Running StreamFab Inside Win7 Hosted VirtualBox

[AGuyWithAComputer]

My system reboots every night automatically as does my wife's as well as the file/print server and the Media PC is shut down when we're done with it each night and I have WOL set to wake it up at 3pm before we sit down to a meal and a movie. It's a well known fact Windoze leaks memory. Even my Win11 box over time eats RAM so it reboots every night as well. A little at a time but over time it adds up. That and some of the software I have resident in RAM is not as well behaved as it should be.

Do you install Chrome? It's a notorious memory hog in older versions. Not sure if it's available in the last version for 7, but there is a setting in chrome, and Edge (chromium) to shut of the background process when you close it. I usually push this as a policy in my ADDS/Intune networks. I've seen both go a little hog wild looking like a memory leak, turn that on and it's been fine.

My workstation is the hub fore EVERYTHING and has been for years. Backups, updates, media server, fetching and sorting mail automatically, remote shutdown of all running systems during power failure and so on. It HAS to be up and ready when I need to use it, not asleep, not hibernating, ready. My wife's PC is set to sleep after 30 minutes as she does not need immediate access to anything on it.

My desktop is usually set to not sleep cause of streamfab and processing the downloads to plex. I just set the screens to sleep. Someone complains that my screens are still on at night

Once we rolled out ADDS at some of the locations imagine my sheer joy at being able to install user specific software from the comfort of my workstation.

Isn't that cool. I still git giddy as a schoolgirl when I deploy it and it works. I just do it via Intune at home now, no more on-premises AD. Only system we keep running 247 is the server running plex.

[ms-dfav]

ms-dfav also ran into issues with snapshots on Win7. ...

Just to clarify, I never ever run into any issues myself with snapshots or non-preallocated disks on any OS, neither with VBox nor VMware (the latter not available on Win7 in the newest version).

You're also the first person ever to have issues with these that I know about - apart from the ones where the user is at fault.

[ms-dfav]

Well hell, VB caused a bluescreen and trashed the VM, even the snapshots, no bootable media found. Robocopy fixed it though. It probably happened because I switched the default audio device on the host from the Realtek to the Focusrite in an effort to get audio working again. VB is doing something hinky with audio passthrough but I can live without it.

This looks more and more to me like a hardware-related problem rather than with a VBox itself. What other explanation would there be for a non-bootable system after just an audio driver change?

On another note, it just so happens that I have a Focusrite Scarlett 18i20 connected to my Win7 machine via USB and there is a MIDI driver (called 'Focusrite Usb MIDI') that came with it that caused my machine to bluescreen once a few days. After disabling it in Device Manager (as not being a musician I don't have any use for it) my uptimes went up to months again. Worth checking on your end.

EDIT: Also, Focusrite 'virtual' audio outputs are unstable there and stop working after some time - no sound from them afterwards. Only a reboot brings them back. According to YouTube reviewers these problems are Win7-specific only. I don't need these really so I didn't bother solving further.

[NewMelle]

Restored.

I misread your statement. Now that you've explained how snapshots work I think I'll avoid them. I'll leave that to whom they work for.

All I know is what did and did not work for me which is what I was going on. If 65GB of disk space is a major issue I suggest people buy a new external drive or a new PC and start all over.

My system software and hardware configuration is unique therefore it should be said "your mileage may vary." The walk through is structured on my experience. If someone else gets dynamic VDI sizing and snapshots working perfectly great! If I don't include the issues I had and someone else has the same issues then I'm the asshole.

The bluescreen was the audio driver. VBox is doing something my system doesn't like with it. That being said the M5A97 R2.0 motherboard I'm using was originally released in 2012 so the hardware is very old. I strongly suspect the reason this version of VBox runs on Win7 is a fluke and not by design.

I've not had any issues with the Solo with the Win7 drivers installed. There again, your mileage may vary as your system varies at least in some small way from everyone else's. Mine I am sure varies considerably.

The problem with coders these days is they code as if their software and hardware is the ONLY software and hardware you'll ever run. The only way to get an accurate picture is open beta testing and few coders or users take advantage of this. A clean system with just their software and hardware is hardly proof of concept.

I will be offline indefinitely. i have two last things to try to upgrade the Win7 box to Win10 and this is easily a 6-8 hour job.

[NewMelle]

I decided against upgrading the Win7. After many attempts I got all the way to the OOBE before it would fail. Instead I installed 11 to a fresh new drive with the 7 drive disconnected.

I've succeeded in setting up Win11 and Win7 to dual boot. Not using a boot manager like Grub, 11 hates it and does nasty things to it or simply barfs. I'm using a physical SATA 4 channel power switch to turn the 11 or 7 drive on and the other off before boot. Neither sees the other, ever. I tried installing 11 on a fresh drive with 7 on the other (disconnected during the 11 install) and no matter what disk I booted to in the BIOS it would always boot 11. Thank you Microsoft. At one time I booted XP, Vista, 7 and Ubuntu using Grub. XP, Vista and 7 because I had to support them and Ubuntu because I was curious.

11 was causing corruption on the other SSDs in the system and I found the culprits. Indexing which is turned on by default. Not a good idea for my setup as I have access to literally millions of files across the network (no exaggeration). That and I turned off Fast Startup which turns out is nothing more than hybrid hibernation. A concept I consider absolutely ridiculous. If you have an app, process or driver hung in the background and you boot up from hibernation it is STILL THERE. Makes troubleshooting drivers a PITA as well. I have always disabled hibernation, even on my laptops. It really doesn't save that much time and I shut down so each time I boot clean.

I should say there is no TPM in my battle box, Secure Boot is turned off and I do NOT use a Microsoft account (which is why I chose Win11 Pro allowing me to join my own domain, workgroup in this case). Lower versions of 11 do allow a local login but it can be a PITA to accomplish as it's pretty well hidden. Those who have a TPM and a Microsoft account I have to offer congratulations as well as condolences. Microsoft now has the TPM keys, essentially the keys to decrypt the HDD at their leisure. That and they track everything you do.

I still have the VM set up so that is still an option.

So now when someone says "You're stupid. Win7 is dead, upgrade to 10/11" I can tell them to FOESAD. Enjoy that Microsoft account while you're at it.

[AGuyWithAComputer]

I've always found it funny how people complain about the Microsoft account requirement, but don't blink an eye at the iCloud or Google Account requirements for their operating systems.

[ms-dfav]

I've always found it funny how people complain about the Microsoft account requirement, but don't blink an eye at the iCloud or Google Account requirements for their operating systems.

Yeah, well, unfortunately this is our future.

I remember when the activation of windows xp - just the notion of sending something identifiable to some remote server - was a new thing... people were actually protesting back then. Fast forward to today and no one has time for that, privacy or freedom are just some buzz words used by sales departments - and the convenience wins every time.

Those were the times when I was actually excited about new technologies / advancements and especially new software, because it meant that the devices we already had - computers - were more powerful each day just by switching some ones and zeroes.

Nowadays, the first thing that comes to my mind when something new is announced is just 'How will it be used to screw over regular people?'...

Example: brain implants extending the biological neural networks? This will be great for many obvious reasons but... try to block ads on this!

[NewMelle]

I'm sure Google is captivated by my texts. If a text requires more than a yes or no response I don't respond. They can call me. I don't have any apps installed and I uninstalled most of the garbage I could without having to root it. I don't even use the browser and if someone sends me a link in a text I delete it, I don't care what it's for. Deleted. No interest. If they do it again I delete their contact and then they can't send me messages, all calls and texts outside of my contacts are rejected or sent straight to voicemail. I don't care if it's that guitar I've been wanting on sale for $10. Delete. I may be connected to my Google account there but I don't even use email on it. Talk and yes or no texts. That's it.

The only reason I could see having a MS account is for the insider program of which I am no longer a member, not for a long time. Think NT 4.0 beta.

Don't get me started on Apple. I had a MAC. For about two weeks and sent it back and got my money back and bought two PCs with the money including OS licenses and still had money left over.

[Brozilla]

U doesnt need a ms account to use win11...

[AGuyWithAComputer]

I remember when the activation of windows xp - just the notion of sending something identifiable to some remote server - was a new thing... people were actually protesting back then. Fast forward to today and no one has time for that, privacy or freedom are just some buzz words used by sales departments - and the convenience wins every time.

I still phone in the XP activations.. Come to think of it, I think I phoned in the last windows 7 activation I did. The look of confusion on the 20-year-old when I said call that number to activate.

Example: brain implants extending the biological neural networks? This will be great for many obvious reasons but... try to block ads on this!

Hopefully I'll be dead by that point.

NewMelle I doubt they care about what you text either. Now, if you are looking for a new hard wood floor, then they care to show you the thing you just bought for the next 3 months in ads.

Brozilla Officially, only by buying pro. Unofficially, yes there are ways to get around the TPM, minimum CPU, and MS Account requirements in Home and Pro.

[NewMelle]

U doesnt need a ms account to use win11...

I am well aware of this. There is always a way around it and I've done it literally hundreds of times. It's still a PITA no matter how you look at it.

11 Pro allows you to connect to a domain instead of MS EZPZ. Just enter the workgroup name and password and you're done. Lower versions not so easy.

I went with 11 because MS has a nasty habit of decommissioning the older OS when a new one is rolled out. When 12 rolls out expect to see EOL announcements for 10 not long after.

[NewMelle]

I never see an ad on my phone. There again I'm old school. When I was young phones had a dial, you dialed 4 or 5 numbers to call someone and they didn't do text. All I use my phone for now is phone calls when I feel like it and the occasional one or two word text. That's it. I do take pics and video with it. But that's not google, and if they were interested in my pics and videos they must be really bored, nothing exciting there. I was incorrect, I do have one app on my phone and it blocks all calls not in my contact list and my contact list is very short.

[Beyil]

I understand Germany has officially banned M$ on government computers due to its "chatty" nature among other reasons, and one of my friends that works in a US healthcare organization said that his company has banned microsoft products from all of their computers for sending out patient info with out authorization and to entities unauthorized to receive such data...

[NewMelle]

Looks like that's primarily geared towards Office 365 but at least one German government agency is looking into Linux and other options due to 10's (and 11's) nosy nature. 365 runs in "the cloud." It's true a number of hospitals here will not use 365 as this stores client information in the cloud violating HIPAA. I know someone at two such hospitals. One uses self-hosted office and the other LibreOffice.

Enterprise versions of the OS do less "reporting" but they still send data unless IT disables it completely in the imaging process. A long time good friend and guy I mentored works in IT at US Air Force Bases and they do just that.

There is NO cloud. It's just someone else's computer(s) with the power to do with your data what they choose. In addition, you're not in charge of your data's security, they are. Some cloud based services even hold it hostage if you don't pay the subscription fees. I had to use Office 365 at work as does my wife now. I haven't used Office on my personal computer for over 30 years. First it was WPS Office until it became as bloated and issue prone as office, now I use LibreOffice.

I turn off ALL telemetry and error reporting, app usage data and the like. I'm not beta testing new versions of Windows any more so there is zero need to send this data to MS. I haven't been a part of the Insider program in a very long time.

I turned something off that makes accessing answers-dot-micosoft-dot-com impossible. The connections fail. I'm utterly heartbroken. Really. All the answers you find there are elsewhere and the answers there are most definitely filtered and censored. They can't very well allow users to post methods such as how to circumvent MS espionage and data collection or get around requirements such as TPM 2.0. I find far more useful answers on Stack Exchange, Windows Club, Windows 10 and 11 forum and SuperUser for example.

The only "cloud" based service I use is Google Drive and that's for sharing files with others, files I choose. I have an open source program for just about anything I'd do in the "cloud."