virtualbox.org

- Host: Windows 7 Home Premium Edition 64-bit.
- Guest: Windows 98 Second Edition.
- VirtualBox version: 4.2.16 r86992.

My keyboard is not working with the guest (but it works with the host). The mouse is working well, but only the "Host" key of my keyboard works (I can use it with combinations such as "Host+Home" or alone, but I can not do anything else with the keyboard). I did not find any help in the manual, that is why I am posting here. Thank you very much.

If you have a USB keyboard in your host then make sure you don't have a USB filter in the VM settings which might grab it (i.e. a blank filter or one which grabs the keyboard explicitly).

I do not, as I am using a laptop computer. Thank you.

It's possible that even a laptop might connect the keyboard internally via the USB bus. Have you checked?

Otherwise I'm not aware of any other symptoms that would even be similar to what you have described. Most of the alpha keytops wrong, yes I could explain that. No keys at all? Nope.

As I did not know how to check for that (other than going to "USB" in "Settings" on "VirtualBox Manager"), I tried several different things until I thought (and hoped) it was caused by the operating system. No single key was working (other than the "Host" key), and when I pressed "Ctrl+Alt+Del" it activated that function in the host. I prayed and then went to "Control panel" and checked for keyboard settings. It turned out to be a language setting, then I changed it and it is working fine now. I would like to know why that happened, but I am not allowed to discuss Operating Systems here, I know. In any case, thank you very much for your help.

Would you mind sharing your fix? I have exactly the same problem... Win7 Home Premium x64 as Host, Fedora 20 as guest. Once the the keyboard is 'uncaptured', only way to fix it is rebooting the VM. Thanks!