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Windows is either too small, or funky looking in Scale Mode?
Posted: 13. Feb 2012, 13:58
by magentawave
I installed Virtual Box on a Macbook Pro (Snow Leopard) running Windows XP Pro and have a few questions please...
1) When I select "Adjust Window Size (Host+A)" Windows stays the same size (approx 5" x 6" and only the white area around Windows gets bigger. And in Scale Mode its distorted and funky looking. Auto-resize is checked but dimmed so clicking "Host+G" does nothing. Is there any way to make Windows whatever size I want and still look normal like it did when I was using VMWare Fusion? In the bottom right corner of Windows there is a "V" and mousing over it says "Nested Paging: Disabled" Does that have something to do with the Window being too small or distorted? If so, where in the settings can I "enable" that?
2) "Seamless Mode (Host+L)" is also dimmed in the Menu. What is that supposed to do?
3) Can I drag files between my Mac desktop and Windows desktop and vice versa? I tried doing that but it didn't work. Do I need to create "Shared Folders" to do that?
4) I added my Macs Desktop, Documents, and Pictures to the VM's "Shared Folders" but how can I access them when I'm in Windows?
Thanks very much.
Steve
Re: Why is Windows too small or distorted looking?
Posted: 13. Feb 2012, 14:05
by michaln
1) Can you please provide pictures? Things like "distorted" mean different things to different people.
2) No.
3) Yes.
Re: Windows is either too small, or funky looking in Scale M
Posted: 13. Feb 2012, 15:31
by magentawave
Could you please answer my questions again from my first post? Apparently I was editing them while you were answering and I'm not sure your answers properly correspond with my new questions.
Thanks again.
Attached are screen captures of Scale Mode and Adjust Window Size...

- Scale Mode
- SCALE MODE.JPG (99.04 KiB) Viewed 26488 times

- Adjust Window Size Mode
- ADJUST WINDOW SIZE.JPG (67 KiB) Viewed 26488 times
Re: Windows is either too small, or funky looking in Scale M
Posted: 13. Feb 2012, 15:40
by mpack
Have you installed the Guest Additions (in the guest)? If so then I see no sign of the GA icon on the guests taskbar, which may explain why things are not working as well as they might.
Drag and drop between guest and host is not supported.
Re: Windows is either too small, or funky looking in Scale M
Posted: 13. Feb 2012, 21:08
by magentawave
mpack wrote:Have you installed the Guest Additions (in the guest)? If so then I see no sign of the GA icon on the guests taskbar, which may explain why things are not working as well as they might.
Drag and drop between guest and host is not supported.
1) GUEST: I'm looking through the Settings and I see nothing about a "Guest Addition." Could you please tell me where I should go to install the Guest Addition?
2) SHARED FOLDERS: I added my Macs Desktop, Documents, and Pictures to the VM's "Shared Folders" but how can I access them when I'm in Windows?
Thank you.
Steve
Re: Windows is either too small, or funky looking in Scale M
Posted: 13. Feb 2012, 21:18
by magentawave
UPDATE: When Windows is in "Adjust Windows Size" mode there are 9 little icons in the bottom right corner of the screen. The second icon from the right has a little green down arrow that is supposed to mean that the "Guest Os" is on. So does that mean I already have a "Guest Addition" installed?
Re: Windows is either too small, or funky looking in Scale M
Posted: 13. Feb 2012, 21:21
by rpmurray
When you have your guest running and you go to the VirtualBox menus at the top of the screen and select Devices, is there an Install Guest Additions at the bottom of the menu list?
Re: Windows is either too small, or funky looking in Scale M
Posted: 13. Feb 2012, 21:28
by magentawave
rpmurray wrote:When you have your guest running and you go to the VirtualBox menus at the top of the screen and select Devices, is there an Install Guest Additions at the bottom of the menu list?
Great! I did that and now the window sized properly! Thank you. One last question (I think) please...
SHARED FOLDERS: How do you share files between my host (my Mac) and Windows XP? I added my Macs Desktop, Documents, and Pictures to the VM's "Shared Folders" but how can I access them when I'm in Windows?
Re: Windows is either too small, or funky looking in Scale M
Posted: 13. Feb 2012, 21:32
by mpack
If you have the guest additions installed then no more should be needed to access any host folder you list in the VM settings "Shared Folders" section, provided your host user account has access to the named folders.
Re: Windows is either too small, or funky looking in Scale M
Posted: 13. Feb 2012, 21:41
by magentawave
mpack wrote:If you have the guest additions installed then no more should be needed to access any host folder you list in the VM settings "Shared Folders" section, provided your host user account has access to the named folders.
I have enabled the folders on my Mac that I want to share with the VM in the VM's Settings but don't see anyway to share them. There is the typical "Shared Documents" folder when I click on My Computer but that is limited to Windows stuff only. How do I share files?
UPDATE: I got the Sharing thing figured out...and thanks to all those that helped.

You need to check the "Auto Mount" and the "Make Permanent" boxes and then those shared folders will appear in My Computer. You might need to restart the virtual machine to see them appear in My Computer. Then I created shortcuts on my desktop for each shared folder on my Mac.