cliboard between guest linux and host Windows 10 does not work any more after recent Windows Update. => Fixed in SVN

[ci-zephyurus]

I am using VirtualBox 6.1.26 r145957 under Windows 10. My Windows 10 was updated recently and it is now (after the latest update)

Edition Windows 10 Pro Version 21H1 Installed ‎2020/‎12/‎16

OS build 19043.1288

I run Debian GNU/Linux inside virtualbox. It is Linux ip030 5.10.0-8-amd64 #1 SMP Debian 5.10.46-4 (2021-08-03) x86_64 GNU/Linux

What happened is this. Before the latest Windows Update to bring the version of Windows 10 to 21H1 (I think),

• clipboard between the guest linux and host windows 10 worked fine.

After the Windows Update. copy&paste from linux to Windows 10: the target windows application that was supposed to receive the copied string gets hung for maybe a minute or so. (sandclock appears and even windows resize does not work during that time. Bsically the application gets hung.) After that, it came back, but no pasting occurs.

Copy&paste from Windows to linux, the copied string on the windows 10 side is not recognized in the linux application. No pasting happens from the window side. Previously selected string WITHIN linux, i.e., X11 clipboard, for example, seems to be effective as if the selection in the Windows 10 side has not happened.

I think this has been caused by windows update and seems to be the driver issue on the host Windows 10 site.

I don't think there are any relevant issues in the log, but I attach them just in case.

[ci-zephyurus]

Vbox.log under Windows 10

[ci-zephyurus]

I don't see any tell-tale signs in Windows event manager during which I tested copy & pasting from linux guest to windows host.

[galitsyn]

Hi zephyrus,

Could you please try VirtualBox 6.1.28? We have improvements in shared clipboard area there. Both VBox and Additions update is necessary.

[ci-zephyurus]

Hi galitsyn,

Thank you for your comment.

I tried 6.1.28 and it solved the problem after a few false starts.

I am recording the false start part for others who may bump into this themselves.

1. I updated VBox AS USUAL (I did it many times before). For whatever the reason, the first install failed. Even after reboot of host windows 10, it could not grok the virtual hard disks somehow. It seems the installation somehow went bad? BTW, I rebooted windows 10 as suggested by the installer.

2. So I tried to re-install it, and the installer suggested a repair. So I obliged. Reboot host windows 10.

3. Still upon starting, VBox said it could not load disk or something to that effect, but the

error message is different and clear. It suggested a re-install (!).

So re-intalled again (repair actually?) and rebooted host windows 10.

4. Now VBox started fine.

I ran guest linux and installled guest tool. Rebooted the guest linux.

Well, at this stage, copy& paste still did not work. Then I recall I switched clipboard feature on and off during debugging.

Turned it on. But it did not seem to be recognized when it is turned midway AFTER Vbox started.

So I shut down guest linux and quit host VBox and started afresh.

WHAT BOTHERED ME IS THAT the first time copy&paste still did not work somehow after VBox was restarted and clipboard feature was turned on before the guest linux is booted. I was very disappointed, but given the strange behavior so far, I persisted. I shut down guest linux and exited host Vbox and tried again.

Finally, I started VBox and made sure clipboard feature was turned on, and restarted guest linux from power-off state.

Voila. Copy&Paste works now.

I am not sure what went wrong, but it seems there could be a minor bug in handling the turning on/off of clipboard feature especially if one tries to set it on during the guest operation. VBox may try to either save the requested switch state OR re-read the switch state from the saved configuration upon restart which may confuse the user, but I digress.

Thank you again.