Workstation Pro 14: USB Flash Drive STILL Not Detected

[BPMcDowell]

I spent the evening reading threads and looking for a solution to this problem. There's one where uninstalling vSphere is listed as a root cause; I don't have vSphere on my machine, nor any other VMware application other than Workstation Pro 14.1.1. I've tried it on VMs with Windows 10 as the OS and Windows 7. I've removed and re-installed Workstation (absolutely LOVE that I have to then re-enter all my VMnet settings).

This is absurd!

[bonnie201110141]

Can you please manually start VMware USB Arbitration Service in Windows Computer Management > Services? If failed to start, please paste usb arbitrator logs from C:\Windows\Temp\vmware-SYSTEM*\vmware-usbarb-###.log (please paste the latest one).

[BPMcDowell]

Tried starting the service and received an error:

Windows could not start the VMware USB Arbitration Service service on Local Computer

Error 2: The system cannot find the specified file

Here's the log paste. Thanks much!!!

2018-04-05T13:04:26.056-04:00| usbArb| I125: Log for VMware USB Arbitration Service pid=22228 version=14.0.0 build=build-7094787 option=Release

2018-04-05T13:04:26.056-04:00| usbArb| I125: The process is 64-bit.

2018-04-05T13:04:26.056-04:00| usbArb| I125: Host codepage=windows-1252 encoding=windows-1252

2018-04-05T13:04:26.056-04:00| usbArb| I125: Host is Windows 8 Pro, 64-bit  (Build 9200)

2018-04-05T13:04:26.036-04:00| usbArb| I125: VTHREAD initialize main thread 1 "usbArb" host id 20768

2018-04-05T13:04:26.039-04:00| usbArb| I125: FILE: FileCreateDirectoryRetry: Non-retriable error encountered (C:\ProgramData\VMware): Cannot create a file when that file already exists (183)

2018-04-05T13:04:26.041-04:00| usbArb| I125: FILE: FileCreateDirectoryRetry: Non-retriable error encountered (C:\ProgramData\VMware\VMware USB Arbitration Service): Cannot create a file when that file already exists (183)

2018-04-05T13:04:26.041-04:00| usbArb| I125: DictionaryLoad: Cannot open file "C:\ProgramData\VMware\VMware USB Arbitration Service\config.ini": The system cannot find the file specified.

2018-04-05T13:04:26.042-04:00| usbArb| I125: [msg.dictionary.load.openFailed] Cannot open file "C:\ProgramData\VMware\VMware USB Arbitration Service\config.ini": The system cannot find the file specified.

2018-04-05T13:04:26.042-04:00| usbArb| I125: PREF Optional preferences file not found at C:\ProgramData\VMware\VMware USB Arbitration Service\config.ini. Using default values.

2018-04-05T13:04:26.042-04:00| usbArb| I125: FILE: FileCreateDirectoryRetry: Non-retriable error encountered (C:\ProgramData\VMware): Cannot create a file when that file already exists (183)

2018-04-05T13:04:26.043-04:00| usbArb| I125: FILE: FileCreateDirectoryRetry: Non-retriable error encountered (C:\ProgramData\VMware\VMware USB Arbitration Service): Cannot create a file when that file already exists (183)

2018-04-05T13:04:26.043-04:00| usbArb| I125: FILE: FileCreateDirectoryRetry: Non-retriable error encountered (C:\ProgramData\VMware): Cannot create a file when that file already exists (183)

2018-04-05T13:04:26.043-04:00| usbArb| I125: FILE: FileCreateDirectoryRetry: Non-retriable error encountered (C:\ProgramData\VMware\VMware USB Arbitration Service): Cannot create a file when that file already exists (183)

2018-04-05T13:04:26.044-04:00| usbArb| I125: DictionaryLoad: Cannot open file "C:\ProgramData\VMware\VMware USB Arbitration Service\settings.ini": The system cannot find the file specified.

2018-04-05T13:04:26.044-04:00| usbArb| I125: [msg.dictionary.load.openFailed] Cannot open file "C:\ProgramData\VMware\VMware USB Arbitration Service\settings.ini": The system cannot find the file specified.

2018-04-05T13:04:26.044-04:00| usbArb| I125: PREF Optional preferences file not found at C:\ProgramData\VMware\VMware USB Arbitration Service\settings.ini. Using default values.

2018-04-05T13:04:26.044-04:00| usbArb| I125: DictionaryLoad: Cannot open file "C:\ProgramData\VMware\VMware USB Arbitration Service\config.ini": The system cannot find the file specified.

2018-04-05T13:04:26.044-04:00| usbArb| I125: [msg.dictionary.load.openFailed] Cannot open file "C:\ProgramData\VMware\VMware USB Arbitration Service\config.ini": The system cannot find the file specified.

2018-04-05T13:04:26.044-04:00| usbArb| I125: PREF Optional preferences file not found at C:\ProgramData\VMware\VMware USB Arbitration Service\config.ini. Using default values.

2018-04-05T13:04:26.044-04:00| usbArb| I125: POLL Using the WSAPoll API Implementation for PollDefault

2018-04-05T13:04:26.051-04:00| usbArb| I125: FILE: FileCreateDirectoryRetry: Non-retriable error encountered (C:\WINDOWS): Cannot create a file when that file already exists (183)

2018-04-05T13:04:26.052-04:00| usbArb| I125: FILE: FileCreateDirectoryRetry: Non-retriable error encountered (C:\WINDOWS\TEMP): Cannot create a file when that file already exists (183)

2018-04-05T13:04:26.053-04:00| usbArb| I125: FILE: FileCreateDirectoryRetry: Non-retriable error encountered (C:\WINDOWS\TEMP\vmware-SYSTEM): Cannot create a file when that file already exists (183)

2018-04-05T13:04:26.086-04:00| usbArb| I125: DICT --- GLOBAL SETTINGS C:\ProgramData\VMware\VMware USB Arbitration Service\settings.ini

2018-04-05T13:04:26.087-04:00| usbArb| I125: DICT --- NON PERSISTENT (null)

2018-04-05T13:04:26.087-04:00| usbArb| I125: DICT --- HOST DEFAULTS C:\ProgramData\VMware\VMware USB Arbitration Service\config.ini

2018-04-05T13:04:26.087-04:00| usbArb| I125: DICT --- SITE DEFAULTS C:\ProgramData\VMware\VMware USB Arbitration Service\config.ini

2018-04-05T13:04:26.087-04:00| usbArb| I125: VMware USB Arbitration Service Version 17.1.3

2018-04-05T13:04:26.089-04:00| host-13740| I125: USBArb: Starting VMUSBArbService args:'VMUSBArbService'

2018-04-05T13:04:26.096-04:00| host-13740| I125: USBGW: Host controller #0 hc= "\\?\HCD0"

2018-04-05T13:04:26.096-04:00| host-13740| I125: USBGW: Host controller #0 rootHubName="USB#ROOT_HUB30#4&11161a9f&0&0#{f18a0e88-c30c-11d0-8815-00a0c906bed8}"

2018-04-05T13:04:26.096-04:00| host-13740| I125: USBGW: Host controller #0 rootHubDevInst="USB\ROOT_HUB30\4&11161a9f&0&0"

2018-04-05T13:04:26.096-04:00| host-13740| I125: USBGW: Host controller #1 hc= "\\?\HCD1"

2018-04-05T13:04:26.096-04:00| host-13740| I125: USBGW: Host controller #1 rootHubName="USB#ROOT_HUB20#4&1af20340&0#{f18a0e88-c30c-11d0-8815-00a0c906bed8}"

2018-04-05T13:04:26.096-04:00| host-13740| I125: USBGW: Host controller #1 rootHubDevInst="USB\ROOT_HUB20\4&1af20340&0"

2018-04-05T13:04:26.096-04:00| host-13740| I125: USBGW: Host controller #2 hc= "\\?\HCD2"

2018-04-05T13:04:26.096-04:00| host-13740| I125: USBGW: Host controller #2 rootHubName="USB#ROOT_HUB20#4&1ca1dd8b&0#{f18a0e88-c30c-11d0-8815-00a0c906bed8}"

2018-04-05T13:04:26.097-04:00| host-13740| I125: USBGW: Host controller #2 rootHubDevInst="USB\ROOT_HUB20\4&1ca1dd8b&0"

2018-04-05T13:04:26.097-04:00| host-13740| W115: USBArbW: Could not connect to HCMON: The system cannot find the file specified (2)

2018-04-05T13:04:26.097-04:00| host-13740| W115: USBArb: USBArbInit failed with error:2

2018-04-05T13:04:26.097-04:00| vthread-2| I125: VTHREAD initialize thread 2 "vthread-2" host id 13740

[bonnie201110141 · Accepted solution]

2018-04-05T13:04:26.097-04:00| host-13740| W115: USBArbW: Could not connect to HCMON: The system cannot find the file specified (2)

So C:\Windows\system32\hcmon.sys is missing. I am sorry you might need a clean reinstall again. Will you please do the following?

1. Uninstall VMware Workstation without keeping any config files.

2. Remove the following files and folders if any:

C:\Program Files (x86)\VMware\VMware Workstation

C:\Program Files\Common Files\VMware

C:\Program Files (x86)\Common Files\VMware

3. Stop drivers and services from command line (with administrative privilege)

sc stop VMwareHostd

sc stop VMUSBArbService

sc stop hcmon

sc stop vmx86

sc stop vmusb

sc stop vsock

4. Remove VMware drivers files from C:\Windows\System32\drivers, such as hcmon.sys, vmci.sys, vmx86.sys, vmusb.sys, vsock.sys

5. Restart host OS

6. Install VMware Worstation again.

Let me if it works for you.

[BPMcDowell]

That did the trick - many thanks!