3D acceleration not working for Windows 10 guests

[yelloguy]

Hi,

This is strange. I had VirtualBox 5.0 (not sure of the release number) running on an old Windows 7 laptop with a Windows 10 Guest. I had both 2D and 3D acceleration enabled under Settings - Display.

Yesterday I switched laptops and moved my VM to a new Windows 7 laptop. I did not have the installer so I downloaded the new latest VB installer. I chose the latest stable installer from the downloads page which is: VirtualBox-5.0.2-102096-Win.

However, on starting my guest, I only saw a solid color screen. When I interact with it, I see dark boxes. Since I know Windows 10 guests are not officially supported, I downloaded the latest nightly build. Which happens to be a LOWER version number: VirtualBox-5.0.1-102010-Win. However, the problem was still the same. This is the build I am currently running along with the same guest additions.

On googling, I found a blog comment that talked about disabling 3D acceleration and sure enough, the guest machine becomes usable then. The comment, mentions uninstalling and reinstalling Guest Additions in 3D mode with Windows 8 compatibility checked and doing that did NOT fix the problem for me.

I am currently running the guest with 2D acceleration only. I am hoping that in a few weeks, someone will fix the issue and so I will try upgrading to the latest in a few weeks. Is there any other suggestion anyone has for me?

[loukingjr]

Just to clarify something, the test builds are not nightly builds.

[mpack]

Just to clarify something, the test builds are not nightly builds.

And going for a test build that actually predates the current release build seems... perverse.

Btw, moving this topic to "Windows Guests", since that is what the discussion relates to.

[yelloguy]

Thank you. I agree that I should have read better - test build is not a nightly build. But I thought it was just a wording issue and by "test" build they mean "nightly" build in non-developer lingo.

And on the version number, again, I agree that it is perverse. But I thought someone up there knew something I didn't. So I switched to an older test build anyway.

I will switch to the newer build this weekend. And do the uninstall/reinstall GA routine again. Thanks for you responses.

[yelloguy]

I just updated to VB version 5.0.4 r 102546
I uninstalled old GA from my Windows 10 machine.
I shut down the guest.
I enabled 3D acceleration in settings.
I booted the guest and installed the newest GA. It flickered and went to solid colored boxes.
I clicked in the dark to reboot the machine.
I crossed my fingers.
When the guest booted up, I saw solid colored boxes again.
I am attaching the log file.

PS: I have to fumble around to the start menu location and blindly click the power button location, then click on the shutdown location to turn the guest off. Then in settings, I have to disable 3D acceleration to boot and use the guest.

Any help would be appreciated.

[EmilianoN]

Same problem here with:
host:
Windows 7 64 bit
intel hd graphics 4400(? or 5500) (GT2) driver version 10.18.14.4264 04/08/2015
virtualbox 5.0.4r102546
guest:
windows 10 32bit
GA installed in safe mode with compatibility windows 8 and adminstrator privileges, 2d/3d support
it's all ok if:
I start in safemode
I start with 3d disable on machine

If I start with 3d enable and normal mode It's look like only boxes: uniform blue screen, a black strip on bottom and grey box if I press right button on blue screen

Thanks to support
Emiliano

[neptunecentury]

I am having the same issue. However, I did not have this issue when running on a Windows 7 Enterprise PC.

I got a new PC with Windows 8.1 Pro, and when I start my Windows 10 VM, I get the black login screen. I entered my pin and then saw a solid color background, and the colored square syndrome.

If I boot in safe mode, it works fine. I then uninstalled GA, and re-installed, but same problem.

One thing to note, I had an NVIDIA GeForce card in my old PC.
The new one has an Intel HD Graphics 4600

My VBox version is 5.04. Guest Additions is 5.04

[yelloguy]

I see that there is a new release posted today. I just updated to it (version 5.0.6 r103037).
Then I uninstalled old GA from my Windows 10 guest.
I shut down the guest.
I enabled 3D acceleration in settings.
I booted the guest and installed the newest GA. It flickered and went to solid colored boxes again.
I clicked blindly to reboot the machine.
When the guest booted up, I saw solid colored boxes again.
I shut down the guest. Disabled 3d acceleration in settings and booted guest again. Everything back to working with 2d acceleration again.

I guess this build has not addresses the issue as well. I am getting certain that it is probably an incompatibility with "Intel HD Graphics" video processor in my host laptop. But googling has not helped. I just created a new ticket here:

https://www.virtualbox.org/ticket/14670

[loukingjr]

I guess this build has not addresses the issue as well. I am getting certain that it is probably an incompatibility with "Intel HD Graphics" video processor in my host laptop. But googling has not helped. I will look at ways to create a ticket for this next.

It could be your graphics. I have Windows 10 guests on OSX and Linux hosts and W10 guests are fine with 3D enabled.

[yelloguy]

It could be your graphics. I have Windows 10 guests on OSX and Linux hosts and W10 guests are fine with 3D enabled.

It looks that way. I also used Windows 8.1 and Windows 10 on a different laptop with 3d enabled for over a year. This problem started on a brand new laptop. I originally thought it was because the build of vbox was newer but now it appears that that thinking was wrong. There are other people reporting problems with Intel HD Graphics 4400 as well. I think the developers have addresses these issues on OSX but not on Windows (yet). But I am only guessing.

[loukingjr]

I'm in the process of installing a Windows 10 guest on my Windows 10 host. Will be back.

[loukingjr]

Well, works on my Linux box which has HD 4600 graphics and my Windows 10 box which has HD 5300 graphics. I guess it could be specific to HD 4400 graphics but I have no way to check.

[yelloguy]

Thanks so much for checking and reporting back. I suspected that since I have seen reports of a fix for the OSX platform as well. It could just be 4400+Windows host like you said. I went through the log myself but nothing jumped out at me.
--
This begs the question why this post was moved to Windows guests anyway? It should be in Windows Hosts forums where I started it. Mods?

[loukingjr]

You're welcome. The symptom you describe did occur on OSX hosts during the VB 5.0 pre-release tests but it was also corrected before 5.0 was released. Plus it was not specific to Intel HD graphics. It occurred on my iMac which has a separate video card.

[sunlover]

The problem with 3D acceleration in Windows guests on Windows hosts with Intel Graphics is fixed in latest Windows build (both 5.0 and 4.3) from https://www.virtualbox.org/wiki/Testbuilds
Please test. Do not forget to update guest additions.