Comments on: How To: Fix (Workaround, really) VirtualBox High CPU Load with Ubuntu 9.10 Host http://r3dux.org/2009/11/how-to-fix-virtualbox-high-cpu-load-with-ubuntu-9-10-host/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=how-to-fix-virtualbox-high-cpu-load-with-ubuntu-9-10-host A number-pimping side project from the valleys in *NEW* upside-down flavour. Wed, 23 May 2012 08:20:58 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v= By: BK http://r3dux.org/2009/11/how-to-fix-virtualbox-high-cpu-load-with-ubuntu-9-10-host/#comment-7697 BK Wed, 25 Apr 2012 05:24:43 +0000 http://r3dux.org/?p=1265#comment-7697 I know this is an older issue, but I just ran into the same problem running SuSe 12.1 with an AMD dual core cpu. I was able to get the idle time usage way down by limiting the number of CPU's in XP to just one. 1)Click start menu-> Run 2) Type in msconfig 3) go to boot.ini tab 4) Click advanced options 5) check /NumProc= and input 1 as the value. 5) Restart your computer and Windows will only use 1 core on your core2duo CPU is still high on start up, but after XP finishes all its start up junk, CPU consumption is very low on idle and WinXP runs OK. I also removed as many un needed background processes as I could find. I know this is an older issue, but I just ran into the same problem running SuSe 12.1 with an AMD dual core cpu. I was able to get the idle time usage way down by limiting the number of CPU’s in XP to just one.

1)Click start menu-> Run
2) Type in msconfig
3) go to boot.ini tab
4) Click advanced options
5) check /NumProc= and input 1 as the value.
5) Restart your computer and Windows will only use 1 core on your core2duo

CPU is still high on start up, but after XP finishes all its start up junk, CPU consumption is very low on idle and WinXP runs OK. I also removed as many un needed background processes as I could find.

]]> By: Ad http://r3dux.org/2009/11/how-to-fix-virtualbox-high-cpu-load-with-ubuntu-9-10-host/#comment-7428 Ad Tue, 31 Jan 2012 17:47:00 +0000 http://r3dux.org/?p=1265#comment-7428 Great tip. Complete opposite scenario - Windows 7 64 bit host, Windows XP guest, with CPU running up at 60% while the guest was idle. Created an 'empty' virtual machine, and immediately on starting it the CPU was down to 5%. Thanks for the tip :) Great tip. Complete opposite scenario – Windows 7 64 bit host, Windows XP guest, with CPU running up at 60% while the guest was idle. Created an ‘empty’ virtual machine, and immediately on starting it the CPU was down to 5%.

Thanks for the tip :)

]]> By: Safey http://r3dux.org/2009/11/how-to-fix-virtualbox-high-cpu-load-with-ubuntu-9-10-host/#comment-6027 Safey Thu, 17 Jun 2010 04:27:17 +0000 http://r3dux.org/?p=1265#comment-6027 Try running sudo kill STOP pid to squeeze out more CPU from the dummy. Try running sudo kill STOP pid to squeeze out more CPU from the dummy.

]]> By: r3dux http://r3dux.org/2009/11/how-to-fix-virtualbox-high-cpu-load-with-ubuntu-9-10-host/#comment-4592 r3dux Mon, 18 Jan 2010 22:27:59 +0000 http://r3dux.org/?p=1265#comment-4592 Think I've cracked it - check out the update to the article :) Think I’ve cracked it – check out the update to the article :)

]]> By: r3dux http://r3dux.org/2009/11/how-to-fix-virtualbox-high-cpu-load-with-ubuntu-9-10-host/#comment-4550 r3dux Thu, 14 Jan 2010 23:02:38 +0000 http://r3dux.org/?p=1265#comment-4550 Created a new virtual XP guest in VirtualBox 3.12, disabled all swapfile and indexing in the guest, minimised the number of running services, and set the virtual Hard Disk to run from a <b>physically different disk</b> in SATA mode (guide <a href="http://r3dux.org/2010/01/how-to-switch-a-virtualbox-windows-guest-hard-drive-from-ide-to-sata-mode/" rel="nofollow">here</a>) - then with the guest using a single CPU of the 2 available, <strike> the guest cpu usage ticks over between 1-2%, so no need for the dummy guest anymore. Nice :)</strike> <strike>Not tried using both CPUs yet - don't really need to..</strike> <b>Update</b>: Noticed the CPU usage was waaaay up again when the XP guest was idling, tried letting the guest use both CPUs (and rebooting twice to be sure) - result was even higher CPU usage. Back to a single CPU and using the dummy machine gets CPU as low as I'm able, but it's by no means perfect. This is starting to irk me. It's irksome. Created a new virtual XP guest in VirtualBox 3.12, disabled all swapfile and indexing in the guest, minimised the number of running services, and set the virtual Hard Disk to run from a physically different disk in SATA mode (guide here) – then with the guest using a single CPU of the 2 available, the guest cpu usage ticks over between 1-2%, so no need for the dummy guest anymore. Nice :)

Not tried using both CPUs yet – don’t really need to..

Update: Noticed the CPU usage was waaaay up again when the XP guest was idling, tried letting the guest use both CPUs (and rebooting twice to be sure) – result was even higher CPU usage. Back to a single CPU and using the dummy machine gets CPU as low as I’m able, but it’s by no means perfect. This is starting to irk me. It’s irksome.

]]> By: Alex http://r3dux.org/2009/11/how-to-fix-virtualbox-high-cpu-load-with-ubuntu-9-10-host/#comment-4548 Alex Thu, 14 Jan 2010 21:31:14 +0000 http://r3dux.org/?p=1265#comment-4548 Nice fix. Thank you. You saved me from a big headache and you contributed to energy saving:) Nice fix. Thank you. You saved me from a big headache and you contributed to energy saving:)

]]> By: r3dux http://r3dux.org/2009/11/how-to-fix-virtualbox-high-cpu-load-with-ubuntu-9-10-host/#comment-4435 r3dux Tue, 05 Jan 2010 01:15:26 +0000 http://r3dux.org/?p=1265#comment-4435 Finally bit the bullet and installed a non-repo version from the Sun website (3.1.2) - and <strike>as promised, setting the virtual box to use both physical CPUs has it running with low CPU usage. Good stuff.</strike> No good, no dice, no joy... CPU usage is still really high. Have dropped back to using a single CPU for my main XP guest and running the dummy box to keep CPU hogging down. I've tried disabling virtual memory in the XP guest, I've moved the virtual hard-disk over from IDE to SATA controllers (which I'll post about soon) to try to improve the speed and lower CPU usage, I've lowered my linux host swappiness to 0 as with VirtualBox running linux was getting really swap-happy (think 500MB+) when I still had about a GB of RAM free... I'm installing another version of XP now to see if something's just got mangled on the guest or if VB really is acting up. Will post results as I get 'em... Finally bit the bullet and installed a non-repo version from the Sun website (3.1.2) – and as promised, setting the virtual box to use both physical CPUs has it running with low CPU usage. Good stuff.

No good, no dice, no joy… CPU usage is still really high. Have dropped back to using a single CPU for my main XP guest and running the dummy box to keep CPU hogging down.

I’ve tried disabling virtual memory in the XP guest, I’ve moved the virtual hard-disk over from IDE to SATA controllers (which I’ll post about soon) to try to improve the speed and lower CPU usage, I’ve lowered my linux host swappiness to 0 as with VirtualBox running linux was getting really swap-happy (think 500MB+) when I still had about a GB of RAM free…

I’m installing another version of XP now to see if something’s just got mangled on the guest or if VB really is acting up. Will post results as I get ‘em…

]]> By: baba http://r3dux.org/2009/11/how-to-fix-virtualbox-high-cpu-load-with-ubuntu-9-10-host/#comment-4230 baba Fri, 18 Dec 2009 00:43:07 +0000 http://r3dux.org/?p=1265#comment-4230 Same problem on Ubuntu 9.04, workaround work too :) Thanks a lot. Baba Same problem on Ubuntu 9.04, workaround work too :)

Thanks a lot.

Baba

]]> By: r3dux http://r3dux.org/2009/11/how-to-fix-virtualbox-high-cpu-load-with-ubuntu-9-10-host/#comment-4179 r3dux Tue, 15 Dec 2009 21:03:16 +0000 http://r3dux.org/?p=1265#comment-4179 Hey nickg, The current version of VB in the Karmic repo's is 3.0.12 - and if I go grab the freshest build I'll have to manually install each update so I'm holding off for now (laziness, I know ;) ) but I'll definitely give your tip a whirl when the next version hits, as I've got my vboxen running on a single CPU out of the 2 physical ones on the core 2 duo to avoid them hogging resources... Cheers for your input! r3dux Hey nickg,

The current version of VB in the Karmic repo’s is 3.0.12 – and if I go grab the freshest build I’ll have to manually install each update so I’m holding off for now (laziness, I know ;) ) but I’ll definitely give your tip a whirl when the next version hits, as I’ve got my vboxen running on a single CPU out of the 2 physical ones on the core 2 duo to avoid them hogging resources…

Cheers for your input!

r3dux

]]> By: nickg http://r3dux.org/2009/11/how-to-fix-virtualbox-high-cpu-load-with-ubuntu-9-10-host/#comment-4166 nickg Mon, 14 Dec 2009 19:22:57 +0000 http://r3dux.org/?p=1265#comment-4166 Hi, At least using virtualbox 3.1 and ubuntu 9.10, I was able to fix the high CPU load by matching the "virtual CPUs" with the actual CPU (I have 2-core laptop). Which I think beats running another VBOX. enjoy! --nickg Hi,

At least using virtualbox 3.1 and ubuntu 9.10, I was able to fix the high CPU load by matching the “virtual CPUs” with the actual CPU (I have 2-core laptop). Which I think beats running another VBOX.

enjoy!

–nickg

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