Using usb Pen drive on guest OS only

[mugnaio]

Hi, my host OS, unlike the guest, has not an antivirus, I want to use the guest OS to "check" the USB pen drives so I need, like in vmware, that when I plug an USB pen drive it is detected only by the guest OS. Is that possible with virtual box and how?
Thank you.

[mpack]

That would not be reliable - even ignoring the fact that it could only even start to work when you have the appropriate VM running. Personally I would just turn off autoplay on the host for all drives. That way no program runs without you knowing about it, and since the only programs you knowingly run are trusted programs from trusted sources, you will have no virus problem.

[mugnaio]

it could only even start to work when you have the appropriate VM running.

Of course I would insert a usb drive only with a VM started. Simply turining off the autoplay on the host is not the best solution for me, but if is the only one, I will do. Better would be a way to turn off the "automount", i mean install drivers when the usb is plugged but not mount the device on a drive, but i don't think this is possible with windows.

[Perryg]

Better would be a way to turn off the "automount", i mean install drivers when the usb is plugged but not mount the device on a drive, but i don't think this is possible with windows.

Tell me, what happens when you plug the device in when no virtual machine is running? The host loads it right?
That's what mpack was trying to tell you. Turning off autorun on the Windows host is the only safe way to use it. In fact Windows went through a series of security updates this year to try to fix their issue with viruses and their autorun. Still not sure that they have it totally fixed.

You can do the same thing in VirtualBox as you do in VMware. You simply need to create a blank filter in the USB section of the guest.

[mugnaio]

I know what autorun is (like the name says it RUNs a MOUNTED disk) and i have disabled it, when i say i would like to disable the MOUNT on a windows i mean a diffrent thing (not assing a drive letter on a usb device), but this is not important now.

You can do the same thing in VirtualBox as you do in VMware. You simply need to create a blank filter in the USB section of the guest.

can you explain me this? In VMware i can redirect the USB on the guest machine, so when i plug a USB device (on the host of course) the host doesn't load it, but the guest does and this is I would like to do on virtualbox. Sounds like vmware shares the "USB interface" so the guest install itself the drivers but virtual box share a USB device already installed on the host. could be?
Sorry my english is very bad I'm not sure if it is clear what I want to say.

[Perryg]

Yes and I told you how to do it.

Create a blank filter in the guests USB settings. Then when the guest is running and you plug in a USB device the guest will capture it.
The host will not see it as you can not assign a USB device to the host and the guest at the same time, except the mouse and keyboard which are shared resources.

[mugnaio]

ok this works, thank you very much, solved.