Process Explorer, Remote Desktop causing blue screens on 64-bit Windows Server 2008 R2 guest

[Matt]

I have a newly-created guest that I installed from a 64-bit Windows Server 2008 R2 with Service Pack 1 installation disc. It has no additional applications or Windows components installed beyond the defaults, and the only configuration changes I've made are setting the computer name, static network configuration, and a few changes in local Group Policy. I have been experiencing reproducible blue screens when performing either of the following actions:

• Running (or, usually, exiting) Process Explorer 14.12
• Logging out of a Remote Desktop session (connected to Windows' RDP server, not VirtualBox's)

These blue screens do not occur every single time I perform one of the above actions, but usually every third or fourth. Most often the stop code is 0x0000001A MEMORY_MANAGEMENT, but occasionally I'll see 0x0000000A IRQL_NOT_LESS_OR_EQUAL. I've experimented with versions 4.0.8, 4.0.0, and 3.2.12 of VirtualBox Guest Additions, as well as no Guest Additions installed at all, and I'm still seeing this problem.

The host is running 64-bit Ubuntu Server 11.04 "Natty Narwhal" and I use VBoxHeadless to run virtual machines. I used to have a 64-bit Windows Server 2008 guest that worked fine with VirtualBox 3.2 but began experiencing similar blue screens after upgrading to 4.0, which is why I'm trying to isolate this problem now. Today I upgraded to version 4.0.10 of VirtualBox and VirtualBox Extension Pack from 4.0.8 and this issue is still present.

To produce this Process Explorer blue screen for which I added attachments, I performed the following steps:

1. Restored a snapshot taken immediately after installing Windows and making the configuration changes noted above
2. Powered on
3. Logged in to Windows
4. Copied Process Explorer from an SMB share to the local Desktop
5. Double-clicked to launch procexp.exe and Windows blue-screened soon thereafter (within seconds)

I will upload logs and dumps for the MEMORY_MANAGEMENT blue screen and Remote Desktop blue screens as I am able to produce them.

[Matt]

Process Explorer IRQL_NOT_LESS_OR_EQUAL minidump

[Matt]

Process Explorer IRQL_NOT_LESS_OR_EQUAL bugcheck

[Matt]

Process Explorer IRQL_NOT_LESS_OR_EQUAL VBox.log

[Matt]

After upgrading to VirtualBox 4.1.0 I deleted and recreated the virtual machine, installed 64-bit Windows Server 2008 R2, installed VirtualBox Guest Additions 4.1.0, and am still experiencing the same problem. I logged into the guest, ran Process Explorer 15.0, exited Process Explorer, and upon opening it a second time the guest was frozen for a few seconds until it spontaneously reset itself. When I logged back in the following message appeared:

Problem signature:
  Problem Event Name:	BlueScreen
  OS Version:	6.1.7601.2.1.0.272.7
  Locale ID:	1033

Additional information about the problem:
  BCCode:	1a
  BCP1:	0000000000003452
  BCP2:	00000000FF820000
  BCP3:	FFFFF70001086308
  BCP4:	0000000000000000
  OS Version:	6_1_7601
  Service Pack:	1_0
  Product:	272_3

Earlier in the day I copied this same virtual machine to a Lenovo ThinkPad X201 running 64-bit Windows 7 Professional and VirtualBox 4.1.0 and could not get either Process Explorer or Remote Desktop to trigger a blue screen. If I get a chance I may try installed 64-bit Windows 7 in the same guest just to see if it, too, exhibits the same problem on this host.

[Matt]

Process Explorer MEMORY_MANAGEMENT minidump

[Matt]

From the forums, the problem described in ​Virtualbox 4.0.6 on ubuntu 11.04 - win 7 guest blue screen has the following in common with mine:

• Host runs 64-bit Ubuntu
• Host has an AMD Athlon X2 processor
• Guest runs 64-bit Windows 6.1
• Guest started having problems after upgrading from VirtualBox 3.2 to 4.0
• Guest is experiencing MEMORY_MANAGEMENT blue screens

[Matt]

I took this same guest and, without making any changes other than changing the OS type to Windows7_64, performed a clean installation of 64-bit Windows 7 Professional with Service Pack 1. Setup ran with no problems, however once it was done either just before the login screen would appear or during the process of logging in (with the message "Preparing the desktop..." on the screen) this IRQL_NOT_LESS_OR_EQUAL blue screen would consistently occur:

Problem signature:
  Problem Event Name:	BlueScreen
  OS Version:	6.1.7601.2.1.0.256.48
  Locale ID:	1033

Additional information about the problem:
  BCCode:	a
  BCP1:	FFFFF683217FCF80
  BCP2:	0000000000000000
  BCP3:	0000000000000000
  BCP4:	FFFFF800026D6822
  OS Version:	6_1_7601
  Service Pack:	1_0
  Product:	256_1

I could boot with the "Safe mode with networking" option selected with no problem, but every time but one I couldn't even log into the new Windows installation. One time after a BSOD the subsequent login attempt did succeed, so I figured I'd install the Guest Additions just to see if that'd fix anything. The installer completed without issue, but when I opted to reboot Windows immediately blue screened with this MEMORY_MANAGEMENT error:

0x0000001a (0x0000000000003452, 0x000000013fb20000, 0xfffff70001088930, 0x0000000000000000)

As to the original problem described in this ticket, the first time I opened and closed Process Explorer on this Windows 7 guest, this same MEMORY_MANAGEMENT blue screen immediately occurred:

Problem signature:
  Problem Event Name:	BlueScreen
  OS Version:	6.1.7601.2.1.0.256.48
  Locale ID:	1033

Additional information about the problem:
  BCCode:	1a
  BCP1:	0000000000003452
  BCP2:	00000000FFA00000
  BCP3:	FFFFF70001087340
  BCP4:	0000000000000000
  OS Version:	6_1_7601
  Service Pack:	1_0
  Product:	256_1

[Matt]

Before Windows 7 login screen, IRQL_NOT_LESS_OR_EQUAL minidump

[Matt]

After installation of Guest Additions 4.1.0 on Windows 7, MEMORY_MANAGEMENT minidump

[Matt]

After closing Process Explorer on Windows 7, MEMORY_MANAGEMENT minidump

[David Ruggles]

I'm getting MEMORY_MANAGEMENT blue screens on Windows 7 guest. CentOS 6 host, VirtualBox 4.1.2 They happen randomly, but I'm able to consistently cause one by running Windows Update. This is running headless with only VRDP access. Have tried both with and without Virtual Box guest additions, with extensions it will just lockup, without extensions I see the blue screen with the MEMORY_MANAGEMENT error. I'm more then happy to help troubleshoot this problem.

[olewales]

Problem still exists in version 4.1.12. After closing process explorer system either freezes and restarts (blue screen code 1a) or becomes unusable due to "System" process image taking 99% CPU time until reboot. (I noticed this behaviour today. I am not sure if this happened previously).
Enviorment:
Guest OS: 64-bit Windows 2008R2 SP1 fully updated, additions installed.
Host OS: 64-bit Gentoo linux, kernel: hardened-sources-3.3.1
CPU: AMD Athlon(tm) Dual Core Processor 4850e

Please consider changing priority of this issue to blocker.

[aeichner]

Please reopen if still relevant with a recent VirtualBox release.