Virtualbox 4.2.10 Auto resize not working. Will auto-resize down but not up unless in full screen

Question

Using Virtualbox 4.2.10 with Windows 7 as host and guest.

If I press Ctrl+F, the OS goes full screen. If I check the resolution, it says 1680×1050 -- same size as my host OS that has many (approximately 20) other options, including MUCH bigger resolutions.

Now if I press Ctrl+F again (I want it to just fill the available window), it goes back down to 1024×732.

If I shrink the window, the resolution DOES scale down, BUT will not scale back up when I resize the window again. When I check the resolution after resizing it down, it's at 640×480 (no other options available).

Here is a video describing the problem.

HD Version

Could someone please help me fix this odd problem?

Configuration:

Host

• Windows 7
• 16 GB RAM
• 2 Nvidia 680's (factory overclock) on SLI (4GB for each video card)
• CPU virtualization turned on

Guest

• Windows 7
• 4 GB RAM
• Guest tools installed

Solution 1

From the virtualbox.org manual Chapter 9. Advanced topics :

When guest systems with the Guest Additions installed are started using the graphical frontend (the normal VirtualBox application), they will not be allowed to use screen resolutions greater than the host's screen size unless the user manually resizes them by dragging the window, switching to full screen or seamless mode or sending a video mode hint using VBoxManage. This behavior is what most users will want, but if you have different needs, it is possible to change it by issuing one of the following commands from the command line:

VBoxManage setextradata global GUI/MaxGuestResolution any

will remove all limits on guest resolutions.

VBoxManage setextradata global GUI/MaxGuestResolution >width,height<

manually specifies a maximum resolution.

VBoxManage setextradata global GUI/MaxGuestResolution auto

restores the default settings. Note that these settings apply globally to all guest systems, not just to a single machine.

In the case of the poster, it was the first command that fixed the problem.

Solution 2

FIX: Oracle VM VirtualBox Manager -> File -> Preferences -> Display -> Maximum Guest Screen Size -> Automatic

Comments

[harrymc]

What happens if you disable or take out one of the Nvidia cards? How many monitors ? Are you trying to use multiple monitors (if yes, what does "full screen" mean) ?

[Josh]

"Full Screen" to fill the entire screen? No box, no border, goes over my task bar. I can't remove my video cards, I don't have on board video. I'm only running 1 monitor currently.

[Josh]

Would it help if I took a screen capture video of what's going on?

[harrymc]

It would certainly not hurt.

[Josh]

I added the video into the body (last line)

[harrymc]

I think I noticed that the display adapter in the VM is a generic. With guest tools you should have other options, so try changing it to some other supported and more sophisticated make.

[Josh]

Says generic for VirtualBox (no other options...) Maybe I need to update my guest OS?

[harrymc]

The video was very low resolution, so hard to read. But I think you should update everything you can and define a better virtual display adapter.

[Josh]

Sorry about the resolution, I had to compress it down because the file was over 1 GB, now it's like 2 MB, I will try and update my guest OS Windows 7 (It has like 200 pending updates). Once that is done I will try and reinstall guest tools, restart and see if I get a different result. I will update as soon as possible....

[harrymc]

Upgrade to VirtualBox 4.2.12 and install the WDDM video driver and ensure it is used. Search also for WDDM in here for possible problems. If WDDM does not work, see Guest Additions for Windows that says "For the basic Direct3D acceleration to work in a Windows Guest, you have to install the Guest Additions in Safe Mode". Use absolutely a non-generic video adapter. Fully patch Windows including optional updates.

[Josh]

I have updated to 4.2.12, installed all updates, and I'm still having the same problem....

[harrymc]

Which display adapter in the guest? Also a video of a better quality, please, where the text is readable.

[Josh]

Added an HD version of the video.

[harrymc]

I can now see that you have the VirtualBox Graphics Adapter, but your monitor is not recognized. You don't show the Windows Update optional updates - device drivers are usually optional, so better install them all and keep rebooting and updating as long as more updates exist. After you do that, right-click the guest screen / Screen Resolution / Advanced settings and post screenshots of the Adapter and Monitor tabs. In the Monitor tab, set Colors to the highest possible setting and OK.

[Josh]

Here are the images you asked for: Other Images 1 Other Images 2 Other Images 3

[harrymc]

Still that generic monitor. Try this advice of using VBoxManage setextradata global GUI/MaxGuestResolution any. If it doesn't work, boot the guest in Safe mode, uninstall guest tools, reboot in Safe mode, reinstall guest tools, reboot normally. As a last effort (and my last advice), you might download the guest tools iso and repeat with it.

[Josh]

@harrymc Woot! VBoxManage setextradata global GUI/MaxGuestResolution any fixed the problem! please post that as the solution so I can award you the points! It will now resize just fine (up and down) as I adjust the window size.

[harrymc]

Done - answer posted. Have fun.

[Tim Abell]

the video links are dead

[100rabh]

Your previous answer was deleted because there wasn't a coherent answer in the previous post, just some rambling

[harrymc]

See my answer : auto just restores the default settings. And I didn't delete your answer - I am not a moderator.

[pauloppenheim-liveloop]

harrymc: yes, that is indeed supposed to be the default setting. There is a bug. In recent versions (I haven't been able to determine when this came about) it appears GUI/LastGuestSizeHint (which defaults to 640x480 and typically isn't changed) takes precedence. Resetting the option (whether through the GUI or commandline, whether auto or any) makes vbox behave correctly. I'm still trying to get an exact repro to file the bug against vbox so this doesn't waste anyone else's time.

[pauloppenheim-liveloop]

similar, but not exact, issue in the virtualbox bugtracker: virtualbox.org/ticket/11677

[Josh]

I really at a loss here on who to award it to... harrymc has been helping me via the comments, and his solution did get me up and running, but if pauloppenheim-liveloop posted his solution first, he should get it...

[harrymc]

@Josh: It seems like "auto" is the default value that was already set in virtualbox and didn't work for you because it installs limits on guest resolutions. pauloppenheim-liveloop says that this is a bug that he will try to report, but this doesn't seem likely in view of the manual, and it is also unlikely that such an important function as resize doesn't work by design. As far as I can see, it required "any" to get it working as you wanted, and that has been the case with VB for several years now.

[David Doria]

When I set the MaxGuestResolution to 'any', my Ubuntu guest just displays a black screen. Changing it to 'auto' did not revert to the guest working - it is still just a black screen.