I'm currently running a VM using Virtualbox. The VM is Windows 2003 on a Windows 7 host.
I'm currently performing Windows updates on the VM and it's interrupting the audio on the host (and the mouse is jumpy too).
I have a core2Quad with 8GB of RAM with slightly less than 50% available. CPU load is 25% approx on each processors.
Are there ways to limit the impacts of the VM on the host?
Update #1
VM Harddisk is on the same drive as the mp3 that is playing. IMO, it shouldn't matter as the mp3 require little disk access.
I think it might be a bus saturation issue? I have an Asus P5Q-E FWIW.
Update #2
The VM in question had 2GB of RAM allocated to it along with one CPU.
I've turned off host IO cache, execution cap is at 100% with no bandwidth limit imposed. Still lags, the mouse jumps around considerably when the VM does disk IO.
Update #3
This is not a laptop, but my main desktop. All hard drives are plugged in via SATA connectors on the motherboard (and are SATA based too).
I never really run more than one VM at a time.
Each HDD has at least 50GB of free space. The OS is on C: and the VM HDD are on D: (another drive entirely).
I went into Device Manager and all devices seem to be appropriately installed and accounted for (ie. no warning icon).
Update #4
I just noticed that Guest Additions were not installed. Would that help? Based on a quick google, it might?
Update #5
Both of my HDD have passed SMART using Seagate's Seatools. Guest Additions have also been installed.
Update #6
The Guest Additions aren't helping. I'm downloading SQL Server Express 2008 on C:, the VM is running which makes the cursor jump all over the place...