Windows host removes HardDisks section if the version attribute is "1.15-macosx"

[Shonn]

I have a Windows guest that I open in both Mac and Windows hosts. The Mac is the laptop that I use when I'm working remotely, and the Windows is my home office computer.

Usually, there isn't a problem with that, as long as I do a full shutdown of the guest before switching.

However, it seems that the Windows host will sometimes delete the MediaRegistry/HardDisks section in the .vbox file on opening if it has a version of "1.15-macosx". The same file is untouched if it has a version of "1.15-windows".

All of the changes that it does:

• Removes MediaRegistry/HardDisks section
• Sets Memory RAMSize from 8192 to 128
• Removes Hardware/Display
• Removes Hardware/VideoCapture
• Removes Hardware/BIOS
• Removes child elements and all attributes except type="Am79C973" from Network/Adapter slot="0"
• Removes Hardware/Clipboard
• Removes Hardware/DragAndDrop
• Removes StorageControllers

[Shonn]

Now that I've tested it again, it's not version="1.15-macosx" that is doing it. If I remove the VM from the Manager then re-add it. It works fine and doesn't alter the .vbox file, even the version attribute.

[Socratis]

That sounds like a broken VBoxSVC process. That's responsible (for one) for keeping the VM settings in memory. If that crashes somehow, these are the symptoms I'd expect to see.

• Can you check whether there's VBoxSVC running when this happens?
• Any logs, any indications in the Event Viewer for example?
• Any specific conditions that triggers it?
• How reproducible is this?