After starting the service, run your usbipd command again. The warning should no longer appear.
Sometimes the service gets disabled entirely.
Method A – Services Console:
Method B – Command Line (Admin):
sc config usbipd start= auto
net start usbipd
Note: The space after start= is mandatory.
Start-Service -Name usbipd
Get-Service -Name usbipd
Get-Service usbipd
Look for Status: If it says Stopped, use the command above. If it says Starting or Stopping, wait a few seconds and retry.
Sometimes Windows chooses not to load the driver because it thinks the hardware isn't present (since it's virtual). You can force it via PowerShell (Admin):
To understand the fix, you must understand the architecture. usbipd acts as a server on the Windows host. It "shares" physical USB ports so that the Linux kernel inside WSL can connect to them as if they were physically attached to the Linux machine.
This functionality relies on a Windows Kernel Driver. When you see the warning "The service is currently not running," it usually points to one of three scenarios:
The "A reboot should fix that" suggestion is the developer's way of saying, "The kernel driver state is stale, and Windows needs to reload it from scratch."
winget uninstall usbipd
winget install usbipd
If the service won't start, the driver might not be loaded. USBIPD includes a command to force the installation of the "stub" driver, which is required for sharing devices. After starting the service, run your usbipd command again
The warning "usbipd: warning: the service is currently not running; a reboot should fix that" occurs when the usbipd service (or its dependency driver, VBoxUsbMon) has failed to start or was never initialized after installation. 1. Start the Service Manually (No Reboot)
Often, you can bypass the reboot by manually starting the service and its underlying driver using an Administrator PowerShell: Start the driver: powershell sc.exe start VBoxUsbMon Use code with caution. Copied to clipboard Start the usbipd service: powershell sc.exe start usbipd Use code with caution. Copied to clipboard Verify status: powershell sc.exe query usbipd Use code with caution. Copied to clipboard
If it still fails, check the Windows Event Log for crash reports under the "Application" section. 2. Troubleshoot Conflicting Software
The VBoxUsbMon driver used by usbipd-win can conflict with existing installations:
VirtualBox Conflict: If you have a full installation of VirtualBox, its own USB monitor service may interfere. Try disabling VirtualBox services or updating to the latest version of both.
Antivirus/Firewall: Third-party firewalls might block the service from initializing the network-based USB protocol. 3. Repair or Reinstall
If the service remains unresponsive, the installation may be corrupted or blocked by Windows security:
Purge the old version: Run winget uninstall --purge dorssel.usbipd-win.
Reinstall: Download the latest .msi from the official GitHub releases and run it as an administrator.
Force Driver Binding: If you can see the service but can't attach devices, use the "force" flag once: powershell usbipd bind --busid Use code with caution. Copied to clipboard 4. WSL-Specific Checks Sometimes the service gets disabled entirely
If you are using usbipd-win for WSL2, ensure your environment is ready:
Update WSL: Run wsl --update followed by wsl --shutdown to ensure you have the required 5.10.60.1+ kernel.
Attach Command: Once the service is running, use usbipd attach --wsl --busid .
Does the sc.exe query usbipd command return a specific error code or simply say the service is "Stopped"?
usbipd: error: Server is currently not running. #122 - GitHub
This specific error message often crops up for developers and hobbyists using WSL2 (Windows Subsystem for Linux) who are trying to pass through USB devices like Arduinos or webcams.
If you’re seeing the message "usbipd: warning: The service is currently not running. A reboot should fix that," here is a quick guide on how to get it moving without necessarily restarting your whole computer. What’s Happening?
The usbipd-win tool relies on a background service in Windows to bridge your physical hardware to the Linux environment. This warning means that while the command-line tool is installed, the engine that does the actual work hasn't started or has crashed. Step 1: Start the Service Manually
Before you go through the hassle of a full reboot, you can try to force the service to wake up using the Windows Services manager: Press Win + R, type services.msc, and hit Enter. Scroll down to find USBIPD Device Host.
Right-click it and select Start (or Restart if it claims to be running already). Alternatively, you can do this via PowerShell (Admin): powershell Start-Service usbipd Use code with caution. Copied to clipboard Step 2: Check for Version Mismatches Method B – Command Line (Admin): sc config
Sometimes this error persists because the version of usbipd installed on Windows doesn't match the tools installed inside your WSL distribution.
Update Windows side: Download the latest .msi from the usbipd-win GitHub releases.
Update Linux side: Inside your WSL terminal, ensure you have the latest tools:
sudo apt update sudo apt install linux-tools-virtual hwdata sudo update-alternatives --install /usr/local/bin/usbip usbip `ls /usr/lib/linux-tools/*/usbip | tail -n1` 20 Use code with caution. Copied to clipboard Step 3: The "Soft" Reboot
If the service won't start, a full Windows reboot usually clears the driver lock. However, you should also ensure WSL itself is fresh. In PowerShell, run: powershell wsl --shutdown Use code with caution. Copied to clipboard
Then, try starting the usbipd service again before opening your Linux terminal. Step 4: Check for Conflicting Drivers
If you use other USB redirection software (like VirtualBox or VMware), they can occasionally fight over the USB/IP drivers. If the service fails to start even after a reboot, try temporarily disabling those programs.
SummaryIn 90% of cases, manually starting the USBIPD Device Host in services.msc fixes the issue instantly. If that fails, a clean install of the latest version is your best bet.
Are you having trouble binding a specific device once the service is actually up and running?
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