Doesn't work in latest VMWare Workstation Player 16

[MrPepka]

Unfortunately, your fix is completely down. The program starts, but despite its presence in the system, the sound is still distorted. I have Windows XP Professional SP3 PL and used version 1.2 of your program. What to do?

[Raymai97]

Hi @MrPepka

When you play a MP3 file using Windows Media Player in Windows XP, is the sound still distorted?

[MrPepka]

Yes, the sound is also distorted then

[Raymai97]

Hi @MrPepka

Could you try below steps in your Windows XP:

1. Kill VMAudioBack process (if it's already running).
2. Go to the folder of VMAudioBack, find the file "SET_TIMER_RES_INSTEADD", rename it to "SET_TIMER_RES_INSTEAD".
3. Double-click VMAudioBack to run it, then check if the sound is still distorted.

[MrPepka]

Earlier I changed the name of this file but still the sound is distorted even as your program is running in the background

[Raymai97]

Hi @MrPepka

I can reproduce your issue in VMware Workstation 16.2.0 but not in 16.1.2. Could you verify whether your WinXP sound is good in VMware Workstation 16.1.2?

[nguyenthienminh]

I also got the problem. I checked it and I happened to use 16.2.0. Thanks!

[TP555]

Hi

For me works that fine with Vmware Player 16.2.1 build-18811642 ! (Host OS: Windows 8.1)

I have Windows XP SP3 with the SB 128PCI Drivers from Vogons
http://vogonsdrivers.com/getfile.php?fileid=370&menustate=0

After install that Driver and run VMAudioback , no Sound Problems anymore.

ok , i had never this Crackling Sound , i had more Cut or too Fast Sound , when the Sound Quick Repeat !
Like the XP Volume Panel , and Click on the Volume. !

May it works better with the latest VmWare Player or the SB128 PCI Drivers. !

[MrPepka]

OK, it's been a few months since my submission, it's time for a small update:
Well, the update is that I still have distorted audio (despite the SB PCI 128 driver and this fix), but I discovered something strange. Namely, the sound is only distorted in the system. After starting any game in full screen, the sound is OK, but the sound in the system is distorted, no matter if it's the system sound, the sound from a movie played on YT in the browser or something else
Anyone have any idea?

[Raymai97]

Hi @MrPepka

I'm still waiting your response on this.

Could you verify whether your WinXP sound is good in VMware Workstation 16.1.2?

Please provide below test result for your XP SP3 guest.

1. Workstation 16.1.2
   a) Native (without VMAudioBack)
   b) VMAudioBack + "SET_TIMER_RES_INSTEADD"
   c) VMAudioBack + "SET_TIMER_RES_INSTEAD"

2. Workstation 16.2.3
   a) Native (without VMAudioBack)
   b) VMAudioBack + "SET_TIMER_RES_INSTEADD"
   c) VMAudioBack + "SET_TIMER_RES_INSTEAD"

Also, what host OS are you using? Windows 10 version 21H2?

[MrPepka]

I have Windows 10 21H2. Audio on XP works on older versions of VMWare, but I would prefer it to run on the latest version of VMWare ;)

[Raymai97]

I have Windows 10 21H2. Audio on XP works on older versions of VMWare, but I would prefer it to run on the latest version of VMWare ;)

Your response is too general. Do you mean:

Workstation 16.1.2
a) Native (without VMAudioBack) = Bad
b) VMAudioBack + "SET_TIMER_RES_INSTEADD" = OK
c) VMAudioBack + "SET_TIMER_RES_INSTEAD" = OK

Workstation 16.2.3
a) Native (without VMAudioBack) = Bad
b) VMAudioBack + "SET_TIMER_RES_INSTEADD" = Bad
c) VMAudioBack + "SET_TIMER_RES_INSTEAD" = Bad

If any of these "Bad" are different in any way, please do state.

[MrPepka]

Yes, in the older version of VMWare VMAudioBack correctly restores sound in XP, no matter if with SET_TIMER_RES_INSTEADD or with SET_TIMER_RES_INSTEAD

[MrPepka]

OK so VMWare got it updated today and found the sound in XP broken on both VMWare versions (16.1.2 and 16.2.3). No matter if I set SET_TIMER_RES_INSTEADD or SET_TIMER_RES_INSTEAD

[Raymai97]

Hi everyone,

I clean-installed my Win10 and install VMware Workstation 16.2.3 straight after installed essential drivers, and I do not hit any sound issue in Windows 2000/XP guest OS without running VMAudioBack. I think that after 16.2, there are some internal changes that affect this issue. It seems to me that:

• If your guest OS sound is fine after idle for 30 sec, you would not have issue whatsoever.
• If your guest OS sound is distorted right from the beginning, you would still have issue even when you play sound with Windows Media Player.

Not really sure what's going on here.

[Raymai97]

Hi @MrPepka

When your XP guest OS sound is distorted again, could you run "dxdiag" in XP guest OS and check again the sound?

[MrPepka]

Same. Well, I will have to get over this sound somehow :(

[Raymai97]

Hi @MrPepka

I started to suspect maybe your XP guest is messed up somehow... In earlier post, I noticed you mentioned about SB PCI 128. Did you changed something at your side before? FYI, I'm using the default sound driver:

Could you create new VM, perform a clean installation of Windows XP SP3 Pro? Let's say the sound is still distorted, try grab a copy of Windows ME ISO, create a new VM of it, finish the installation until it reaches the Desktop. Then let WinME run in background, and check the sound of your newly-created XP SP3. I know this sounds a bit bizarre, but this was the alternative I used to use back then.

[mina354]

I have the same issue. I tried everything to make it work, but it always fails. The sound driver is left default. It doesn't work in Windows 2000 either. I use VMware Workstation 16.2.3 here.

[matti157]

Same issue for me, fresh install of XP Mediacenter

[hifinerd]

Same, running an install of XP Pro upgraded from 2000.

[nguyenthienminh]

Same with XP x64 right now.

[Annunaki]

Not working here host win 11 and vmw 16 player guest win 2k server.

[Smart123s]

Same here, but issue disappears if I disable Hyper-V / Virtual Machine Platform on host.

[Annunaki]

I gave up with running vmware on my AMD Ryzen system as I didn't have just audio issues but also gfx issues too the performance was shocking. I'm now using vmware with my Intel i7 system with no issues and great performance and don't even need any 3rd party software.

[Smart123s]

I've had the same issues with a Ryzen 5 5500U and an Intel i5 4440.

[nguyenthienminh]

Same here, but issue disappears if I disable Hyper-V / Virtual Machine Platform on host.

Interesting... I tried disabling both of them, but that doesn't help with the sound issues. Plus, Virtual Machine Platform is required for some Windows features, so I'm not risking it either.

[mina354]

The only workaround to keep the sound working in VMware VM is opening a VirtualBox VM running in the background. Otherwise, the sound would distort automatically and immediately.

[Raymai97]

Hi everyone,

I'm sorry for not updating for a while on this issue.
I was not able to reproduce this issue anymore.
I can only say that, since VMware Workstation 16.2, things started to get unpredictable somehow.

For those who are having issue, could you try to install Windows ME on your VMware Workstation?
Try to see what happen if Windows ME is running in background while your Windows 2000/XP is running.
Would it help resolving the sound issue?

PS: While Windows ME could be terrible on some physical PC, it is one of the rare OS that runs very well on VMware Workstation right after clean installation, with display driver and sound driver working just fine out-of-the-box. Also it's abandonware and easy to find ISO online.

[Raymai97]

Hi @MrPepka @mina354 @matti157 @hifinerd @nguyenthienminh @Smart123s @Annunaki,

Any feedback?

[Smart123s]

Works perfectly. The xp boot sound was crystal clear. I didn't even have VMAudioBack or anything installed other than VMware tools.

EDIT: more info: Sound becomes buggy when I stop the virtualbox vm but return to nomral when (the virtualbox vm) starts booting again. Xp was playing music in vmware without any interaction. So I had the same results as shown in the video.

[mina354]

Hi @MrPepka @mina354 @matti157 @hifinerd @nguyenthienminh @Smart123s @Annunaki,

Any feedback?

I get these errors when I try to run VMAB.cmd. I have VirtualBox 6.1.36 installed.

[nikos1988]

Hi @MrPepka @mina354 @matti157 @hifinerd @nguyenthienminh @Smart123s @Annunaki,

Any feedback?

Hi, works flawless for me

[nguyenthienminh]

Hi @MrPepka @mina354 @matti157 @hifinerd @nguyenthienminh @Smart123s @Annunaki,

Any feedback?

Well, the sound worked flawlessly on the XP VM when running a VBox VM in the background. I set my own script (that runs the VBox VM in headless mode) to always run at startup, and that fixes the sound entirely.

[Raymai97]

Hi @mina354

I get these errors when I try to run VMAB.cmd. I have VirtualBox 6.1.36 installed.

This is weird.

1. Have you tried starting a VirtualBox VM in normal mode manually?

2. Have you tried starting a VirtualBox VM in headless mode manually?

3. Have you tried reinstalling VirtualBox as per the message?

[mina354]

Hi @mina354

I get these errors when I try to run VMAB.cmd. I have VirtualBox 6.1.36 installed.

This is weird.

1. Have you tried starting a VirtualBox VM in normal mode manually?
2. Have you tried starting a VirtualBox VM in headless mode manually?

3. Have you tried reinstalling VirtualBox as per the message?

Sorry for late reply.

1. Yes, it works.
2. Yes, but I get an error:
   
3. Not yet, but will do. Edit: Yes, but it changed nothing.

[SmilerRyan]

Hi everyone,

For those who enabled anything related to

• Windows Subsystem for Linux
• Windows Sandbox
• Windows Hypervisor Platform
• Virtual Machine Platform
• Hyper-V

Please try this out and feedback.

I have all of these Windows Features enabled, except WSL.
This VMAB patch does work perfectly for me, unlike:

• Running music in WMP Minimized
• Opening VMAudioTrayFix
• Installing SetTimerService
• VMAudioBack v1.2

Host OS: Windows 11 Build 22621.674
VirtualBox: version v7.0.0 + extension pack
VMware Workstation: v16.2.4 build-20089737

Here's a copy of the version I'm now using.
I've changed the cmd file a little: VMABH.zip

8mb.video-kgG-dwcHxkXz.mp4

[cyrusirandoust]

Hi everyone,

For those who enabled anything related to

* Windows Subsystem for Linux

* Windows Sandbox

* Windows Hypervisor Platform

* Virtual Machine Platform

* Hyper-V

Please try this out and feedback.

1. Install VirtualBox 6.1.36 (if not installed).

2. Download the ZIP, extract to a folder that is easily accessible.
   [VMAudioBack for Host (20220723-alpha-r1).zip](https://github.com/Raymai97/VMAudioBack/files/9173029/VMAudioBack.for.Host.20220723-alpha-r1.zip)

3. Run "VMAB.cmd" and observe your VMware guest OS sound.

This is how it worked on my machine:
Untitled.mp4

Everyone,
I can confirm this works for Win98 SE as Guest on VMWare 16.2.4 build-20089737 installed on Win11 22H2 22621.755.
It seems all old Windows on VMWare after 16.1 have this issue.

Note: I have never installed the patch from this repo. Just saw this issue thread and randomly tried this solution and it worked. Maybe that's an idea for a future patch? Root cause is unknown. Maybe a good start will be to check VMWare 16.2 change-log?

[Raymai97]

Summary Update

• Guest OS does NOT matter in this issue. As long as your host Windows OS has Hypervisor enabled, and your guest OS is using ES1371 (AudioPCI/Sound Blaster PCI) sound device, this issue would happen.
• Win10 guest OS with "High Definition Audio Device" (hdaudio) works fine.
• Win95 guest OS with "Sound Blaster 16" (sb16) works mostly fine.
• VMware 17 did not change anything on this issue so "VMAudioBack.for.Host.20220723-alpha-r1" still works fine.

Now, if anyone is capable and willing to find out how starting up VirtualBox VM could fix VMware ES1371 sound, it would be highly appreciated.

[jed84]

Today I faced the exact issues. I spent a few hours and I randomly found out that running VM in oracle fixes the problem, so the solution provided above is working. But is there any better way to fix the issue?

Uninstalling the following didn't fix my problem:

• Windows Sandbox
• Windows Hypervisor Platform
• Virtual Machine Platform
• Hyper-V
• Windows Subsystem for Linux (I didn't have installed, but I had it in the past)

[Raymai97]

Hi @jed84

Maybe the hypervisor is enabled in BCD boot config?
Could you try execute below command to turn off hypervisor?
bcdedit /set {current} hypervisorlaunchtype off

[Johs95]

Hi everyone,

For those who enabled anything related to

• Windows Subsystem for Linux
• Windows Sandbox
• Windows Hypervisor Platform
• Virtual Machine Platform
• Hyper-V

Please try this out and feedback.

1. Install VirtualBox 6.1.36 (if not installed).
2. Download the ZIP, extract to a folder that is easily accessible.
   VMAudioBack for Host (20220723-alpha-r1).zip
3. Run "VMAB.cmd" and observe your VMware guest OS sound.

This is how it worked on my machine:

Why does this work 😅? been looking for a "solution" for months

[Raymai97]

Hi everyone,
For those who enabled anything related to

• Windows Subsystem for Linux
• Windows Sandbox
• Windows Hypervisor Platform
• Virtual Machine Platform
• Hyper-V

Please try this out and feedback.

1. Install VirtualBox 6.1.36 (if not installed).
2. Download the ZIP, extract to a folder that is easily accessible.
   VMAudioBack for Host (20220723-alpha-r1).zip
3. Run "VMAB.cmd" and observe your VMware guest OS sound.

This is how it worked on my machine:

Why does this work 😅? been looking for a "solution" for months

I'm not sure why it worked for me. Did it worked for you?

[Johs95]

Hi everyone,
For those who enabled anything related to

• Windows Subsystem for Linux
• Windows Sandbox
• Windows Hypervisor Platform
• Virtual Machine Platform
• Hyper-V

Please try this out and feedback.

1. Install VirtualBox 6.1.36 (if not installed).
2. Download the ZIP, extract to a folder that is easily accessible.
   VMAudioBack for Host (20220723-alpha-r1).zip
3. Run "VMAB.cmd" and observe your VMware guest OS sound.

This is how it worked on my machine:

Why does this work 😅? been looking for a "solution" for months

I'm not sure why it worked for me. Did it worked for you?

It did :)

[samtaylorr]

Hi everyone,
For those who enabled anything related to

• Windows Subsystem for Linux
• Windows Sandbox
• Windows Hypervisor Platform
• Virtual Machine Platform
• Hyper-V

Please try this out and feedback.

1. Install VirtualBox 6.1.36 (if not installed).
2. Download the ZIP, extract to a folder that is easily accessible.
   VMAudioBack for Host (20220723-alpha-r1).zip
3. Run "VMAB.cmd" and observe your VMware guest OS sound.

This is how it worked on my machine:

Why does this work 😅? been looking for a "solution" for months

I'm not sure why it worked for me. Did it worked for you?

It did :)

Can confirm this also worked for me. I have absolutely no clue how this witchcraft works but thank you?

[fizdog]

Hi everyone,
For those who enabled anything related to

• Windows Subsystem for Linux
• Windows Sandbox
• Windows Hypervisor Platform
• Virtual Machine Platform
• Hyper-V

Please try this out and feedback.

1. Install VirtualBox 6.1.36 (if not installed).
2. Download the ZIP, extract to a folder that is easily accessible.
   VMAudioBack for Host (20220723-alpha-r1).zip
3. Run "VMAB.cmd" and observe your VMware guest OS sound.

This is how it worked on my machine:

Why does this work 😅? been looking for a "solution" for months

I'm not sure why it worked for me. Did it worked for you?

It did :)

Can confirm this also worked for me. I have absolutely no clue how this witchcraft works but thank you?

couldnt find the original comment so i am using this one to say it worked for me. using wmare 17 workstation pro. host is windows 11. thanks! i can now finally use winxp in wmare :)

edit: upon further testing, using the speaker icon and changing volume it sounds normal. I played a youtube video and it sounds like someone is pressing pause and play multiple times. it was a lot worse than it is now playing youtube videos.

edit2: a mp3 i copied over worked fine. so maybe it has to do with the browser i am using "360Chrome"

[unbreakify]

Using VMWare, doesn't seem to work anymore. I've tried looking everywhere for help.

[S0m3Th1nG-AwFul]

Hi everyone,
For those who enabled anything related to

• Windows Subsystem for Linux
• Windows Sandbox
• Windows Hypervisor Platform
• Virtual Machine Platform
• Hyper-V

Please try this out and feedback.

I have all of these Windows Features enabled, except WSL. This VMAB patch does work perfectly for me, unlike:

• Running music in WMP Minimized
• Opening VMAudioTrayFix
• Installing SetTimerService
• VMAudioBack v1.2

Host OS: Windows 11 Build 22621.674 VirtualBox: version v7.0.0 + extension pack VMware Workstation: v16.2.4 build-20089737

Here's a copy of the version I'm now using. I've changed the cmd file a little: VMABH.zip

8mb.video-kgG-dwcHxkXz.mp4

Hello! I can confirm, that this trickery works with VirtualBox 7.0.8, VMware Workstation Pro 17.0.2, Windows 11 22h2 (10.0.22621.1702). Win98 and WinXP finally started to sound as intended.
Before that even having disabled WSL, WS, WHP, WMP, HV didn't help at all.

[HTS126]

Also tested with Windows 11 22H2, VirtualBox 7.0.8 and VMware Workstation Pro 17.0.2 and Windows XP is now working with no changes needed. I've been trying to solve this problem for over a year as I needed to use virtual machines as part of my computer science degree!

Seems very strange that it works, but I'm glad it does! I noticed that playing a 10 second audio file actually takes XP 13 seconds when VirtualBox is not running, causing the slow down/crackle effect, but plays at normal speed when using this! I might spend more time looking into it and see if I can spot what's happening!

My only thought so far is that I read when Windows Virtualisation is enabled, every virtual platform is forced to use Hyper-V rather than their own built-in one. I wonder if Virtualbox is somehow improving the Hyper-V performance, or maybe blocking VMware from using it so it uses it's own instead?

[S0m3Th1nG-AwFul]

I finally understood what's wrong in my case.
'Core isolation' feature, if enabled, also uses Virtualization technology implicitly (even if you have unchecked that one in optionalfeatures), which leds to that problems with sound on ancient OSes.

[AbdellahPlays]

have you guys found a fix for this issue i don't want to use virtualbox its very laggy pls help :( I'm using Vmware 17.0.0 pro

[RibShark]

This is an issue with timer resolution, see Windows Timer Resolution: The Great Rule Change. For me, the issue is completely fixed on Windows 11 with no other programs needed by setting the registry entry:

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Session Manager\kernel]
"GlobalTimerResolutionRequests"=dword:00000001

This entry doesn't work on Windows 10, so I think ideally a tool should be created to inject a timeBeginPeriod call into the relevant VMWare process.

[jed84]

I added the above registry entry and restarted my machine (Win 11 23H2 - 22631).
This resolved the problem with VMWare on my machine.

[Raymai97]

This is an issue with timer resolution, see Windows Timer Resolution: The Great Rule Change. For me, the issue is completely fixed on Windows 11 with no other programs needed by setting the registry entry:

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Session Manager\kernel]
"GlobalTimerResolutionRequests"=dword:00000001

This entry doesn't work on Windows 10, so I think ideally a tool should be created to inject a timeBeginPeriod call into the relevant VMWare process.

Can confirm this fixed the sound issue on my side.

Host OS: Win11 23H2 (22631.2428)
Guest OS: WinXP Pro SP3 (ES1371)
Windows Features:

[Raymai97]

Hi everyone,

I have created a new repo for VMAudioBackHost. Please try out and feedback.
https://github.com/Raymai97/VMAudioBackHost/

[lunaticjohn]

I have the same problem with my VMware workstation pro. When i use Kali Linux on the workstation sound keeps crackling when i try to play audio and videos. I try all the solutions in here and from other sources. Still facing the issue. Is there a fix that works?

[mrpenguinb]

I have the same problem with my VMware workstation pro. When i use Kali Linux on the workstation sound keeps crackling when i try to play audio and videos. I try all the solutions in here and from other sources. Still facing the issue. Is there a fix that works?

Make sure to have your virtual machine in question running, not just VMware, but an actual virtual machine.
Then in VMAudioBackHost, select "Start". Each time you shutdown a virtual machine, you will have to press "Start" in VMAudioBackHost again (after starting an OS/virtual machine).