If you run VirtualBox you may eventually run into problems with the time or time sync within your VM guest. You can run this command on the host to disable time sync:
vboxmanage setextradata <vmname> “VBoxInternal/Devices/VMMDev/0/Config/GetHostTimeDisabled” “1”
Just replace <vmname> with the name of your guest. On Windows hosts, you’ll need to change the command to “VBoxManage”.
You will most likely want to set the client to sync with a time server after this. On Windows clients, just double click on the time and go to the Internet Time tab. Check the box and choose time.nist.gov (better reliability).
I needed to solve this because QuickBooks Pro 2000 complains about the system time being changed continuously while in multi-user mode.
I found this simple VirtualBox time sync tip in a post titled Synchronize a Virtualized Domain Controller with External Time Servers.
Using Guest Additions for Windows,
this GetHostTimeDisabled option is ignored.
Isn’t it ?
VirtualBox Ver.3.0.8 r53138
Host WindowsXP pro SP3 / Inbox is Windows XP SP2, no network-adapter
Tadanori: Not sure about a Windows host, but I’m on 3.0.8 r53138 in Ubuntu with WinXP as the guest. I haven’t had any problems with the setting, and my QuickBooks is still running without any time sync messages. It’s running Guest Additions.
Really helpful, thanks!
Thanks was very helpful
Hi,
on Debian the Command is: VBoxManage
I also had to Reboot the Windows Guest, after that the Timesync was disabled.
Thanks
I had to edit the entry in the machines xml file manually, because the command line approach seems to lead to special character corruption. Also do not copy/paste the line above, as most browsers will give you the wrong quotation marks and most shells are very strict.
Can someone tell me how to turn on the time sync feature… I turned it off successfully with this command
vboxmanage setextradata “VBoxInternal/Devices/VMMDev/0/Config/GetHostTimeDisabled” “1″
… now I’d like to turn it back on.
Thanks
Wayne, I haven’t confirmed, but I think if you set the 1 to a 0 (zero) on that command it will disable it.
Well I found one solution to do this.
Go to
C:\Documents and Settings\\.VirtualBox\Machines\
and edit the xml file.
–>Create a backup of this file<–
Delete this line:
Note: the script vboxmanage setextradata “VBoxInternal/Devices/VMMDev/0/Config/GetHostTimeDisabled” “1″ will create one line in this xml, so if you run more then once time you’ll see more lines. Delete these also.
This command is not helping me can some please give specific instructions on how to use this commands please and not just simply post a command on a blog
VBoxManage setextradata vnName “VBoxInternal/TM/WarpDrivePercentage” 200
VBoxManage is actually an .EXE script
where you can modify the advanced configuration of VBOX.
1) GO to Installation directory of your VirtualBox
2) Open Command Prompt from there
3) Type the command : VBoxManage setextradata “VBoxInternal/TM/WarpDrivePercentage”
Ignore the braces,
Example of actual command :
VBoxManage setextradata WindowsXP “VBoxInternal/TM/WarpDrivePercentage” 200
4) Hit enter
Do read this manual :
http://www.virtualbox.org/manual/ch08.html#idp6516336
and this
http://www.virtualbox.org/manual/ch09.html#idp13754496
Do correct me if i’m wrong
Hi Rick
Is there a way to completely freeze the time of a vm?
Thanks
Not to my knowledge.
Woot, I will ceatirnly put this to good use!
It apparently does not work anymore with Virtualbox 4.1.2. Host Windows 7 64Bit, Guest Windows XP.
I couldn’t find way of doing it on Mac. Can’t find VboxManage application in the program directory.
Actually I found it under /usr/bin .. but the command doesn’t work. Apparently new new Virtualbox it’s being set through Vboxservice on Windows. There is also Vboxsvc on Mac.
Sorry for multiple posts. I was trying to “reply” to my post it doesn’t work. I misunderstood the instructions on this page.. it needs to be done within the guest and it works on WinXP guest at least (don’t forget to disable the time sync in Time settings / Conrol panel…. https://forums.virtualbox.org/viewtopic.php?t=24057
Very handy. If anyone else has trouble finding the correct folder to run VBoxManage then on my Win Vista host it was:
C:\Program Files\Oracle\VirtualBox
For some reason the useless Windows file search didn’t find it.
Try this one below(found at https://forums.virtualbox.org/viewtopic.php?t=24057)
”
Disable GA time-sync by editing the parameters passed to the VirtualBox Guest Additions Service (on Windows guests):
Open Registry Editor (Start menu>Run…>Type ‘regedit’ into the ‘Open:’ field>Click the OK button)
WARNING: Incorrect editing of the registry can damage your system.
Navigate to: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\VBoxService
Double-click on ‘ImagePath’
Change the ‘Value data:’ field, by adding ‘–disable-timesync’ at the end. It should look like:
Code: Select all Expand view
system32\VBoxService.exe –disable-timesync
Click OK
Either reboot the VM, or stop and then restart the ‘VirtualBox Guest Additions Service’
After these steps, timesync will be disabled.
To reenable timesync, repeat the steps but remove the –disable-timesync parameter.
MarkCranness
Volunteer
Posts: 860
Joined: 10. Oct 2009, 06:27
Primary OS: MS Windows 7
VBox Version: PUEL
Guest OSses: Windows 2000 Server; Windows XP; Windows Server 2008 R2
“
I does not work on 4.1.12 with Host Windows 7 64, Guest Windows Server 2008 R2 64.
Thank you-thank-you-thank-you! it was just what I needed.
The command prompt approach wasn’t working for me. For some reason it could find my machine. I did it by manually editing my VirtualBox.xml file, which was just as well as people were saying that vboxmanage caused there VirtualBox.xml corruption.
I went to my home folder (/home/YOURUSERNAME or c:\Documents and Settings\YOURUSERNAME in WinXP or c:\Users\YOURUSERNAME in Win7) and going to the .VirtualBox folder.
From there, you edit the VirtualBox.xml file (make copies first!!!) and just stick
right after line 11
ie. after the part that says:
…..
**paste right here!****
………
Don’t edit while the vbox is running.
Hello!
Thanks for the tip, but it seems to reenables itself after a reboot of the host.
How to make it stick once and forever??
Every One Who Has Problem,Must Type The Command Rather Than Copy/Paste
I discovered by accident that the property GetHostTimeDisabled is case sensitive. I accidentally set a property named GetHosttimeDisabled (notice “time” is not capitalized). When I did so, the VM failed to start! To fix it, I executed the following command to remove the erroneous GetHosttimeDisabled property:
vboxmanage setextradata “VBoxInternal/Devices/VMMDev/0/Config/GetHosttimeDisabled”
Notice that a fifth argument (i.e. the “1”) is not present. When left off, it deletes the property instead of setting a new value.
Then I executed the command with the proper case for the property, and it worked as intended in VirtualBox 4.2.16 on a Windows 7 x64 VM running on a Windows 7 x64 host.
Works flawlessy on Linux guest (running on a Linux host).
Time synchronization will be triggered only during the first (VM) boot.