Booting VirtualBox with USB workaround

OK - thing is all I want to do is make an exact copy (using same vmdk/vdd) and then change the VT to off. I don't want a snapshot made!

1.1 Beta 9 version:

LE: link removed, you can find a better version in the next posts

Changes:

BugFix: a bug in the random GUID generator was fixed.
BugFix/Improvement: when it finds VMSDrive***.vmdk divided into one or more snapshots, it refuses to change the vbox file (since there is little chance to not break something) and shows this message:

........................
Could not automatically add the drive(s) to the VM in VirtualBox.

Possible reason: the content of "VMSDrive***.vmdk" is divided into 'n' snapshot(s).
It is not a good idea using snapshots with real drives. But if you really want to at least do this:
If you created a snapshot or linked clone this VM you should of manually detached any
VMSDrive***.vmdk drive from the storage controller(s) before the snapshoting/cloning operation.

Are you sure you want to continue (not recommended)...?
........................




Now getting back to modifying the columns in VMS...

1.1 Beta 10 version:

LE: link removed, you can find better version in the next posts.

Changes:

Improvement: VM Name column added (visible by default), VM type column moved to the second position (hidden by default). Once again, the entries list (vml file), needs to be rebuilded to properly show the values in all columns.
Improvement: it waits the VBoxSVC.exe to close for 15 sec instead of 20 and then asks the user if it should be forcibly closed.
Improvement: you don't have to reopen Add/Edit window anymore when you insert a new drive, it will rescan when you click on the drive combobox (the "dropdown").
Improvement: setting VM ID for VB VMs in Add/Edit window removed. Now you can set VM Name (default), VM Path and exe parameters.
Improvement: Using now a better function to generate random GUID. Information here

Really like the new form  

Small issue - if I resize the form by dragging the left side in or out, the VM Name column does not seem to expand like the other columns??

So I have a small VM Name column but the other two columns have load of space...

Ok, I fixed it.

Thanks.

It will be in the next Beta...

Thank you.
Seems to work fine with VMS.
Also the quick restart bug seems to be fixed.

I can't find any more bugs or things to improve so I guess this is the final version.

1.1 final version:

 Virtual machine starter GUI setup.zip   839.31KB   2284 downloads

 Virtual machine starter GUI exe portable.zip   471.16KB   1905 downloads

 Virtual machine starter GUI sources.zip   100.76KB   673 downloads

Changes from Beta 10:

Bugfix: a problem with the column resize was fixed.
+ other small bugfixes and improvements.

sorry posted by mistake!

Pfew

I thought you found a serious bug...

Sorry, somehow an IDE controller seemed to have been in the VM when it wasn't supposed to be there....

P.S. If a VM is closed by the user as Save Machine State when VMS runs it, instead of the USB drive that was just changed in VMS, the VM runs the saved session from the other USB drive.

Could VMS check the state of a VM before running it and warn if it is in a saved state?

P.S. This scenario then breaks the VM as it won'r run in VBox any more and the VMSDrive000.vmdk shows as (Normal, Inaccessible).

Ok, I'll check to see if it's possible...

I think it's possible...

1.2 Beta 1 ?

7 hours for 1.1 final version, that's gotta be a record )

Ok, I implemented this warning:

...................
It appears that this VM is in a saved state so it will not be modified, just started...
Just so you know, it is not a good idea to save the state of a VM with a real drive,
because it will increase the risk of corrupting the data from that drive...
...................

It will still start the VM after you click on OK, but without modifying the vbox and/or the vmdk file.

Strange, seems like VirtualBox has a problem fullcloning a VM with a real drive attached (vmdk). Even if you don't start the VM with VMS and create + attach the vmdk manually, still crashes...
Does this happen on your computer too?

1.2 Beta 1 version:

LE: link removed, you can find a better version in the next posts.

Changes:

Bugfix/Improvement: if the VM was previously closed in saved state it warns the user and it just starts the VM without any modification.
Improvement: In the warning messages about volume it also shows information about the drive containing that volume.
Improvement: When waiting for "VboxSVC.exe" to close it shows a progress window.
Improvement: found a way to implement a faster lock. You can set it in Add/Edit window (default off). If a volume cannot be locked, it waits 10 sec trying again every half sec. Also it shows a progress window where the user can cancel the lock.

I'm thinking about adding a button/menu/key to see the VM log after closing.
Do you think it will help...?

I'm thinking about adding a button/menu/key to see the VM log after closing.

Do you think it will help...?

Not really as I would just run VBox Manager to see what went wrong with the config anyway (and the logs are pretty hard to scan for a clue) - but a button to launch VBox Manager would be nice...

In a way it would be useful but it would seem a little strange that it has a button to start VBM but when you start the VM it wants it closed

If I use VMS to start a VM and there is a problem, I have to go into VBox Manager to see how the drives have been configured and what state the VM and the virtual disks are in.

So it is perfectly sensible to provide a button to launch VBox Manager if a VM fails to run.

P.S.  Ideally I would like to keep VBox manager open all the time  (like the very first version...)

P.P.S. I have a taskkill shortcut on my desktop now, so I can killl vboxsvc if it gets 'stuck'.

If I use VMS to start a VM and there is a problem, I have to go into VBox Manager to see how the drives have been configured and what state the VM and the virtual disks are in.

So it is perfectly sensible to provide a button to launch VBox Manager if a VM fails to run.

Yes, but normal users don't modify the VM configuration so often, only nerds like us

P.S.  Ideally I would like to keep VBox manager open all the time  (like the very first version...)

Yes, but then I will have to call vboxmange.exe with parameters every time I want to know or set something in the VM. This will slow down VMS considerably + you can't do all with vboxmanage.exe...

P.P.S. I have a taskkill shortcut on my desktop now, so I can killl vboxsvc if it gets 'stuck'.

I don't know if that's so needed now, since after 10 sec you can click on VMS's message button to kill it.

And since VMS doesn't crash VBM anymore (well, on your computer, not so often like the first versions  ), seems like it's needed even less...

Or am I wrong ? 

PS: I just found a little problem in that code, fixing it now...

Problem fixed.
What was it: after it kills vboxsvc.exe it tests again to be sure that it's closed; but the code was made for faster computers like mine... Now it waits 2 sec testing every 200 ms. If it's closed, the cycle is interrupted and the VM is loaded. If, after 2 sec, still isn't closed, shows error message and exits...

As a 'normal user' I set up a new VM - as there are no Help instructions, I just added one VHDD using the New wizard in VBox mangler

Then I used VMS and added the VM, attached my USB drive and ran it - it booted from the VHDD instead of the USB drive!  (as we non-newbies knew it would). Also it has added a Primary Slave vmdk which is not where I wanted it!

Suggestion: When clicking on Start, could you check to see that the first VMS USB vmdk is or can be added before any Vhdd (if any and whatever type) and warn the user if it is not going to boot from the selected 'First Drive' and give help like - 'you must leave a free drive position before any virtual hard disk or CD in order for the VM to boot from it - and maybe offer the option to abort and run VBox mangler ?  Or maybe say 'please move the VMSDrive000.vmdk so it is before any other drive'?

cheers

S

VMS is showing this message first time you select a drive:
 

Your idea is good, in fact I thought about doing this some time ago but there is a (small) problem: even if VMS was created for booting USB drives, some will may use it to just add a drive (USB or not) to a already bootable machine and boot from the virtual HDD/CDROM. If they see this message every time it will eventually annoy them...
So I have to find a way to please all the users...

How about if there is no VMS vmdk already in the VM (and you have requested a USB drive to be attached) then it warns you?

Either your last idea or your previous with some modifications: in Add/Edit I add a combobox/checkbox to set what it will do, warn the user or not. The warning message will have also a checkbox with the same function. This way the user can get rid of the message but it can reenable it if he wants...
The only downside is just for me, 'cause I have more work to do . But that's not a big problem.