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Suddenly missing USB devices W10 Host / WinXP Guest after some update?

Posted: 2. Nov 2017, 14:48
by Harvester_CZ
Suddenly I am experiencing an issue with the VB in confing of W10 Host / WinXP Guest on multiple machines with this config. On one machine I have sort of solved this issue by installing the latest VB with the latest ext. pack, but now I have another machine with the lastest versions of both but still with this issue.

I guess there might be some relation to some Windows 10 update, but I don't know how to find it out.

Any suggestions or simmilar experiences?

Thanks.

Re: Suddenly missing USB devices W10 Host / WinXP Guest after some update?

Posted: 2. Nov 2017, 15:08
by socratis
Had you searched the forums, you would have found out that you need to re-install VirtualBox after a major Win10 update. Please upgrade to the latest and greatest VirtualBox...

Re: Suddenly missing USB devices W10 Host / WinXP Guest after some update?

Posted: 2. Nov 2017, 15:21
by Harvester_CZ
In my post I write that I have already installed the latest version.
socratis wrote:Had you searched the forums, you would have found out that you need to re-install VirtualBox after a major Win10 update. Please upgrade to the latest and greatest VirtualBox...

Re: Suddenly missing USB devices W10 Host / WinXP Guest after some update?

Posted: 2. Nov 2017, 15:43
by socratis
It wasn't actually clear from your post if you installed VirtualBox after the Win10 updates. In any event:
  1. Uninstall VirtualBox. Your VMs are going to be untouched. Reboot.
  2. You may want to clean up your registry and/or filesystem at this point. CCleaner is a freeware utility that could help you. Mind the installation, it comes with "offers" from 3rd parties, known as "bundleware". Also, check out Device Cleanup program that helps you to remove any unused devices from your computer.
  3. Download (if you haven't already) the latest VirtualBox and its matching ExtPack. Store them in a common location, i.e. not on "Desktop", or "Documents", but to "Public/Downloads" for example.
  4. Locate the downloaded file in Windows Explorer. Right-click on the installer and select "Run-as-Administrator", even if you are the administrator. At the end of the installation, choose to "Start Oracle VM VirtualBox". Do not worry if your VMs do not show up.
  5. If you're going to install the ExtPack, go to File » Preferences » Extensions. Click on the icon with the orange, down-pointing arrow on the right. Select the ExtPack from the previous steps.
  6. Quit VirtualBox. Re-start VirtualBox as you would normally, i.e. from the Desktop shortcut or the Start menu.
  7. Update the Guest Additions (GAs) in your guest(s), if the GAs are available for a specific guest.

Re: Suddenly missing USB devices W10 Host / WinXP Guest after some update?

Posted: 30. Nov 2017, 19:57
by LarryDeeds
At one point, you say "Do not worry if your VMs do not show up". Does that mean that after the reboot, they DO appear? How does one make certain that existing VMs "reappear"? I'm having the same issue with the Devices Menu totally disappearing from the Menu Bar, and I'm not able to get my Server 2008 R2 VM to recognize a USB security dongle that was previously working.

Re: Suddenly missing USB devices W10 Host / WinXP Guest after some update?

Posted: 30. Nov 2017, 22:05
by Chris_AT
You can simple add them again via going to Machine => Add (somewhat like that, I don't have the VM Manager in front of me) and selecting the respective file.
I had been very nervous about this as well, but this did work really well...

Re: Suddenly missing USB devices W10 Host / WinXP Guest after some update?

Posted: 30. Nov 2017, 22:30
by socratis
When I said "Don't worry", I meant it. Don't worry, just follow the instructions and everything will be as it was before.

@LarryDeeds
When you say that the Devices Menu totally disappeared, that's a completely different problem, not the same problem. So, please open a new thread where you describe what's going on in full detail, not a "me too".