id summary reporter owner description type status component version resolution keywords cc guest host 5679 Starting VirtualBox breaks USB device on host John "Windows XP SP3 host with VirtualBox 3.1.0. XP, FreeBSD, and Linux guests (but guest doesn't matter -- see below). I've got an ActivKey USB security token ([http://www.actividentity.com/products/authenticationdevices/USBTokens/]) attached to the host (it appears as a Smart Card to Windows). Simply starting the VirtualBox management application breaks the ActiveKey. No guest VM's need to be started. Software acts as if the ActivKey wasn't plugged in. Removing and reinserting the key makes it work again. I don't need the guest OS's to access any of my USB devices. I tried disabling USB within the guests, but that didn't help. Then I discovered that I don't even need to start a guest to cause the problem. " defect closed USB VirtualBox 3.1.0 fixed other Windows