VB Stops Microsoft Wireless Display

Discussions related to using VirtualBox on Windows hosts.
saberman
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VB Stops Microsoft Wireless Display

Post by saberman »

Host: Windows 8.1 with all patches on a Surface Pro 3 512G

I want to be able to stream from the Surface Pro 3 to an HDMI display. I bought a Microsoft Wireless Display adapter that plugs into both the HDMI port and a USB port (for power). The instructions for installing it are:
1. Connect the Microsoft Wireless Display Adapter to the HDMI and USB ports on your TV or monitor.
2. On the TV, set the channel to the HDMI source.
3. Swip in from the right edge of the screen, and tap Devices > Project > Add a wireless display.

The problem I encounter was that the option to "Add a wireless display" was not listed.

I tried the Microsoft forums and, after going back and forth a bit, was told that I needed to uninstall VirtualBox. I asked if I could reinstall it after adding the wireless display and was told that would probably not work. Help!
socratis
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Re: VB Stops Microsoft Wireless Display

Post by socratis »

saberman wrote:after going back and forth a bit, was told that I needed to uninstall VirtualBox
I was about to reply "If you can show me how (a non-running?) VirtualBox interferes with the OS's choices for the display output", but in the process of educating myself, I found this HowToGeek article, which includes the following gem:
...before you’ll see the “Add a wireless display” option below.
The below option also refused to show up until we uninstalled VirtualBox on our Surface Pro 2. Miracast depends on having a “clean” networking stack, so programs that interfere with the networking stack — VirtualBox, VMware, and similar applications — may need to be uninstalled before this option will appear.
I'm not sure why Miracast would interfere with the VirtualBox Bridged filters and the Host-Only networking, but, if there's indeed a conflict of some sorts, then try to install VirtualBox without these options. My gut feeling is that if there is a conflict, that would be with the Bridged filters, so start without that first.
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saberman
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Re: VB Stops Microsoft Wireless Display

Post by saberman »

My Surface Pro 3 is the host. It has very little installed except VirtualBox. Everything else is in the VMs. All of them network to folders on the host via Host-Only networking.

If I have to choose between Microsoft Wireless Display and VirtualBox I don't have much of a chose -- VBox wins.

Is it possible to disable the VirtualBox drivers long enough to add a wireless display? How would I do that in Device Manager?
mpack
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Re: VB Stops Microsoft Wireless Display

Post by mpack »

Have you tried just unticking the Bridged Networking item in the NIC properties?
saberman
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Re: VB Stops Microsoft Wireless Display

Post by saberman »

mpack wrote:Have you tried just unticking the Bridged Networking item in the NIC properties?
Yes -- didn't help.

I was told it might be a firewall issue. Are there any changes made to the Windows Firewall settings by the VirtualBox installer.?
Last edited by saberman on 13. Dec 2014, 01:43, edited 1 time in total.
saberman
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Re: VB Stops Microsoft Wireless Display

Post by saberman »

socratis wrote: I'm not sure why Miracast would interfere with the VirtualBox Bridged filters and the Host-Only networking, but, if there's indeed a conflict of some sorts, then try to install VirtualBox without these options. My gut feeling is that if there is a conflict, that would be with the Bridged filters, so start without that first.
I need both Host-Only and Bridged for my VMs. If I install without that I can't run them.
mbressman
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Re: VB Stops Microsoft Wireless Display

Post by mbressman »

Any word on getting this resolved so you can use both VirtualBox and Miracast/WiDi (especially on a Surface Pro 3)? Or if not, at least what might need to temporarily be disabled (i.e. some of the network drivers for VirtualBox perhaps) to allow Miracast/WiDi to work until they are re-enabled? Or even some 3rd party software that will perform WiDi/Miracast functionality so that you can use that with VirtualBox? Any help is greatly appreciated! Thanks.
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Re: VB Stops Microsoft Wireless Display

Post by mbressman »

Seems like uninstalling VirtualBox and then reinstalling without Bridged adapter solves the issue - annoying that we have to lose this functionality to get Miracast functionality in Win8.1 Surface Pro 3
W00lfy
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Re: VB Stops Microsoft Wireless Display

Post by W00lfy »

I know this is more than a few months old but just in case someone else like me comes looking for an answer. I also have a Surface Pro 3 and was able to get it working by disabling all VirtualBox network adapters temporarily (no restart required).

Go to Device Manager > View > Show hidden devices.

Under Network adapters, disable any adapters that have VirtualBox in the title. I disabled all of the VirtualBox adapters but you may only need to disable the one for the currently used adapter - not sure.

Don't restart. Go to Devices again and click Project. You should now see the "Add a wireless display" option.

Once you're connected to the wireless display, go back to Device Manager and re-enable all those adapters you disabled. Now you can have the wireless display and VirtualBox running at the same time.

Hope this helps someone else.
mbressman
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Re: VB Stops Microsoft Wireless Display

Post by mbressman »

Am planning to install VirtualBox 5.0 on a Win10 laptop and am just wondering if anyone knows if the issue with Microsoft Wireless Display (or WiDi or Miracast) has been resolved in the newer VirtualBox 5.0? And if not, has anyone submitted a bug ticket for this issue? Thanks!
mpack
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Re: VB Stops Microsoft Wireless Display

Post by mpack »

No idea. You'd have to ask Microsoft.
mbressman
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Re: VB Stops Microsoft Wireless Display

Post by mbressman »

mpack wrote:No idea. You'd have to ask Microsoft.
Wouldn't this be an issue for VirtualBox instead of Microsoft, since it seems the Miracast/WiDi implementation in Win8 and Win10 works fine until you install VirtualBox which then seems to break it?
scottgus1
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Re: VB Stops Microsoft Wireless Display

Post by scottgus1 »

Sounds like a normal incompatibility. Maybe one day MS & VB can collaborate. Maybe they already are. Maybe it might take a long time & maybe looking for workarounds is a better use of one's time.

Maybe (just maybe) Miracast & such need to be higher in the binding order to work, and installation of Virtualbox's bindings messes up the requirements of the other bindings? I seem to remember there's a way to establish order of bindings.

Woolfy seems to have found a work-around. Have you tried it?
mbressman
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Re: VB Stops Microsoft Wireless Display

Post by mbressman »

Yup, tried the work-around and it works, but I was looking to see if VirtualBox had perhaps resolved the problem entirely in v5.0 ?
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Re: VB Stops Microsoft Wireless Display

Post by michaln »

It did.
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