Hello all,

I'm running the latest version of vmware server on my FC5 machine. vmware is running windows xp and I am having a hard time recognizing USB devices.

My usb mouse it recognizes fine and Im sure if I plugged in a usb keyboard it would work to but I would like to get it to recognize other usb devices that run on windows like my webcam or an extrnal DVD writer that has a USB interface.

Can anyone tell me if there is a specific way to get that to happen? Right now if I plug anything it, XP sits there as if nothing has been plugged in at all. If XP were running native on the machine, it would have at least acknowledged that a device was plugged in even if it couldn't run it.

i had issues hooking up a usb device to vmware running a different distro of linux, the problem was I was going thru a hub. When I plugged straight into the tower I was fine.

I never tried windows on vmware but I got the above tip by someone saying that they had issues with USB and windows.

Also did you install vmware tools?

Also, you're not really specific enough as, did you load up the windows guest, then go up to the top menu's and "vm" and add the usb device there once the vm is running?

The USB device was plugged directly into my laptop that is running FC5. I do have vmware tools installed and the guest system was loaded when I plugged in the device. I didn't do anything with the VM menu because I didn't think I needed to. I am actually in the process of reading the VMWare server guyad and it tells me that I needed to add a USB Controller, which I think is what your asking me if I did. That is something I plan to try tonight.

Yes Imcilwain, you have to install the vmware tools. It basically makes your 'guest-os' see a linux to guest compatible USB controller. Without the tools it will not work.

Secondly, yes, after you install the tools, you have to add the controller up top in vmware servers, under the vm pull down, in one of the menu's there, you can't miss it.