Can't mount USB drive

Discussions related to using VirtualBox on Windows hosts.
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BCosell
Posts: 73
Joined: 12. Jul 2017, 20:27

Can't mount USB drive

Post by BCosell »

I need to mount a USB drive in my guest system [win10 on a win10 host system; VB 6.1.18]. When I plug in the USB drive it dutifully shows up on my host system file explorer. I then go to my guest system. Go to Devices->USB and it has the USB drive I had just plugged in listed. When I check it, 1) the USB drive does *not* show up as a device in the guest system.. but 2) it has also disappeared from my host system. It's just _gone_. What am I doing wrong? Thanks
scottgus1
Site Moderator
Posts: 20965
Joined: 30. Dec 2009, 20:14
Primary OS: MS Windows 10
VBox Version: PUEL
Guest OSses: Windows, Linux

Re: Can't mount USB drive

Post by scottgus1 »

Go through USB basics and troubleshooting. If steps 1 through 7 cannot get your device working, please provide the troubleshooting command outputs in step 8, as text in

Code: Select all

 tags. Also zip and post the requested vbox.log, using the forum's Upload Attachment tab.

Alternative, share a folder on the USB drive, either through Virtualbox's Shared Folders for simple file copying only, or through the host OS over the VM's network, Bridged or Host-Only.
BCosell
Posts: 73
Joined: 12. Jul 2017, 20:27

Re: Can't mount USB drive

Post by BCosell »

Thanks for the help. one thing that's funny is that I didn't know about the "extensions" -- I've downloaded them and installed them. But in the VM it still only shows USB1.1 available.
--------------------------------------------------------
C:\Program Files\Oracle\VirtualBox>vboxmanage -version
6.1.18r142142

C:\Program Files\Oracle\VirtualBox>vboxmanage list extpacks
Extension Packs: 0

C:\Program Files\Oracle\VirtualBox>vboxmanage list usbhost
Host USB Devices:

UUID: 1d70fbf2-b04c-4453-ad3e-6cdae1d821c8
VendorId: 0x154b (154B)
ProductId: 0x0041 (0041)
Revision: 64.150 (64150)
Port: 10
USB version/speed: 2/High
Manufacturer: PNY
Product: USB 2.0 FD
SerialNumber: AAA9016400005095
Address: {36fc9e60-c465-11cf-8056-444553540000}\0021
Current State: Busy

UUID: 3fce4038-76b2-46a9-86b2-e8e02d3b2cc1
VendorId: 0x0cf3 (0CF3)
ProductId: 0xe009 (E009)
Revision: 0.1 (0001)
Port: 14
USB version/speed: 2/Full
Manufacturer: Qualcomm Atheros Communications
Address: {e0cbf06c-cd8b-4647-bb8a-263b43f0f974}\0000
Current State: Busy

UUID: 9429fb5d-60a5-47b7-9a4e-e45e968c18ac
VendorId: 0x0480 (0480)
ProductId: 0xa00e (A00E)
Revision: 0.0 (0000)
Port: 11
USB version/speed: 2/High
Manufacturer: TOSHIBA
Product: External USB 3.0
SerialNumber: 20131202000009C
Address: {36fc9e60-c465-11cf-8056-444553540000}\0004
Current State: Busy

UUID: 03c74292-cafa-44cd-8de3-2eec789638d9
VendorId: 0x046d (046D)
ProductId: 0xc52b (C52B)
Revision: 18.3 (1803)
Port: 8
USB version/speed: 2/Full
Manufacturer: Logitech
Product: USB Receiver
Address: {36fc9e60-c465-11cf-8056-444553540000}\0005
Current State: Busy

UUID: 0782c72a-d837-4a9e-a35e-d13fc6678071
VendorId: 0x03f0 (03F0)
ProductId: 0x932a (932A)
Revision: 1.0 (0100)
Port: 2
USB version/speed: 2/High
Manufacturer: HP
Product: HP LaserJet Pro MFP M26nw
SerialNumber: CNB6J8V686
Address: {36fc9e60-c465-11cf-8056-444553540000}\0002
Current State: Busy


C:\Program Files\Oracle\VirtualBox>vboxmanage list usbfilters
Global USB Device Filters:

<none>


C:\Program Files\Oracle\VirtualBox>vboxmanage showvminfo "win 10.vbox"
VBoxManage.exe: error: Could not find a registered machine named 'win 10.vbox'
VBoxManage.exe: error: Details: code VBOX_E_OBJECT_NOT_FOUND (0x80bb0001), component VirtualBoxWrap, interface IVirtualBox, callee IUnknown
VBoxManage.exe: error: Context: "FindMachine(Bstr(VMNameOrUuid).raw(), machine.asOutParam())" at line 2715 of file VBoxManageInfo.cpp

C:\Program Files\Oracle\VirtualBox>
-------------------------------------------------------------------

Two things seem odd: I dunno why it can't find "win 10.vbox":
E:\Virtualbox VMs>dir "Win 10"\"win 10.vbox"
Volume in drive E is Data
Volume Serial Number is 6A86-B643

Directory of E:\Virtualbox VMs\Win 10

04/07/2021 02:05 PM 8,104 Win 10.vbox
1 File(s) 8,104 bytes
0 Dir(s) 105,937,674,240 bytes free

And the VM manager sees that machine

Second: I've installed the 'extensions" *twice* - when I installed it the second time it said "it's already installed.. want to install it again" and I said "yes". but when I did the list extpacks it said "0".

Sorry to be so dumb, but I don't know what a "cold boot" is. My vm [the win 10 .vbox] . What I have is the vbox which I shut down with "send the shutdown signal" and I start it just by clicking on it. I just started it did the plug and unplug and shut it down
Attachments
Win 10-2021-04-07-14-34-57.zip
(31.57 KiB) Downloaded 7 times
VBoxSVC.log
(12.14 KiB) Downloaded 3 times
scottgus1
Site Moderator
Posts: 20965
Joined: 30. Dec 2009, 20:14
Primary OS: MS Windows 10
VBox Version: PUEL
Guest OSses: Windows, Linux

Re: Can't mount USB drive

Post by scottgus1 »

Thanks for taking a whack at the tutorial!
BCosell wrote:vboxmanage showvminfo "win 10.vbox"
VBoxManage.exe: error: Could not find a registered machine named 'win 10.vbox'
This is because the name of the VM is probably "Win 10" with a capital W.

Try "vboxmanage showvminfo "Win 10"

And we have to find out what is the deal with the EP. Were all the VMs shut down when you tried the EP installation? Try a host reboot, then the EP install again before any VM's are running. Also, right-click Virtualbox and Run As Administrator for the EP install, then close and reboot again.
BCosell wrote:I don't know what a "cold boot" is.
Stick your foot in the freezer for a couple hours. :lol:

But seriously, a 'cold boot' is from "power off", where the VM was shut down properly or powered off last time it was run, and you're starting the VM from a full powered-off state, not a saved state.
BCosell
Posts: 73
Joined: 12. Jul 2017, 20:27

Re: Can't mount USB drive

Post by BCosell »

Right you were about the showvminfo. I've attached that now. My normal mode [as now] is to have the VM "powered down"and then start it from scratch, so I guess I always do a cold boot. I'll try a reboot of my host system, then install the extpack again

When I did it the first two times, I just fired up an admin command prompts and executed the pack. This time I did it via the VM manager, itself. and it sorta worked..

when I first [and second :)] times I installed it I just ran it from an admin command line. SO: I've unnstalled the extension pack, and then re-installed it via the VA manager. And now [yay] it shows not just usb 1.1, but also usb 2.0 and usb 3.0. I reinserted the USB drive and selected it. Still no luck.

Problem now is that the "enable USB stuff in devices>USB are all grayed out. So what I've got is 1.1, 2.0 and 3.0 there, but grayed, 1.1 is selected. USB enabled is selected [but grayed]
Attachments
showvminfo.txt
(4.58 KiB) Downloaded 7 times
BCosell
Posts: 73
Joined: 12. Jul 2017, 20:27

Re: Can't mount USB drive

Post by BCosell »

One little thing I realized could make it clearer what I was trying to say -- I saw what the USB>Settings looked like in the FAQs, and while my system now [at last! :)] shows 2.0 and 3.0 ins additoin to 1.1, i tried to descrsibe how it is all grayed out. I've attached a screen capture...
Attachments
usb settings.PNG
usb settings.PNG (3.89 KiB) Viewed 1266 times
scottgus1
Site Moderator
Posts: 20965
Joined: 30. Dec 2009, 20:14
Primary OS: MS Windows 10
VBox Version: PUEL
Guest OSses: Windows, Linux

Re: Can't mount USB drive

Post by scottgus1 »

It's probably all grayed out because the VM is running or save-stated (which is like Windows Hibernate). Changing those USB settings is the same as switching physical cards in a real PC, the computer needs to be fully shut down first.
BCosell
Posts: 73
Joined: 12. Jul 2017, 20:27

Re: Can't mount USB drive

Post by BCosell »

I never save state. I only run the VM for a few hours a day for specific tasks and when I'm done I do the "send the shutdown signal" [which I'd guessed/hoped
not only made the VM close cleanly but also the win10 it was running]. And then when I want to start the VM it goes through a full windows-boot. The three power down options are save state/send the shutdown signal/power down the machine. I know on my host system [also win10] that just powering down the machine generally causes trouble when I go to boot it again, so I have always assumed the same of the win10 VM
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