Skip to main content

Notice

Please note that most of the software linked on this forum is likely to be safe to use. If you are unsure, feel free to ask in the relevant topics, or send a private message to an administrator or moderator. To help curb the problems of false positives, or in the event that you do find actual malware, you can contribute through the article linked here.
Topic: Using Virtualbox on Mac Bk Pro: How Can I Get Windows to Read the CD/D (Read 10141 times) previous topic - next topic
0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.

Using Virtualbox on Mac Bk Pro: How Can I Get Windows to Read the CD/D

Hi,

I'm using Virtualbox to run Windows XP on my Mac Book Pro.  However, for some reason, I can get the CD/DVD device drive to be recognized and I can get the individual audio files to be displayed, but when I go to open the files (directly or using my CD extraction software - Exact Audio Copy), the file is never opened and freezes up

1. Virtualbox (application) - Set up
2. Settings: Storage (tab)
3. IDE Controller (under storage tree)
4. I selected: Host Drive 'Matshita DVD...'
5. Attributes...
*Slot:  I selected "IDE Primary Slave" (note: the other options I didn't choose are: "IDE Secondary Master" & "IDE Secondary Slave"
*CD/DVD Device: Host Drive "Matshita DVD R UJ-898" (note: the other options I didn't choose are: "Empty" & "VBoxGuestAdditions.iso"
*Pass Through: [CHECKED]
6.Clicked 'OK' then 'Start'

Once In Windows XP [using SunVirtualBox]...

On the upper tabs of the Windows XP screen, you see: Machine, Devices, & Help
1. Machine: CD/DVD Devices ...
2. "Matshita DVD R UJ-898" selected (note: the other practical options I didn't choose are: "VBoxGuestAdditions.iso" & "Other CD/DVD..." which I have none).
3. If, for instance, I open up the Exact Audio Copy software that I use for bit-perfect audio extraction, It will show the individual tracks on the cd that's in the drive, their time values, and the file sizes for each track: it all looks fine.  Btw, EAC shows that the drive that is hosting the cd is "VBOX CD Rom 1.0 Adapter 0 ID 1". 

Whenever I click on a file or all files to execute the file extraction process, etc., the computer's hard drive spins quickly and it seems like something's going to happen, but never does.  If I just go under 'My Computer', under 'Devices with removable storage', my DVD drive (Drive D) is shown as an audio drive: when I go to click on the DVD drive (doesn't say the actual Matshita brand), Windows Media Player attempts to manage the CD's data and just freezes immediately.

When, under Windows, I set up my Network drives, I made my MAC documents etc. mapped to be read when under Windows as a Network Drive listed in 'My Computer'.  I don't know how I could map it to also include the Mac's DVD drive under this approach, as this seems to not be possible.

So, please let me know.  I've spent hours, over the last three days, looking up posts, youtube videos, and following solutions such as the command prompt one which didn't work-out.

Thanks!
Steve




Perhaps, I need to download the drivers for my CD/DVD drive?  Maybe the only drivers it has is the ones native to Mac; but if this was the case, when I did a scan for missing drivers, when running under Windows, it should come up as not up-to-date, which was not what was shown. 

I went to Start: Run: cmd: regidit - and tried the sometimes suggested solution of looking for one or two files to be deleted: these files (forgot the names) are not there, so I have 'another problem'.

Using Virtualbox on Mac Bk Pro: How Can I Get Windows to Read the CD/D

Reply #1
Rather than using an entire VM, it would be much more parsimonious to run EAC under Wine, for which it's rated as having Platinum compatibility. Precompiled binaries of Wine for OS X don't seem to be very common, but I've had some success running other programs with Wineskin for OS X (assuming you can put up with its rather terrible interface, which thankfully is scheduled for a major rehaul).

Using Virtualbox on Mac Bk Pro: How Can I Get Windows to Read the CD/D

Reply #2
I remember posting to VirtualBox bugtracker about this audio CD "passthrough" problem about 1-2 years ago, and they said that it is not an important feature but "maybe someday".. I guess it's still not fixed then.

EDIT: Ok, I was curious, it was probably this ticket. On 2009-10-09: "Fixing this ticket is low priority, sorry. There are more important bugs around.", and 1½ months later the ticket was closed. Yesterday somebody reopened it, not for long I guess.. it'll probably never happen.


Using Virtualbox on Mac Bk Pro: How Can I Get Windows to Read the CD/D

Reply #4
Ah, I forgot to mention Crossover, which is essentially just a pay-for frontend for Wine. If you do try Wine, try one of the free alternatives compiles/frontends for OS X first. Another one is WineBottler, although I couldn't get it to work because it hangs during startup, specifically at the “Turn on CoreAudio” step (appropriately enough).

Using Virtualbox on Mac Bk Pro: How Can I Get Windows to Read the CD/D

Reply #5
Hi,

Thank you for the replies.

Well, I guess that means that it wasn't my fault and that, at least, I know that I can now quit trying to get VirtualBox involved when I burn CDs (using EAC).  I'll use VirtualBox for everything that doesn't require a CD, including Widows programs that require a CD for installation.

I wonder if I would have these issues using other free virtual solutions, such as Parallels or others I have heard of, peripherally.

Can someone point me in the direction of a great youtube video on using Winebottler - I couldn't figure out how to use it in installing EAC and Foobar2000, and I tried quite a bit. 

Thanks,
Steve

p.s. someone set-up Bootcamp on my Mac for me.  Maybe I can just use EAC and other such windows audio software that require the CD drive through bootcamp.  The thing is, when I go to figure out how to operate Bootcamp, it seems to require me to insert the OS, but that shouldn't be, since I already see the Bootcamp Drive on my desktop, and it's empty.  I just didnt' think I'd have to figure out how to use Bootcamp, since I intended to exclusively use VirtualBox for all Windows OS applications.  So, since I already have Bootcamp, maybe I can skip figuring out winebottler.  Unfortunately, I'm obviously not an experienced Mac user.

Using Virtualbox on Mac Bk Pro: How Can I Get Windows to Read the CD/D

Reply #6
Quote
I'll use VirtualBox for everything that doesn't require a CD, including Widows programs that require a CD for installation.

Reading data CD's work just fine in VirtualBox. It's just audio CD's that do not work. Dunno about burning data CD/DVD's.. check the manual if interested.

Using Virtualbox on Mac Bk Pro: How Can I Get Windows to Read the CD/D

Reply #7
well, I installed and learned some basics of Winebottler.  For some reason, after I get EAC installed and opened, you cannot scroll over the EAC area or the pointer arrow becomes invisible.  I wonder if, since it is supposed to be linked to the DVD drive and if it is not, that this is why, just like with VirtualBox.

Or maybe I didn't save and open EAC the right way to make it run on windows - this is difficult.

Using Virtualbox on Mac Bk Pro: How Can I Get Windows to Read the CD/D

Reply #8
Can someone point me in the direction of a great youtube video on using Winebottler - I couldn't figure out how to use it in installing EAC and Foobar2000, and I tried quite a bit.
well, I installed and learned some basics of Winebottler.  For some reason, after I get EAC installed and opened, you cannot scroll over the EAC area or the pointer arrow becomes invisible.  I wonder if, since it is supposed to be linked to the DVD drive and if it is not, that this is why, just like with VirtualBox.

Or maybe I didn't save and open EAC the right way to make it run on windows - this is difficult.
I couldn't get WineBottler to work, so I can't help with it. But Did you try Wineskin? It's fairly easy: use the Wrappers tab to create a new Wrapper (=InsertNameHere.app, just a pre-bundled package of Wine and some minimal Windows folders), click Install Windows Software, locate the installer, and let it proceed. Once installation is finished, you just need to choose the .exe file that will be launched whenever you run the Wrapper.

Quote
p.s. someone set-up Bootcamp on my Mac for me.  Maybe I can just use EAC and other such windows audio software that require the CD drive through bootcamp.
That may well be the best option.

Quote
The thing is, when I go to figure out how to operate Bootcamp, it seems to require me to insert the OS, but that shouldn't be, since I already see the Bootcamp Drive on my desktop, and it's empty.  I just didnt' think I'd have to figure out how to use Bootcamp, since I intended to exclusively use VirtualBox for all Windows OS applications.  So, since I already have Bootcamp, maybe I can skip figuring out winebottler.  Unfortunately, I'm obviously not an experienced Mac user.
Well, if it's empty, obviously you do need to install the OS. It sounds like Boot Camp Assistant has already partitioned your drive, so it should prompt you for the installation CD if you run it again. If not, you could probably hold Option while starting your computer, then choose the installation CD from the resulting menu.

Using Virtualbox on Mac Bk Pro: How Can I Get Windows to Read the CD/D

Reply #9
DV,

Thanks for the reply.  So, you mean that you tried to run it with Winebottler and found, as I did, that EAC didn't work?  This is funny, cause at this point, I spent a massive amount of time trying to get a few CDs bit-perfect using 1. VirtualBox (CD drive issue) and 2. Winebottler (doesn't work I suppose with EAC) - and in both cases, it turned out that I could spend 100-times the amount of effort and time and, because the issue is not with my lack of knowledge - in this case, but with the products.

Could you try it with Wineskin and let me know if it works?  EAC is the best audio extraction program and I recommend anyone having it.

Steve

Using Virtualbox on Mac Bk Pro: How Can I Get Windows to Read the CD/D

Reply #10
Quote
So, you mean that you tried to run it with Winebottler and found, as I did, that EAC didn't work?
Nope, as I said in my first post here:
Quote
Another one is WineBottler, although I couldn't get it to work because it hangs during startup, specifically at the “Turn on CoreAudio” step (appropriately enough).

I may try EAC with Wineskin later but I imagine it should work, because as I also mentioned in that post, many Wine users have rated EAC as having Platinum compatibility.

Using Virtualbox on Mac Bk Pro: How Can I Get Windows to Read the CD/D

Reply #11
I remember posting to VirtualBox bugtracker about this audio CD "passthrough" problem about 1-2 years ago, and they said that it is not an important feature but "maybe someday".. I guess it's still not fixed then.

EDIT: Ok, I was curious, it was probably this ticket. On 2009-10-09: "Fixing this ticket is low priority, sorry. There are more important bugs around.", and 1½ months later the ticket was closed. Yesterday somebody reopened it, not for long I guess.. it'll probably never happen.

Just upgraded to VirtualBox 3.2.10 and noticed the following in the changelog:
[blockquote]
Quote
IDE: added ATAPI passthrough support for audio CDs (bug #3494)
[/blockquote]

And it works! Just remember to enable passthrough from the settings!