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
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 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. This specific error message often crops up for
Port Conflicts: usbipd typically uses port 3240. If another application is camping on that port, the service will fail to initialize.
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 warning typically appears when using usbipd-win, a tool often used to pass through USB devices from Windows to the Windows Subsystem for Linux (WSL2).
While a reboot sometimes resolves temporary driver conflicts, it often doesn't solve the underlying issue if the service fails to start automatically or is blocked by other software. Understanding the Warning
The error "usbipd warning: the service is currently not running" means the USBIP Device Host service on your Windows host has stopped. Without this service, the command-line tool cannot communicate with your USB hardware or share it with your WSL instance. Immediate Troubleshooting Steps
If a reboot did not fix the problem, follow these steps to manually restore the service: 1. Manually Start the Windows Service
The service is designed to start automatically, but you can force it to run via the Services app: Press Win + R, type services.msc, and hit Enter. Look for USBIP Device Host in the list. Right-click it and select Start. If it’s already running, try Restart. Pro Tip: Ensure the "Startup type" is set to Automatic. 2. Reinstall Using Winget (Recommended Fix)
Many users find that a "clean" installation via the Windows Package Manager resolves persistent service issues where standard MSI installers fail. Open PowerShell as an Administrator. Run the following commands: powershell winget uninstall usbipd winget install dorssel.usbipd-win Use code with caution.
This often fixes broken paths or driver registration issues that a reboot cannot touch. 3. Resolve VirtualBox Conflicts
If you have VirtualBox installed, it may conflict with the VBoxUsbMon driver used by usbipd-win. Check if VirtualBox is running and try closing it.
Some users report that reinstalling VirtualBox or updating to the latest version of usbipd-win resolves this specific driver clash. 4. Update the WSL Kernel
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
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: Part 2: The Immediate Fixes (Try These Before
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
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
The warning "usbipd: warning: The service is currently not running; a reboot should fix that" typically indicates that the usbipd (USBIP Device Host) service or its required drivers failed to initialize properly. While a reboot is the recommended first step, several alternative fixes can resolve the issue without a full system restart. 1. Manually Start the Service
The service may simply be set to manual start or failed to trigger. Open an Administrator PowerShell or Command Prompt. Run the command: sc.exe start usbipd.
Alternatively, open the Services app (services.msc), locate USBIP Device Host, and ensure its "Startup type" is set to Automatic. 2. Address Driver Interference
A common cause of this error is a conflict with other virtualization software, specifically VirtualBox.
VirtualBox Conflict: usbipd-win uses the VBoxUsbMon driver. If a full version of VirtualBox is installed, its own drivers may interfere.
Force Restart Drivers: You can try stopping and restarting the specific drivers manually: sc stop usbipd sc stop VBoxUSBMon sc start VBoxUSBMon sc start usbipd 3. Reinstall via WinGet
Many users report that standard MSI installers occasionally fail to register the service correctly. A clean reinstall via the Windows Package Manager (winget) often fixes persistent service errors. Uninstall: winget uninstall --id=dorssel.usbipd-win -e Install: winget install --id=dorssel.usbipd-win -e 4. Check WSL Prerequisites
If using this for WSL2, ensure your environment meets the minimum requirements:
Kernel Version: You need Linux kernel version 5.10.60.1 or higher. Check yours with uname -a in WSL.
Update WSL: Run wsl --update from an admin prompt followed by wsl --shutdown to ensure the latest features are active. Troubleshooting Checklist Check the status:
usbipd server --force-stop
Check Event Log: If the service crashes on start, check the Windows Event Log under "Application" for specific error codes or crash reports.
Firewall Rules: Ensure TCP port 3240 is open, as the service communicates over this port.
Path Conflicts: Ensure there isn't another sc.exe or usbip executable in your PATH environment variables that might be intercepting commands.
usbipd: error: Server is currently not running. #122 - GitHub
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:
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.
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.
While a reboot is the "sledgehammer" fix, try these precision fixes first to save time.
If you just installed it or haven't rebooted in a while, the driver might just be sleeping. Open PowerShell as Administrator and run these commands in order:
Check the status:
usbipd server --force-stop
(This attempts to kill any stuck processes).
Manually attempt to bind the server:
usbipd bind
(Note: If this command hangs or returns nothing, proceed to Step 2).
Check if the server is now running:
usbipd list
If you’ve tried all fixes and the warning still appears, work through this checklist:
wsl --update and wsl --shutdown.winver.C:\Program Files\usbipd-win.As a last resort, you can run the service manually in debug mode to see the exact error:
usbipd --debug
This runs the service in the foreground and prints detailed logs. If it starts successfully here but not as a system service, the issue is likely permission or SID-related.
If the driver is stuck in a "Stopped" state or Windows refuses to load it, a reinstall is usually the fastest fix. Do not just reinstall the MSI. You need to clean the driver store.
pnputil /delete-driver usbip_vhci.inf /uninstall /force
winget install --interactive --exact dorssel.usbipd-win is the recommended method).usbipd list.