virtualbox.org

Host: OSX Lion 10.7.4
Guests: Windows (XP, Vista and 7) and Linux (Ubuntu and Debian)

The process of attaching USB Drives is not consistent: Stick/Flash/Thumb drives versus External Hard drives

USB stick/flash/thumb drives: VBox works great. I can plug in to OSX, update files, start VBox, eject the drive from OSX and VBox picks up the drive under control of a filter for the Product, Vendor and Revision (no serial number specified), eject from the Guest OS and have OSX pick up the drive again.

USB hard drives: No matter what I have tried, this does not work. If I need to use an USB hard drive in a Virtual Machine, I use another virtualization product. I have gotten good at slinging the vms between products, if need be (tedious process, not recommended if squeamish, cross-your-fingers time).

Conformity of processing would be greatly appreciated

reference: viewtopic.php?f=8&t=49656

Without knowing OSX my guess would be that USB flash/thumbdrives are a different class than USB harddisks and that it is OSX that handles removable media different than (USB) harddrives.

ChipMcK wrote:reference: viewtopic.php?f=8&t=49656

Also, from the end user's perspective there is no diference - they both eject the same unless the hard drive has multiple partitons/volumes, then you prompted if all are to be ejected (I always answer yes). The same occurs multiple partitioned stick/thumb/flash drives

Reverences
viewtopic.php?f=8&t=51610
viewtopic.php?f=8&t=51644

For a stick/flash USB drive

1. Under Settings for a vm you have defined an USB filter for certain device
2. The vm is started
3. The USB device is plugged in or is released by OS X
4. The Guest acquires the device
5. The Guest uses the device
6. When the guest is finished using the device, the guest does a 'safely remove hardware' of the device
7. Under the OS X menu bar "Devices --> USB Devices", you unchecked the device.
8. The device is returned to OS X

The above steps 3 thru 8 can be repeated while the vm is active.

For an External USB hard drive

1. Under Settings for a vm you have defined an USB filter for certain device
2. The vm is started
3. If the device is plugged in, it must be unplugged and plugged again (with a suitable pause) before VBox will accept the device
4. The Guest acquires the device
5. The Guest uses the device
6. When the guest is finished using the device, the guest does a 'safely remove hardware' of the device
7. Under the OS X menu bar "Devices --> USB Devices", you unchecked the device.
8. The device is not returned to OS X; If Disk Utility started, the drive/device is not present. The Guest must be shut down
and VBox stopped in order for the device/drive to be returned to OS X.

this has been fixed v4.3.12 Ticket 11038