Installing/running Windows 8 Developer Preview in Virtual Box

Microsoft just released Windows 8 Developer Preview (also known in some circles as “Milestone 3”).  So I thought I’d give it a spin in Virtual Box.  Unfortunately, the default settings for Virtual Box didn’t work quite right.  Initially, I was getting error code 0xc0000225 during the installation start up.  Then, after getting the OS installed, networking did not work.  Here’s what I did to get things going with the x64 versions of Windows 8 guest using Virtual Box version 4.1.2 (the latest at the time of writing).

Boot errors (error code 0xc0000225)

In the System settings section for the Virtual Box VM, enable (check) Enable IO APIC on the Motherboard tab and Enable PAE/NX on the Processor tab.

Network adapter not detected

In the Network settings section, select the appropriate adapter tab (usually Adapter 1).  Then click on Advanced arrow to expand/display the additional options.  Select Intel PRO/1000 MT Desktop (82540EM) from the Adapter drop-down list.  The Windows 8 guest OS will auto-detect this hardware and install the appropriate driver.

Install Virtual Box extensions in Windows 8 guest

With the Windows 8 guest OS running (of course!), select Devices | Install Guest Additions… from the menu on the VM window, as usual.  When prompted about whether or not to auto-run the installer, choose to open the files in Windows Explorer.  Then open a Command Prompt (I had to launch Task Manager, choose More details option, then select File | New Task (Run…) from the menu and enter CMD in the dialog prompt.) and navigate to the Guest Additions drive (probably D:\) at the Command Prompt.  At the Command Prompt, run this command:

VBoxWindowsAdditions-amd64.exe /force

This forces the installation of the Guest Additions, which would otherwise fail because of invalid version check.

Psalm 23 for the 21st Century

It seems that our lives are lived (maybe that’s not even the right word!) at an ever faster pace. In this satirical (or is it parody?) take on Psalm 23, Marcia Hornok gives us some insight into the toll that busyness is taking on us, as individuals and a society.  Psalm 23, often called the shepherd psalm, itself gives a picture of rest in God’s protection, which makes the irony of this version even greater.

The clock is my dictator, I shall not rest.
It makes me lie down only when exhausted.
It leads me to the deep depression, it hounds my soul.
It leads me in circles of frenzy for activities’ sake.
Even though I run frantically from task to task,
I will never get it all done, for my “ideal” is with me.
Deadlines and my need for approval, they drive me.
They demand performance from me, beyond the limits of my schedule.
They anoint my head with migraines, my in-basket over-flows.
Surely fatigue and time pressure shall follow me all the days of my life,
And I will dwell in the bonds of frustration forever.