Cannot connect a hardware protected USB device

[kblume]

Hi all,

I have been labouring on this problem for well over a year, but cannot get a resolution. Numerous communications with VMware Fusion brought no results. Adding more frustration was the fact that I have sent all particulars to VMware, but the complimentary 30 days expired before they bothered to answer.

I am running a marine chart plotting program NavPlanner that uses Navionics charts. Navionics has decided to protect their charts by forcing customers to purchase their USB Multi Card Reader, which has the hardware protection built in.

http://www.landfallnavigation.com/navplanner.html

What can I do to have VMware Fusion take this problem seriously, and address it?

Microsoft’s Virtual PC 7.0 on my wife’s G5 iBook can handle it, albeit at slow speed, why not VMware Fusion?

Cheers,

Klaus

[rcardona2k]

If VPC works have you tried to uncheck USB 2.0 in Fusion? VPC emulates USB 1.1 which Fusion does when you uncheck USB 2.0 in the settings.

[kblume]

Hi,

I’ve unchecked USB 2.0 in Fusion, but, alas, it didn’t work...

Thanks for your advice, though.

Cheers,

Klaus

[admin]

How did you contact us - did you file a support request, or just email?

Can you provide the details requested in ? What is the exact device?

[kblume]

Hi etung,

Thank you for contacting me. I filed a support request on-line,

including three attachments: the two error messages I was getting

plus the .vmx (I believe that was the suffix of the file that I ran

after the program failed).

I noticed that even with my serial number entered I was classified as

running a trial version. That is not true. I have purchased VMware

Fusion. On your website, once the support request has been submitted,

there is no way to correct this error. I checked back occasionally

whether there was an answer posted, but nothing.

With spring season upon us, and the boating season starting (my

business) I would ever be so grateful if this issue could be resolved.

Let me know what I can do to re-submit the necessary files for

someone in your organization to look at.

I have to tell you, I also run Parallels Desktop. It also cannot read

my device. On top of it, PD slows down the MacOS unbelievably, once I

have finished with Parallels Desktop, I always have to restart my Mac

to get back to normal. While running Parallels Desktop, the orange

beach ball keeps spinning and spinning before anything happens. I

REALLY want you guys to solve this problem, because VMware is so much

smoother...

Cheers,

Klaus

[admin]

Can you tell (or PM) me your SR number? I'll ping the appropriate people to make sure it gets looked at.

[kblume]

Hi,

My SR number is XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX

Below is a copy of the e-mail message:

Thanks,

Klaus

• Please do not reply to this email **

Dear Klaus Blume,

Thank you for your order.

Order date: 08/09/2007

kblume@dccnet.com, Dr. Jazzâ?? Red Hot Peppers

Here are your serial number(s) for Order# 1462206:

Serial Numbers for VMware Fusion 1.0 (for Mac OS X):

XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX

First, please register your VMware Fusion serial number(s) by

clicking on the link below. Registration is required prior to

downloading the software and requesting technical support.

http://www.vmware.com/registernow

To download the product, please click here:

http://www.vmware.com/download/fusion

Please enter the serial number(s) when you are prompted during the

VMware Fusion installation.

If you wish to retrieve your serial number(s) at a later date and no

longer have this email message, you can do so by visiting Order

Status and History at:

http://www.vmware.com/vmwarestore/newstore/order_login.jsp.

If you need technical support, please go to:

http://www.vmware.com/requestsupport

Additional resources such as product documentation, knowledgebase and

discussion forums can be found at:

http://www.vmware.com/vmtn

Thank you for your interest in VMware. We hope you have a successful

and enjoyable experience using VMware Fusion!

Best Regards,

The VMware Team

Message was edited by: etung to remove serial number

[admin]

That's your serial number (which you shouldn't be posting). I was referring to a Support Request number - all filed support requests get one for tracking purposes.

[rcardona2k]

FWIW, I replaced my Serial Number with yours temporarily and restarted Fusion and Fusion did not change to a trial or expiration mode. Does the Fusion software tell you that is a trial key or the web site?

[kblume]

Hi,

It’s the website that tells me it’s a trial key...

Thanks,

Klaus

[kblume]

Hi etung,

I was wondering why I hadn’t got an answer before. I thought that I have sent the SR number, but when I checked the forum, it was not there.

Here is my SR number: SR #1103130401

Hope a solution can be found.

Thanks,

Klaus

[admin]

Having the SR number helps. Please add the following line to the .vmx config file while the virtual machine is shut down and Fusion isn't running:

usb.analyzer.enable = "TRUE"

See if you need help locating the .vmx file

Also tell Fusion to enable debugging checks (under Preferences).

Do whatever you normally do where the device doesn't work, then shut the virtual machine down and attach vmware.log (perhaps zipped) for the virtual machine.

Afterwards, you'll probably want to remove the usb.analyzer.enable line since it'll cause your log files to be quite large.

[kblume]

Hi etung,

Try as I might, I have not been able to locate any .vmx files.

I have attached a support file that I collected after the crash.

Thanks,

Klaus

[Neben]

This device works fine for me with both 1.1 and the 2.0 beta. Are you sure the device is being attached to the VM? Could you give the 2.0 beta a try?

[kblume]

Hi Neben,

Thanks for your hint, but the results of VMware Fusion 2 Beta are no

different than before. So close, but no cigar.

The error messages are always the same, and have been for almost two

years:

1. Not enough characters read from file

2. Contact vendor of this application. I have many times, and they are

not interested in supporting their product on a virtual machine.

3. And recently, with the upgrade of NavPlanner from version 3 to 4,

it wants to send a report to Microsoft Windows.

Cheers,

Klaus

[Neben]

I'm using NavPlanner 4.0 and it work well. I can save and load waypoint data. The only thing I can think of is that your card reader may be a different version than the one we have. Could you please open the System Profiler on the Mac Host, select Hardware->USB, then select the MULTI CARD READER from the USB Device Tree and post the Version and Product ID of the device?

Which OSX version are you using and which Guest OS?

[kblume]

Ahh..., here is the info. I believe I copied it down correctly. First,

I cracked the housing of the Multi Card Reader a long time ago, and

found this info:

Datafab ECR23-USB2G VER:A2 08/11/05 I went to their website and

downloaded several drivers that were specific to this make. None made

a difference.

Here is the info that I believe you requested:

Driver:

Date: 01-07-01

Version: 5.1.2600.0

Device Instance Id:

USB\VID_189D&PID_0001\0000184265

Hardware Ids

USB\Vid_189d&Pid_0001&Rev0001

USB\Vid_189d&Pid_0001

Thanks for taking an interest in this.

By the way, as of three days ago I am the proud owner of a new

MacBook. I am running Boot Camp, and NavPlanner runs just fine...

Cheers,

Klaus

[kblume]

Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!

It appears that after almost two years the problem has been resolved with the latest 2.0 beta release.

Boy, was that a long haul. I think I had about two dozen or more technical support messages going back & forth.

Whatever has been done is good now. Finally VMware Fusion can punch through the proprietary Multi Card Reader hardware protection...

Cheers,

Klaus