cant move the vm/guest window

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barny
Posts: 3
Joined: 1. Sep 2021, 11:27

cant move the vm/guest window

Post by barny »

Hi
I have 2 AMD, Mate 20.04 desktop systems, one with a VB windows guest and one I am currently configuring to run a clone of the windows guest from the other computer.
I have the windows guest (clone) running in the second system but I cant find a way to move the guest window. I can resize it with the options in the view menu, but I cant drag the window to another part of the screen (it is currently loading to the left side).

Does anyone have ideas-thoughts about resolving this?
scottgus1
Site Moderator
Posts: 20965
Joined: 30. Dec 2009, 20:14
Primary OS: MS Windows 10
VBox Version: PUEL
Guest OSses: Windows, Linux

Re: cant move the vm/guest window

Post by scottgus1 »

Virtualbox does not, to my knowledge, have any commands to lock a VM window in a particular place on the host screen.

Does the window have a typical title bar and menu bar? Do other VMs on the host behave in the same way?
barny
Posts: 3
Joined: 1. Sep 2021, 11:27

Re: cant move the vm/guest window

Post by barny »

Thanks for the reply scottgus1;

The title and menu bar-area(s) look normal.
I don't know if the vms on the other desktop behave this way, it has 2 monitors so which ever vm is running always gets one screen, but I will test that idea and will make and try a Mate 20.04 clone when I get access to the other computer later today.

windows 10 was the only vm on this computer, I have loaded an iso and made a new Mate 20.04 vm which as far as I can tell is working correctly with the exception that it also is stuck-locked to one position on the host screen. However, when compared to the windows vm, the Mate install is loading-booting to a different area of the screen.
So, I have a cloned windows vm and a fresh vm install of Mate 20.04, both vms appear to be working correctly with the exception that I am unable to drag-move the either vm window to a different area on the host screen.
scottgus1
Site Moderator
Posts: 20965
Joined: 30. Dec 2009, 20:14
Primary OS: MS Windows 10
VBox Version: PUEL
Guest OSses: Windows, Linux

Re: cant move the vm/guest window

Post by scottgus1 »

If other VMs have the same or similar problems with their windows, it's probably a problem with the host OS's Qt, though what the problem is I couldn't say.
fth0
Volunteer
Posts: 5661
Joined: 14. Feb 2019, 03:06
Primary OS: Mac OS X other
VBox Version: PUEL
Guest OSses: Linux, Windows 10, ...
Location: Germany

Re: cant move the vm/guest window

Post by fth0 »

Can you move the VirtualBox Manager window with your mouse? I'm asking because it uses the same QT library.

You could try if you can move the VM window using the keyboard instead of the mouse. If necessary, first learn how to do that with another window by starting with a right-click on the title bar to learn the necessary keyboard shortcut. When applying the same method to the VM window, don't forget to press the host key first, so that the keyboard isn't captured by the VM.
barny
Posts: 3
Joined: 1. Sep 2021, 11:27

Re: cant move the vm/guest window

Post by barny »

I have been comparing the two computers...

Both machines have different hardware and are AMD based. The older one had Virtualbox installed via a download and then install with the new computers Vbox install coming via the Ubuntu Mate 20.04 Software Boutique. With regard to the operation of Vbox, both machines behave the same way for all installed and cloned VMs.
I can move the VirtualBox Manager window with the mouse (the same as with all other windows), and I can move the VM window with the right-click on the title bar trick I have just learned.
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