Display problems with Win98 and Win2000

[Bry89]

Hi all. I've just installed the Windows 98 and 2000 VMs on VirtualBox (just for nostalgia's sake) and, I have a little problem with each of them that is doing my head in. Simply put, both of them have display problems where they're in a 640x480 screen resolution and in a 16-colour depth and I have no idea why that's happening, especially when that didn't happen at all with a Windows XP VM I also have. I tried increasing the video memory for the both of them but nope, still the same. It's strange because they turned out just fine on others copies of VirtualBox according to YouTube videos I've seen so how am I the unlucky one? Well, maybe I need to change the graphics driver for them (as somehow they don't like VirtualBox's own, even though it's all fine for the XP one) but I don't know what direction should I go for that, in case I muck it all up.

Hopefully one or some of you can help me out there. I would really appreciate it.

[mpack]

Please pick one VM and discuss any problems you have with it. Mashing together your observations of barely related guests is not likely to be very useful. And you also need to clear: say more than "I have a problem and it's doing my head in". You need say what the problem is.

The main thing you need to understand is that you will only have default graphics capability until you install the Guest Additions (see user manual). The default graphics capability varied with the Windows version. Both Win98 and Win2K IIRC both default to VGA graphics (640x480 x 4bpp). I think XP was the first to default to an SVGA mode - 800x600x8bpp.

Note that there are no GAs for Win98. You can however install a generic VESA SVGA+ driver, such as the BearWindows one. See the Howto section for details.

[Bry89]

Well I said what my problem is, didn't I? And, I didn't know that your problem had to deal with just one VM so in that case, I would like to deal with Win98 more. Should've said that earlier. Funnily enough, I had tried to install the Guest Additions to it but I just got an error messaging say that it's not compatible for it, yet it was successfully installed anyhow. As for BearWindows, I couldn't find anywhere to obtain it but according to other threads here, I gather it's unstable so instead I got SciTech Display Doctor and installed its associated driver too and I have to say, it has solved the problem as I'm now running the VM on a 800x600 and True Colour (24-bit) setting which is good enough.

Can the same thing be done for Windows 2000 also? Just wondering.

[mpack]

Funnily enough, I had tried to install the Guest Additions to it but I just got an error messaging say that it's not compatible for it

As I said, there are no Guest Additions for Win98.

yet it was successfully installed anyhow

No, it wasn't.

As for BearWindows, I couldn't find anywhere to obtain it

There are download links in the tutorial. You consider the BearWindows driver unstable, so you go for orphaned/hacked adware instead? I find that strange.

Can the same thing be done for Windows 2000 also? Just wondering.

GAs are provided for Win2K. GAs will give much better performance than VESA mode.

[Bry89]

As for BearWindows, I couldn't find anywhere to obtain it

There are download links in the tutorial. You consider the BearWindows driver unstable, so you go for orphaned/hacked adware instead? I find that strange.

I did see links for BearWindows in that thing, but they're all broken though I had happened to come across a newer ones and maybe it had improved since then. Have you any proof of what you say about SciTech? I saw someone else in that thread needing to do the same thing as me. Although, my only complaint about it is that it only runs for a 21-day free trial. I hope that's only for its diagnosis program and not the driver with it.

For GAs for Win2000, could you maybe suggest which one should I go for, or can it be any one? Thanks again.

[mpack]

For GAs for Win2000, could you maybe suggest which one should I go for, or can it be any one? Thanks again.

There is only one Guest Additions package for Windows guests. However it requires an NT Windows kernel, not DOS-Windows, hence no GAs on Win98.

Just choose "Devices|Insert Guest Additions CD..." when your Win2K or XP guest is running.

Thanks for bringing it to my attention that the BearWindows links are broken. You should still be able to Google for them if the SciTech driver proves to be unsuitable. Note however that it's the universal VESA driver you need, not the horrifically obsolete "VirtualBox optimized" drivers - if you come across them.

[mpack]

p.s. I found the BearWindows drivers here. If I was you I'd grab this and store it somewhere for a rainy day. As mentioned, it's the universal (from the UNI folder) driver that you need to install, i.e. by right clicking the .inf file and choose "Install" from the menu.

[Bry89]

Somehow, I misread "GA" as "graphics adapter" for a minute... silly me Well anyway, I have downloaded them just in case anything happens to the one I have currently. And now, the Guest Additions has corrected Windows 2000's problem and I'm happy. Thanks for your help, mpack. You can lock this thread now