VB display frame and content are no longer bound in High Sierra (osx 10.13)

[James Moe]

OSX High Sierrra 10.13 Windows 8.1 Guest (and others)

After upgrading to High Sierra, the display frame and display content are no longer bound together. When I drag using the title bar, only the frame moves exposing a black window behind the guest's content which has remained in place.

It is possible to re-sync the two either by minimizing/restoring the window, or the Display icon -> "Adjust Window Size" option.

[Socratis]

Or another workaround it to Hide/Show the VM window. Or you can disable 3D acceleration. Known issue since the early 10.13 betas.

[James Moe]

Thank you. Disabling 3D acceleration has made Vbox useful again.

[ncj]

This issue is present in VB 5.2.2, on macOS 10.13.1. Given the symptoms and resolution techniques, it may be related to https://www.virtualbox.org/ticket/17180.

[Socratis]

@ncj
No it's not. #17180 is a completely different problem. Not to confuse the two.

[Socratis]

Just for completion, here are all the possible workarounds:

• Minimize/Restore the VM window.
• Hide/Show the VM window.
• Menu Display » Adjust window size (HostKey+A).
• Disable 3D acceleration.

[pzrq]

VirtualBox Log File

[pzrq]

Example screenshot of results after clicking and dragging

[jhawksley]

I have disabled 3D acceleration on this and it does work. Could we get some attention on this - maybe it's a simple fix? (hope springs eternal). Many thanks!

[Socratis]

Thanks @jhawksley, but this workaround was already listed seven months ago! It could help if you read the whole ticket, and the comments too...

As to why it's not "fixed", 1) it's not a simple fix (how do you know, did you find the source of the problem?) and 2) there are way more important things to address than a cosmetic issue with four known workarounds...

[jhawksley]

@socratis Thank you for your response, which was ... very enlightening :-)

[Socratis]

Can an admin please change the "Host type:" to "OSX" from "Other"? I was trying to find all open OSX bugs and (not) strangely this one didn't come up. TIA...

[Andrew Daugherity]

Still an issue on 5.2.18.

As previously mentioned, it only happens when 3D is enabled and the guest is using 3D, and it affects all guest OSes (definitely Windows and Linux at least). The window frame and content do not detach until the desktop or login screen is displayed (presumably the VirtualBox guest 3D drivers activate at this point); the BIOS/EFI boot screen, OS boot loader, and Linux text consoles are unaffected. If I disable 3D support in a Linux guest (inside the guest -- 3D acceleration remains enabled in the VM settings), the problem never occurs (but performance suffers, obviously).

Interesting detail: While in this "detached" state, launching Mission Control (Ctrl+UpArrow or F3) shows two separate windows for the VM: one titled VirtualBox VM showing the VM's desktop; the other VM name [running] with the window frame and black screen. While in this state, if you move either to another desktop, switching to that desktop will kick you right back to Desktop 1.

After minimizing and restoring the VM window, they are combined into one window with the VM's name, and you can move it between desktops as normal.

[Neptune BSC LLC]

Replying to adaugherity:

Still an issue on MacOS Mojave

[Socratis]

@Neptune BSC LLC
Please do not quote the whole previous 3 paragraphs, just to say "still an issue". Do not hit the "Reply" button, just put your comment in the form and hit the "Submit changes" below the form. It makes it really difficult to see your comment like that...

[Neptune BSC LLC]

The issue also appears on MacOS Mojave.

[dkardell]

This is still an issue with the latest. Please fix. Thanks! (The work around of mimimizing and then restoring the window appears to work - so it just happens when you launch and don't do that).

[notit]

Still an issue with VirtualBox 6.0.10 r132072 on macOS Mojave 10.14.5