Possible to install USB printer driver in guest ONLY?

[TBoyd]

I have been using VBox for a while now & have had extreme problems with USB printer drivers. I'll explain:

My guest is Win7 32bit Pro & host is Win7 64bit pro. I have 2 photo printers that do not have 64bit drivers available. This is the only reason I'm using a virtual disc - so I can print to these printers via USB. Lately I have had issues with these drivers, as they are not compatible with the host OS, but are with the guest OS.

My question is - Is it at all possible to install the 32 bit drivers to the guest OS ONLY? The host will attempt to install the incompatible drivers when they are connected & results in total aggravation.

I have gotten these to work at times & then the printers just disappear. They are often recognized in the USB settings & show as "captured" in the devices menu, but seldom work.

[BillG]

Yes. You do not need drivers for the printer to be installed in the host. You only need them in the guest OS. However you can only access the printer from the guest OS. This will not allow you to print from the host OS.

You need to be sure that the guest has control of the USB printer.

[TBoyd]

Thanks, Bill. I only need the printers for the guest OS. I still haven't figured out how to keep the printer drivers isolated from the host OS. Could you please be more specific as to how I should set them up? How do I make sure that only the guest has control of the USB printer & keep the host OS from trying to install it when connected?

When I access the settings > USB menu, I often see the printer ID, etc. when I "add filter from device", but, after I start the guest OS, the printer will sometime appear in the devices menu with no check mark, but the tooltip says it is captured. If I click on it, I often get this message box:

VboxUSBerror.jpg (101.92 KiB) Viewed 5530 times

BTW - My VBox is PUEL. I haven't found out how to correct that in my info.

My setup used to work with fairly good consistency, but it fails now. I'm very suspicious of a recent Win Update that had something to do with USB.

[BillG]

I don't use USB very often so I will pass on that one. Someone with more USB experience will probably pick it up.

[mpack]

If you want only the the guest to have access to any USB device then you install a filter for that device in the VM settings (and allow the corresponding filter driver to be installed on the host when the dialog pops up) then plug the device into the USB port after the VM is running. You can't leave the device plugged in when the VM isn't running because then the host will see it, and (plug and play being what it is) will prompt you for a driver.

[TBoyd]

Thank you for your replies. I have exhaused all attempts to get my problem resolved. My printers once worked using VMware Player, then I had serious problems after some Win7 Updates - particularly SP1. I decided to use Virtual Box & it worked a few times, then same problems.

I finally gave up on virtualization - It has cost me way too much time.

I now have an old laptop - running WinXP 32 bit - that is networked & I am printing through it.

I have never understood why 64 bit drivers were never developed for the majority of dye-sub printers (and inkjets as well). If the cost were reasonable, I'd probably be willing to pay a programmer to develop them!

I know very little about programming, so I have no idea about the degree of difficulty & time involved.

Thanks again.

[johnwiens]

I had a similar problem with my USB printer virtualisation. Seems like I've found how to solve it...

[johnwiens]

If anybody still needs to print and still has problems with drivers on the host...I think there is a program to fix this issue

[stevenew]

I'm using rdp and I've tried to virtualize my printer but unsuccessfully – it requires drivers on the server... (Server Win 2008 x64 Workstation Win 7 x64)

[johnwiens]

I'm using rdp and I've tried to virtualize my printer but unsuccessfully – it requires drivers on the server... (Server Win 2008 x64 Workstation Win 7 x64)

then you should try Printer for Remote Desktop (they have this trial period and I'm still on it), may be it will help you with this glitch...

[johnwiens]

you can just google it – it's everywhere, but here is a link just in case:
http://www.printer-for-remote-desktop.c ... nload.html

[stevenew]

Have you already tested it in your rdp?