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Win 7 & USB recogniton in Virtual Box

shutter
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Win 7 & USB recogniton in Virtual Box

Just started to get Linux Mint 19.1 all ready for when I eventually go LINUX FULL TIME...

Got all (most) of my stuff that works transferred on to Linux from Win7 Pro. 

Now I am running Win7 pro, on a Virtual Box.  it is all installed, some updates have happened,  and I have installed my favourite DTP prog MSPUB98 from the CDROM via the dvd drive. 

So.. that all seems to be working just fine..  Much of my other "stuff" is on USB sticks, and I want to be able to transfer some of that, direct, from the usb stick, to the Win7 Pro VB ... However, although the contents of the USB stick/folders show up on Linux, I am unable to view the contents on the Win7 Pro VB ... checking with the settings, I have enabled USB2  and checking on the  (win 7 pro vb ) "Device Manager"... it shows

Universal Serial Bus Contollers

     Standard OpenHCD USB Host Controller

      USB Root Hub

So it "looks like"  the USB slot should be recognised, but putting a USB stick in, does not show up on "Computer" whereas the DVD drive is there.

Using either the usb Root Hub, or the USB slots direct in the Laptop, neither shows the USB stick contents or accessiblilty.

 

I have enabled "drag and drop" bi-directional.. but again, I cannot get the content from the Linux usb  files to move across to the Win7 Pro VB .  Neither can I "copy & paste" from the Linux to the Win7 pro .

 

On the Windows Device manager listing. it shows

 

Other Devices

      Base System Device

With a yellow triangle and exclamation mark... ran the "update driver" ... but no driver downloaded or installed.

 

Ports ( COM & LPT)

     Communications Port (COM1)

     Communications Port (COM2)

     Communicatons Port (COM3)

     Communications Port ( COM4)

 

All of those have the yellow triangle, with the exclamation mark in..  Checked them outand run "update driver"  only to be told that "Windows has determined that the best driver for this device is already installed" .  ( I have not tried using the COMports yet... but will probably need them at a later date. )..

 

So... any help, or advice, on what to do, to get the USB stick recognised when plugged in on the Win 7 Pro VB ..

 

29 REPLIES 29
dvorak
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Re: Win 7 & USB recogniton in Virtual Box

You normally have to share the specific device in the vm settings
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shutter
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Re: Win 7 & USB recogniton in Virtual Box

@dvorak  Half an answer is better than none, I suppose....

 

So... go on then.... how do i "share" the device then ?

(please) Wink

dvorak
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Re: Win 7 & USB recogniton in Virtual Box

I’m not in front of a machine with VBox in at the moment which is why you only got half an answer Wink

I can check in the morning though
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shutter
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Re: Win 7 & USB recogniton in Virtual Box

@dvorak  OK... thanks.... will be waiting ! ..

 

dvorak
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Re: Win 7 & USB recogniton in Virtual Box

Right then @shutter In VB highlight your machine and click settings, then click USB down the left hand side.

Make sure it's enabled and then click the add button and you should get a list of devices

 

OOGzwJI

 

Add the one you want and that should be it.

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shutter
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Re: Win 7 & USB recogniton in Virtual Box

@dvorak  Thanks for the reply...

However... It don`t seem to be working for me. ! ..

will send you a series of pics in PM

MisterW
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Re: Win 7 & USB recogniton in Virtual Box

@shutter  you're running VirtualBox on Linux Mint as the Host OS , yes ?

It's a long time since I use VB on Linux , but I seem to recall that the Version in the Linux repositories was quite old and the recommendation was usually to install direct from the Oracle VB site. I know this goes against normal advised practice for Linux.

I seem to recall that the Guest Extension Additions need installing to provide USB support to the Guest OS , not sure if that's only for a Linux guest OS though.

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PeeGee
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Re: Win 7 & USB recogniton in Virtual Box

Is the Virtualbox installed from the Mint repo or from VB website repo? With some distros, the USB support is limited to non-existent. I always use the version from the Oracle repo which gives full functionality.

Phil

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shutter
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Re: Win 7 & USB recogniton in Virtual Box

@MisterW  & @PeeGee   Thanks for the input..... I am still a "newbie", with Linux... so most things are a struggle to figure out...

I understand what you are saying... but ...

here is a screenshot of the "installs" which I did from the Software manager, or from the package manager... can`t remember which... but it`s there...

virtual box installs.png

 

From what I have read, on google searches... all seems to be well,... however... I did not download and install from the Oracle site... so maybe I should now "uninstall" the above... and start again?

 

 

 

RobPN
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Re: Win 7 & USB recogniton in Virtual Box


@shutter wrote:

... I am still a "newbie", with Linux... so most things are a struggle to figure out...

I understand what you are saying... but ...

... so maybe I should now "uninstall" the above... and start again?


Full marks for facing the challenge @shutter but rather you than me!  Thumbs_Up

Not wishing to dump everything I've learned about Windows over almost 25 years (blimey, that long!), and much as I don't want to do it, I think I'll be reluctantly biting the bullet and moving from Win7 to Win10.  Sad

Brian can't be bothered with all the upheaval of changing to a different OS!

shutter
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Re: Win 7 & USB recogniton in Virtual Box

@RobPN   Yeah.. I know what you mean... Win 10 has removed some of the features that I use, on Win7,..  so it (win10) is a downgrade as far as I am concerned... all the  so-called improvements and new apps shipped with W10 are of no interest to me... I hardly ever send a text message on my phone... only used Google maps twice since I bought it... ( 7 years ago ).. and rarely make a phone call or receive any...but... hey.. I`m a modern kinda guy ! ! ..  same with W7 and W10.

W7 will not be "supported" after Jan 14 next year... so I will be running Linux Mint 19.1 for my "on line" activities,... e.g. surfing and banking and ebay... but will be running Win 7 in Virtual Box, once I have ironed out the snags that always seem to be present when I have tried something new.  One day...... I, too, will be an expert geek... and be able to pass on my "expertise" to the younger generation   hah harggh !..

Linux Mint is not so bad... maybe I have "grown into it"... as I have been a dabbler with Mint since version 8 about 10 years ago, ... !  one thing I can say about it, is... it does boot up quicker than W7... and is "ready to use" from the desktop, in about half the time that Windows is...

Having W7 running in Virtual Box, will be like having it available as a "desktop icon"... so not having to re-boot, to access the Virtual Box W7 will be good... It does mean that I have to install all the progs that don`t run on Linux through "WINE"... but once that is done.. it will be an easier way to work with than running a straight forward "dual boot"...

Using Virtual Box, means that Windows has to "start" as normal, but once started, it can be left alone, and be available, as and when, just by clicking the Virtual Box icon... so maybe you could consider doing that, instead of going down the downgrade route to W10 .

 

RobPN
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Re: Win 7 & USB recogniton in Virtual Box


@shutter wrote:

 

Linux Mint is not so bad... maybe I have "grown into it"... as I have been a dabbler with Mint since version 8 about 10 years ago, ... !  one thing I can say about it, is... it does boot up quicker than W7... and is "ready to use" from the desktop, in about half the time that Windows is...


@shutter 

Windows boot up time doesn't bother me too much as my main PC is left running 24/7.  I just checked and it's been up 79 days, but that's a bit longer than usual and it could probably do with a re-boot if only to install Windows updates.

 

 


Using Virtual Box, means that Windows has to "start" as normal, but once started, it can be left alone, and be available, as and when, just by clicking the Virtual Box icon... so maybe you could consider doing that, instead of going down the downgrade route to W10 .


In my case that would be difficult because one of the main reasons my PC is left running 24/7 is because it has a quad tuner TV card installed and is running the excellent (IMO) free program MediaPortal as a TV server (and client).  It's been a while since I looked into it, but ISTR the TV card is not available to virtual machines, at least not under Windows as the host OS, as that is where the drivers for the card are installed.  MediaPortal (which I want to keep using) isn't a playmate of Linux.

 

And as I said, Brian is lazy.  Wink

 

Edit: typo

 


 

MisterW
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Re: Win 7 & USB recogniton in Virtual Box

@shutter I believe Linux Mint 19 is based on Ubuntu 18.04, if that is correct then you SHOULD be ok using VB from the repos. I've just checked the 18.04 repos and they have VB Vn 5.2.18 which is not that old.

A couple of questions:-

You seem to have the Extension pack installed in Mint BUT have you installed it in VB ?

Also m have you added your username to the vboxusers group ?

See this thread for mor info https://www.linuxbabe.com/virtualbox/access-usb-from-virtualbox-guest-os

 

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shutter
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Re: Win 7 & USB recogniton in Virtual Box

@MisterW   Here are some pics... 

Step 1: Install Virtualbox Extension Pack

P1090122 ext pack installed.jpg

 

 

Step 2: Add Your User to vboxusers Group

 

P1090120 add to user group.jpg

 

Step 3: Enable USB Controller and Add New USB filter

 

Access USB devices in virtualbox

 

 

 

 

Select USB on the left pane. Then choose USB 2.0 controller or USB 3.0 controller. Note that you can only enable one type of controller. Next, insert your USB device to your host machine and click the add button to add new USB filter.

 

 

P1090124 no usb device.jpg

 

 

NOTE..... IT SAYS  "NO DEVICE AVAILABLE"   .....

 

 

And so I come to a brick wall........ again.... ! ! ...

 

I tried the usb stick in a USB 2 slot... and then changed the selection above to USB 3 and put it in that slot, and it still does not show in the VB window... although the contents do show up in Mint ... on both locations.