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bmcclint
Contributor
Contributor

Mouse focus issue in fullscreen mode????

I run multiple VMs on one workstation and I have a multihead system. I interface with the host on monitor 1 (for Visual Studio) and fullscreen the VMs on monitor 2 (Test/Dev machines). I just switch between them using the start bar and drag and drop things in. Very convenient. We just recently had to upgrade to v2.5.2 from 2.0.5 and since the upgrade strange things are happening. Mu guess is they were UI enhancements but honestly they have just slowed things down. I am not sure if its a VMware thing or something in this XP setup but basically this is what is happening...

With the VMs in fullscreen mode the mouse like to jump to the center of the VM on monitor 2. If I minimize something on monitor 1 the mouse jumps to monitor 2 to one of the VMs, not on in particular. If I click on a minimized item in the start bar, not a VM, the mouse focus will jump to a VM. I then have to move back to my selection and click again. This can take 2 or 3 tries before I actually get what I want. Also if I minimize one of the fullscreen VMs both minimize and I have to go through the mess to get the one I want back.

IF I run both VMs in a windowed mode with a resolution less than the host then everything works as expected.

What's going on? What was added to the 2.5.x series that is causing this? Can is be disabled. This used to be a excellent product but these supposed UI enhancements are frustrating to say the least.

Thanks...

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5 Replies
rocket888
Contributor
Contributor

I am having essentially the same problem. When I right click the taskbar icon on a minimized vmware window (that is fullscreen when restored) I see this behavior.

Are you using the "activation follows mouse" feature in the host? I find that this causes a problem very much like you are seeing. With this option (on my win2k system I enable this using tweakui) when one closes a window, the system moves focus to the previously focus'd window, and if that is vmware player, this causes player to restore from a minimised state and move the mouse to the center of the virtual screen.

I thought that maybe a workaround would be to not use fullscreen mode (as I normally access my vm's remotely with VNC virtual desktops), but when I un-fullscreened it, it rearanged all the desktop icons. That was painful too. (edit: I found a utility, iconoid that saves/restores postions. Also, if I maximise the window by hand, i.e. not fullscreen, but a window where I resize to as large as possible, then this does do as a workaround)

One thought.... I recently upgraded to the latest version of player but I did not update my vm's vmtools. Perhaps there's a disconnect here - I'm thinking perhaps one needs to also update the tools, since it's the tools that generally deal with the mouse when moving between the host and the vm when in fullscreen mode in the vm.

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NickDrev
Contributor
Contributor

I am having the same issue and find it quite frustrating when the VM will pop up and take focus when I am trying to restore another application. I find I have to then minimise and restore the application again so that I can use it.

The other person who replied mentioned TweakUI. I don't have this installed.

Does anyone know what is causing this?

How can it be rectified?

Any help is appreciated.

Kind regards

Nick

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markbanang
Contributor
Contributor

There are a number of web pages out there which detail how to prevent windows stealing focus, including these at about.com and howtodothings.com.

Also, this forum thread is interesting, since it describes problems with applications resetting this setting.

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TallTomD
Contributor
Contributor

Is there any answer for this? This is driving me insane. I'm moving my mouse an extra 100 miles per day because of this problem.

Has anybody found a solution other than switch to VMware Workstation and stop using Player?

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pookiehalo
Contributor
Contributor

Hi,

I'm also having this exact problem with vmware player 3.1.3 build 324285. I also am working between two monitors, one with VMware player in fullscreen.

None of the solutions listed above worked for me. Has anyone found a solution to this, and it is frustrating having to drag the mouse back constantly.

Thanks

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