USB device not recognised correctly in VB 4.1.0 => Fixed in SVN

[Kurt Schumacher]

An USB device e. g. (old) Canon scanner, which doesn't have a driver software installed on the Windows host, will not be recognised by Virtualbox 4.1.0, hence won't be listed in the USB selection menue and can't be used in e. g. a Windows XP virtual machine. This was possible on VB 4.0.8, 4.0.10 and 4.0.12. Any other USB equipment (e. g. USB memory stick) with correctly installed driver on the host will work without any problems in any virtual machine. This wasn't the case up to VB 4.1.0.

Workaround

1. Define manually the USB filter for the not recognised device in the VM configuration
   
2. Start VM
   
3. Un-plug and re-plug USB device (Scanner)
   
4. USB device (Scanner) will be assigned correct to VM and can be used.
   

However, if the specific USB device will then be manually unassigned in the USB menue of the VM, it won't be possible to re-assign it again without re-booting the host computer first. The reason is a false release handling of VB at the un-assign process (see attached error message). While the USB device will show up again in the device manager of the host, it probably will stay in a limbo mode in the VM. It is not possible to get the un-assign sound from the VM. This release and re-assign process does also not work in previous VB versions 4.0.x, however it will work in VB 4.1.0 with USB memory sticks only.

Configuration
Host: Windows 7 SP1 64 bit all patches
Guests: Windows XP SP3 32 bit all patches with and without Oracle_VM_VirtualBox_Extension_Pack-4.1.0-73009.vbox-extpack

[misha]

We've found and fixed the issue that might caused the behavior you observed.

[Kurt Schumacher]

Thanks a lot for your fast reply.

Since you provided a second version to test within 2,5 hours, I didn't test your first version "VirtualBox-2011-07-27-17-29-16-win-rel-4.1.1-r73169-MultiArch.exe", which you removed from your 18:33:23 comment. The installation of your second version "VirtualBox-2011-07-27-19-23-47-win-rel-4.1.1-r73174-MultiArch.exe" was successful. However, as soon as I started Virtualbox, Windows complained that this application can not start and following error message popped up (also see attached screen shot):

Das COM-Objekt für VirtualBox konnte nicht erzeugt werden.
Die Anwendung wird nun beendet.

Callee RC:CO_E_SERVER_EXEC_FAILURE (0x80080005)

Consequently, I reverted back to the official Version 4.1.0.

[misha]

Replying to kurts: Sorry for inconvenience, we've found another issue that might cause a crash you observed. I'll attach a new build here soon.

[misha]

Here is a new test build that should *hopefully* solve the problem you were seeing with the previous test build along with the original issue you reported here. Thanks a lot for testing.
​http://www.virtualbox.org/download/testcase/VirtualBox-2011-07-28-12-09-08-win-rel-4.1.1-r73186-MultiArch.exe

[Kurt Schumacher]

Misha,

Thank you very much for your latest version 4.1.1. I am very impressed, all my USB problems seem to be solved. You even fixed the multiple mapping/release of the USB scanner, which never worked before in any Virtualbox version. Hopefully this functionality won't be broken again in future releases.

Following successful tests with multiple mappings and releases of USB devices to virtual machines have been performed:

a) Guest "Windows XP Professional SP3 32 bit" with USB scanner and USB memory stick including several re-start and pause of the virtual machine

b) Guest "Windows 7 Ultimate SP1 64 bit" with USB memory stick

c) Guest "Ubuntu 11.04 64 bit" with USB memory stick

Host in all test scenarios has been Windows 7 Ultimate SP1 64 bit.

[misha]

Replying to kurts: Thanks for the positive feedback! I'll mark it as "Fixed in SVN" then. Let me know if you have any additional issues with that.

[Frank Mehnert]

VBox 4.1.2 contains the fix.

[dws]

Issues continues to occur in version 4.1.0 (host Win7-64bit(pro)SP1, Guest WinXP(32bit)SP3. Move a device to a new USB port will work for a while. After restart of system or host, that port will not work. Will also break when the filter for the USB device is clicked in the host's devices filter section.

[dws]

Replying to dws:CORRECTION: still broken in 4.1.2

Issues continues to occur in version 4.1.2 (host Win7-64bit(pro)SP1, Guest WinXP(32bit)SP3. Move a device to a new USB port will work for a while. After restart of system or host, that port will not work. Will also break when the filter for the USB device is clicked in the host's devices filter section.

[misha]

Replying to dws: Please provide more detail on your problem and a setp-by step description of reproducing it.

Move a device to a new USB port will work for a while. After restart of system or host

What do you mean by "system"? a VM (virtual machine) using that device?

..that port will not work.

What do you mean "will not work"? Will devices attached to that be visible by *host*? It it is a problem of attaching device to a VM, what are it's symptoms in detail, i.e. is that device visible in USB device list ov VM gui? What happens when you try to attach it? I assume (bassed on your description) that rebooting the *host* system does not make this issue gone.

Will also break when the filter for the USB device is clicked in the host's devices filter section.

By "clicked" you mean "activated", right? How would it break in that case?

Do you have some custom USB-related software installed on your *host*?

[ddn]

where i can download working USB VBox test build ? original URL ​http://www.virtualbox.org/download/testcase/VirtualBox-2011-07-28-12-09-08-win-rel-4.1.1-r73186-MultiArch.exe

point me to HTTP 404 / not found

[Frank Mehnert]

It does not make sense to test the 4.1.1 test build as !VBox 4.1.2 contains that fix as well. But ​this test build contains the latest fixes, feel free to test it.

[ddn]

okay thanks. will try it on 06.09.2011

[ddn]

frank: its fully working ! on two Windows 7 SP1 64bit systems, one Windows 7 SP1 32bit, and one Windows XP SP3 32bit OSes with diffirent hardware. (ranging from Pentium D to Core Quad CPUs).

In test build 4.1.3 USB is fully working again apart from official 4.1.2 release. :)

[Frank Mehnert]

dws, any chance to check the test build as well?

[Frank Mehnert]

No response, closing.