Auto resize guest display no longer working

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Saurbaum
Posts: 11
Joined: 14. Jan 2019, 18:14

Auto resize guest display no longer working

Post by Saurbaum »

I did an upgrade to Version 6 which I couldn't use due to the hardening checks being to strict for the environment I'm working in to allow a VM to run.

I've since reverted to Version 5.2.24 r128163 (Qt5.6.2) but now Auto-Resize Guest Display is no longer working. The correct extensions are installed on the VM and the option is available in the View menu the guest OS is not resizing to match though. I also tried setting the resolution specifically on the host Virtual Screen but it will not update.

My machine is Windows 10 and my VMs behave the same regardless of the version of Windows I install on them. Specifically tried with Windows 7, 10, 2012 R2 and 2016.
socratis
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VBox Version: PUEL
Guest OSses: Win(*>98), Linux*, OSX>10.5
Location: Greece

Re: Auto resize guest display no longer working

Post by socratis »

Pick one VM only. We need to see a complete VBox.log, from a complete VM run, where the problem occurs:
  • Start the VM from cold-boot (not from a paused or saved state) / Observe problem / Shutdown the VM (force close it if you have to).
  • With the VM completely shut down (not paused or saved), right-click on the VM in the VirtualBox Manager and select "Show Log".
  • Save only the first "VBox.log", ZIP it and attach it to your response. See the "Upload attachment" tab below the reply form.
Image
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Saurbaum
Posts: 11
Joined: 14. Jan 2019, 18:14

Re: Auto resize guest display no longer working

Post by Saurbaum »

Here you are
Attachments
Mobile-2019-01-22-14-33-06.zip
(26.24 KiB) Downloaded 63 times
Saurbaum
Posts: 11
Joined: 14. Jan 2019, 18:14

Re: Auto resize guest display no longer working

Post by Saurbaum »

Did this show anything?

I've updated to 5.2.26 and it's still the same.
mpack
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Posts: 39156
Joined: 4. Sep 2008, 17:09
Primary OS: MS Windows 10
VBox Version: PUEL
Guest OSses: Mostly XP

Re: Auto resize guest display no longer working

Post by mpack »

You might want to reduce the number of cores - currently you have assigned all 4 of your host cores to the VM. You are supposed to achieve a balance, not starve either host or guest.

Then there is graphics RAM. That seems stingy at 30MB considering how much RAM your host has. I'd increase to 128MB.

As to the problem, I would uninstall the Guest Additions, reboot VM in safe mode and install the Guest Additions, reboot VM. See if that changes anything.
socratis
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Posts: 27330
Joined: 22. Oct 2010, 11:03
Primary OS: Mac OS X other
VBox Version: PUEL
Guest OSses: Win(*>98), Linux*, OSX>10.5
Location: Greece

Re: Auto resize guest display no longer working

Post by socratis »

Saurbaum wrote:and my VMs behave the same regardless of the version of Windows I install on them. Specifically tried with Windows 7, 10, 2012 R2 and 2016.
Are we talking about a single VM that you install different OSes, or multiple VMs?

In any event can you please post the following two files?
  1. Right-click on the VM, select "Show in Explorer", that's the .vbox file for the VM.
  2. Navigate to "C:\Users\<you>\.VirtualBox\VirtualBox.xml" and grab that file as well.
Do NOT send me Personal Messages (PMs) for troubleshooting, they are simply deleted.
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Saurbaum
Posts: 11
Joined: 14. Jan 2019, 18:14

Re: Auto resize guest display no longer working

Post by Saurbaum »

Any VM I create no longer can increase in size to fill the available space. Interestingly if I shrink the window it will adjust but then I can't make it any larger.
Attachments
VMWare.zip
included is the VirtualBox.xml and .vbox for an affected machine.
(3.83 KiB) Downloaded 16 times
Saurbaum
Posts: 11
Joined: 14. Jan 2019, 18:14

Re: Auto resize guest display no longer working

Post by Saurbaum »

mpack wrote:You might want to reduce the number of cores - currently you have assigned all 4 of your host cores to the VM. You are supposed to achieve a balance, not starve either host or guest.

Then there is graphics RAM. That seems stingy at 30MB considering how much RAM your host has. I'd increase to 128MB.

As to the problem, I would uninstall the Guest Additions, reboot VM in safe mode and install the Guest Additions, reboot VM. See if that changes anything.
On the suggestion of Cores 4 typically works fine without either side struggling. Any more than 4 shows as red on the UI which is why I stopped there.

Adding more video ram doesn't make a difference.

This occurs on any new VM I create. The only thing I'm aware of changing is I attempted an upgrade to Virtualbox 6 and was forced to downgrade due to the hardening. I removed the old extensions and put the correct version on for VirtualBox 5 but I'm still stuck with the guest OS not resizing up.
mpack
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Primary OS: MS Windows 10
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Guest OSses: Mostly XP

Re: Auto resize guest display no longer working

Post by mpack »

The reduction in cores was not a suggestion, it's a practical requirement. You have 4 cores total in your PC, so allocating 4 cores to the VM will leave 0 for the host, which is obviously not good. It isn't a question of whether you think it works or not, it's a question of what will give the best performance and stability - and starving the host of CPU most definitely will not.

VirtualBox allows you to assign all cores because for some VM types (ones with lots of running tasks but low CPU use) it's a good option. You have not led me to believe that this scenario applies to you.
Saurbaum
Posts: 11
Joined: 14. Jan 2019, 18:14

Re: Auto resize guest display no longer working

Post by Saurbaum »

Regardless of suggestion or requirement reducing the number of cores does not allow the guest to resize larger than the initial resolution.
socratis
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Re: Auto resize guest display no longer working

Post by socratis »

VirtualBox VM 5.2.24 r128163 win.amd64 (Jan 14 2019 17:14:26) release log
00:00:01.965623   Oracle VM VirtualBox Extension Pack (Version: 6.0.0 r127566; VRDE
	Module: VBoxVRDP unusable because of 'VBoxExtPackVMRegister returned
	VERR_VERSION_MISMATCH, pReg=0000000000000000 ErrInfo='Helper version mismatch -
	expected 0x3 got 0x10002'')
Your Extension Pack doesn't match the main VirtualBox module. That's why you're getting the version mismatch error. You need to address that pronto!
00:00:02.114968 NumCPUs <integer> = 0x0000000000000004 (4)
00:00:02.742871 CPUM: Physical host cores: 4
That's what mpack is trying to tell you.
00:00:02.115158 VRamSize <integer> = 0x0000000001e00000 (31 457 280, 30 MB)
Agagin, what mpack said.

From your VirtualBox.xml
<ExtraDataItem name="GUI/MaxGuestResolution" value="640,480"/>
You need to clear that. Open up a Command Prompt and enter the command:
  • VBoxManage setextradata global MaxGuestResolution
PS. How come the last attachment was called "VMWare.zip"? Please tell me that's a simple mistake and this is not a VM that's also used by, or was exported from VMWare...
Do NOT send me Personal Messages (PMs) for troubleshooting, they are simply deleted.
Do NOT reply with the "QUOTE" button, please use the "POST REPLY", at the bottom of the form.
If you obfuscate any information requested, I will obfuscate my response. These are virtual UUIDs, not real ones.
Saurbaum
Posts: 11
Joined: 14. Jan 2019, 18:14

Re: Auto resize guest display no longer working

Post by Saurbaum »

Apologies for the name of the zip. Someone was talking to me about a vsphere cluster while I was naming the file. This is definitely a new VM created in VirtualBox under 5.2

How do I remove the newer extension pack? I've looked in the Preferences of VirtualBox and it only listed the 5.2 extension.

I suppose the better question is what do I need to do to completely remove any trace of VirtualBox so I can perform a clean installation to be sure I've not got a mixed environment?
socratis
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Posts: 27330
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Primary OS: Mac OS X other
VBox Version: PUEL
Guest OSses: Win(*>98), Linux*, OSX>10.5
Location: Greece

Re: Auto resize guest display no longer working

Post by socratis »

Saurbaum wrote:I've looked in the Preferences of VirtualBox and it only listed the 5.2 extension.
Then you didn't include the correct log. I don't see how you can have the 5.2 ExtPack installed and the log mentioning 6.0.0. And the VirtualBox preferences are the easiest way to add/remove ExtPacks. Quick test from the Command Prompt:
  • "C:\Program Files\Oracle\VirtualBox\VBoxManage" list extpacks
Saurbaum wrote:I suppose the better question is what do I need to do to completely remove any trace of VirtualBox so I can perform a clean installation to be sure I've not got a mixed environment?
Without removing your preferences and VMs, just the main program/ExtPack, it's a two step process:
  • Remove any ExtPack installed.
  • Uninstall VirtualBox.
Do NOT send me Personal Messages (PMs) for troubleshooting, they are simply deleted.
Do NOT reply with the "QUOTE" button, please use the "POST REPLY", at the bottom of the form.
If you obfuscate any information requested, I will obfuscate my response. These are virtual UUIDs, not real ones.
Saurbaum
Posts: 11
Joined: 14. Jan 2019, 18:14

Re: Auto resize guest display no longer working

Post by Saurbaum »

What if I do want to remove my preferences? At this point I don't trust that there's not something in there that's causing a problem. I'm happy to purge the lot VMs and all.

Apologies for the log you saw not matching the later settings. I ended up destroying that VM so by the time I was asked for settings files and the like the VM was long gone.
socratis
Site Moderator
Posts: 27330
Joined: 22. Oct 2010, 11:03
Primary OS: Mac OS X other
VBox Version: PUEL
Guest OSses: Win(*>98), Linux*, OSX>10.5
Location: Greece

Re: Auto resize guest display no longer working

Post by socratis »

Saurbaum wrote:What if I do want to remove my preferences?
The default location for your preferences are in "C:\Users\<YourUsername>\.VirtualBox" (note the dot before VirtualBox). The default location for your VMs is in "C:\Users\<YourUsername>\Documents\VirtualBox VMs". So, if you delete those two folders in addition to the ExtPack and the main program, you should have no VirtualBox traces on your host.

If you've changed the defaults, then you should know what you changed the defaults to and take appropriate action.
Do NOT send me Personal Messages (PMs) for troubleshooting, they are simply deleted.
Do NOT reply with the "QUOTE" button, please use the "POST REPLY", at the bottom of the form.
If you obfuscate any information requested, I will obfuscate my response. These are virtual UUIDs, not real ones.
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