Found big solution to usb problem (including greyed out)

[Peebee]

It seems that the only thing you need to do to get usb devices working is to enter a very generic filter 1 that will detect any usb you connect to the guests. It is working where nothing else was working.

Other then that my windows 8 died last night and i had to reinstall the whole thing. While doing that I found a solution to usb...

[Peebee]

Maybe I wasn't as clear as I could have been in my post.

To get all usb devices working, try to click on the blue usb icon to automatically create a "new filter 1". That will be blank and will accept any usb devices you throw at it. Leave everything else out, or delete whatever entries that could already exist.

It worked for me.

Only problem now is the actual speed of usb transfer (8mb) when transfering to usb ext hard drive

[mpack]

A blank filter will attach any USB device, including devices you don't want, such as the hosts keyboard or mouse. The ideal is to put the minimum identifying fields, just enough to distinguish it from anything else. And beware of devices which vary one of these ID fields depending on the mode they're in. Manufacturer is usually a good ID field, I find.

[Peebee]

True. But I find that it's a small price to pay (install host mouse and keyboard) for a great payout (have access to all usb devices that you connect to the guest without any operations from you).

[mpack]

I don't doubt that it works for you, the problem is that your advice takes no account of users who have a different setup than yours, i.e. the increasing number which have USB keyboards or mice. They should be warned that following your advice could lock up their PCs.

[Peebee]

I agree, there are potentially real drawbacks to my method in the way that you describe.

Before stumbling on that method, I had tried what you suggest and that didn't work for me.

So bottom line, you have to try out the methods and find which one works for you.

[Doley]

I am a new user to VB, I am trying to put an ISO file onto a USB thumb drive. The problem I am haveing is I can not get VB to reconize it. I have try applying a filter to it and have tried other settings as well
nothing seems to work.

[JimBushWhack]

Have you: 1). Installed the Extension pack that is compatible with the release of VirtualBox version that you have installed (separate download)? This is necessary for VBox to see USB drives. 2). Released the USB drive from MacOS? You have to do this before the guest OS can pick it up. If you Click on the USB virtual HW icon on the lower right corner of the VBox window, you should see your USB drive listed. If it has not been released from MacOS, it will be greyed out. Once its released, click on it and a checkmark should appear to the left of it and now the guest OS should see the USB drive. 3). Installed the Guest Additions package?