Microsoft LifeCam (USB Webcam) Not Working (using Extension Pack) in Windows Guest (#17799)

[ppan]

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[ModEdit; related ticket: #17799: USB Webcams are Not Working in Windows Guest (w. Extension Pack & Guest Additions)]

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I am trying to get my webcam, Microsoft LifeCam (USB), to work in a Windows 7 (64 bit) Guest on Windows 7 (64 bit) Host.
The virtual machine Guest is created from an image of the Host.

The camera works fine in the Host using two different applications:
1. Microsoft LifeCam software
2. Portable Webcam (http://sourceforge.net/p/portablewebcam)

I am currently using VirtualBox 5.2.8 w. Guest Additions and Extension Pack. I select the WebCam under devices (and not in USB devices). The camera is recognized in Device manager. However, the Camera is not working;
1. Microsoft LifeCam software: "No Camera found"
2. Portable Webcam: Camera light turns on then off. I just get a white screen

I can use the camera in the Host, using either application, even when virtual box is running with the camera attached to the Guest (Should that work? I had expected the Guest to take ownership of the camera).

Please help, i have spent several weeks on this using different guests and versions of Virtualbox.
Thank you in advance!

p.s. Has ANYONE been able to use Microsoft LifeCam with Virtualbox?

UPDATE: I now also tested with Logitech C270 and I have the same problem

[socratis]

I don't have a LifeCam, but I happen to have a C270 and it seems to work fine (on an OSX host), but I expect my PC to be out of the Intensive Care Unit tomorrow, or the day after, so I'm going to try it there as well...

In the meantime, can you read the article "USB basics and troubleshooting"? Not because you're going to connect the camera via USB, but for some troubleshooting tools? See what they have to say when run from the host and the guest.

• Device manager
• USBDeview
• USBView
• UsbTreeView
• Output of the command (from the host only):

  • VBoxManage list usbhost

The virtual machine Guest is created from an image of the Host.

Can you explain that part?

[ppan]

Here are the results:
1. Device manager with the Camera connected in the Guest:
Host: Logitech HD Webcam C270 (under Imaging Devices)
Guest: Logitech HD Webcam C270 (under Imaging Devices)
(If the camera is not connected in the Guest, it does not show up in the Guest Device manager)
As I mentioned before, I am surprised that the camera works/shows up in the Host Device manager when it is connected to the Guest...?

2. NirSoft usbdeview;
Virtualbox not running (Host only)

Code: Select all

0000.001d.0007.005.000.000.000.000.000	HD Webcam C270	Audio	No	Yes	No	No			6/3/2018 1:58:20 PM	6/3/2018 2:00:41 PM	046d	0825	0.12	01	02	00		OPTIPLEX				usbaudio	USB Audio Driver (WDM)	usbaudio.sys	MEDIA	Logitech				HD Webcam C270	13.31.1044.0	PID0825.VISTAX64	oem39.inf	USB\VID_046D&PID_0825&MI_02\6&29b9e756&0&0002	SilentInstall, SurpriseRemovalOK	
0000.001d.0007.005.000.000.000.000.000	Logitech HD Webcam C270	Video	No	Yes	No	No			6/3/2018 1:58:20 PM	6/3/2018 2:01:03 PM	046d	0825	0.12	0e	03	00		OPTIPLEX				LVUVC64	Logitech HD Webcam C270(UVC)	lvuvc64.sys	Image	Logitech	@oem40.inf,%PID_0825_DD%;Logitech HD Webcam C270			Logitech HD Webcam C270	13.31.1044.0	PID_0825.XPAMD64	oem40.inf	USB\VID_046D&PID_0825&MI_00\6&29b9e756&0&0000	Removable, SilentInstall, SurpriseRemovalOK	

It is strange that it shows that the Camera as not connected ("No"). It works fine in the host though.


3. NirSoft usbdeview; Virtualbox running with Camera connected in Guest
3A. In Host:

Code: Select all

0000.001d.0007.005.000.000.000.000.000	Logitech HD Webcam C270	Video	No	Yes	No	No			6/3/2018 1:58:20 PM	6/3/2018 2:01:03 PM	046d	0825	0.12	0e	03	00		OPTIPLEX				LVUVC64	Logitech HD Webcam C270(UVC)	lvuvc64.sys	Image	Logitech	@oem40.inf,%PID_0825_DD%;Logitech HD Webcam C270			Logitech HD Webcam C270	13.31.1044.0	PID_0825.XPAMD64	oem40.inf	USB\VID_046D&PID_0825&MI_00\6&29b9e756&0&0000	Removable, SilentInstall, SurpriseRemovalOK	
0000.001d.0007.005.000.000.000.000.000	HD Webcam C270	Audio	No	Yes	No	No			6/3/2018 1:58:20 PM	6/3/2018 2:00:41 PM	046d	0825	0.12	01	02	00		OPTIPLEX				usbaudio	USB Audio Driver (WDM)	usbaudio.sys	MEDIA	Logitech				HD Webcam C270	13.31.1044.0	PID0825.VISTAX64	oem39.inf	USB\VID_046D&PID_0825&MI_02\6&29b9e756&0&0002	SilentInstall, SurpriseRemovalOK	

3B. In Guest:

Code: Select all

VirtualBox Webcam - Logitech HD Webcam C270	USB Composite Device	Unknown	Yes	Yes	No	No		22fe1179d8f3d7ed	6/3/2018 2:15:33 PM	6/3/2018 6:22:15 PM	80ee	0030	1.00	00	00	00		UD4			6&7d0ee8d&0	usbccgp	Microsoft USB Generic Parent Driver	usbccgp.sys	USB	(Standard USB Host Controller)		500 mA	2.00	USB Composite Device	6.1.7600.16385	Composite.Dev	usb.inf	USB\VID_80EE&PID_0030\22fe1179d8f3d7ed	Removable, UniqueID, SurpriseRemovalOK	

4. VBoxManage list usbhost
Camera Disconnected in Guest:

Code: Select all

UUID:               52706da4-4e0f-4dde-8282-203d933c867c
VendorId:           0x046d (046D)
ProductId:          0x0825 (0825)
Revision:           0.18 (0018)
Port:               5
USB version/speed:  2/High
Manufacturer:       Logitech, Inc.
Product:            Webcam C270
SerialNumber:       98E3B880
Address:            {36fc9e60-c465-11cf-8056-444553540000}\0046
Current State:      Busy

Camera Connected in Guest:

Code: Select all

Connected: 
UUID:               52706da4-4e0f-4dde-8282-203d933c867c
VendorId:           0x046d (046D)
ProductId:          0x0825 (0825)
Revision:           0.18 (0018)
Port:               5
USB version/speed:  2/High
Manufacturer:       Logitech, Inc.
Product:            Webcam C270
SerialNumber:       98E3B880
Address:            {36fc9e60-c465-11cf-8056-444553540000}\0046
Current State:      Busy

Hmmm, current state busy!?

The virtual machine Guest is created from an image of the Host.

I created a backup image of a Windows 7 PC using Shadowprotect and then converted the image to VHD or VDMK. I used these images as hard drives in my VirtualBox to create the VMs (I tried with PCs and several images - one of them being an image of the host)

[socratis]

I (finally) got my PC up and running (almost). I tried to recreate your setup, and, it worked. Here are some key information.

Setup
Host: Win7-x64, Guest: Win7-x64, VirtualBox: 5.2.12 (with matching ExtPack), Webcam: Logitech C270.

VBoxManage list usbhost

UUID:               322e30a6-fc13-49c8-97e3-b4961d48c868
VendorId:           0x046d (046D)
ProductId:          0x0825 (0825)
Revision:           0.16 (0016)
Port:               3
USB version/speed:  2/High
Manufacturer:       Logitech, Inc.
Product:            Webcam C270
SerialNumber:       8B72A810
Address:            {36fc9e60-c465-11cf-8056-444553540000}\0002
Current State:      Busy

Other info

• Webcam connected to the guest via "Devices" » "Webcams" » "Logitech HD Webcam C270".
• In the guest all diagnostics show OK.
• In the "Device Manager" I have under "Imaging devices" » "VirtualBox Webcam - Logitech HD Webcam C270".
• From USBDeview, I got (key properties only listed):

  Device Name:    VirtualBox Webcam - Logitech HD Webcam C270
  Description:    USB Composite Device
  Device Type:    Unknown
  Connected:      Yes
  Serial number:  49115e028ebbcb49
  VendorID:       80ee
  ProductID       0030
  USB Version:    2.00
  Driver Descr.:  USB Composite Device

Tests in the guest

1. Portable Webcam: Blank, nothing. It shows the webcam in the title bar, but that's about it. The camera does not turn on.
2. Webcam Viewer: It just works. I linked you to their 2010, version 1.0, but their 2016, version 3.5 also works.
3. http://www.webcamtests.com: It just works.

I went one step further just for kicks, and I installed VirtualBox in the VM (yes, I know nested virtualization is not supported) just to see what "VBoxManage list usbhost" had to say:

UUID:               dfbcfcdb-c16f-45ab-be1f-3b2c26e52c52
VendorId:           0x80ee (80EE)
ProductId:          0x0030 (0030)
Revision:           1.0 (0100)
Port:               2
USB version/speed:  2/High
Manufacturer:       VirtualBox
Product:            VirtualBox Webcam - Logitech HD Webcam C270
SerialNumber:       49115e028ebbcb49
Address:            {36fc9e60-c465-11cf-8056-444553540000}\0004
Current State:      Busy

No. I did *not* try a nested webcam capture...

[Virtual123]

But the logitech c270 is working fine for me.

[socratis]

UPDATE: I now also tested with Logitech C270 and I have the same problem

But the logitech c270 is working fine for me.

And... who are you again "Virtual123"?

If "ppan"=="Virtual123", then either I'm losing it, or you are!
And I have proof I'm not losing it!!!

If "ppan"!="Virtual123", what's going on?

[ppan]

@socratis,

Thank you for testing this and trying to help!

I am not Virtual123, and I have no idea who that is.

1. Our VBoxManage results are similar, but why does it shows "Current State: Busy" when the camera is not in use? I saw that both when the camera is connected and disconnected to the guest. Did you run VBoxManage with the camera connected to the Guest? If so, what would it show if not connected (and not in use)?

2. Our usbdeview results are different. In my case it shows the camera as "disconnected" even when running it from the host (and not even running Virtualbox). However, the camera works fine in the host. I tried it on two different PCs and got the same results. Not sure how to interpret that?

3. If you connect the camera to the Guest, can you still use it in the host? I can still use it in the host which is not what I had expected!?

4. I had purchased the Logitech C270 only to test since my LifeCam didn't work with VirtualBox. When I had the same issue with the C270, I returned it. Thus, I tested again using LifeCam with the two links that you gave me:
a. Webcam Viewer (v 1.0; which works fine in the host). It finds the Camera (VirtualBox Webcam - Microsoft LifeCam Studio) in the Guest, but when I click on "connect" I get a message that the Camera is busy!
b. http://www.webcamtests.com: It also finds the Camera, but then it just sits and waits (spinning circle); no image is displayed.
Is there some way to find out what keeps the camera "busy" in the Guest?

[socratis]

1. "Busy" doesn't mean what you think it means. Busy in the USB code in VirtualBox has another meaning, i.e. used by someone even if used means captured/ready. In any case, it always shows as "Busy", captured or not-captured, live or not-live, used or not-used, doesn't make a difference.
2. Do you have any other camera-related software except the bare-bones driver? Sometimes the "advanced" options include software that's pretty much running at all times, in case you want to take a selfie at 03:45! They used to be called TSRs in the DOS days, nowadays they're called... trouble making extra weight.
3. I can use the camera both in the guest and the host. But obviously NOT at the same time! And just to repeat it one more time: the "connect" part is done via the menu "Devices" » "Webcams" » "Logitech HD Webcam C270". And there's no active USB filter!
4. If both of these basic programs fail to capture the camera, then see #2.