virtualbox.org

When I install windows into a virtual machine it always gives me a small screen with no aero effect so I usually install virtualbox addons normally once setup is done, it installs perfectly but once I reboot it still has no aero effect, so I went to the personalization settings and I saw that there was a troubleshooting error for windows aero so I clicked on it and it says that the drivers are outdated for the screen so I click update and it tells me that the video card driver doesn’t support aero effects so I do it again, same thing happens, so I googled virtualbox windows 7 aero effect fix and it told me to click the advanced button on the trouble shooter and select the fix for me automatically so I do that and it still doesn't work so I go back to the search results and one guide told me to install it with the option called direct 3d support so I check the box and it tells me that it supports the windows aero effect with the feature being experimental so I go back to the page and it says to click the no button and click the ok button as well, so I do the instructions and reboot and now its giving me a pop up window saying that Desktop Window Manager Has Stopped Working. How Can I get windows aero to work in my windows 7 virtual machine?

The only thing that you need to do is to install the Guest Additions. Then run "dxdiag", "Display" tab, look at the "Drivers". If it says "VBoxDispD3D.dll", it's installed. If it doesn't work for some things, it's because it's not a real graphics card, it's a virtualized one.

Moving to "Windows Guests" from "OSX Hosts".

So what are the settings that I need to put on my virtual machine to make the windows aero work, and what do I need to do when I boot up my virtual machine to make windows aero work?

Enable 2D and 3D acceleration. Then install the Guest Additions. Ch.4 of the User Manual.

And that's it now windows aero will work?

Should I install it with direct3d support or no should I just leave it the same

This question of Aero keeps coming up from time to time. What do people find so great about Aero that they need it in a vm? I can't ever remember missing it when it didn't work. About as useful as the gadgets in Windows 7.

Not what I was expecting but coming back to what I'm asking here. Should I install it with direct3d support or not, for windows aero to work

Enable 2D and 3D acceleration. Insert the Guest Additions CD from the Devices menu after you've started the VM. If there's no autorun, then run "VBoxWindowsAdditions.exe". Select the 3D support. When asked in the next dialog, select NO. That will install the newer WDDM drivers. Done.

Ok thanks

It says that it's installing the wddm drivers for windows vista and windows 7 so does that mean it will support windows aero then?

Now it still says that Desktop Window Manager Has Stopped Working. How Can I get windows aero to work in my windows 7 virtual machine, how can I fix this?

How do I fix this?

calebo5 wrote:Now it still says that Desktop Window Manager Has Stopped Working. How Can I get windows aero to work in my windows 7 virtual machine, how can I fix this?

It's not certain that you can. Direct3D.9 support is still experimental, plus it requires good host OpenGL drivers (basically: NVidia or AMD - not Intel Graphics). If it doesn't work for you then you have to live without.

I'm Running this on a computer with 1.6 intel core i5 and Intel HD graphics 6000 with 1536 MB. Does that work?