Problem with mouse driver in a Windows guest

[guennie]

Hi,
I want to use a native mouse driver in the guest system to use a programmable button.
Host: Windows 10 Home 64 bit, clean installed. VB Version 5.0.4, VBGuestAdditions, USB Controller OHCI and EHCI, Logitech Mouse Anywhere MX programmable by the Logitech tool Setpoint connected by a so called "Unifying USB Receiver".
Guest: Windows 7 Home Premium SP1 64 bit clean installed with all updates.
My problem: The settings of the USB controllers allow to enable a filter "Logitech USB Receiver [1201]". If I don't enable it, the guest system doesn't know the Anywhere MX Mouse but an USB HID and I can't use the programmable mouse button. Ok, but if I enable the filter and start the machine the mouse in the host system is frozen and invisible and the mouse in the guest system is working but also invisible. By using the touchpad of my Aspire E5 I can see Logitechs Setpoint has found the mouse Anywhere MX and I can program the mouse button. The function of the mouse button works. But I'm blind. The moment I move the mouse the mouse pointer is invisible again.
Any ideas what to do?

[socratis]

First of all, unfortunately, USB devices are not shared; they're one-to-one. So, either the host will have it, or the guest. You can't have your cake and eat it too.

I tried your setup (I actually tested it; had to steal "borrow" my colleague's mouse for 5 minutes while he was on a smoking break ) and it worked as you would expect. I also had a Logitech mouse and the "Setpoint 6.67.83_32" software found it, configured it and everything. The pointer was visible at all times.

One thing that you don't mention is that in my case I had to disable Mouse Integration in the VM. I don't know if that makes a difference or not, but it doesn't hurt to try. Another thing to try is to disable 3D acceleration in your guest. Maybe it is a specific issue with your graphics card.

[guennie]

Hi socratis,
thank you for your help. I followed all your advices and tried them. I also had the Setpoint 6.67.83 Version. I disabled Mouse Integration and 3D accelleration too. But nothing was a goal. Then I had the idea to activate the Mouse Pointer tracking by Setpoint. And so I can see the pointer on the Desktop, in some applications such as Web Browser, Calculator, Paint... But I can't see it in the window of games such as Freecell, Solitaire, only if I move it to title bar or Status bar. Curious.

[socratis]

Maybe it is a specific issue with your graphics card.

As I already mentioned, your graphics card may not be cooperating 100%. For example, my graphics card was kind of freaking out at the early days of VBox 4.3.x. Problems with a variety of guests, even on the basic level of showing the desktop. Things got ironed out over the next releases. So, yes, do mention the issues, but remember; you're running a host which is not supported. Steps are being taken to remedy the issues. In fact since your first post, 5.0.6 has been released which claims to have several fixes for Win10. Give it a try...

[guennie]

Now I installed V5.0.6 and the same version of the Extension Pack. The problem is the same. My Notebook has an NVIDIA Geforce 840M with 2 GB dedicated VRAM. The device manager of guest shows me a "VirtualBox Graphics Adapter". The driver version is 5.0.4.0 (why not 5.0.6?). In the settings for the guest display I set to 256 MB.

[socratis]

The device manager of guest shows me a "VirtualBox Graphics Adapter".

You will always have that (for the foreseeable future). Your graphics card in your guest is a virtual one, not the actual card used by your host.

The driver version is 5.0.4.0 (why not 5.0.6?).

Because most probably you didn't update the Guest Additions (GAs) in your guest. Updating them is a really good idea...

[guennie]

VirtualBox Manager -> File -> Settings -> Extension Packs -> shows me an active Oracle VM Virtual Box Extension Pack V5.0.6r103037. What's wrong?

Edit: Sorry, you wrote GA. I'll try it.

[guennie]

Now I installed v5.0.6 of the Guest Additions. If I want to mount them there are three options. First I installed without Direct3D accelleration. My Problem was not solved. Then I checked the checkbox "Direct3D accelleration". Immediately an advice comes to select the experimental Feature of Windows Aero or the Basic Direct3D Accelleration. I used the Aero Feature first but had no success. The mouse pointer isn't visible. For the third option, the use of Basic Direct3D accelleration is a special advice in the VirtualBox Manual.

• For basic Direct3D support in Windows guests to work, the Guest Additions must be installed in Windows "safe mode". Press F8 when the Windows guest is booting and select "Safe mode", then install the Guest Additions. Otherwise Windows' file protection mechanism will interfere with the replacement DLLs installed by VirtualBox and keep restoring the original Windows system DLLs.

I started the guest in save mode. But, if I select "Devices" in the menu bar and then "Mount Guest Addition" there's no reaction. Any things in the save mode avoid it.
I think I must wait for a further version of VirtualBox.

[guennie]

I can report a small progress with VB version 5.0.8.
I installed the guest additions in Windows safe mode but not by selecting "Devices" an then "Mount guest additions" (no reaction) but using the Windows Explorer and starting VBoxWindowsAdditions.exe from CD device. I used the option "experimental Windows Aero support". After reboot the Logitech mouse pointer is visible even in games and the programmable mouse buttons are working, --- but the pointer moves very, very inert, unreasonable inert!
Then I tried the new VB Version by using the Option "normal Direct3D support". The same problem like reported is up to now .