Virtual Box 5.x causes Epson Scanner to Fail?

[RB@hotmail.com]

I have a Windows 8.1 X64 desktop PC with an Epson Workforce 645 AIO attached via USB. All the Windows 8 and application software and the Epson software is up-to-date at the most recent levels and results in error-free scanning from any Windows 8 application.

I have been running Virtual Box 4.3.30 (and have used many earlier versions of Virtual Box) with a WINXP, a Linux and a Windows 10 virtual machine. I have had no problems in either Windows 8 or in the virtual machines. I do not use the Epson AIO from any of the virtual machines.

In the past I had updated Virtual Box to 5.0.4 and after the update any attempt to use the Epson Scan software in Windows 8 resulted in the dialog “Epson Scan” “Communications Error with Scanner”.

I recently updated Virtual Box from 4.3.30 to Virtual Box 5.0.8 and once again I get the Epson communications error when attempting to scan. Doing a restore from a recent Windows 8 C: drive full backup – which restored Virtual Box to 4.3.30 – once again results in error-free scanning from the Epson 645.

(All versions of Virtual Box also have the appropriate version of the VirtualBoxGuestAdditions installed.)

It appears that installing version 5.x of Virtual Box causes the Epson scanner software to fail. Any suggestions as to a solution other than don't update Virtual Box to 5.x?