Windows 7 only runs in Safe Mode

[geofmill]

I have been using Windows 7 on a Mac Lion OS for almost a year. It has been working correctly. Starting yesterday, when starting Windows 7 on a Macbook Pro 15", it states that it is running, but only displays a 76x76x8 "Windows-Vista" icon. I have to stop it to get out of it. When I restart in Safe-Mode, all works perfectly. I have been unable to correct the normal running of Windows 7. Any ideas?

[mpack]

I've seen that happen if you close a VM which is minimized or hidden. In normal mode it attempts to start up in the same display size it had when shut down. In safe mode it reverts to a basic SVGA graphics mode and hence the display size isn't an issue.

The solution is to boot up normally then drag the window border back to a usable size. You can then access the guests display properties to select a standard size.

ps. If you want to continue this conversation then please see Minimum information needed for assistance.

[geofmill]

Thank you for your reply.

My host is Mac OSX Lion. The Windows guest is Windows 7. Both are 64-bit and have 4 GB of RAM allocated.

I have been trying for several days to recover the normal mode, without any luck. When I drag the window larger, the "icon" remains the same, with no visible, or hidden, method to resize. If necessary I can also send a screen shot of what it looks like when open in normal mode.

Any help is appreciated.

[mpack]

I'm sorry, but I don't know enough about OS X to advise you. Had it been Windows then I would have tried right clicking the icon in order to open/restore it to a non-iconic state, then drag the window border as suggested before.

[geofmill]

I suspect that there is a file that maintains the information about the state when closed. It may be possible to edit that file to correct this annoying situation! Does anyone know about this? Thanks

Tried editing the Windows 7.vbox file, but it did not work. It seems that it updates this file at the end, but the reading of it does not seem to influence the resultant 76x76 screen!

[Perryg]

Look for and make a backup of the *.vbox file located in the same folder that has the <guest>.vdi file.
Search for the 76x76 and edit it to a reasonable size 800x600 or 1024x768

The guest must be shut down (not saved state) and the VirtualBox program should be shut down as well before editing the guests control file.

[geofmill]

Thanks for your suggestion. I have tried every variation I can think of, including the added "force quit" so as not to get a saved state, with the same result.

Attached is a screen shot of what I see!

The ExtraData in the .vbox file currently reads:

<ExtraData>
<ExtraDataItem name="GUI/LastCloseAction" value="shutdown"/>
<ExtraDataItem name="GUI/LastGuestSizeHint" value="1600x1200x32"/>
</ExtraData>

Yet, it is finding the 76x76x32 somewhere, but where? I have searched the .vbox file and it is no longer there. If I end normally, it shows up in the "LastGuestSizeHint" value.

[Perryg]

That's different. I thought you were talking about the entire window. What happens if you click autoresize or the adjust window size?

[geofmill]

What I am calling the "Windows icon" stays the same, while the window changes. I chose this image because it shows this! Can't find a way to return to the "normal" view!?!

[Perryg]

I understand what you are saying. What I am trying to do is help you figure out why. So please hang in there while I ask some more questions and please answer them as completely as you can.

1) if you use the host+F toggle to go in and out of full screen, does the image stay the same size?
2) does the image stay the same if you leave it for a while or do you see that there is loading going on?

Also post the following as a compressed attachment:
VirtualBox.xml, & <guests> vbox file.

[geofmill]

Thanks.
When I go full screen (Host+F) it shows the icon, in the center of a black screen. If I use scale mode (Host+C), you get the icon large and quantized.
Attached is the .vbox file. Where is the .xml file located? I searched but could not find it.
I will be leaving work soon and may have to answer either later tonight, or tomorrow morning.

[Perryg]

You would need to do a search for the VirtualBox.xml. I don't have a Mac to be able to tell you. I will look at the other information as soon as it get here.

[geofmill]

Good Morning,
Found the virtualbox.xml! It turns out that Lion now automatically hides the Library folder that contains this file. Just had to make it "nonhidden" and there it was!
Please let me know if you see anything significant that would explain this behavior.
Thanks again...

[Perryg]

Edit the Windows7.vbox file (with everything VirtualBox shut down and make sure everything is shut down) to change the values as below.

<ExtraData>
<ExtraDataItem name="GUI/LastCloseAction" value="shutdown"/>
<ExtraDataItem name="GUI/LastGuestSizeHint" value="76,76"/>
<ExtraDataItem name="GUI/LastNormalWindowPosition" value="400,107,241,97"/>
<ExtraDataItem name="GUI/LastScaleWindowPosition" value="400,219,640,480"/>
</ExtraData>

<ExtraData>
<ExtraDataItem name="GUI/LastCloseAction" value="shutdown"/>
<ExtraDataItem name="GUI/LastGuestSizeHint" value="800,600"/>
<ExtraDataItem name="GUI/LastNormalWindowPosition" value="400,107,241,97"/>
<ExtraDataItem name="GUI/LastScaleWindowPosition" value="400,219,640,480"/>
</ExtraData>

[geofmill]

Tried that again, as I have already tried varying that value. Still doesn't work Same "icon"
I'll leave it "running" for a long time to see if anything has changed.