Guest Additions won't install in Safe Mode

[Mele20]

I'm new to Virtual Box but not to virtual computers. I have been running guests under VMWare Workstation 5/5.5 for four years and for over a year also under Microsoft VPC 2007. So, I am not totally ignorant of how virtual machines are set up and work.

Host machine is XP Pro. I have created a guest running Windows 7 RC. I want to use 3D Acceleration so I booted to Safe Mode to install the Guest Additions. In Virtual Disk Manager, I chose the Guest Additions ISO file and clicked "Select". Nothing happened. I do not have AutoStart turned off (unless it is turned off by default). The installer simply doesn't start. I restarted the machine again in Safe Mode and tried again and the installer doesn't start.

Not having the Additions installed is keeping me from doing anything with that machine. Additions are so important to the enjoyment of virtual machines. So, what do I do to fix this? Thank you.

[MKhaos7]

If the install doesn't automatically start, can you open WIndows Explorer and start it manually ?
If you are not in safe mode, does the install starts automatically?

[Mele20]

I don't know how to get to Explorer in Windows 7. I can barely read anything as the font is extremely tiny and also is a difficult font to read (I use Verdana for everything). I have not even set it yet at 125 DPI. So, I can hardly see what I am doing. I wanted Additions installed before I did any tweaking. I had Windows 7 beta on VPC 2007 but hardly used it because Microsoft said it was not yet optimized for virtual machines and I could not use classic style for Windows and buttons or use any of my themes I use on XP and Vista which was awful. So, I have installed it just to see if I am going to be able to use it when I get a new computer or if I will either need to stay with Vista Ultimate that I can use classic style with or XP. (I would stay with XP but I want a lot more RAM in my next computer (and 64bit Windows) so I can more easily run virtual machines. That is the ONLY reason to leave XP IMO).

It is too late now but I will try tomorrow to see if Additions will install in normal mode. We have an 11 hour power outage scheduled by the electric company for this condo all day tomorrow so I won't be able to try it and post back until tomorrow night.

[Perryg]

If nothing happens when you click install guest additions you should click unmount cd/dvd and then click install again.
For some reason VBox has a hard time automatically unmounting the cd when you try to install the guest additions.

[Mele20]

Ok. I get the popup box to begin installation IF I try to do it in a normal boot. It appears to be just Safe Mode where they will not install.

After I mount the CDRom ISO file, I check the CDRom icon in the lower right side and it shows the correct file attached. But I don't get the popup to start the installation. If I right click the CD Rom icon and click unmount CDRom I have no trouble unmounting. It is instant which makes me wonder if it was actually mounted in the first place. I try the process of mounting the CDRom and choosing the additions ISO file over and over and I never get the popup window to start the installation.

At first, I thought I must have missed some crucial step but I have no problem getting the popup to begin the installation when I am in normal boot so I don't think I am doing something wrong when in safe mode. This is not the first time I have had problems with installing guest additions on other virtual machines running on VMWare and VPC. I think getting additions installed (or even upgraded in VMWare) is prone to problems but I have no idea why this appears to be the case.

Anything else I can try or do I need to give up installing in safe mode?

[MKhaos7]

Like I said before.
If the windows doesn't pop-up this is probably a issue in safe mode.

Just open windows explorer (WinKey+E should do it just fine) and run the .exe there.
This shouldn't be an issue at all.

[Mele20]

I finally got them installed using Explorer. Winkey + E gave me a search box. Explorer can be reached via right click on the start icon and choosing "start windows explorer".

It looks like I have partial Aero. I have not seen Aero on a monitor because I can't use it on Vista Ultimate on VPC. I am getting transparency but I can't change the background colors from that horrible default blue and red junk. I tried a basic theme and set the colors as I want them and they won't change. The transparency doesn't turn off when I try to use a basic theme either.

I ran the troubleshooter and it says I need to upgrade the video driver. This was essentially the problem I had with the beta version on VPC 2007. I can't get classic view to work and get rid of the awful blue on the windows and get back the non-fat look. I don't want that fat XP, Vista look. I want the classic look which is square sides, not rounded, and I should be able to get that if choosing basic or classic theme but I can't. I don't know if the problem is the video driver used by Virtualbox or if Microsoft has decided to screw everyone who needs to be able to fully personalize the appearance. I can't even get the menus in the right font size for me to read them easily. I can bold them and change the font but not fix the size. I can do all of it on Vista but I dislike Vista greatly.