USB on Windows XP shows up as CD Drive

Discussions related to using VirtualBox on Linux hosts.
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hyoumoku
Posts: 2
Joined: 19. Apr 2011, 10:41
Primary OS: Linux other
VBox Version: OSE Debian
Guest OSses: Windows XP

USB on Windows XP shows up as CD Drive

Post by hyoumoku »

I have mounted a USB (specifically a USB internet stick, Huawei) and everytime I 'mount' it, it shows as a CD Drive rather than a Removable Drive in VirtualBox'd Windows XP.

Image

Would it be possible that it shows as a Removable drive instead of a CD Drive?

Any help is much appreciated. Thank you.

Edit: Using the latest VirtualBox 4.0.4 in Linux Mint 10 GNOME and already installed the extension pack
SecretCode
Posts: 67
Joined: 17. Jul 2009, 10:20
Primary OS: Ubuntu other
VBox Version: PUEL
Guest OSses: Ubuntu, XP, other
Location: Finland

Re: USB on Windows XP shows up as CD Drive

Post by SecretCode »

I think this is nothing to do with vbox, but to do with the Huawei 3G device. These devices have a ROM component holding the drivers, that appears as a CDROM even in a physical (non-virtualised) Windows system. (If I recall correctly, it doesn't mount on a Linux system.)

How does this device appear on the host?

I see your USB device F does show as a removable drive.
hank_se
Posts: 101
Joined: 16. Apr 2009, 11:36
Primary OS: openSUSE
VBox Version: PUEL
Guest OSses: windows xp

Re: USB on Windows XP shows up as CD Drive

Post by hank_se »

I suppose it appears as a CD-rom on the host too as it's passed to VBox as that. The trick is to make it switch to modem state in the host, check if it's listed in the file /lib/udev/rules.d/40-usb-modeswitch.rules. If not you can check here for an updated file: http://www.draisberghof.de/usb_modeswitch/
To make it switch you need to trigger an udev event, like sending an eject command to it.
hyoumoku
Posts: 2
Joined: 19. Apr 2011, 10:41
Primary OS: Linux other
VBox Version: OSE Debian
Guest OSses: Windows XP

Re: USB on Windows XP shows up as CD Drive

Post by hyoumoku »

I apologize for the late reply *bows deeply*

Anyway, in the Windows partition of my laptop, whenever I run the Mobile Partner program (the manager for the 3G device which is part of the device to make it run), it detects the 3G device and I can send SMS among others. As I plan to delete the Windows partition after the laptop's warranty is over, I intend to just use Linux Mint next to all the time. Though Wammu doesn't seem to work for me to receive SMS messages using Huawei 3G device on Linux host (so that I can check my balance of the 3G device), I just thought that I use VirtualBox WinXP (w/c I mostly use for video/audio encoding) to be able to do that but whenever I run Mobile Partner, it doesn't detect the USB 3G Device. The USB device F that shows as a removable drive actually is the microSD card that is also in the 3G device. It's odd that it shows up in Virtualbox when there really is no microSD card inside. Whenever I install the program, Mobile Partner in the VirtualBox'd Windows XP, and run the program, it doesn't detect the device at all. But as I posted in the thread starting post, it is detected as a CD device and the empty microSD slot was detected as a removable device.
SecretCode wrote:How does this device appear on the host?
Would it be alright to ask how to check? I did some quick google search and found the command 'lsusb' and this was what showed in the terminal:

Code: Select all

Bus 002 Device 004: ID 12d1:1003 Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd. E220 HSDPA Modem / E270 HSDPA/HSUPA Modem
Bus 002 Device 003: ID 15d9:0a33 Trust International B.V. Optical Mouse
Bus 002 Device 002: ID 8087:0020 Intel Corp. Integrated Rate Matching Hub
Bus 002 Device 001: ID 1d6b:0002 Linux Foundation 2.0 root hub
Bus 001 Device 003: ID 0402:9665 ALi Corp. 
Bus 001 Device 002: ID 8087:0020 Intel Corp. Integrated Rate Matching Hub
Bus 001 Device 001: ID 1d6b:0002 Linux Foundation 2.0 root hub
I believe it's the Huawei HSDPA Modem that is the USB 3G device. Mobile internet using it works. Though again, it's hard not to be able to get information if there is balance if I still have internet - I just can't download nor browse the net anymore when there is zero balance. That's why I just go to my to-be-deleted-when-warranty-is-over Windows 7 partition just to check if there is balance, etc (using Mobile Partner which is installed from the 3G device).
hank_se wrote:I suppose it appears as a CD-rom on the host too as it's passed to VBox as that. The trick is to make it switch to modem state in the host, check if it's listed in the file /lib/udev/rules.d/40-usb-modeswitch.rules. If not you can check here for an updated file: http://www.draisberghof.de/usb_modeswitch/
To make it switch you need to trigger an udev event, like sending an eject command to it.
I checked the 40-usb-modeswitch.rules and the USB device is listed and works natively (it's relatively old model - Huawei E160). I can use it connecting to a local internet provider natively in the host Linux OS. Would it be alright to ask how to 'make it switch, you need to trigger an udev event, like sending an eject command to it'? ^^;;

Thank you for your replies and advance thank you again for trying to fix my problem. Hopefully I can make the the USB device work on Virtualbox just to check my balance on the device. *bows deeply*
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