virtualbox.org

While I was attempting to install guest additions on a brand-new Windows 8 guest, just activated and very little else, the guest lost all words & icons. I am able to do things as normal, and pressing/swiping parts of the screen performs the intended action as if I could see what I was pressing. However, all that's visible is the background color of some things, usually whatever "app" (including the desktop). For example, on the desktop, I saw a purple screen, with a purple window corresponding to File Explorer in the position it was while I was installing Guest Additions. When I swipe from the right, I saw the background of the charms bar, and when I swiped from the left I saw the background of whatever that's called. I restarted the VM, as I had heard somewhere we should install Guest Additions in Safe Mode on Windows, but when it started up I got some sort of Orange Screen of Death (just an orange screen, as I can see only the background), which I had never heard of or experienced on my host.

Like a dummy, I didn't make any snapshots before this. Is there a way to fix this? What is the orange screen, what should I be seeing on it, why am I getting it & is there a way to prevent it upon restarting? Finally, did this happen because I didn't install Guest Additions in Safe Mode?

VirtualBox:
version 4.3.10
Extension Pack Installed

Host:
Windows 8.1 64-bit
6GB RAM
500GB Hard Drive

Guest:
Windows 8 Professional 64-bit build 915440
2GB RAM
75GB Space
Guest Additions installing when problem happened
logs attached

What happens if you uninstall the guest additions and reboot?

Try to see if disabling the 3D acceleration in the guest settings fixes it. Also, try with the 4.3.12 version which came out on 2014-05-16 and it fixes several graphics issues according to the release notes.

noteirak, turning off 3D Acceleration worked, thanks. Any idea when they'll fix a lot of the issues with it & it'll stop being so "experimental"?

Your guess is as good as ours - devs don't share their plans, so it can be anytime now (but don't hold your breathe).

Oh, I thought VirtualBox was (mostly) open-source? Wouldn't this require the devs to say something somewhere? Now I'm confused.

By the way, 4.3.12 may fix some graphical issues, but not all of the problems with 3D Acceleration are included, as I can't even start the VM with it on. It gets to the "flag & spinny dots) splash screen then encounters a "critical error".

The source is (mostly) open, but it isn't a community development.