Frequently Asked Questions for end users (User FAQ)
Here you can find common questions, frequently asked on the VirtualBox mailing lists and IRC channel, along with their answers. Please consult this list every time you run into a problem that is not described in the User Manual.
Note that we update the User Manual on a regular basis, and information that first shows up on this page is moved to the User Manual regularly. As a result, please do check the User Manual also, especially the "Troubleshooting" section.
Also make sure to check whether you are running the latest version of VirtualBox.
General
- VirtualBox User Manual FAQ section
- VirtualBox end user forum Howtos and Tutorials
How to get help
Before reporting a problem, you should be aware that due to limited resources support for non-paying customers is done on a best-effort basis. Of course all issues are of interest to us, but we have to focus on those which are most likely to cause problems for paying customers, sometimes at the expense of issues which mainly affect a particular group of non-paying users.
All bug reports are read by developers. If no developer has commented on an issue it is probably a sign that they did not feel that they had something useful to say about it. In this case it can be helpful for users who are affected by the issue to investigate it together to find out as much as possible about it. Developers are more likely to pick up an issue if it is clear what is involved and it has been well analysed by the people who can reproduce it - and if they have enough information to reproduce it themselves!
As the reporter of a problem, it is your responsibility to provide as clear and accurate information as you can. Below are key pieces of data you should provide when requesting help from a forum, mailing list or when reporting a bug in the public bug tracker.
Environment:
- Version of VirtualBox installed (e.g. 4.2.2)
- Type and version of the Host Operating System (e.g. openSUSE 12.1, Windows 7 SP1, etc.)
- Type and version of the Guest OS
Problem:
- What are you trying to accomplish
- What did you expect and what was the result?
Attempted Resolutions:
- Have you searched the User Manual?
- What have you attempted and what was the result of each attempt?
Log files: If you are reporting a problem on the bug tracker or in the forums (please do not post log files to a mailing list unless you are asked to!) you should provide any relevant log files.
- If you were able to start a virtual machine at all, please provide the most relevant log file from a machine which you ran, as it contains lots of useful information!
- If you had an installation problem, please provide any installation log files (different systems have them in different places).
- If your problem is about graphics in a Linux or Solaris guest, please include a relevant X server log.
