USB Redirection breaks when creating automated VMs from templates

[VDIMega]

We have USB redirection enabled in the View agent on the parent VMs we use for linked clones.  This always works.

However, this does not work on machines created by vCenter in automated desktop pools.  These are not linked clones.  They result from cloning a tempalte and using the vcenter customization specification.  We have verified that the USB redirection is 100% installed on the template.

Has anyone seen this before?  Our workaround has been to reinstall the View agent after the new desktop is created, but this is not a smooth process.

[gshi]

I saw a KB that looks similar to the issue. Which agent version you are using? so, we can have a try in local.

USB redirection fails in linked-clone images after you upgrade to View Agent 5.3 (2062215) | VMware ...

[VDIMega]

The KB refers to linked clones having that problem, but these aren't linked clones.  The problem right now is with View 6.2.1 in Windows 7.  Interestingly, the desktop template did used to have the View 5.3 agent.  It was uninstalled and then we installed View 6.2.1.  I'll check to see if the information on the template matches the bad information described in the KB article.

[VDIMega]

I checked and none of my VMs have the C:\Program Files\VMware\VMware View\Agent\bin\drivers\vmwvhub.sys file at all, even the ones where USB redirection works fine.  So the problem isn't that that file is the wrong version. 

[VDIMega · Accepted solution]

So I found the problem, and its similar to the one described in your KB article, but slightly different.  For one, the problem is affecting our vcenter-only desktops, not the linked clones.  This appears to be for three related reasons:

1. Sysprep causes devices to be reinstalled on the resulting desktop (Quickprep does not do this)
2. c:\windows\system32\driverstore\filerepository contains a folder with USB drivers for View 5.3 and another folder with USB drivers for View 6.2.1
3. During the sysprep-induced device re-install, Windows on the new desktop does not choose the latest driver version for the USB hub, but rather an older one.

The fix was to remove the older driver folders from c:\WINDOWS\System32\DriverStore\FileRepository on the template VM.  This makes it so that the new desktop cannot find any old drivers, only the 6.2.1 version.  It then has no choice but to install the latest driver.

After this, the USB redirection worked properly on all new vcenter-only desktops.