How to add users to vboxusers to enable USB usage

Question

I want to use my flashdrive in Windows XP, which I am currently running in Virtualbox, but when I open up the settings to enable usb usage, I get an error:

Failed to access the USB subsystem.
VirtualBox is not currently allowed to access USB devices. 
You can change this by adding your user to the 'vboxusers' group. 
Please see the user manual for a more detailed explanation


Result Code: 
NS_ERROR_FAILURE (0x00004005)
Component: 
Host
Interface: 
IHost {30678943-32df-4830-b413-931b25ac86a0}
Callee: 
IMachine {22781af3-1c96-4126-9edf-67a020e0e858}

Does anyone know how to fix this!?

Solution 1

In your host, run this command:

sudo usermod -a -G vboxusers $USER

Now perform a logout (always required after add current user to a group).

After login, check that you are in the vboxusers group with this command, make sure that vboxusers is in the shown list:

groups $USER

Solution 2

This works for me and my problem with VirtualBox was solved

sudo usermod -a -G vboxsf "$USER"

Solution 3

1. Add the user as suggested by other answer using usermod command.
2. Run the command id. You should see vboxusers in the list.
3. If you don't see that, you may restart your computer and try id again.

When you get vboxusers listed as a result of running id, you're good to use USB with virtual box.

Solution 4

1. In a terminal run:

   sudo adduser $USER vboxusers
   

2. Reboot all systems.

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Comments

[wesinat0r]

Does this answer your question? How to access a shared folder in VirtualBox?

[Eliah Kagan]

@wesinat0r That's about shared folders, and this is about directly accessing USB devices (which VirtualBox supports).

[Edward Torvalds]

i am getting error: usermod: group 'vboxsf' does not exist

[Edward Torvalds]

i am getting error: usermod: group 'vboxusers' does not exist

[Serjik]

I don't know why installing VirtualBox does not add that group for you, maybe will it be good idea to add group manually first

[endolith]

adduser: The group `vboxusers' does not exist. Now what?

[endolith]

Oh wait, this is something you run in the host OS, not the guest OS?

[KrisWebDev]

Actually, for Linux guests + hosts (not exactly the question but helpful), you need to do BOTH sudo usermod -a -G vboxusers "$USER" on the host AND sudo usermod -a -G vboxsf "$USER" on the guest after extension pack install and then reboot the guest.