Mouse Integration Woes

Discussions about using Windows guests in VirtualBox.
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Carl393
Posts: 3
Joined: 10. Aug 2022, 10:04

Mouse Integration Woes

Post by Carl393 »

I have the latest virtual box... 6.1.36
installed on debian linux

I have windows 3.1 installed on the VM no problem.

I select DEVICES -> INSERT GUEST ADDITIONS CD IMAGE and nothing happens..

Can someone please help? I cant get my mouse to work it keeps saying the guest OS does not support mouse pointer integration or something.

i capture using right hand control but only keyboard works...
mpack
Site Moderator
Posts: 39156
Joined: 4. Sep 2008, 17:09
Primary OS: MS Windows 10
VBox Version: PUEL
Guest OSses: Mostly XP

Re: Mouse Integration Woes

Post by mpack »

Carl393 wrote: I select DEVICES -> INSERT GUEST ADDITIONS CD IMAGE and nothing happens..
No, something did happen - a CD got inserted. Browse to it inside the guest since it seems that you or your distro disables autoplay.
 Edit:  Ah but wait... your posting in a Linux forum and bolding your CD question threw me a bit. Inserting the CD is a moot topic since there are no GAs for Windows 3.1 anyway (*). VirtualBox also does not provide GAs for any DOS based Windows (Win3, Win9x, WinME). Only the NT family are supported (NT4, Win2K, XP, etc).

Topic moved to "Windows Guests".

(*) If all that weren't enough, Win3 comes rather early for data CD support anyway. Basically ISTR Win3 has no native support, but you can still read CDs if you first install a driver at DOS level. CDs didn't get native support until Win95. They weren't bootable until Win98SE. 
Carl393
Posts: 3
Joined: 10. Aug 2022, 10:04

Re: Mouse Integration Woes

Post by Carl393 »

Wow you're knowledge about this stuff (my noob status confirmed)
I just can't figure out why it keeps saying 'mouse not supported " I "capture" with right ctrl..but the mouse pointer doesn't show up

I have a Bluetooth mouse ..whether I use this or my PS2 mouse plugged in at the back of the machine it doesn't recognize it ..

My apologies I thought the forum thread meant what kind of system you are trying to load virtual box on..

Not what type of virtual machine (guest?) You are trying to enable/configure
mpack
Site Moderator
Posts: 39156
Joined: 4. Sep 2008, 17:09
Primary OS: MS Windows 10
VBox Version: PUEL
Guest OSses: Mostly XP

Re: Mouse Integration Woes

Post by mpack »

Carl393 wrote: I have a Bluetooth mouse ..whether I use this or my PS2 mouse plugged in at the back of the machine it doesn't recognize it ..
You need to start thinking about the VM as a separate PC, since that is precisely what it is.

The type of mouse you have attached to some other PC (e.g. your host PC) is not relevant to the VM PC. The VM PC is provided with a simulated PS/2 mouse, assuming you configured the VM settings that way. Just bear in mind that if you play with those settings then you should probably avoid simulated USB devices since Windows 3.1 has no idea what USB is.

My own (working) Windows 3.1 VM is configured thusly:

Code: Select all

Name:                        Windows 3.1
Guest OS:                    Windows 3.1
Memory size:                 64MB
Page Fusion:                 disabled
VRAM size:                   32MB
CPU exec cap:                100%
HPET:                        disabled
CPUProfile:                  host
Chipset:                     piix3
Firmware:                    BIOS
Number of CPUs:              1
PAE:                         disabled
Long Mode:                   enabled
Triple Fault Reset:          disabled
APIC:                        enabled
X2APIC:                      disabled
Nested VT-x/AMD-V:           disabled
CPUID Portability Level:     0
CPUID overrides:             None
Boot menu mode:              message and menu
Boot Device 1:               HardDisk
Boot Device 2:               Not Assigned
Boot Device 3:               Not Assigned
Boot Device 4:               Not Assigned
ACPI:                        enabled
IOAPIC:                      disabled
BIOS APIC mode:              APIC
Time offset:                 0ms
RTC:                         local time
Hardware Virtualization:     enabled
Nested Paging:               enabled
Large Pages:                 disabled
VT-x VPID:                   enabled
VT-x Unrestricted Exec.:     enabled
Paravirt. Provider:          Legacy
Effective Paravirt. Prov.:   None
State:                       powered off (since 2022-08-10T08:46:39.000000000)
Graphics Controller:         VBoxVGA
Monitor count:               1
3D Acceleration:             disabled
2D Video Acceleration:       disabled
Teleporter Enabled:          disabled
Teleporter Port:             0
Teleporter Address:          
Teleporter Password:         
Tracing Enabled:             disabled
Allow Tracing to Access VM:  disabled
Tracing Configuration:       
Autostart Enabled:           disabled
Autostart Delay:             0
Default Frontend:            
VM process priority:         default
Storage Controller Name (0):            IDE Controller
Storage Controller Type (0):            PIIX4
Storage Controller Instance Number (0): 0
Storage Controller Max Port Count (0):  2
Storage Controller Port Count (0):      2
Storage Controller Bootable (0):        on
IDE Controller (0, 0): D:\VirtualBoxVMs\Nostalgia\Windows 3.1\win3_1.vdi (UUID: 5fd14806-ad8a-40e6-be0b-b17c20ad1fe9)
NIC 1:                       MAC: 080027427A38, Attachment: NAT, Cable connected: on, Trace: off (file: none), Type: Am79C973, Reported speed: 0 Mbps, Boot priority: 0, Promisc Policy: deny, Bandwidth group: none
NIC 1 Settings:  MTU: 0, Socket (send: 64, receive: 64), TCP Window (send:64, receive: 64)
NIC 2:                       disabled
NIC 3:                       disabled
NIC 4:                       disabled
NIC 5:                       disabled
NIC 6:                       disabled
NIC 7:                       disabled
NIC 8:                       disabled
Pointing Device:             PS/2 Mouse
Keyboard Device:             PS/2 Keyboard
UART 1:                      disabled
UART 2:                      disabled
UART 3:                      disabled
UART 4:                      disabled
LPT 1:                       disabled
LPT 2:                       disabled
Audio:                       disabled
Audio playback:              enabled
Audio capture:               enabled
Clipboard Mode:              Bidirectional
Drag and drop Mode:          disabled
VRDE:                        disabled
OHCI USB:                    disabled
EHCI USB:                    disabled
xHCI USB:                    disabled

USB Device Filters:

<none>

Bandwidth groups:  <none>

Shared folders:<none>

Configured memory balloon size: 0MB
Carl393
Posts: 3
Joined: 10. Aug 2022, 10:04

Re: Mouse Integration Woes

Post by Carl393 »

I beg your pardon, I simply get this message

the virtual machine reports that the guest OS does not support mouse pointer integration in the current video mode. you need to capture the mouse (by clicking over the VM display or pressing the host key) in order to use the mouse inside the guest OS.

i think i do that ... isn't it.. Right CTRL?
that 'captures' the mouse? maybe I don't have the mouse setup properly sorry i'm new at this... *dead*
mpack
Site Moderator
Posts: 39156
Joined: 4. Sep 2008, 17:09
Primary OS: MS Windows 10
VBox Version: PUEL
Guest OSses: Mostly XP

Re: Mouse Integration Woes

Post by mpack »

The dialog box about "does not support mouse integration" is only a warning, and only happens during bootup as the guest passes through the DOS text only stage. The dialog has a checkbox you can click to stop it appearing again in this VM.

Once you reach the Win 3.1 desktop you just click with the mouse anywhere inside the window, just like it says. From that moment you'll be moving the simulated mouse cursor, and won't be able to navigate outside the VM window. To release the captured mouse, press the host key, which by default is the right ctrl key.
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