virtualbox.org

I'm posting this because I've had some trouble making games to detect custom resolution in a Windows XP guest and I've found a solution that works for me. Since I use Windows 7 as a host OS the instruction will be windows-specific (it's easier on other OSes, though)

While in the XP Desktop, open the command line (Open the start menu and type "cmd"), navigate to VBox's installation directory. Using the default installation path this command works:

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cd "C:\Program Files\Oracle\VirtualBox"

Now use this comand:

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.\VBoxManage.exe controlvm <Virtual's Machine Name> setvideomodehint <Horizontal resolution> <Vertical resolution> 8

As an example, I use:

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.\VBoxManage.exe controlvm GameBox setvideomodehint 1280 720 8

Now the desktop colours will look hideus, but no higher colour bitdepth worked for me.

Games I've tried and work with this method: Rollercoaster Tycoon 2 and Worms Armageddon.

I've also tried using other commands that would be more ideal, but they wouldn't work for the purpose at hand:

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.\VBoxManage.exe setextradata GameBox CustomVideoMode1 1280x720x32
.\VBoxManage.exe setextradata GameBox CustomVideoMode2 1280x720x24
.\VBoxManage.exe setextradata GameBox CustomVideoMode3 1280x720x16
.\VBoxManage.exe setextradata GameBox CustomVideoMode4 1280x720x8

VirtualBox doesn't like 256 colours and the VM won't even boot with the past command, the other ones don't have a visible effect.

If anyone has a better solution I'd like to know it, this one's quite ugly. :p

I'm using VirtualBox 3.2.8, if anyone is wondering.

virtualbox.org

In-game Custom Resolution using Windows XP

In-game Custom Resolution using Windows XP