How to make Chrome stop losing connection?

Discussions about using Windows guests in VirtualBox.
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l-w-c
Posts: 11
Joined: 4. Sep 2022, 17:31

How to make Chrome stop losing connection?

Post by l-w-c »

In my Windows guest on Windows host (both latest Windows 10 Home), if I leave Google Chrome tabs unfocused, then after a minute or two they become frozen.
By frozen I mean every time I go back to them they get unfrozen, as in reloading the entire page from scratch, which makes for an unpleasant and less efficient work experience.

For example, if I have 3 tabs, Gmail and Slack (web access) and a certain Google Sheets, then:
  1. If stay a minute or two on Slack, I stop getting Gmail notifications and if I go back to either Gmail or Google Sheets they get loaded from scratch.
  2. If stay a minute or two on Gmail, I stop getting Slack notifications and if I go back to either Slack or Google Sheets they get loaded from scratch.
  3. If stay a minute or two on Google Sheets, I stop getting both Gmail and Slack notifications and if I go back to either Slack or Gmail they get loaded from scratch.
I've never experienced something like that in a real Windows, so any idea what's going on? I don't know if it's related but the guest Windows is an inactivated trial Windows.

Please assist as it's a real issue.
scottgus1
Site Moderator
Posts: 20965
Joined: 30. Dec 2009, 20:14
Primary OS: MS Windows 10
VBox Version: PUEL
Guest OSses: Windows, Linux

Re: How to make Chrome stop losing connection?

Post by scottgus1 »

l-w-c wrote:if I leave Google Chrome tabs unfocused, then after a minute or two they become frozen.
By frozen I mean every time I go back to them they get unfrozen, as in reloading the entire page from scratch
This happens all the time on my Windows 10 tablet with Chrome, but not on my 10 workstation. I think its related to available RAM (only 2GB for 10 and apps on the tablet, 8GB on the workstation - neither are VMs). Try increasing VM RAM to 4GB, assuming your host has 4GB extra lying around under the hood.

There isn't anything in Virtualbox that would control this, aside from RAM amount.
l-w-c
Posts: 11
Joined: 4. Sep 2022, 17:31

Re: How to make Chrome stop losing connection?

Post by l-w-c »

scottgus1 wrote:I think its related to available RAM (only 2GB for 10 and apps on the tablet
Well, after reading bleepingcomputer DOT com/news/software/google-fixes-white-screen-problem-in-chrome-admins-furious/ I've started Chrome with chrome.exe --disable-backgrounding-occluded-windows and it solved it!!!

How come this 2019 bug ("Chrome tabs gets frozen in terminals") still affect VirtualBox in 2022?

The only remaining issue is that it still happens after after a while, but seemingly much longer than before.
I've turned the plugged in's default Turn Off Screen after 10 minutes and Turn of Disk's 20 minutes both into 0, thinking it's them, but it still happens eventually.
scottgus1
Site Moderator
Posts: 20965
Joined: 30. Dec 2009, 20:14
Primary OS: MS Windows 10
VBox Version: PUEL
Guest OSses: Windows, Linux

Re: How to make Chrome stop losing connection?

Post by scottgus1 »

l-w-c wrote:How come this 2019 bug ("Chrome tabs gets frozen in terminals") still affect VirtualBox in 2022?
It isn't a bug, it is Chrome behavior, and it's not caused by Virtualbox. I did mention VM RAM, you made no response on that subject. Help us help you.
l-w-c
Posts: 11
Joined: 4. Sep 2022, 17:31

Re: How to make Chrome stop losing connection?

Post by l-w-c »

scottgus1 wrote:
l-w-c wrote:How come this 2019 bug ("Chrome tabs gets frozen in terminals") still affect VirtualBox in 2022?
It isn't a bug, it is Chrome behavior, and it's not caused by Virtualbox. I did mention VM RAM, you made no response on that subject. Help us help you.
So I've increased 2G to 4G per your suggestion. Less pages get frozen now after a while, but most still do (mainly Gmail specifically doesn't freeze).
If you agree it all centrals about Chrome, is there anything to do other than the aforementioned command line parameter?
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scottgus1
Site Moderator
Posts: 20965
Joined: 30. Dec 2009, 20:14
Primary OS: MS Windows 10
VBox Version: PUEL
Guest OSses: Windows, Linux

Re: How to make Chrome stop losing connection?

Post by scottgus1 »

Free RAM in the OS seems to be the trigger that causes page reloading in Chrome, based on Chrome behavior between my low-free-RAM tablet and my high-free-RAM workstation. How much free RAM is controlled by that VM slider, but also by how many tabs you have open in Chrome and how many other apps are running in the OS. Virtualbox has no other options that can influence this that I know of.
l-w-c
Posts: 11
Joined: 4. Sep 2022, 17:31

Re: How to make Chrome stop losing connection?

Post by l-w-c »

Should I both use Chrome's command line parameter and increase RAM or just increase RAM?
If only increase RAM, should 3 be enough or only 4?
scottgus1
Site Moderator
Posts: 20965
Joined: 30. Dec 2009, 20:14
Primary OS: MS Windows 10
VBox Version: PUEL
Guest OSses: Windows, Linux

Re: How to make Chrome stop losing connection?

Post by scottgus1 »

You'll have to experiment.
l-w-c
Posts: 11
Joined: 4. Sep 2022, 17:31

Re: How to make Chrome stop losing connection?

Post by l-w-c »

scottgus1 wrote:You'll have to experiment.
It seems Chrome's command line parameter is crucial, but so is RAM. 3MB seems to be enough though.
Last edited by mpack on 8. Sep 2022, 10:42, edited 2 times in total.
Reason: Removed responses to suspected spam prep post (now deleted).
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