How to switch between virtual machines that are in fullscreen mode?

I recently switched from VMware Workstation to VirtualBox. VMware allowed me to switch between virtual machines in fullscreen mode by pressing a button in the toolbar. Since I'm often using two or more virtual machines at once which all use both of my monitors (all in fullscreen mode) this feature is very important for me.

I can't find anything similar in VirtualBox. There is no button or menu entry in the toolbar. There is no shortcut (at least I can't find one). I hate it that I now always have to first minimize all virtual machine monitors one-by-one and then maximize the ones from the other virtual machines one-by-one, remembering to maximize the one on the main window last otherwise my host taskbar gets hidden.

Please tell me that I'm missing something! I need a shortcut/button to switch between VMs that switches both fullscreen windows at the same time.

VirtualBox 4.3.0. Guest additions are updated. Windows 7 x64 SP1 on host and most guests (sometimes a Linux guest).

cremor

Posted 2013-10-16T07:57:40.973

Reputation: 297

For people who use more than one VM, this is a major annoyance and still isn't sorted. – user3791372 – 2015-09-15T22:17:45.413

I'm not familiar with VMWare and the question is not entirely clear. Do you want to switch between two full-screen VMs? You can do this with the Host(+release)+Alt+Tab (as you already managed i see in the comments). If you can do this then there would be no need to minimize and maximize these windows. (So there is also no need to maximize all VMs at the same time) Am i missing something? – Rik – 2013-10-16T13:01:38.303

1@Rik Yes, I want to switch between two full-screen VMs that both use two monitors. The last part is important since Host+Alt+Tab only switches one window (one monitor) at a time and it's annoying to find the correct second monitor because all VirtualBox windows just show the logo of the VM, so you have to look at the text to get the correct one. – cremor – 2013-10-17T06:05:25.083

1Ooo, Wow. Now i see what you mean (i always use one screen for VM). In the Alt+Tab of the host there are TWO entries per VM if they have dual screen. Yeah, then it's annoying to switch. I consider this a bug in VB because if you have the first screen active of a VM you can't see the second. The desktop of Windows itself (in dual-screen) shows as one entry, so why not the VMs. It wasn't entirely clear in your question but now i activated the dual-monitor in my VMs, it is. – Rik – 2013-10-17T10:11:05.880

There is a (really lame) solution. You can place a small batch file on the desktop of the VM with multimonitortool /disable 2 and multimonitortool /enable 2 (You'll need to download multimonitortool). But this will result in all the windows on display 2 going to 1 (leaving 2 empty). But it does activate display 2 without having to search for it. (Maybe this can be done without disabling it) But VB really should be the one doing this without these patch-solutions. Perhaps there are shortcuts for showing display 2.

– Rik – 2013-10-17T10:26:43.607

Answers

When inside a VM, you can achieve your goal by:

hitting the Host key (Win: right Ctrl by default, OSX: Command; you only need a single key press)
Then using Alt Tab

tested on VirtualBox v. 4.3.8 (one monitor only)

The Host key, once pressed, makes the guest loose focus in favor of the Host. Then you can use Alt Tab the usual way.

Luke

Posted 2013-10-16T07:57:40.973

Reputation: 139

1Did you test this with a dual monitor setup with one VM occupying both screens?? And do both screen switch to the other VM? That is what this question was about. Not just switching one screen. The problem is that VirtualBox does not activate the second screen when switching to it. (The Alt+Tab has both screen, of one VM, individual listed, which is the problem because that way only one screen can be activated at a time and you need multiple keystrokes to activate the second screen). – Rik – 2014-03-13T11:07:23.757

tested with a single monitor setup, very sorry if I've wasted your time. May you report the same if it works for you with multiple keystrokes? thanks! – Luke – 2014-03-13T11:43:31.670

1That's okay. Thanks for thinking along. It also took me a while before i got that the problem was with a dual-screen setup. Apparently VMware does it correctly (showing one entry in Alt+Tab) for a dual-screen VM while VirtualBox shows two entries (for both screens of one VM). That's why switching is so hard in VirtualBox with/to a dual-screen VM. – Rik – 2014-03-13T11:44:50.923

As far as I can tell, the 'only' way to do this is to open up the menu on the bottom (bring your cursor to the center bottom of the vm

enter image description here

If it dosen't open this menu up, hit your host key - typically right ctrl. With this menu in focus, hit alt tab.

Annoyingly, while this works, its not very consistant.

Journeyman Geek

Posted 2013-10-16T07:57:40.973

Reputation: 119 122

I can't get it to work by just opening the toolbar, but Host+Alt+Tab brings up the usual Window switching of the host Windows. But that still only switches one window at a time. I want to switch both fullscreen VM windows at the same time like I could in VMware. – cremor – 2013-10-16T09:19:57.640

-1

I Think i got it, Hit the host key (Right CTRL by Default) then hold ctrl + alt array to the left/right, if you keep one VM in fullscreen mode per workspace then when you hit key sequence that i've just said you'll go straight to the next VM in fullscreen :D

It works if you disable "Auto Capture Keyboard" in main window of VirtualBox (File>Preferences>Input). But then, you have to hit the host key every time you want to type in "guest".

user268996

Posted 2013-10-16T07:57:40.973

Reputation: 1

-2

To exit the fullscreen mode hold The host-key and press F

Christian

Posted 2013-10-16T07:57:40.973

Reputation: 6 571

I don't want to exit fullscreen mode. I want to switch between two VMs that are both in fullscreen mode and stay in fullscreen mode. – cremor – 2013-10-16T09:48:23.513