VirtualBox settings for Windows 10 and other info

Submitted by benzzon on
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Tech-PC-Android

Collection of settings to improve performance with VirtualBox running a Windows 10 guest:

1. Enable "EFI"
2. Use default disk-setting (VDI) and dynamic disk.
3. Check disk-option "Solid-state disk"
4. Choose display adapter "VBoxSVGA" and enable "3D Acceleration"
5. Set RAM-size and activate 2-4 PC-Cores.
6. Check the option "Enable PAE/NX" to have it enabled.
7. Set "shared clipboard" and "drag-n-drop" (Menu "General" / "Advanced")
8. Add shared folder with auto-mount for entire "C-drive" (will show up as "C_DRIVE" in guest OS)

REM Turn off Hyper-V to not interrupt VirtualBox
bcdedit /set hypervisorlaunchtype off

Other software for emulation:
https://www.qemu.org

How to Download, Install, and Use QEMU on Windows 10:
https://www.minitool.com/partition-disk/qemu-for-windows.html

 

NrDescription
1Enable Nested Paging: Nested Paging can significantly improve performance. It's usually enabled by default, but it's good to double-check under the System settings of your virtual machine.
2Allocate Sufficient Memory (RAM): Windows 10 typically requires at least 4GB of RAM for decent performance, but if your host system has more available, allocating 6GB or 8GB can enhance performance.
3Enable 2D and 3D Acceleration: Under Display settings, enable 2D and 3D acceleration. This can improve graphics performance and responsiveness.
4Enable VT-x/AMD-V and Nested Paging: In the System settings, under the Acceleration tab, make sure that both VT-x/AMD-V and Nested Paging are enabled if your CPU supports them.
5Enable I/O APIC: Under the System settings, go to the Motherboard tab and make sure "Enable I/O APIC" is checked. This can improve system compatibility and performance.
6Enable Host I/O Cache: Under the Storage settings, make sure that "Use Host I/O Cache" is enabled. This can improve disk I/O performance.
7Set number of processor cores. (2-4 or within "green area")


General tips:
Use the Latest VirtualBox Version: Make sure you're using the latest version of VirtualBox as newer versions often come with performance improvements and bug fixes.

Use Virtual Disk Dynamically: Use dynamically allocated virtual disks rather than fixed-size disks. This allows the virtual disk to grow as needed, which can save disk space and potentially improve performance.

Install Guest Additions: Install VirtualBox Guest Additions in the Windows 10 virtual machine. This provides better integration between the host and guest systems and can improve performance.

Use SSD for Virtual Disks: If possible, store your virtual disk files on an SSD rather than a traditional HDD. This can significantly improve disk I/O performance.
 

Comments

Submitted by benzzon on Thu, 2024-05-16 - 13:15

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Start CMD and run command below to remove the annoying info-panel that is shown when a virtual PC is started.

"C:\Program Files\Oracle\VirtualBox\VBoxManage.exe" setextradata global GUI/SuppressMessages confirmGoingFullscreen,remindAboutMouseIntegration,remindAboutAutoCapture

Submitted by benzzon on Thu, 2024-05-16 - 16:47

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Info below from https://forums.virtualbox.org/viewtopic.php?t=79034&start=15

One better workaround might be (which works for me) to navigate to a host terminal window and there in the terminal list running vms with 

"C:\Program Files\Oracle\VirtualBox\VboxManage.exe" list vms

and then save the state (in my case something like):

"C:\Program Files\Oracle\VirtualBox\VboxManage.exe" controlvm "nibe-em" savesate

For me this reactivates mouse events on the host which makes me believe it indeed is a virtualbox problem. This will at least not force you to close down the VM and loose your work, but make you be able to keep the work in the VM.
It is still a pain in the ass, but a bit more tolerable.