VirtualBox: USB Sticks not recognized (Windows XP as guest; Ubuntu 14.04 as host)

Question

I have installed virtualbox on ubuntu 14.04 and installed windows xp as a guest. i have a usb stick and an external drive (western digital) that i want to mount in win xp. the mounting itself works, but windows xp displays: "USB device not recognized" and of course i cannot access it.

here is what I have already done:

• (got windows xp updates)
• installed guest additions
• installed the extension pack
• added user to virtualbox group
• enabled usb controller + usb 2.0 (EHCI) controller
• added filters for both, my usb stick and my wd extenal harddrive
• set it to use only 1 cpu (settings -> system -> processor)

Solution

Had the same problem - I tried to uncheck the entire usb (1.1 and 2.0) before starting the guest.

Then XP recognized the usb

• When XP booted and completed USB Driver install, you have to put the usb device through by selecting it in the "devices" tab in the machine menu which can be integrated when in the C View mode or center-down when Full view.

Comments

[Mitch]

This sounds like Windows problem, but try restarting the VM.

[Doc]

I've already done that many times. I've been working on it since yesterday..

[Geo]

is the usb 3.0? I may be wrong, but windows xp is an old engine and maybe it doesn't understand usb 3... just a theory, doesn't know tho.

[Doc]

interesting thought. the external harddrive is indeed 3.0. but the usb stick is not

[Doc]

when i was searching other threads for this issue, most people apparently solved it by setting it to use only 1 cpu instead of 2 or 4 or whatever. i assumed i ought to do that in the virtualbox settings (system -> processor) and there it was already set to use only 1 (cannot use more than 1, even). but now i opened System Monitor and i saw that i am using 2 cpus. am i supposed to use only 1 there?

[Doc]

wow, this really did the trick. i went to settings -> USB, and unchecked both, enable usb controller and enable usb 2.0 controller. started the machine and it recognized the usb devices, because for some reason the filters i created for each still work (despite the unchecking of "enable the usb controller"). thanks!