Windows VM sometimes lost keyboard

[AntiMatter]

Hi,

Using Ubuntu 9.04 x64, Virtualbox 3.0x to 3.06, Guest OS = Windows 2003, Windows 2008, Windows 7 (x32 and x64).

This is a vague description as I don't remember exactly how to reproduce the issue. But it had happened quite a few times. The Guest OS in the VM works OK (guest addtions already installed). Sometimes, after a reboot of the VM, the keyboard is not responsive, but the mouse is still working. But as this happened on the login screen, I cannot login and the only choice was to power off the VM.

May be the host went to sceensaver and didn't resume correctly. Or may be I used other programs in my Linux host which interfere with the mouse. It had happened a dozen of times so far and each time, I failed to see the common factor that would allow to reproduce the issue.

Has anyone experienced the same issue?

[Perryg]

Curious, but I wonder if it has something to do with a USB keyboard. I had some problems with the keyboard just not working or typing crazy "LLiikkeee" when I typed "Like". I switched to using a PS2 adapter and have never seen the problem again. Also I had a lot of problems with my mouse when I was using it in a USB plug especially the wheel not working right. This too I switched to use PS2 and no more problems. Afterward I found that the bios settings were not set to use the USB keyboard, but it was still working. I never went any further in testing because it did not matter to me, but maybe it will give you something to look at.

[AntiMatter]

In my case, the keyboard is working OK in the host. I forgot to mention that. Only the VM seems to ignore the KB.

I also have from time to times the problem you described with USB keyboard and mouse. In my case it was because the cordless receiver is too far or low battery in KB or mouse. This could be easily fixed. Otherwise I never had any problem with input devices using USB.

[zeckenleger]

Hello,
I had exactly the same problems in the past. The last time I could fix it without doing a reboot of the VM. But I can't remember how...
Probably I have played around with the right Ctrl-Key.
Sorry for my short-term memory...

Guido

[Perryg]

I never had a problem with the host either. Only virtual was effected with the crazy problem.

[AntiMatter]

So it sounds like I am not the only one having the KB issue in the VM. From what I can remember, I think it occured when:

1- The VM is started (or rebooted ?), The Windows login screen came up but I was using other tasks in the host machine.

2- I may have left the computer and the screen saver of the host was running (the Power Saving option in the VM is set to none).

3. Then I clicked on the VM, saw the WIndows Login screen, use Mouse to send the Ctrl-Alt-Del sequence to the VM , the user login/pwd form came up. But I could not type anything.

So far I got this KB issue (within the VM) on Ubuntu host, Guest OS is always Windows. And it always happened on the login screen of the Guest OS. I don't know if it is related to the screen saver of the hos (Step 2). May be it is unrelated.

[zeckenleger]

I had the problem again tonight. Both screensavers of Windows VM and Ubuntu hosts were active after some hours of inactivity.

I tried pressing almost any key in my Windows-VM... Finally I opened notepad, still could't write. Then I minimized notepad and rezised it, then suddenly it worked!!!
Strange...

[Perryg]

Screen savers that have power savings are a known issue. Usually on the guest but if the host has power savings like shutting down the HDD that can cause weird things to happen in VBox.
Try to look at it like this, the guest is running along and has no clue that the host is even there. Now the host shuts down the HDD. You can see what the next thing to happen will be.
If you are lucky then you can get it back but there are or will be times when the only way to get it to come back is to power it down (usually hard). That can corrupt data.