine has: Core 2 duo T5600 @1.83GHz 2 Gb RAM @ 677MHz Windows XP pro.

Can you tell me, by analyzing my .dmp attached, the driver that is crashing the CPU?? Which program do you use to see the information of the dmp file?

Thanks

Pablo.

[Mihai Hanor]

Pablo G, the driver is the Realtek HD Audio Driver.

[Tormak]

Windows 7 Minidump (Tormak)

[aeichner]

Please reopen if still relevant with a recent VirtualBox release.