[SOLVED] Login window to XP guest has 'shrunk' to letterbox

[aem65]

Hello VB forum (first post!)

I am running VB 4.3.6 on a MacBook Pro i7 OSX 10.9.1 and guest XP Pro sp3.
All has been working perfectly but today the guest window opened with a 'letterbox' shaped login screen showing only blue XP background. All my attempts to resize and 'find' the login button to start my XP session have failed.

I have attached a screenshot of the window I get.

*** Just realised that I hadn't attached log file - now attached ***

Please help!!!

Thank you very much in advance.
Alan

[aem65]

Here's another screenshot of the problem I have. Yesterday this was the regular XP Welcome screen but its shrunk to this and I can't scroll around it to find the login button to get to the desktop screen...

Any help would be great!
Alan

[socratis]

With your VM having the focus, go to "View -> Auto-resize Guest Display (Host-G)" and make sure it is enabled (you are running Guest Additions 4.1.18, but I don't think it matters). See if that works...

[aem65]

Hi Socratis

Thanks very much for your reply. The auto-resize option is ticked but also greyed out under the View options.

Any other thoughts greatly appreciated. Baffled by it and it mean I can't access the guest at all...

Thx
Alan

[socratis]

I should have included it in my first answer. Try the next menu "Adjust Window Size (Host-A)".

[aem65]

Hi again Socratis

When I do Host+A, it shrinks the window down to the shape and size of the blue panel in my first post screenshot - full screen width and about 1 inch high. So, Host+A gives me a wide, shallow 'letterbox' window with just the blue XP Welcome background but no way of scrolling to the login button. Maximising that window gives me a full screen of white background and the blue 'letterbox' in the middle. Host+C gives me a regular 6"x4" window, again all blue and no scroll.

It's like VB has picked up that the guest window has resized itself to letterbox and I can't figure why or how to sort...

Thanks again for all your thoughts.
A

[socratis]

OK, here is what I would like you to do:

• Attach your "<VirtualMachine>.vbox" and your "VBox.log" files so we can take a look.
• Try to boot in safe mode (press F8 at boot) and uninstall your Guest Additions. That should return the display to its default graphics driver.
• Reboot in safe mode and re-install the Guest Additions.

[aem65]

Hi again

Couple of questions on your last post...
- on my OSX host, how do I enable the function keys to work for VB when booting up? F8 just plays iTunes for me so I guess there's a key combo needed to make F8 work in VB and enter Safe mode?

- can you tell me where to find/how to copy the 2 files that you need?

Thanks very much again - really appreciate your help!

[aem65]

Ok - figured out F8 and have booted into Safe Mode. That worked in that I get a normal XP Welcome screen and can log into XP as a user and see a Safe mode screen about 6"x4"... def. progress!!

What should I do next?
Thanks again!!

[aem65]

Socratis - you're a genius!!

All good now. Into safe Mode, deleted Guest additions, rebooted, re-installed guest additions, all working normally!!

Thank you very much - greatly appreciated your help.

[socratis]

Great! Would you also mind changing the original post's title to "[SOLVED] ..." so that the rest of the community can benefit as well from your findings?

As you found out, Fn+F8 -> F8, or for a more "permanent" solution, read this Apple article.

[reflec]

I know this is now showing as solved, but I am having the same problem and hope someone can help. I have followed the same procedure, however, when I re-install the guest additions and restart, I get the same letterbox issue. I have tried downloading the guest additions iso, but this produces the same results.

I would appreciate any help.

TIA

[socratis]

You missed the first part:

• Attach your "<VirtualMachine>.vbox" and your "VBox.log" files so we can take a look.