diff --git a/vm/almalinux-10-vm.sh b/vm/almalinux-10-vm.sh
index 244e90a08..47173dadd 100644
--- a/vm/almalinux-10-vm.sh
+++ b/vm/almalinux-10-vm.sh
@@ -67,8 +67,8 @@ THIN="discard=on,ssd=1,"
 set -e
 trap 'error_handler $LINENO "$BASH_COMMAND"' ERR
 trap cleanup EXIT
-trap 'post_update_to_api "failed" "INTERRUPTED"' SIGINT
-trap 'post_update_to_api "failed" "TERMINATED"' SIGTERM
+trap 'post_update_to_api "failed" "130"' SIGINT
+trap 'post_update_to_api "failed" "143"' SIGTERM
 function error_handler() {
   local exit_code="$?"
   local line_number="$1"
@@ -318,11 +318,13 @@ function advanced_settings() {
   if VM_NAME=$(whiptail --backtitle "Proxmox VE Helper Scripts" --inputbox "Set Hostname" 8 58 almalinux --title "HOSTNAME" --cancel-button Exit-Script 3>&1 1>&2 2>&3); then
     if [ -z "$VM_NAME" ]; then
       HN="almalinux"
-      echo -e "${HOSTNAME}${BOLD}${DGN}Hostname: ${BGN}$HN${CL}"
     else
-      HN=$(echo "${VM_NAME,,}" | tr -d ' ')
-      echo -e "${HOSTNAME}${BOLD}${DGN}Hostname: ${BGN}$HN${CL}"
+      HN=$(echo "${VM_NAME,,}" | tr -cs 'a-z0-9-' '-' | sed 's/^-//;s/-$//')
+      if [ "$HN" != "${VM_NAME,,}" ]; then
+        whiptail --backtitle "Proxmox VE Helper Scripts" --title "HOSTNAME ADJUSTED" --msgbox "Invalid characters detected. Hostname has been adjusted to:\n\n  $HN" 10 58
+      fi
     fi
+    echo -e "${HOSTNAME}${BOLD}${DGN}Hostname: ${BGN}$HN${CL}"
   else
     exit-script
   fi
@@ -342,76 +344,96 @@ function advanced_settings() {
     exit-script
   fi
 
-  if CORE_COUNT=$(whiptail --backtitle "Proxmox VE Helper Scripts" --inputbox "Allocate CPU Cores" 8 58 2 --title "CORE COUNT" --cancel-button Exit-Script 3>&1 1>&2 2>&3); then
-    if [ -z "$CORE_COUNT" ]; then
-      CORE_COUNT="2"
-      echo -e "${CPUCORE}${BOLD}${DGN}CPU Cores: ${BGN}$CORE_COUNT${CL}"
+  while true; do
+    if CORE_COUNT=$(whiptail --backtitle "Proxmox VE Helper Scripts" --inputbox "Allocate CPU Cores" 8 58 2 --title "CORE COUNT" --cancel-button Exit-Script 3>&1 1>&2 2>&3); then
+      if [ -z "$CORE_COUNT" ]; then CORE_COUNT="2"; fi
+      if [[ "$CORE_COUNT" =~ ^[1-9][0-9]*$ ]]; then
+        echo -e "${CPUCORE}${BOLD}${DGN}CPU Cores: ${BGN}$CORE_COUNT${CL}"
+        break
+      fi
+      whiptail --backtitle "Proxmox VE Helper Scripts" --title "INVALID INPUT" --msgbox "CPU Cores must be a positive integer (e.g., 2)." 8 58
     else
-      echo -e "${CPUCORE}${BOLD}${DGN}CPU Cores: ${BGN}$CORE_COUNT${CL}"
+      exit-script
     fi
-  else
-    exit-script
-  fi
+  done
 
-  if RAM_SIZE=$(whiptail --backtitle "Proxmox VE Helper Scripts" --inputbox "Allocate RAM in MiB" 8 58 2048 --title "RAM" --cancel-button Exit-Script 3>&1 1>&2 2>&3); then
-    if [ -z "$RAM_SIZE" ]; then
-      RAM_SIZE="2048"
-      echo -e "${RAMSIZE}${BOLD}${DGN}RAM Size: ${BGN}$RAM_SIZE${CL}"
+  while true; do
+    if RAM_SIZE=$(whiptail --backtitle "Proxmox VE Helper Scripts" --inputbox "Allocate RAM in MiB" 8 58 2048 --title "RAM" --cancel-button Exit-Script 3>&1 1>&2 2>&3); then
+      if [ -z "$RAM_SIZE" ]; then RAM_SIZE="2048"; fi
+      if [[ "$RAM_SIZE" =~ ^[1-9][0-9]*$ ]]; then
+        echo -e "${RAMSIZE}${BOLD}${DGN}RAM Size: ${BGN}$RAM_SIZE${CL}"
+        break
+      fi
+      whiptail --backtitle "Proxmox VE Helper Scripts" --title "INVALID INPUT" --msgbox "RAM Size must be a positive integer in MiB (e.g., 2048)." 8 58
     else
-      echo -e "${RAMSIZE}${BOLD}${DGN}RAM Size: ${BGN}$RAM_SIZE${CL}"
+      exit-script
     fi
-  else
-    exit-script
-  fi
+  done
 
   if BRG=$(whiptail --backtitle "Proxmox VE Helper Scripts" --inputbox "Set a Bridge" 8 58 vmbr0 --title "BRIDGE" --cancel-button Exit-Script 3>&1 1>&2 2>&3); then
     if [ -z "$BRG" ]; then
       BRG="vmbr0"
-      echo -e "${BRIDGE}${BOLD}${DGN}Bridge: ${BGN}$BRG${CL}"
-    else
-      echo -e "${BRIDGE}${BOLD}${DGN}Bridge: ${BGN}$BRG${CL}"
     fi
+    echo -e "${BRIDGE}${BOLD}${DGN}Bridge: ${BGN}$BRG${CL}"
   else
     exit-script
   fi
 
-  if MAC1=$(whiptail --backtitle "Proxmox VE Helper Scripts" --inputbox "Set a MAC Address" 8 58 "$GEN_MAC" --title "MAC ADDRESS" --cancel-button Exit-Script 3>&1 1>&2 2>&3); then
-    if [ -z "$MAC1" ]; then
-      MAC="$GEN_MAC"
-      echo -e "${MACADDRESS}${BOLD}${DGN}MAC Address: ${BGN}$MAC${CL}"
+  while true; do
+    if MAC1=$(whiptail --backtitle "Proxmox VE Helper Scripts" --inputbox "Set a MAC Address" 8 58 "$GEN_MAC" --title "MAC ADDRESS" --cancel-button Exit-Script 3>&1 1>&2 2>&3); then
+      if [ -z "$MAC1" ]; then
+        MAC="$GEN_MAC"
+        echo -e "${MACADDRESS}${BOLD}${DGN}MAC Address: ${BGN}$MAC${CL}"
+        break
+      fi
+      if [[ "$MAC1" =~ ^([0-9A-Fa-f]{2}:){5}[0-9A-Fa-f]{2}$ ]]; then
+        MAC="$MAC1"
+        echo -e "${MACADDRESS}${BOLD}${DGN}MAC Address: ${BGN}$MAC${CL}"
+        break
+      fi
+      whiptail --backtitle "Proxmox VE Helper Scripts" --title "INVALID INPUT" --msgbox "Invalid MAC address format. Use XX:XX:XX:XX:XX:XX (e.g., AA:BB:CC:DD:EE:FF)." 8 58
     else
-      MAC="$MAC1"
-      echo -e "${MACADDRESS}${BOLD}${DGN}MAC Address: ${BGN}$MAC1${CL}"
+      exit-script
     fi
-  else
-    exit-script
-  fi
+  done
 
-  if VLAN1=$(whiptail --backtitle "Proxmox VE Helper Scripts" --inputbox "Set a Vlan(leave blank for default)" 8 58 --title "VLAN" --cancel-button Exit-Script 3>&1 1>&2 2>&3); then
-    if [ -z "$VLAN1" ]; then
-      VLAN1="Default"
-      VLAN=""
-      echo -e "${VLANTAG}${BOLD}${DGN}VLAN: ${BGN}$VLAN1${CL}"
+  while true; do
+    if VLAN1=$(whiptail --backtitle "Proxmox VE Helper Scripts" --inputbox "Set a Vlan (leave blank for default)" 8 58 --title "VLAN" --cancel-button Exit-Script 3>&1 1>&2 2>&3); then
+      if [ -z "$VLAN1" ]; then
+        VLAN1="Default"
+        VLAN=""
+        echo -e "${VLANTAG}${BOLD}${DGN}VLAN: ${BGN}$VLAN1${CL}"
+        break
+      fi
+      if [[ "$VLAN1" =~ ^[0-9]+$ ]] && [ "$VLAN1" -ge 1 ] && [ "$VLAN1" -le 4094 ]; then
+        VLAN=",tag=$VLAN1"
+        echo -e "${VLANTAG}${BOLD}${DGN}VLAN: ${BGN}$VLAN1${CL}"
+        break
+      fi
+      whiptail --backtitle "Proxmox VE Helper Scripts" --title "INVALID INPUT" --msgbox "VLAN must be a number between 1 and 4094, or leave blank for default." 8 58
     else
-      VLAN=",tag=$VLAN1"
-      echo -e "${VLANTAG}${BOLD}${DGN}VLAN: ${BGN}$VLAN1${CL}"
+      exit-script
     fi
-  else
-    exit-script
-  fi
+  done
 
-  if MTU1=$(whiptail --backtitle "Proxmox VE Helper Scripts" --inputbox "Set Interface MTU Size (leave blank for default)" 8 58 --title "MTU SIZE" --cancel-button Exit-Script 3>&1 1>&2 2>&3); then
-    if [ -z "$MTU1" ]; then
-      MTU1="Default"
-      MTU=""
-      echo -e "${DEFAULT}${BOLD}${DGN}Interface MTU Size: ${BGN}$MTU1${CL}"
+  while true; do
+    if MTU1=$(whiptail --backtitle "Proxmox VE Helper Scripts" --inputbox "Set Interface MTU Size (leave blank for default)" 8 58 --title "MTU SIZE" --cancel-button Exit-Script 3>&1 1>&2 2>&3); then
+      if [ -z "$MTU1" ]; then
+        MTU1="Default"
+        MTU=""
+        echo -e "${DEFAULT}${BOLD}${DGN}Interface MTU Size: ${BGN}$MTU1${CL}"
+        break
+      fi
+      if [[ "$MTU1" =~ ^[0-9]+$ ]] && [ "$MTU1" -ge 576 ] && [ "$MTU1" -le 65520 ]; then
+        MTU=",mtu=$MTU1"
+        echo -e "${DEFAULT}${BOLD}${DGN}Interface MTU Size: ${BGN}$MTU1${CL}"
+        break
+      fi
+      whiptail --backtitle "Proxmox VE Helper Scripts" --title "INVALID INPUT" --msgbox "MTU Size must be a number between 576 and 65520, or leave blank for default." 8 58
     else
-      MTU=",mtu=$MTU1"
-      echo -e "${DEFAULT}${BOLD}${DGN}Interface MTU Size: ${BGN}$MTU1${CL}"
+      exit-script
     fi
-  else
-    exit-script
-  fi
+  done
 
   if (whiptail --backtitle "Proxmox VE Helper Scripts" --title "START VIRTUAL MACHINE" --yesno "Start VM when completed?" 10 58); then
     echo -e "${GATEWAY}${BOLD}${DGN}Start VM when completed: ${BGN}yes${CL}"