virtualbox.org

Windows XP Guest- regardless of whether I've checked 3d acceleration or not, the contents of the Guest Windows are see-through (nothing there, just sees the next Window). When compositing is turned off, with or without 3d acceleration enabled, I see a completely black screen. In both modes, when I go to close the window, there is a still image of what was last happening that appears in the window as it asks me how to shut down.

I know that this may only be an issue due to my video card. Sometimes rendering through X11 directly is the only way to get video working in some programs, unlike my last PC. However, games usually work fine with compositing on. I hope there's some option that would allow me to fix this issue, because the last version of VirtualBox worked fine with 3d acceleration enabled, but if I shut down it (2.2.4) would become invisible just like this, and require an X restart.

So please, if anyone has any suggestions, it would be helpful. I've seen some programs with copy/hack protection working with WineD3D, and it would be nice to test out to see if my friend can stop dual-booting with their hyper-fast machine due to the Direct3D lack until now.

Tried mixing every option I had in Multimedia Systems Selector, non of them work with 3d acceleration off, even. Looking a wee bit hopeless.

I may just wait it through until I get an upgraded PC (buying from a Linux vendor), then pay about 20 bucks for a Windows XP license or something. If anyone has an idea of an option I could enter to change the video rendering method for VirtualBox specifically, from the terminal, that'd be cool. Because I totally can't find any such options within VirtualBox's GUI.

I don't think this is a distro-specific issue. See thread: http://forums.virtualbox.org/viewtopic. ... 182#p84182

I have the same issue - went from 2.2.4 which was working fine to 3.0.0 which now appears to have graphics issues. The problem is not with the guest OS but with any guest container. The Sun BIOS prompt when starting a guest exhibits the same behaviour ... My setup:

Slackware 12.2
NVidia 7300GT with NVidia 185.18.14 driver
AMD Athlon 64 X2 5000+

I'm not sure I should even bother to revert as someone in this thread has tried and the problem persists. I don't think the problem is with the VDI's but with VBox itself and graphics rendering ... I've tried upgrading the GuestAdditions in one VM but this has made no difference. Grrrrrrr

I don't know if this will apply to your problem or not, but yesterday I had only transparency on my virtualbox window until someone gave me help on Ubuntu forum.
My problem had to do with compiz. Here was the fix.
Transparency problem:
1. Open up ccsm (if you don't have it install it using "sudo apt-get install compizconfig-settings-manager")
2. Go to "Window Rules" (and make sure it's enabled)
3. In the "No ARGB Visuals" box put the following without quotes "class=VirtualBox"
4. Hit back, close ccsm, and open up VirtualBox.

It worked like a charm for me, hope it works for you too.

Great stuff, irv! Thanks.
As you said, worked like a charm.

Hi!

I am having the same problem. My GuestOS (XP) was transparent. I changed the compiz setting now it is black (see screenshot). Is there any fix for that? Thanks a lot! Daniel

This might be a dumb question, but did you try right clicking on the windows desktop and set the windows properties desktop to a different wallpaper?

Thanks for your answer. I think it has not something to do with the desktop background, because even before Windows is fully started the window stays black, during the "Welcome" screen for example. The booting works out fine, but you can see anything. When hit the close button the content is presented in black and white as shown on the next screenshot.

Same problem here... I tried by tweaking the X server parameters without success...
The only way to work with 3.0.0 is to use the headless version and connect via rdp.

Here's the fix..

http://forums.virtualbox.org/viewtopic. ... 823#p84267

Thanks a lot and works perfectly! You are my personal hero of the day!