VirtualBox Running REALLY Slow

[deejross]

I just installed the free (not open source) version of VirtualBox and set up an XP machine in there. I totally removed everything i didn't need, disabled unneeded services, turned off themes, set up paging file properly, etc. It runs ok until I load MixMeister up. I read a blog where someone was able to run it on relatively slow machine compared to mine with no problem, yet it runs REALLY slow on mine. Audio is skipping all the time, regardless of the buffer settings, screen updates only happen ever 5 seconds or so, so it's impossible to use.

The host machine is a Pentium D 3.4Ghz with 4GB Ram, and I set the guest to use 64 MB of Video RAM, and 1.5GB of system RAM. At first, I had the VM's audio output set to ALSA, but I changed it to OSS after reading somewhere that it causes problems, but I haven't noticed any change. It's slow either way.

Does anyone have any ideas? Anyone else run audio applications in a VirtualBox VM?

Thanks, Ross

EDIT: And before you ask, yes I tried running it in WINE, and no it doesn't work at all :)

[deejross]

I should also mention that the audio files are stored on a file server, and I mapped the two drives that contain all the music. So maybe it has something to do with the networking? It's set up for NAT right now.

[flo6320]

Hey,

I have also performance problems. Do you use the 64Bit version of ubuntu?

In my case the performance on 64Bit ubuntu is very bad. Then I tried it on a slower computer but 32Bit ubuntu and it is faster than on the more powerful PC! :)

So the reason is maybe the 64Bit version!

I will wait for Hardy and hope not to have any performance problems there.

Thanks, Flo

[deejross]

Actually, I was using 32-bit Ubuntu. But I also noticed that it's not just Ubuntu, and it's not just me. I have a dual-core Xeon Mac Pro at work running Windows (through bootcamp) and I'm running VMware Workstation on it so I can have Ubuntu at work. Whenever I start up the VM at work on that monster machine, the login sound skips like crazy too.

So I think it has to do with VM audio in general, regardless of host platform, computing power, and virtualizer. The VM's themselves run fine (and fast sometimes), but the second you play audio with it, they all start to slow to a crawl. Especially, if you use an audio editor (like SoundForge, ACID, MixMeister, etc).

[svk]

I can confirm I'm having a similar problem. I'm running on an HP dv6000 laptop. My host is a 32 bit Ubuntu, and my guest is Windows XP. I have Guest Additions enabled.

I've tried all the sound drivers available: PulseAudio, ALSA, and OSS. The audio is slow on all of them, skips often, etc. In my case, I'm trying to use Finale, which is a program for music composition, but the performance is not just bad, but completely unacceptable.

Is there anything I could do?

[deejross]

I actually got pissed off by the whole thing and built a new AMD machine from scrap parts laying around and installed XP on it. So I guess there's another usage case for keeping a Windows box around. Everyone always said the only thing holding you back from moving away from a dedicated Windows machine was gaming, but now it's gaming and audio/video. :(

[Enav]

:KS PROBLEM SOLVED FOR ME :KS
(VirtualBox 3.0.4 and Ubuntu 9.04 - the Jaunty Jackalope-

If u want to do a new fresh install use Method 1
If u want to save your previous "virtualdisks" use Method 2

Method 1
----------------
1- Goto System --> Administration --> Synaptic Pakage Manager
2- Write on the search box "virtualbox"
3- Select and "complete remove" all virtualbox related packages
4- Goto your "home" folder
5- Press "Control + H" to show hidden files
6- Look for the folder ".VirtualBox"
7- Delete the entire folder ".VirtualBox"
8- Download and install Virtualbox from your prefered source
11- Create a new virtual machine
12- Enjoy


Method 2
----------------
1- Take a note about your current "virtualdisk" mode (IDE or SATA)
2- Goto System --> Administration --> Synaptic Pakage Manager
3- Write on the search box "virtualbox"
4- Select and "complete remove" all virtualbox related packages
5- Goto your "home" folder
6- Press "Control + H" to show hidden files
7- Look for the folder ".VirtualBox/HardDisks"
8- Move the folder "HardDisks" to another location to save all "virtualdisks" that have been created
9- Delete the entire folder ".VirtualBox"
10- Download and install Virtualbox from your prefered source
11- Replace the current ".VirtualBox/HardDisks" folder with the previous saved "HardDisks" folder
12- Create a new virtual machine and attach the saved "virtualdisk" using the correct drive mode (remember step 1)
13- Enjoy

The guest worked for me in full speed whitout any processor or load problem.

Many thanks for "Sun Microsystems" and "junkfer" for the solution
I just wrote this tutorial with more clarity

[ltwinner]

:KS PROBLEM SOLVED FOR ME :KS
(VirtualBox 3.0.4 and Ubuntu 9.04 - the Jaunty Jackalope-

If u want to do a new fresh install use Method 1
If u want to save your previous "virtualdisks" use Method 2

Method 1
----------------
1- Goto System --> Administration --> Synaptic Pakage Manager
2- Write on the search box "virtualbox"
3- Select and "complete remove" all virtualbox related packages
4- Goto your "home" folder
5- Press "Control + H" to show hidden files
6- Look for the folder ".VirtualBox"
7- Delete the entire folder ".VirtualBox"
8- Download and install Virtualbox from your prefered source
11- Create a new virtual machine
12- Enjoy


Method 2
----------------
1- Take a note about your current "virtualdisk" mode (IDE or SATA)
2- Goto System --> Administration --> Synaptic Pakage Manager
3- Write on the search box "virtualbox"
4- Select and "complete remove" all virtualbox related packages
5- Goto your "home" folder
6- Press "Control + H" to show hidden files
7- Look for the folder ".VirtualBox/HardDisks"
8- Move the folder "HardDisks" to another location to save all "virtualdisks" that have been created
9- Delete the entire folder ".VirtualBox"
10- Download and install Virtualbox from your prefered source
11- Replace the current ".VirtualBox/HardDisks" folder with the previous saved "HardDisks" folder
12- Create a new virtual machine and attach the saved "virtualdisk" using the correct drive mode (remember step 1)
13- Enjoy

The guest worked for me in full speed whitout any processor or load problem.

Many thanks for "Sun Microsystems" and "junkfer" for the solution
I just wrote this tutorial with more clarity

I dont see how that answers the problems of slow performance, basically you just reinstalled.

[tenghoward]

If your CPU supports hardware virtualization (VT-X/AMD-V), enable it in VirtualBox and BIOS. It might help to boost the speed. If it also supports Nested Pagin, enable that as well.

I am using Ubuntu x64 with guest as XP x64. It is running fast on my computer (With AMD-V enabled).

CPU - AMD 64 X2 2200 MHZ
RAM - 4GB (1 GB for Guest)

[UltraParadigm]

Using Ubuntu AMD64 9.10, and VB vs 3.1.2
My system is quad core 1.6, 8GB RAM, 3GB for guest
I have virtualization and Hardware acceleration on
Guest OS is Win7 64bit

The system flew at first but after installing the Realtec audio driver in the guest Win7 OS, it started going a bit slower and the sound is very choppy. The system lags whenever there is sound playing.

:-(

-------------------------------
Update
-------------------------------
I tried increasing the CPUs up to my limit, and the more processor cores I used the worse it got. Then I brought it all the way back down to one, and it's working perfectly fast like lightning now!

YAY!