USB Root Hub Shows Yellow Exclamation Mark in Device Manager (#16338)

[Gary_Chen]

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ModEdit; related ticket: #16338: USB Root Hub Shows Yellow Exclamation Mark in Device Manager

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Environment:
　ASMedia USB 3.0 extended host controller with the vendor driver.
　Operating system is Windows.

Steps:
　1. Open VM VirtualBox.
　2. Open Device Manager and disable ASMedia USB Host Controller.
　3. Enable ASMedia USB Host Controller.
　4. USB Root Hub shows yellow exclamation mark.
　5. Device Manager displays the following message in the USB Root Hub Properties dialog box, on the General tab, in the Device Status text box:
　　Windows cannot load the device driver for this hardware because a previous instance of the device driver is still in memory. (Code 38)
　　The driver could not be loaded because a previous version of the driver is still in memory.

[socratis]

I'm not sure what you're trying to do. I'll need you to clearly identify the host (full version details), the guest (full version details), VirtualBox (full version details) and where the problem is. Is it in your host? Your guest? Both? What do you see and what were you expecting to see.

Unfortunately I don't have your computer in front of me, and I'm pretty sure we do not have the same setup, so you'll need to be a little bit more detailed.

[Gary_Chen]

The host (Windows 10 Pro), the guest (do not need to create virtual machine), VirtualBox(5.1.12).

It happens on any Windows computer which has ASMedia USB host controller. Just install ASMedia USB host controller driver and the virtualbox, open the virtualbox, then disable and enable the ASMedia USB host controller in device manager, the USB Root Hub will show yellow exclamation mark.

[socratis]

So, let me see if I get this right...

• You have a Win10 computer (build# ?) that has an ASMedia USB controller. (Model? Version? Built-in? External?)
• You installed the driver for that controller. (Version? Where from? It wasn't natively recognized?)
• You installed VirtualBox 5.1.12. I assume you enabled the USB support during installation.
• You went into your host's Device Manager and you disabled (not uninstalled) the ASMedia USB controller.
• You re-enabled the ASMedia USB controller.
• No rebooting or anything like that in between the previous steps, right?
• Your Device Manager in the host shows a yellow exclamation mark and it complains that it cannot reload the driver, because it's already in memory.

Did I describe the problem correctly?

[Gary_Chen]

Your description is correct. I'm sorry I did not describe it clearly.

You have a Win10 computer (build# ?) that has an ASMedia USB controller. (Model? Version? Built-in? External?)

My Win10 computer is 1.0.14393. (any model and version of the USB controller will happen this issue)

You installed the driver for that controller. (Version? Where from? It wasn't natively recognized?)

The vendor driver for that controller. (any version of it will happen this issue, but I cannot provide the download link for it because of the limits of this forum)

You installed VirtualBox 5.1.12. I assume you enabled the USB support during installation.

I kept all the default settings during installation, maybe enabled the USB support is default option.

You went into your host's Device Manager and you disabled (not uninstalled) the ASMedia USB controller.
You re-enabled the ASMedia USB controller.
No rebooting or anything like that in between the previous steps, right?

Yes. In fact, whether or not reboot the system, this issue will still happen.

[Gary_Chen]

The screenshot of this issue.

[scottgus1]

Question: Why do you need to disable & enable this USB controller while Virtualbox is running? Most folks don't footle about in the Device Manager unless their PC is already having a problem. They don't go in there looking to start problems...

The warning is "previous instance of the device driver still in memory". Sounds like the Disable didn't work completely. Device-driver-layman's guess: Maybe Virtualbox plugs into this device, is not programmed to realease if the device unexpectedly disappears (most computers don't like things that unexpectedly disappear, especially things plugged into long motherboard slots) and is not yet able to handle having the rug pulled out from under it?

Is there a real need to turn that device on & off?

[socratis]

Question: Why do you need to disable & enable this USB controller while Virtualbox is running?

I'll take it one step further and try to take out VirtualBox of the equation:

• Question: Why do you need to disable & enable this USB controller?
• Question2: What do you believe that VirtualBox is responsible for this?

[Gary_Chen]

I'll take it one step further and try to take out VirtualBox of the equation:

• Question: Why do you need to disable & enable this USB controller?

I have a thunderbolt dock which has an USB host controller on it.
Plugging/unplugging the thunderbolt cable is the same as enabling/disabling the dock's USB host controller.

• Question2: What do you believe that VirtualBox is responsible for this?

This issue only occurs when the VirtualBox is opened.
I suppose when the USB host controller was disabled in the device manager, the VirtualBox did not clear the Instance of the root hub, then the USB host controller was enabled, the previous instance of the root hub was still in memory, and the USB root hub shows yellow exclamation mark in the device manager.

[socratis]

Plugging/unplugging the thunderbolt cable is the same as enabling/disabling the dock's USB host controller.

No it is not. Having a driver enabled has absolutely nothing to do with plugging/unplugging a USB device. Absolutely nothing.

Just leave the driver enabled. What's going to happen? Nothing. If you want to disable/re-enable because (I don't honestly know why), you better reboot in between. You would do the same with all the other controllers in your system, like graphics, disk, network or any other hardware drivers in existence.

In summary: do not disable the USB controller.

[Gary_Chen]

Not plugging/unplugging a USB device, it's plugging/unplugging a thunderbolt dock. (e.g., HP ZBook Dock with Thunderbolt 3, Dell Thunderbolt Dock (TB16), etc.)

For the driver, plugging/unplugging the thunderbolt cable is similar to enabling/disabling the dock's USB host controller.

I tried to open Virtualbox and disable/re-enable the USB host controller which loaded the inbox driver, the root hub can be enabled without any warning message. I tried disable/re-enable the graphics, disk, and network device, they all can be enabled normally.

The USB host controller loaded vendor driver is the only device that has this issue.

[socratis]

This is the last time I'm going to repeat myself. Plugging/unplugging hardware is not the same as enabling/disabling software. You're free to do weird things to your system, I can't stop you. But dont't assume that weird things are going to behave normally.

As scottgus1 already said:

They don't go in there looking to start problems...

and as I said:

In summary: do not disable the USB controller.

[Gary_Chen]

Please calm down, let me put it another way.

When the Virtualbox is opened (even if it did not create any Virtual Machine), unplugging/re-plugging the HP ZBook Dock with Thunderbolt 3 will make the USB root hub to be yellow exclamation mark in device manager.

This is not a weird thing, is it?

[socratis]

Oh, I'm more than calm, I hope I didn't get perceived as anything but calm...

unplugging/re-plugging the HP ZBook Dock with Thunderbolt 3 will make the USB root hub to be yellow exclamation mark in device manager.

Wait a minute! That's a 180º turn from the original description of the problem:

2. Open Device Manager and disable ASMedia USB Host Controller.

So, which is it? Your descriptions of the situation are a bit conflicting. Please describe the hardware setup and the problem accurately, or I don't think we're going to get anywhere...

[Gary_Chen]

It's the same from the original description, please note that I said:

For the driver, plugging/unplugging the thunderbolt cable is similar to enabling/disabling the dock's USB host controller.

In order to let you reproduce this issue on your platform without a thunderbolt dock (the thunderbolt dock has an USB host controller), so I said you can try to enable/disable the USB host controller on a general platform.

I cannot teach you why they are similar FOR THE DRIVER here.

Could you ask someone in the technical department to discuss the issue?