Usbipd Warning The Service Is Currently Not Running A Reboot Should Fix That May 2026

The "usbipd: warning: The VBoxUsbMon driver is currently not running" error indicates that the service for sharing USB devices with WSL2 has failed or a dependency is unresponsive, often caused by VirtualBox conflicts, upgrade issues, or required driver binding reboots. A manual service restart via PowerShell, or in some cases a re-installation of the software, generally resolves the issue. For comprehensive troubleshooting steps, visit the usbipd-win GitHub Wiki

Fix: "usbipd warning: the service is currently not running" If you're seeing the error "usbipd warning: the service is currently not running; a reboot should fix that" while trying to attach USB devices to WSL2, you aren't alone. While a reboot often works, there are faster ways to get back to work without a full system restart. 1. Manually Start the Service (Fastest Fix)

The most common cause is that the usbipd Windows service failed to start automatically. You can force it to start using an Administrator PowerShell window: powershell sc.exe start usbipd Use code with caution. Copied to clipboard Alternatively, you can use the Windows Services Manager: Press Win + R, type services.msc, and hit Enter. Find USBIP Device Host in the list. Right-click it and select Start.

Ensure Startup type is set to Automatic to prevent this in the future. 2. Verify for Driver Conflicts

If the service starts but the error persists when you try to attach, check for software conflicts:

VirtualBox Conflict: usbipd-win uses drivers that can conflict with a full installation of VirtualBox. If you have both, try stopping VirtualBox services before using usbipd.

SC Executable Path: Ensure you are calling the official Windows service manager. If you have other sc tools in your PATH, try running the full path: $env:windir\system32\sc.exe query VBoxUsbMon. 3. Reinstall via Winget

This error message typically occurs when the background service for usbipd-win (often including the VBoxUsbMon

driver) has failed to start or was interrupted. While a reboot is the simplest fix, you can often resolve this by manually restarting the service through Windows tools. Immediate Fix: Manual Service Restart Before rebooting, try to force-start the service using an Administrator PowerShell Stop any existing instances: powershell sc.exe stop usbipd sc.exe stop VBoxUsbMon Use code with caution. Copied to clipboard Start the services in order: powershell sc.exe start VBoxUsbMon sc.exe start usbipd Use code with caution. Copied to clipboard If successful, you should be able to run usbipd list without the warning. Common Troubleshooting Steps Check Service Status: services.msc ) and find USBIP Device Host

. Ensure its status is "Running" and Startup Type is set to "Automatic". VirtualBox Interference: If you have VirtualBox installed, its version of the VBoxUsbMon driver might conflict with the one used by usbipd-win

. Closing VirtualBox or updating it can sometimes resolve the conflict. Repair Installation: The "usbipd: warning: The VBoxUsbMon driver is currently

If the service consistently fails to start, the registry entries or driver files may be corrupted. Download the latest official usbipd-win GitHub Run the installer and select Check Windows Event Log: If the service crashes immediately upon starting, check the Windows Event Viewer Windows Logs > Application . Look for "Error" entries from the source for specific crash codes.

The usbipd warning "the service is currently not running" is a common roadblock for developers using WSL2 (Windows Subsystem for Linux) who need to bridge physical USB hardware to their Linux environment. While the error message suggests a reboot as a catch-all fix, the issue is usually rooted in the Windows Service layer rather than a deep system failure. The Source of the Error

The usbipd-win tool operates as a background service on Windows. When you run a command like usbipd list or usbipd bind, the CLI attempts to communicate with this service via a local network socket. If the service hasn't started, was interrupted, or crashed, the CLI returns this warning because it has no "server" to talk to. Why a Reboot Isn't Always Necessary

A reboot fixes the problem by forcing Windows to re-evaluate its "Automatic" start services. However, you can usually resolve this in seconds without closing your work by manually triggering the service. Quick Fixes Instead of a full restart, try these steps in order:

Manual Service Start:Open PowerShell as Administrator and run: powershell Start-Service usbipd Use code with caution. Copied to clipboard

Check Service Status:To see if it’s actually running or stuck in "Starting," use: powershell Get-Service usbipd Use code with caution. Copied to clipboard

The "Services" App:Press Win + R, type services.msc, and find usbipd. Right-click it and select Restart. If it is set to "Manual," change the Startup Type to Automatic. Common Pitfalls

Version Mismatch: If you recently updated WSL or the usbipd-win MSI package, the old service instance might be orphaned. A manual stop and start usually clears this.

Execution Policy: On some corporate machines, the service may be blocked from starting automatically by security software.

Port Conflicts: usbipd typically uses port 3240. If another application is camping on that port, the service will fail to initialize. Understanding and Resolving the USBIPD Service Not Running

While the warning points toward a reboot, it is more accurately a prompt to verify that the Windows Service host for USBIP is active and listening. Manually starting the service is the more efficient "pro-user" solution.

This content is structured to explain the "why," provide the immediate solution, troubleshoot persistent issues, and offer best practices for developers and sysadmins using USBIPD-WSL.

Understanding and Resolving the USBIPD Service Not Running Error

If you are working with USBIPD-WSL (USB over IP for Windows Subsystem for Linux), you have likely encountered the frustrating yellow warning:

"The service is currently not running. A reboot should fix that."

This message typically appears when you attempt to list (usbipd list) or attach (usbipd attach) a USB device from a PowerShell terminal. While the error message suggests a simple reboot, simply restarting your computer every time you need to plug in a USB device is an inefficient workflow.

In this guide, we will break down exactly why this service fails to start, how to fix it without a reboot, and how to prevent it from happening in the future.

Solution 7: Run Commands in the Correct Context

Sometimes the warning appears because you are running usbipd from within WSL instead of Windows. Remember:

• usbipd wsl commands must be run from Windows Command Prompt, PowerShell, or Windows Terminal (not inside the Linux shell).
• You need administrator privileges for binding and attaching, but usbipd wsl list may work without admin for listing.

Correct usage:

# In Windows (Admin recommended)
usbipd wsl list
usbipd wsl attach --busid <busid>

If you mistakenly run usbipd inside WSL, you will get a "command not found" or this misleading warning.

Common Scenarios Where This Warning Appears

Before diving into fixes, identify which scenario matches your situation: "The service is currently not running

| Scenario | Description | |----------|-------------| | Fresh Install | You just installed usbipd-win and tried running usbipd list without starting the service. | | After Windows Update | A Windows update may have changed service startup permissions or reset configurations. | | Post-Crash | The service terminated due to a USB device conflict, driver issue, or resource exhaustion. | | User Error | You or a script stopped the service manually using net stop usbipd. | | WSL Distro Change | Switching or reinstalling WSL distributions can sometimes orphan the USB/IP binding. |

Solution 5: Reinstall usbipd-win Properly

If none of the above works, the installation may be corrupted.

Fix 3: Check Service Dependencies

The usbipd service relies on other Windows components. If dependencies fail, the service won’t start.

1. In services.msc, open USBIPD Properties.
2. Click the Dependencies tab.
3. Ensure the following services are running (they usually are on modern Windows):
   • Remote Procedure Call (RPC)
   • Plug and Play
   • Windows Driver Framework - User-mode Driver Framework

To check all dependencies in one command:

sc qc usbipd

Q: Does this warning affect WSL 2 performance?

No. The warning only indicates that USB sharing is unavailable. WSL 2 itself continues to work.

What Is usbipd-win and Why Does It Need a Service?

Before diving into the error, it is important to understand the architecture of usbipd-win.

• usbipd-win installs a Windows service named usbipd (or usbipd-win depending on the version).
• This service runs in the background with system-level privileges, allowing it to interact directly with the Windows USB stack.
• When you run commands like usbipd wsl list, the client tool contacts the locally running service to request information or perform actions (e.g., binding, attaching, detaching devices).

If the service is not running, the client tool cannot communicate with the USB subsystem, and thus you see the warning:

usbipd warning the service is currently not running a reboot should fix that

The message suggests a reboot because installation typically sets the service to start automatically at boot. However, a reboot is not always the solution—and sometimes it doesn't work at all.