How can I use VBoxSVGA graphics with 3D acc. on Windows Vista?

Discussions about using Windows guests in VirtualBox.
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Shareef_Naeem9
Posts: 6
Joined: 28. Mar 2020, 03:59

How can I use VBoxSVGA graphics with 3D acc. on Windows Vista?

Post by Shareef_Naeem9 »

Hello,

Can anyone please help me because I have VirtualBox version 6.1. I read that VBoxSVGA only supports Windows 7 and later properly, but it is the only graphics driver that can support 3D acceleration and I have a Windows Vista virtual machine on VirtualBox and I want to use 3D acceleration to use Windows Aero, but I have been using VBoxVGA for it and now that 3D acceleration has been discontinued for VBoxVGA, the only solution is to use VBoxSVGA with 3D acceleration, but it doesn't seem to work on Windows Vista. When the graphics installed after I enabled VBoxSVGA and 3D acceleration for Windows Vista, every time I restarted, the Windows Vista machine kept going into a loop of BSODs.

FYI, my host machine is Windows 10.

Can somebody please tell me how I can run Windows Vista using Windows Aero on VirtualBox successfully?
mpack
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Joined: 4. Sep 2008, 17:09
Primary OS: MS Windows 10
VBox Version: PUEL
Guest OSses: Mostly XP

Re: How can I use VBoxSVGA graphics with 3D acc. on Windows Vista?

Post by mpack »

3D acceleration is available for Win7 and later guests.

The only other option is to revert to VirtualBox 6.0.x and use VBoxVGA.
Shareef_Naeem9
Posts: 6
Joined: 28. Mar 2020, 03:59

Re: How can I use VBoxSVGA graphics with 3D acc. on Windows Vista?

Post by Shareef_Naeem9 »

What happens if I decide to stick with Virtual Box 6.0 without ever upgrading?
mpack
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Primary OS: MS Windows 10
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Re: How can I use VBoxSVGA graphics with 3D acc. on Windows Vista?

Post by mpack »

What are you asking? Will VirtualBox 6.0 deliberately self destruct? No, but if the host OS is updated then it may stop working. You're probably good for a couple of years.
Shareef_Naeem9
Posts: 6
Joined: 28. Mar 2020, 03:59

Re: How can I use VBoxSVGA graphics with 3D acc. on Windows Vista?

Post by Shareef_Naeem9 »

"What are you asking? Will VirtualBox 6.0 deliberately self destruct? No, but if the host OS is updated then it may stop working. You're probably good for a couple of years."

What I mean is that if there a possibility that if VirtualBox 6.0 gets older, will there be a time where my virtual machines stop working until I upgrade to a newer version? Did there also exist a similar circumstance with VirtualBox 4.x and VirtualBox 5.x as they got older?
multiOS
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Location: United Kingdom

Re: How can I use VBoxSVGA graphics with 3D acc. on Windows Vista?

Post by multiOS »

VirtualBox 6.0 is no longer supported, so won't receive any further updates, which in turn means if you continually apply updates or upgrade your Host OS or VMs they will almost certainly cease to be able to run on 6.0 at some unknown point in the future; i.e. changes in OS's requiring updates, including Linux distributions with Kernels not supported by 6.0.

You have to take into account that VirtualBox is usually updated every couple of months, mostly to keep pace with continuous changes in the needs of both Host and Guest operating systems.
jorgensen
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Joined: 20. Oct 2009, 01:22
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VBox Version: PUEL
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Re: How can I use VBoxSVGA graphics with 3D acc. on Windows Vista?

Post by jorgensen »

If you have used 3D for e.g. Vista on VirtualBox prior to 6.1, you must uninstall the driver in safe mode using the same VB version as was used to install 3D. Prior to 6.1 Windows graphic driver was directly modified, which lead to security problems.
Shareef_Naeem9
Posts: 6
Joined: 28. Mar 2020, 03:59

Re: How can I use VBoxSVGA graphics with 3D acc. on Windows Vista?

Post by Shareef_Naeem9 »

Is there a way to request features for future VirtualBox versions?
mpack
Site Moderator
Posts: 39156
Joined: 4. Sep 2008, 17:09
Primary OS: MS Windows 10
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Re: How can I use VBoxSVGA graphics with 3D acc. on Windows Vista?

Post by mpack »

In theory yes. In practice - unless there are obvious commercial benefits the request will be ignored. The developers make money from business support contracts, not from us.

Vista was never a success, even at the time. I find it hard to believe that the devs will be interested in development specifically for it. XP maybe stood a better chance, but even that is receding into history - and commercial irrelevance.
Shareef_Naeem9
Posts: 6
Joined: 28. Mar 2020, 03:59

Re: How can I use VBoxSVGA graphics with 3D acc. on Windows Vista?

Post by Shareef_Naeem9 »

Well, for me, I have Windows 2000 and Windows XP virtual machines too. However, I am not concerned about them as much as I am with Windows Vista because I don't need 3D acceleration to use Windows 2000's theme or Windows XP's themes (whether Luna Blue, Olive Green, or Silver). I only wanted to know about Windows Vista because I wanted to be able to use Windows Aero on it, not the Basic theme. Windows Vista was my only concern for this discussion, not Windows 2000, Windows XP, or Windows 7 and later because I have whatever I need for those virtual machines.

I really liked Windows Vista's Aero theme and I wanted to be able to use it :(. Unlike everyone else, I thought it was a lovely operating system, especially for its time. Oh well!
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