display memory limitation

Discussions about using Windows guests in VirtualBox.
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MajorThorburn
Posts: 4
Joined: 31. May 2011, 15:16
Primary OS: MS Windows 7
VBox Version: OSE other
Guest OSses: windows xp

display memory limitation

Post by MajorThorburn »

Is there any way of increasing the display memory above 128MB?

I ask as directx3D does not work. Its failing with lack of memory error.

Anyone help?
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FrodoHobbits
Posts: 237
Joined: 18. Apr 2009, 08:20
Primary OS: MS Windows 7
VBox Version: VirtualBox+Oracle ExtPack
Guest OSses: Windows, QNX & Linux
Location: Radstock, UK

Re: display memory limitation

Post by FrodoHobbits »

Did you read the manual (section 4.4)?
Have you enabled the guests 3D acceleration?
Did you install the Guest Additions in safe mode?
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MajorThorburn
Posts: 4
Joined: 31. May 2011, 15:16
Primary OS: MS Windows 7
VBox Version: OSE other
Guest OSses: windows xp

Re: display memory limitation

Post by MajorThorburn »

Read manual and set correctly. Display sections shows 128MB and 2D Video, 3D
The error is showing up when running the dxdiag 3D tests.
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mpack
Site Moderator
Posts: 39134
Joined: 4. Sep 2008, 17:09
Primary OS: MS Windows 10
VBox Version: VirtualBox+Oracle ExtPack
Guest OSses: Mostly XP

Re: display memory limitation

Post by mpack »

FAQ question. Try a search.
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BillG
Volunteer
Posts: 5106
Joined: 19. Sep 2009, 04:44
Primary OS: MS Windows 10
VBox Version: VirtualBox+Oracle ExtPack
Guest OSses: Windows 10,7 and earlier
Location: Sydney, Australia

Re: display memory limitation

Post by BillG »

MajorThorburn wrote:Read manual and set correctly. Display sections shows 128MB and 2D Video, 3D
The error is showing up when running the dxdiag 3D tests.
I suggest you read the manual again. 3D uses the GPU in the host, so the video memory in the guest is irrelevant.

Technically, VirtualBox implements this by installing an additional hardware 3D driver inside your guest when the Guest Additions are installed. This driver acts as a hardware 3D driver and reports to the guest operating system that the (virtual) hardware is capable of 3D hardware acceleration. When an application in the guest then requests hardware acceleration through the OpenGL or Direct3D programming interfaces, these are sent to the host through a special communication tunnel implemented by VirtualBox, and then the host performs the requested 3D operation via the host's programming interfaces.
Bill
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MajorThorburn
Posts: 4
Joined: 31. May 2011, 15:16
Primary OS: MS Windows 7
VBox Version: OSE other
Guest OSses: windows xp

Re: display memory limitation

Post by MajorThorburn »

My host has a NVIDIA GeForce 7950 GT with 256MB and runs Directx Diags with no problems so it looks to me like the VMs display driver is not passing this hardware detail through to the virtual system or there is in fact a limit of 128MB as specifed in the setting setup.
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stefan.becker
Volunteer
Posts: 7639
Joined: 7. Jun 2007, 21:53

Re: display memory limitation

Post by stefan.becker »

Is it a question?

Yes, its not the real hardware in a vm. Like described in the manual and the faq.
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Perryg
Site Moderator
Posts: 34369
Joined: 6. Sep 2008, 22:55
Primary OS: Linux other
VBox Version: OSE self-compiled
Guest OSses: *NIX

Re: display memory limitation

Post by Perryg »

Yes there is a limitation to the amount of vRam that VirtualBox presents to the guest.
No that is not the problem.
You need to install the guest additions (in the guest) while in safe mode and select to install the 3D drivers there.
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