Grabbing Keyboard and Mouse Input from Virtual Machines

To direct input to the virtual machine, the remote console grabs the keyboard and the mouse so all keystrokes, mouse moves and button clicks go to the virtual machine. You can choose when the remote console starts grabbing input:

When you click the mouse in the virtual window. In this case, the remote console grabs the keyboard and mouse on the first mouse button click in the virtual machine's window. The first click in the window is not sent to the virtual machine.
When you type in the window. In this case, the remote console grabs the keyboard and mouse on the first keystroke in the virtual machine window. The first keystroke is sent to the virtual machine. When the window is active and on key press is selected, you cannot use the normal application and system accelerator key sequences.
When you click or type in the window. In this case, the remote console grabs the keyboard and mouse on the first mouse button click in the virtual machine's window or upon the first keystroke in the virtual machine window.
When the mouse passes into the window. In this case, the remote console grabs the keyboard and mouse when the cursor passes into the window.

You can also determine the remote console's behavior when it ungrabs or releases the keyboard and mouse so that keystrokes, mouse moves and button clicks return to the operating system on your physical computer. You can set the cursor so it:

Ungrabs when the cursor leaves the window
Disappears when it ungrabs
Scrolls when it approaches the window edge

These last three options only have an effect when VMware Tools is running in the virtual machine.

Note: You can also use the Ctrl-Alt Hot-Key combination to direct the remote console to ungrab input manually.

Grabbing Keyboard and Mouse Input from Virtual Machines

Related topics: