[SOLVABLE..?] USB using in Linux and also in VirtualBox

[Chriske]

Install LM18.5 - Virtual Box - W7.
All ok
File sharing ok.
USB visible/usable in LM18.5, NOT in W7. Is it possible to access USB ports in W7 also..?
Thanks
Chris

[Spearmint2]

Doesn't sound like you are trying to access shared folders, but instead wanting Windows to see and read the file system on the USB drive. Won't happen since windows is restricted to FAT and NTFS partitions. It also can't see past the first partition on a USB drive. Only through sharing across the LAN will you be able to view shared files and folders on the Linux part. There is a ext reader program you can install into Windows, but then again you run into windows only seeing the first partition on a USB device, although it can see them in Device Manager as existing, but unrecognized. You will need a third party program if want to access other than using LAN with shared folders.

https://www.howtogeek.com/112888/3-ways ... m-windows/

[AndyMH]

Add yourself to the vboxusers group. Without this you can't access USB devices from your VM. When you've done that you should be able to get at USB devices by right clicking on the USB icon in VB - then select the one you want. Once you have selected a USB device in win, that device is then no longer available to mint. Note you're running win7 in your VM - out of the box win7 doesn't support USB3, I had to download and install additional drivers.

I assume you have installed guest-additions into win7?

And as the previous post noted, if you have multiple partitions on your USB drive, win will only see one.

[Chriske]

Oops, almost missed this one Andy.
I already was a VB-group-user.
But wait a minute, if I would be able to use USB in W7(VB) connection to USB will be lost in Linux..? Or did I misunderstood..?

[Chriske]

Silly question I presume(so sorry in advance... ). Or maybe it's beyond the possibilities of Linux OS, so here goes...

I have four USB ports on my laptop. Would it be possible to have two USB ports reserved to Linux and the other two to W7...?

[AndyMH]

You have to select them each time you boot the VM, as far as I'm aware you can't 'reserve' them in advance.

[Chriske]

So again, I cannot use USB in both OS'es when running W7 in a VB..?

[thx-1138]

https://forums.virtualbox.org/viewtopic ... 35&t=82639

USB devices cannot be shared at the bus level. That means that two computers (a host and a guest) cannot share the same device.
Think of it as having a USB stick, a printer, a webcam or a WiFi adapter hooked into two computers at the same time. You simply can't.

[Chriske]

It's an old one, sorry, but I need to clear this out.

Just installed exactly the same configuration as mine on a friends laptop.
It's also an old machine like mine, about 10 years old.
I did install the same Linux 18.3 including all updates. - VB - W7.
My pal's laptop is able to use in both OS's Linux and W7 all USB ports.
Switching to Linux there's no access to USB in W7. Switching to W7 there's no USB access in Linux.
Switching is done by 'closing' W7 using the 'Save state' command in Virtual box.

Did I miss something in my own settings...?
We've compared settings between these two laptops and they're 100% identical.

Thanks..

[AndyMH]

Did you install the virtualbox extension pack?

[Chriske]

yep I did.

[Chriske]

Just noticed that win7 has no USB driver installed.
I tried to install a few different USBdrivers in W7 but all failed
I can see the USB drivers in 'Device Manager' but the dirvers does not work at all.

[AndyMH]

Just noticed that win7 has no USB driver installed.

'Out of the box' win7 does not support USB3.0 you need to install the drivers from intel.

[thx-1138]

...you really, really, need to read the forum page supplied above previously 2 yrs ago... (yes, all of it).

[Chriske]

I did read, and installed the USB3 driver to no avail, still no USB access in Win7.

[Chriske]

It still puzzles me why on earth does it work with my pal's laptop and not on mine...

[AndyMH]

Right click the usb icon in the VB menu bar and select the usb device you want. It will then be visible in 'my computer'.

[Chriske]

Did not work.
I give up...!...

I now share a USB disk in Linux/VM to copy files from within W7 to that USB-disk.