virtualbox.org

I've managed to make the USB printer appear on the list of USB devices on the status bar outside the bottom of the window. Initially it was greyed out (like the external hard drives on the list), but I got it active, and it has a check mark beside it. All looks good but when I tell Windows to "Add Printer" it will not find it. I've installed the whole manufacturer (Kodak) software package to try to make it detect via that route but it still won't connect.

In the Virtualbox settings for Ports, "Enable USB Controller" is checked but greyed out, the "Enable USB 2.0 (EHCI) Controller" is unchecked and greyed out. Under that I added a Filter for the specific printer model.

Device Manager shows no printers but under USB controllers it now lists "USB Composite Device" with one of those lovely yellow warning triangles beside it. Trying to update drivers for that device won't work, it says "This device cannot start. (Code 10)".

Running out of things to try now. I've altered settings and restarted Windows more times than I care to count! Wow, a whole afternoon spent on Windows, getting nowhere. Just like the old days.

Any ideas on other settings to possibly switch/delete/install would be welcomed.

[The printer is Kodak Hero 5.1, Windows is Server 2008.]

Well I didn't exactly solve the problem, but got around it by setting up the printer over a wireless connection, bypassing all the USB problems.

A network share is indeed the recommended solution, since grabbing direct ownership of the device via USB (and thus robbing the host of the use of the device) is usually not what is required.

I guess I'm just old fashioned and always want to go for a wired connection between hardware if possible.

Although the printer is now connected, I've discovered that the quality is poor when printing from Windows. Plain black text is blurred and fuzzy. Printing from the Mac, it's pin sharp.

Sounds like you haven't got the printer driver installed properly in the guest. You need to do that if you want to access the printers full capabilities. I suggest you Google for advice on network printer sharing.

Yep, that works, I even have a network printer on a domain setup and shared by my host and used through the share by my guest. The guest is on the domain and there can't normally be allowed to print via the printers. The ost and guest are on two different LANs as well so it bridge the gap nicely.

Thanks, I've reinstalled printer software, drivers, updated Windows, gone into printer servers, something in all that must have helped as there is definite improvement.