Configuring the Virtual Machine to Grab Keyboard and Mouse Input

Select: Edit > Preferences > Input

To direct input to the virtual machine, VMware GSX Server grabs input from the keyboard and the mouse so all keystrokes, mouse moves and button clicks go to the virtual machine.

By default

Ctrl-Alt-Enter sends input to the virtual machine and places it in full-screen mode
Ctrl-Alt releases input from the virtual machine and puts it back into window mode

You can change the following using Edit > Preferences > Input:

If you encounter problems with grabbing and ungrabbing input, see Issues When Grabbing and Ungrabbing Input

How GSX Server Starts Grabbing Input

To change the way GSX Server starts grabbing input:

Check Grab keyboard and mouse input on mouse click if you want GSX Server to grab input the first time you click your mouse cursor in the virtual machine display. The first click in the display is not sent to the virtual machine.
Check Grab keyboard and mouse input on key press if you want GSX Server to grab the keyboard and mouse input on the first keystroke in the virtual machine display. The first keystroke is sent to the virtual machine.
Note: If you select Grab keyboard and mouse input on key press, you cannot use the normal application and system accelerator key sequences when the virtual machine display is active.
Check Grab when cursor enters window if you want GSX Server to grab the keyboard and mouse input whenever your cursor enters the virtual machine display. The first keystroke and mouse click are sent to the virtual machine.
Note: This only takes effect when VMware Tools is running in the guest operating system.

How GSX Server Releases Input Back to the Host and How Your Cursor Behaves

Note: The following settings can only take effect when VMware Tools is running in the guest operating system.

To change the way GSX Server releases input back to the host and change the way your cursor behaves:

Check Ungrab when cursor leaves window if you want to return input to the host whenever your mouse cursor leaves the virtual machine display.
Check Hide cursor on ungrab so that the cursor is no longer visible in the virtual machine display after input is transferred back to the host. This option makes it easier to keep track of your active cursor if you have multiple virtual machines open at the same time.
Check Scroll when cursor approaches window edge to cause the guest operating system display in the virtual machine window to scroll. This is useful when the virtual machine is not in full-screen mode and only part of the virtual machine display is visible and is similar to using the scrollbar of the console window.

Enabling Copy and Paste To and From the Virtual Machine

Note: VMware Tools must be running in the guest operating system to enable copying and pasting between the host and guest.

Check Enable copy and paste to and from virtual machine to enable copying and pasting text between applications on the host and guest. Use the standard methods of copying and pasting in the host and in the guest applications (for example, Ctrl-C and Ctrl-V).

Issues When Grabbing and Ungrabbing Input

When working with grab and ungrab, you may encounter the situations described in the following table.

Situation

Explanation

Pressing Ctrl-Alt to release the mouse and keyboard causes a laptop to go into suspend mode.

VMware GSX Server uses Ctrl-Alt to release the mouse and keyboard. Some laptops use this same key combination to suspend the host machine.

In these cases, try using Ctrl and Alt on the right- hand side of the keyboard. GSX Server recognizes both sets of Ctrl and Alt keys, while laptops usually only recognize left-hand keys for the suspend function.

After pressing Ctrl-Alt to release the mouse and keyboard, the keyboard does not function properly within the host operating system.

Sometimes VMware GSX Server causes the host operating system to lose keyboard events. This causes the host operating system to think that keys are being pressed when they are not.

If you notice strange keyboard behavior in the host operating system after leaving Click here to change product name, press and release each of the modifier keys individually, including Ctrl, Shift and Alt. This should release the keys that are stuck in the host operating system.

If this does not work, then try other special keys including the Windows key, Esc and Caps Lock.

Pressing Ctrl-Alt does not release the cursor.

It could be that the modifier keys are mapped under X (in Linux) in unexpected ways. For example, the left Ctrl key could be mapped to Caps Lock or an Alt key is generating special keystrokes. Run xmodmap -- km -- kp and submit a support request at www.vmware.com/ requestsupport that includes the output.

Situation	Explanation
Pressing Ctrl-Alt to release the mouse and keyboard causes a laptop to go into suspend mode.	VMware GSX Server uses Ctrl-Alt to release the mouse and keyboard. Some laptops use this same key combination to suspend the host machine. In these cases, try using Ctrl and Alt on the right- hand side of the keyboard. GSX Server recognizes both sets of Ctrl and Alt keys, while laptops usually only recognize left-hand keys for the suspend function.
After pressing Ctrl-Alt to release the mouse and keyboard, the keyboard does not function properly within the host operating system.	Sometimes VMware GSX Server causes the host operating system to lose keyboard events. This causes the host operating system to think that keys are being pressed when they are not. If you notice strange keyboard behavior in the host operating system after leaving Click here to change product name, press and release each of the modifier keys individually, including Ctrl, Shift and Alt. This should release the keys that are stuck in the host operating system. If this does not work, then try other special keys including the Windows key, Esc and Caps Lock.
Pressing Ctrl-Alt does not release the cursor.	It could be that the modifier keys are mapped under X (in Linux) in unexpected ways. For example, the left Ctrl key could be mapped to Caps Lock or an Alt key is generating special keystrokes. Run xmodmap -- km -- kp and submit a support request at www.vmware.com/ requestsupport that includes the output.