No keyboard in vm in 5.1.6 when running detatchable

[ChiefGoogler]

I've upgraded to 5.1.6 and trying to setup pfSense 2.3.2 as a VM to segregate some VMs for testing purposes. When I boot the VM my keyboard presses aren't registered. I've tried both 32bit and 64bit version but have the same results.

Any suggestions?

EDIT: Changed title from "No keyboard in pfSense"

[scottgus1]

When you were running the earlier version of Virtualbox, did the keyboard work?

[ChiefGoogler]

Yes, but I was also running an older version of pfSense so I don't know which upgrade has caused the issue sadly. I haven't run pfSense in virtual box for several years now.

[scottgus1]

Fortunately both pfsense and virtualbox are free downloads, so only time is needed to try the old pfsense with the new Virtualbox and the new pfsense with the old Virtualbox, etc... Typical troubleshooting methods. See what combination works & report your results. might be a bug, might be a setting wrong.

[ChiefGoogler]

Further examination shows my 2012r2 machines are also losing keyboard entry. I can recreate this consistently, including after rebooting my machine.

I have found that the keyboard does not stop working if I use "Normal" for the start up mode rather than Detachable. If I use detachable then my keyboard stops working in both pfSense and windows.

I don't have access to another computer to see if this can be replicated elsewhere. Is there anything further I can do to diagnose the cause of this to make a decent bug report?

[scottgus1]

If you can go back to an earlier Virtualbox version and have keyboard, but going to 5.1.6 has no keyboard, then a quick trip to the Bugtracker might be in order. They'll want logs, probably of the earlier version with working keyboard and of 5.1.6 without keyboard.

[quizerti]

New user and I registered to add my reply here.

I have a Windows 10 32-bit virtual machine which was working perfectly before updating VirtualBox to 5.1.6. My first sign of problems was when I received an error when updating the guest additions. When i tried to use the keyboard to access the Start menu, nothing happened at all - then Windows popped up a message about Sticky Keys?

I have tried completely uninstalling VirtualBox with Revo Unininstaller, then reinstalling it after restarting. But the problem is exactly the same.

I have also tried a completely fresh installation of Windows on my guest - however the problem persists even at the first steps on installation.

I can no longer install the additions from 5.1.4 and I am now left with GA files that I am unsure if I can safely remove or not.

[scottgus1]

Coould be something wrong in Guest Additions. Only the developers on the Bugtracker could say.

when I received an error when updating the guest additions

You will need to know what error you recieved, exact wording. Did the error appear in the guest or on the host?

Windows popped up a message about Sticky Keys

Was this in the guest or in the host?

Put this information in a Bugtracker ticket, perhaps ChiefGoogler's if he starts one first.

[quizerti]

You will need to know what error you recieved, exact wording. Did the error appear in the guest or on the host?

This message appears in the installation progress window:

ERROR (000003ee): The volume for a file has been externally altered so that the opened file is no longer valid.
Execution returned exit code: 2
Error executing ""C:\Program Files\Oracle\VirtualBox Guest Additions\VBoxDrvInst.exe" driver install "C:\Program Files\Oracle\VirtualBox Guest Additions\VBoxGuest.inf" "C:\Program Files\Oracle\VirtualBox Guest Additions\install_drivers.log"" (exit code:2) -- aborting installation
Error executing ""C:\Program Files\Oracle\VirtualBox Guest Additions\VBoxDrvInst.exe" driver install "C:\Program Files\Oracle\VirtualBox Guest Additions\VBoxGuest.inf" "C:\Program Files\Oracle\VirtualBox Guest Additions\install_drivers.log"" (exit code:2) -- aborting installation

I found this in install_drivers log file:

(1) 0 - ENTER: DriverPackageInstallW
(1) 0 - Installing INF file 'C:\Program Files\Oracle\VirtualBox Guest Additions\VBoxGuest.inf' (Plug and Play).
(1) 3 - Could not open file C:\Windows\System32\DriverStore\FileRepository\vboxguest.inf_x86_d010af4d9c361379\vboxguest.inf
(3) 1006 - PnP Install failed.
(1) 0 - Attempting to rollback ...
(1) 0 - No devices to rollback
(1) 0 - Sucessfully removed '{7d2c708d-c202-40ab-b3e8-de21da1dc629}' from reference list of driver store entry 'C:\Windows\System32\DriverStore\FileRepository\vboxguest.inf_x86_d010af4d9c361379\vboxguest.inf'
(1) 0 - RETURN: DriverPackageInstallW (0x3EE)

Was this in the guest or in the host?

This is taken from tthe guest.

[quizerti]

I have done some more testing. Installed Windows 10 fine with 5.1.4, in either detachable and normal modes. If i try with 5.1.6, detachable does not work - normal works fine, though.

With a fresh installation of Windows on my guest, I have now successfully installaled the 5.1.6 guest additions. I just need to install my software again.

With the exception of not being to use detachable mode reliably, everything else appears okay.

Edit: When I say does not work, I mean the keyboard does not work at all.

[scottgus1]

Excellent troubleshooting! This should go on the Bugtracker, so the developers can seee it.

[infinity]

I have the same problem when I updated from 5.1.4 to 5.1.6, my host is Windows 10 and guest is Oracle Linux 7.2.
When I start the VM using "Headless Start" or "Detachable Start" the keyboard does not work, but if I start the VM using "Normal Start" the keyboard works properly.

[nut75]

I've the same problem.
When guest window is selected, keyboard doesn't work. After pressing the host key once (Right Ctrl) keyboard works, but only until i use the mouse in the guest... a mouse click in the guest kills keyboard. The issue starts immediatly with the guest boot, before OS and Guest Additions loading.
Host: Windows 7 (64 bit)
Guest: Windows 7 (64 bit)
Virtualbox 5.1.6 with Gust Additions and Extension Pack updated

[socratis]

I downloaded pfSense and it looks like a console OS. Am I doing something wrong? Can someone tell me where you guys get it and set it up?

[scottgus1]

pfSense is a text-only OS in the console, but it has a web-based interface through browsers on other PCs
on the network. I have successfully run it as a FreeBSD-type guest on 5.0.14 so far.

I haven't gone on to 5.1.anything yet, so I would not be able to say if there's a problem myself.