Unable to access USB devices after upgrade to Windows 10

[aamcampbell]

Ever since I upgraded from Windows 7 to Windows 10, I have been unable to connect USB devices to my VMWare machines. The USB device icons display correctly in the status bar, and when I click "Connect (Disconnect from Host)," it adds the green dot as expected to show it's connected; and the device disappears from my host system. But it doesn't show up on the target; neither in Explorer nor in Device Manager. A while later, the notice pops up that the device failed to connect and the green dot disappears.

Things I have tried:

• Different USB ports (both USB 2 and USB 3)
• Different USB drives, including thumb drives, SD card reader (I think) and my Windows phone
• Windows 10 and Windows 7 target VMs
• Re-installing VMWare
• Creating a new VM from scratch (Windows 10)
• Probably more stuff that I can't remember, since it's been broken for a while.

Here is an excerpt of a log showing the error.

2016-09-07T17:50:25.262-07:00| vmx| I125: VUsbUpdateVigorFieldsAndAutoconnect: New set of 6 USB devices
2016-09-07T17:50:25.262-07:00| vmx| I125: USB: Found device [name:Alcor\ Micro\ Mass\ Storage vid:058f pid:6387 path:1/2/3/0 speed:high family:storage,storage-bulk instanceId:USB\\VID_0E0F&PID_0001\\7B49FE8B35FD serialnum:7B49FE8B35FD arbRuntimeKey:6 version:3]
2016-09-07T17:50:25.262-07:00| vmx| I125: USB: Found device [name:Genesys\ Logic\ USB\ Storage vid:05e3 pid:0749 path:1/2/1/1 speed:super family:storage,storage-bulk instanceId:USB\\VID_05E3&PID_0749\\000000001202 serialnum:000000001202 arbRuntimeKey:5 version:3]
2016-09-07T17:50:25.262-07:00| vmx| I125: USB: Found device [name:...]
2016-09-07T17:50:25.262-07:00| vmx| I125: USB: Found device [name:Genesys\ Logic\ USB\ Storage vid:05e3 pid:0716 path:1/0/0/6 speed:high family:storage,storage-bulk instanceId:USB\\VID_05E3&PID_0716\\000000009744 serialnum:000000009744 arbRuntimeKey:2 version:3]
2016-09-07T17:50:25.262-07:00| vmx| I125: USB: Found device [name:Alcor\ Micro\ Mass\ Storage vid:058f pid:6387 path:1/0/0/7 speed:high family:storage,storage-bulk instanceId:USB\\VID_0E0F&PID_0001\\F0FE18F61F68 serialnum:F0FE18F61F68 arbRuntimeKey:8 version:3]
2016-09-07T17:50:25.262-07:00| vmx| I125: USB: Found device [name:Virtual\ Bluetooth\ Adapter vid:0e0f pid:0008 speed:full family:wireless,bluetooth deviceType:virtual-bluetooth info:0000001 version:3]
2016-09-07T17:50:45.990-07:00| vmx| I125: USB: Connecting pattern [vid:058f pid:6387 path:1/2/3/0] controller []
2016-09-07T17:50:45.990-07:00| vmx| I125: USB: Connecting device desc:name:Alcor\ Micro\ Mass\ Storage vid:058f pid:6387 path:1/2/3/0 speed:high family:storage,storage-bulk instanceId:USB\\VID_0E0F&PID_0001\\7B49FE8B35FD serialnum:7B49FE8B35FD arbRuntimeKey:6 version:3 id:0x10000006058f6387
2016-09-07T17:50:45.990-07:00| vmx| I125: Policy_GetUSBDevAccess: checking usb devices at policy path: /vm/#_VMX/mvm/policyState/val/policySet/usbDevices/#
2016-09-07T17:50:45.990-07:00| vmx| I125: Policy_GetUSBDevAccess: allowConnect = YES
2016-09-07T17:50:45.990-07:00| vmx| I125: MsgHint: msg.usb.generic.stopDevice
2016-09-07T17:50:45.990-07:00| vmx| I125+ A USB device is about to be unplugged from the host and connected to this virtual machine. It will first be stopped to enable safe removal. With some devices, the host may display the message "The device can now safely be removed."
2016-09-07T17:50:45.990-07:00| vmx| I125+ ---------------------------------------
2016-09-07T17:50:46.002-07:00| vmx| I125: USBG: Created 10000006058f6387
2016-09-07T17:50:46.005-07:00| vmx| I125: VUsbUpdateVigorFieldsAndAutoconnect: New set of 6 USB devices
2016-09-07T17:50:46.005-07:00| vmx| I125: USB: Found device [name:Alcor\ Micro\ Mass\ Storage vid:058f pid:6387 path:1/2/3/0 speed:high family:storage,storage-bulk virtPath:usb_xhci:8 instanceId:USB\\VID_0E0F&PID_0001\\7B49FE8B35FD serialnum:7B49FE8B35FD arbRuntimeKey:6 ownerdisplay:Windows\ 10\ x64 version:3], connected to usb_xhci:7 port 0.
2016-09-07T17:50:46.005-07:00| vmx| I125: USB: Found device [name:Genesys\ Logic\ USB\ Storage vid:05e3 pid:0749 path:1/2/1/1 speed:super family:storage,storage-bulk instanceId:USB\\VID_05E3&PID_0749\\000000001202 serialnum:000000001202 arbRuntimeKey:5 version:3]
2016-09-07T17:50:25.262-07:00| vmx| I125: USB: Found device [name:...]
2016-09-07T17:50:46.005-07:00| vmx| I125: USB: Found device [name:Genesys\ Logic\ USB\ Storage vid:05e3 pid:0716 path:1/0/0/6 speed:high family:storage,storage-bulk instanceId:USB\\VID_05E3&PID_0716\\000000009744 serialnum:000000009744 arbRuntimeKey:2 version:3]
2016-09-07T17:50:46.005-07:00| vmx| I125: USB: Found device [name:Alcor\ Micro\ Mass\ Storage vid:058f pid:6387 path:1/0/0/7 speed:high family:storage,storage-bulk instanceId:USB\\VID_0E0F&PID_0001\\F0FE18F61F68 serialnum:F0FE18F61F68 arbRuntimeKey:8 version:3]
2016-09-07T17:50:46.005-07:00| vmx| I125: USB: Found device [name:Virtual\ Bluetooth\ Adapter vid:0e0f pid:0008 speed:full family:wireless,bluetooth deviceType:virtual-bluetooth info:0000001 version:3]
2016-09-07T17:51:18.077-07:00| vmx| I125: Tools_SetGuestResolution: Sending rpcMsg = Resolution_Set 1716 959
...
2016-09-07T17:52:46.521-07:00| vmx| W115: USBGA: Failed to connect device 10000006058f6387, error (4)
2016-09-07T17:52:46.521-07:00| vmx| I125: Msg_Post: Warning
2016-09-07T17:52:46.521-07:00| vmx| I125: [msg.usb.connectFailedErr] The connection for the USB device 'Alcor Micro Mass Storage' was unsuccessful. Driver error.
2016-09-07T17:52:46.521-07:00| vmx| I125: ----------------------------------------
2016-09-07T17:52:46.602-07:00| vmx| I125: USB: Disconnecting device 0x10000006058f6387
2016-09-07T17:52:46.602-07:00| vmx| I125: USBG: Disconnecting 10000006058f6387, port:0 reservedPort:59256C8
2016-09-07T17:52:46.602-07:00| vmx| I125: USBGW: Disconnecting device: 5C705E8 id: 10000006058f6387
2016-09-07T17:52:46.602-07:00| vmx| I125: USBGA: device 10000006058f6387 already disconnected from host
2016-09-07T17:52:46.604-07:00| vmx| I125: VUsbUpdateVigorFieldsAndAutoconnect: New set of 6 USB devices
...

[averooster]

Hi, I've exactly the same problem both with VMWare Player and Workstation with Windows 10 (v1607 Anniversary Update).

It may be a problem of the Anniversary Update because I didn't noticed it before.

After connecting a mass storage device, for example, I go to the VM and select Connect (Disconnect from host) and the device is removed from the host W10 but doesn't appear into the guest.

The message The connection for the USB device '.... USB 2.0' was unsuccessful appears on the log and I also noticed that there is an unknown device in the host W10 Device Manager:

If I remember well, with previous versions that worked you should get a VMWare USB Device there when you connect an USB to a guest, because it's the VMWARE mediator.

So the problem might be this; I also reinstalled VMWare but I'm unable to load a driver on the host for that device (I've tried manually too).

Any advice?

[averooster]

OK, I've done some further investigations and solved the issue.

First of all, the problem exists both on Windows 10 Anniversary and the previous release (v1511).

Trying to reinstall/upgrade vmusb.sys on the machines is not possible because it doesn't recognize the driver (just like it's not a valid driver for the current operating system).

On a clean install of Windows 10 installing VMWare Player/Workstation 12 does not result into the problem, so I think it may be related to the upgrade from 7/8 to 10 OS with VMWare installed (both machine had this configuration).

The vmusb.sys file (found in C:\Program files (x86)\Common Files\VMWare\USB) that I had was about 40 KB while the new one (on a fresh OS install) is more than 60 KB (CRC32 = 453B8131) and copying that file to the problematic host machine and then updating the unknown driver via Windows Device Manager basically solves the problem.

But there's a simple method:

1. Uninstall VMWare Player/Workstation from the Add/Remove programs in Windows 10
2. Clean the installation by using the /clean switch with the Player/Workstation full installation file; even if it says it didn't do anything, it actually clears the drivers.
3. Reinstall VMWare Player/Workstation and reboot.
4. Now the USB driver is updated (you can see it in the USB folder in the Common files dir) and the USB devices work.

[zbroinx]

Hi averooster‌,

Can you share your working vmusb.sys file?

I follow your suggestion, but I get the same error.

Thanks.