How to share the same USB device on more than on VM

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SoniaM
Posts: 1
Joined: 21. Jun 2011, 10:21
Primary OS: MS Windows other
VBox Version: VirtualBox+Oracle ExtPack
Guest OSses: windows 2008, windows XP

How to share the same USB device on more than on VM

Post by SoniaM »

Hello,
we have 3 VM with guest OS Windows 2008 on a real machine with Windows Server SP2.
We need to share the same USB device on 3 VM (or on 2 of them, at least), but seems it isn't possible.
When I launch the first VM, the USB key is mounted, but it can't be seen by the second one.
If I unmount the key on the first one and afterwards I launch the second VM, the second VM can mount the key.
However, If I unmount the key on the second VM to mount it again on the first one, I get this message on the first one:
Failed to attach the USB device "X" to the virtual machine "Y". Failed to create a proxy device for the USB device (Error: VERR_GENERIC_FAILURE).
I searched the forum and the tickets for that error, but I haven't found any solution for our configuration (more than one VM).
mpack
Site Moderator
Posts: 39134
Joined: 4. Sep 2008, 17:09
Primary OS: MS Windows 10
VBox Version: VirtualBox+Oracle ExtPack
Guest OSses: Mostly XP

Re: How to share the same USB device on more than on VM

Post by mpack »

USB ports are not designed to be controlled by more than one PC at a time.

Typically, in a situation like this, one PC has control of the device and provides a server interface for other PCs. That is beyond VirtualBox's scope: the necessary drivers would have to come from the USB device manufacturer if they are not native to the OS.
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