CTRL+ALT+LEFT / CTRL+ALT+LEFT problems

[aabra1]

I am running VMware Workstation 6.0.0 build 45731 on a Windows XP version 5.1 SP2 host.

I have guest OS inside the VMware Workstation: Windows XP version 5.1 SP.

I am using Intellij Idea (which is Java IDE) inside the guest OS.

I am experiencing the problem with key combinations like

CTRLALTLEFT

CTRLALTLEFT

CTRLALTUP

CTRLALTDOWN

inside the IDEA it suposed to navigate in certain direction after hitting those key combinations.

I did some testing on my own.

It works fine: on the host installation of IDEA, it also works on win2000 guest installation of IDEA.

For some reason it does not work on guest XP installation of IDEA.

It makes me to beleive that guest windows XP is using this key combinations for something.

Is there anyone else out there experiencing similar issues?

Is there a solution to the problem?

Alex

[admin]

Are you in fullscreen mode? If so, then CtrlAltLeft and CtrlAltRight are used to switch between VMs.

Try hitting CtrlAltSpace, letting go of the space bar but keeping CtrlAlt held down, and then hitting left/right. Or go to Edit > Preferences > Hot Keys and change the ungrab combination from CtrlAlt to something else.

[aabra1]

Thanks a lot.

It is a little inconvenient but it works.

:smileymischief:

[aabra1]

I realize that CtrlAltLeft and CtrlAltRight are used to switch between VMs.

I do not really use multiple VMs simultaniously therefore I do not care to switch between them.

Is there a way to disable this feature so I get my "CtrlAltLeft and CtrlAltRight" back? I am not realy exited from ungrabing all day long.

I found it inconvenient to hit ungrab combination (ctrlaltspace) each time before I need to hit ctrlaltleft.

I think it is something new with VMware 6, I did not have this problem with VMware 5.

Edit > Preferences > Hot Keys only changes the ungrab combination and does not realy effect the "CtrlAltLeft and CtrlAltRight" combinations.

[aabra1]

Thanks a lot.

It is a little inconvenient but it works.

[admin]

I think it is something new with VMware 6, I did not have this problem with VMware 5.

Right, it's a feature of the new fullscreen mode in Workstation 6.

Edit > Preferences > Hot Keys only changes the ungrab combination and does not realy effect the "CtrlAltLeft and CtrlAltRight" combinations.

Did you actually try it? That setting is supposed to affect all hotkey combinations that normally use Ctrl+Alt. If it doesn't work, then that's a bug. What's your host OS?

Alternatively you could not use the new fullscreen mode (i.e., use Quick Switch mode instead, use Exclusive mode, or add pref.fullScreen.v5 = "TRUE" to your preferences file to always use the old fullscreen mode).

[aabra1]

Did you actually try it? That setting is supposed to affect all hotkey
combinations that normally use Ctrl+Alt. If it doesn't work, then
that's a bug. What's your host OS?

I did try the ctrlaltspace, in fact that is what I am currently using to get around this problem with VMWare 6 stilling ctrlaltleft (right) from me sort of speak.

I am ungrabbing all day long in order to use ctrl+alt combinations inside intellij Idea.

My host OS is Windows XP version 5.1 SP2

Alternatively you could not use the new fullscreen mode (i.e., use
Quick Switch mode instead, use Exclusive mode, or add
pref.fullScreen.v5 = "TRUE" to your preferences file to always use the
old fullscreen mode).

Tryed your suggestions:

QuickMode and Exclusive mode are giving me exactly the same behavior of CTRLALTLEFT (RIGHT ) combinations as FullScreen mode, cured by Ungrabbing.

I tryed to add pref.fullScreen.v5 = "TRUE" to .vmx file (is that what you meant by 'preferences file'?) restarted the VM did not seem to do anything at least with CTRLALTLEFT (RIGHT ) combinations.

Thanks for trying , Do you have any other Ideas?

[admin]

bq. Did you actually try it? That setting is supposed to affect all hotkey
combinations that normally use Ctrl+Alt. If it doesn't work, then
that's a bug. What's your host OS?

I did try the ctrlaltspace, in fact that is what I am currently using to get around this problem with VMWare 6 stilling ctrlaltleft (right) from me sort of speak.

I asked if you tried changing the hotkey combination.

I am ungrabbing all day long in order to use ctrl+alt combinations inside intellij Idea.

CtrlAltLeft/CtrlAltRight shouldn't ever ungrab. Are you pressing Ctrl+Alt and letting go before pressing left/right?

Tryed your suggestions:

QuickMode and Exclusive mode are giving me exactly the same behavior of CTRLALTLEFT (RIGHT ) combinations as FullScreen mode, cured by Ungrabbing.

Again, are you pressing ctrlalt by itself? That will ungrab. If you're in quickswitch mode or in exclusive mode, pressing ctrlaltleft/ctrlalt+right should go to the guest.

I tryed to add pref.fullScreen.v5 = "TRUE" to .vmx file (is that what you meant by 'preferences file'?)

No, the preferences file is %APPDATA%\VMware\preferences.ini

Be sure to close all instances of Workstation before editing that file.

[aabra1]

I tried it and changed ungrab key combination.

I do not see the point of it. I still need to ungrab every time I need to hit ctrlaltanything

It did not realy make me warm and fussy.

I changed it right back.

If I would ungrab that would be a perfect ungrabbing combination what they have as a default.

I just do not want to ungrab.

I tryed quick and exclusive modes.

It is not any different for ctrlaltleft(right) combinations.

Those only work after I press ungrab (ctrlaltspace)

I also tryed to change the preferences.ini by adding pref.fullScreen.v5 = "TRUE"

That did not fundamentally change anything either.

The only change that I noticed it caused was that I need to hit (ctrlalt) to get out of full screen mode just like version 5 did, instead of (ctrlalt+enter) that version 6 has.

In all the trials one thing remains consistent, I need to hit ungrab combination in order to be able to use ctrlaltleft(right) combinations.

[admin]

I tried it and changed ungrab key combination.

I do not see the point of it. I still need to ungrab every time I need to hit ctrlaltanything

There's some miscommunication here. You don't actually want to ungrab; that's explicitly what you don't want to do. Ungrabbing means key events go to the host and not to the guest.

Did you restart the virtual machine after you changed the hotkey combination?

You're right about it not working while in windowed, exclusive, or quick switch modes. That's a bug. Changing the hot key must work, though, because that's exactly what the hot key definition does.

If I would ungrab that would be a perfect ungrabbing combination what they have as a default.

I don't understand what that means.

Those only work after I press ungrab (ctrlaltspace)

That's not ungrabbing. Ctrl+Alt by itself ungrabs.

[admin · Accepted solution]

Did you restart the virtual machine after you changed the hotkey combination?

And to be clear, I mean a cold restart (power off the VM, or suspend it and resume it, but not restarting from within the guest).

[aabra1]

I feel like we are missing each other's points...

Let me try to summarize my experience with this issue.

Environment: windows XP host, VMWare 6.0, Windows XP guest

I am using Intellij Idea inside the Guest. It has very usefull functionality when you hit (ctrlaltleft or right) .

It used to work in VMWare 5 and stopped working in VMWare 6.

If I press ctrlaltspace , release the space and hit <left> or <right> it is doing what I want.

If I change the hot key combination, all it does is changing the ctrlaltspace to some other combination if do not like using ctrlaltspace.

I think they call it ungrab combination.

I just do not like the fact that I need to hit anything in preparation to hitting (ctrlaltleft or right) .

So far nothing changed that quick or exclusive mode behave like that too.

Adding that line to preferences.ini file did not change this need to ungrab before I want to hit (ctrlaltleft or right).

I hope my explanation is clearer now.

Alex

[admin]

If I change the hot key combination, all it does is changing the ctrlaltspace to some other combination if do not like using ctrlaltspace.

That shouldn't be true. Did you restart your VMs? If not, please do that.

If your VM is configured to use CtrlAlt for ungrabbing, we intercept CtrlAlt+whatever key combinations in the guest. If you change the hotkey combination to use different modifier keys, then we'll only intercept combinations that use those new modifiers. I've tested this and it works for me...

Again, as you said, I was wrong about quickswitch/exclusive mode. That's a bug that we'll try to address in a future release.

[aabra1]

I set hot key combination to ctrl+win

Now I am doing ctrlwinenter to toggle full screen on and off.

My ctrlaltleft or right is free to be used.

I just have to get used to the new ctrlwinenter combination.

thanks