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Display issue with WinXP guest after 4.2 upgrade

Posted: 4. Oct 2012, 20:15
by bobthesungeek
(Posted this via mailing list as well)

Host: MacBook running MacOS 10.6
Guest: Windows XP-SP3

I have my MacBook connected to an external monitor running a split display. When I boot my Windows XP guest in the second display, it appears the graphics buffering isn't right. Most of the screen will show black while the preview window in the VBox (on primary display) shows the normal display. If I refresh the XP desktop it will show the entire display but parts of the desktop start turning black very soon. It's like the display isn't showing the correct layer in the FB?

Move the guest window into the laptop display and all is good. Configure external display to be a mirror and all is OK. This started when I upgraded to 4.2. It was that way before I upgraded Guest Additions on the guest (upgrading the guest additions did not change behavior).

Re: Display issue with WinXP guest after 4.2 upgrade

Posted: 8. Oct 2012, 23:36
by bruce.desertrat
I am having the same issue with a Windows 7 guest, except I can't even get it to run the Guest Additions.

iMac running 10.6.8, virtualbox 4.2.1.

Re: Display issue with WinXP guest after 4.2 upgrade

Posted: 9. Oct 2012, 17:40
by bruce.desertrat
Got the guest additions installed, no dice. it still didn't work properly. Rolling back to 4.1.23 works.

Re: Display issue with WinXP guest after 4.2 upgrade

Posted: 9. Oct 2012, 19:58
by bobthesungeek
Do I need to file a bug report???

Re: Display issue with WinXP guest after 4.2 upgrade

Posted: 9. Oct 2012, 23:18
by rpmurray
bobthesungeek wrote:Do I need to file a bug report???
That would be a good idea.

Re: Display issue with WinXP guest after 4.2 upgrade

Posted: 10. Oct 2012, 18:36
by bobthesungeek
Created ticket #11054

Re: Display issue with WinXP guest after 4.2 upgrade

Posted: 19. Oct 2012, 17:11
by bobthesungeek
FWIW - Upgraded to 4.2.2 and problem persists.

It must be something low-level in the video code. When XP is booting the initial splash page with the scrolling blue bar is not displayed correctly. The blue bar is displayed but the "Windows XP" graphic is missing.

Re: Display issue with WinXP guest after 4.2 upgrade

Posted: 29. Oct 2012, 19:15
by bobthesungeek
Upgraded to 4.2.4. No change...

Re: Display issue with WinXP guest after 4.2 upgrade

Posted: 24. Dec 2012, 16:16
by bobthesungeek
No change with 4.2.6... :'(

Re: Display issue with WinXP guest after 4.2 upgrade

Posted: 22. Feb 2013, 13:34
by elsbernd
Don't know, if it helps you, but refer to
viewtopic.php?f=8&t=22880
And the hint to make the colours-profiles on both monitors removed the problem with 4.2.6 with 10.6.8

Re: Display issue with WinXP guest after 4.2 upgrade

Posted: 9. Mar 2013, 20:22
by LeahMcCarthy
Hi bobthesungeek,
elsbernd's link works for me, even though I don't call it a good way. And I can not believe, this issue has lasted for years, and no one cares.
I hope someone could tell me a better solution. Here’s my situation:

I always use virtualbox with dual screens, no matter 10.6 10.7 or 10.8, and everything works great. I came back to 10.6 for some reasons in last month, tried many 4.2+ versions, but the issue even started before finishing the installing Guest. Last time I uesd virtualbox on 10.6.8 was 2011 or 2012, the version’s absolute not that old like elsbernd's link, maybe 4.0 more or less. So, what exactly the issue is?