Solved: Re: Cannot attach keyboard to VM - Page 3

JBradford · ‎12-22-2006

Hi everyone!

I've been having an odd problem both with the Friends & Family build from VMworld and now with the public beta where regardless of what VM I create/import I can't attach the keyboard. My iMac has an Apple Bluetooth keyboard & mouse. When I start a VM, and click inside it every key I press generates a beep and no input is passed to the VM. I've tried attaching a USB keyboard and have the same problem. It doesn't matter what guest OS I'm running as I have the same problem with trying to enter the VM's BIOS as well. Any ideas?

popupcop · ‎02-05-2007

JBradford -

I have learned that my problems (described in detail in a separate thread "Keyboard does not work - macmini") were caused by a pseudo-daemon application that is part of Quicken 2007 for the Mac. When I stopped this application (Quicken Scheduler) with the Activity Monitor, the keyboard started working. VMware knows about this issue and has promised to look at the issue in detail...

bgertzfield · ‎02-05-2007

Yes -- if any folks running into this keyboard issue do NOT have Quicken for Mac installed, please speak up and let us know!

JBradford · ‎02-05-2007

That's good to know. I do run Quicken on my Mac and I'll check on that process this evening. Thanks!

bgertzfield · ‎02-05-2007

That's good to know. I do run Quicken on my Mac and
I'll check on that process this evening. Thanks!

Excellent to hear. You can either disable the Quicken Scheduler in System Preferences -> Accounts -> Login Items, or log in with the Shift key held to temporarily disable all login items.

Please let us know if this resolves your issue. For what it's worth, I did a Google search for "Quicken Scheduler", and found all sorts of Mac applications whose keyboard support goes out the window when Quicken Scheduler is running:

http://www.quickenforums.com/thread.jspa?messageID=600031622&tstart=0

http://www.macupdate.com/info.php/id/9636 (look at the fixes in the most recent update)

JBradford · ‎02-06-2007

That fixed the problem all right. Just sounds crazy that a scheduler for a financial program (running in Rosetta none the less) causes problems with capturing keyboard input. One of those things that makes me glad I'm not a developer!

bgertzfield · ‎02-07-2007

Let me tell you, it sounds as crazy to you as it does to us developers.

jburnett · ‎02-11-2007

I just installed and downloaded Fusion. I have a 15"mbp. There is no USB devices and I do not run quicken. I am running 10.4 and Fusion is running Vista. I have no problem installing but when the vista install gets to the chose username - which is the first text input needed - there is no keyboard at all. It is nice that the sound is working so that I can hear a sound each time I try to input text!

Any help would be great. Thanks J

bgertzfield · ‎02-11-2007

Hi jburnett,

That's the first case we've heard of where the user doesn't run Quicken. Can you double check by running Activity Monitor, choosing "All Processes" from the "Show" dropdown, and searching for Quicken that nobody else has installed it on your machine?

jburnett · ‎02-12-2007

Built the computer myself and thankfully nobody snuck up and installed Quicken for me. Although I hear those little Quicken installers are everywhere!

admin · ‎02-12-2007

You built a MBP yourself?

Quicken came installed by default on my mini and MacBook, not sure about other models.

jburnett · ‎02-12-2007

Sorry, I should explain. I work in IT and build the netboot imagess for our site. I build them fresh (in this case a MBP with Tiger - not necessarily the install disk that comes with the machine - which could explain the oddity). There is no quicken on them that I can see. I was not aware that quicken came pre installed on any machines - perhaps not in the UK. There are no processes running or sign of Quicken on any of the drives.

I do have ARD 3, Secure Remote Client, Entourage and Office 2004, WGM and other Server Tools. When I run VMWare - I made sure that everything extra was shut down and still no joy. Happy to help in anyway that I can as I would love to get it going.

rcardona2k · ‎02-12-2007

If you would indulge a curiosity of whether the keyboard and mouse input works via VNC to the VM console vs the direct Mac keyboard. You can enable VNC (without installing it in the VM) by adding these lines into your VM's .vmx file. Add this with the VM shutdown/powered off:

RemoteDisplay.vnc.port = "5910"

RemoteDisplay.vnc.enabled = "TRUE"

RemoteDisplay.vnc.password = "password"[/code]

Note: I've chosen port 5910 since you're running ARD which could be on ports 5900 or 5901.

My favorite VNC client is the horribly named "Chicken of the VNC", available here: http://www.macupdate.com/info.php/id/9517

Startup the guest VM and you should connect to localhost on port 5910 with the password you specified in the .VMX. Does the keyboard work with VNC?

Note: Use either ScriptEditor (Apps > AppleScript) or a UNIX-friendly editor like BBEdit Lite, vi, etc. to edit the .vmx. Basically just avoid TextEdit.

jburnett · ‎02-12-2007

Alright, I am going crazy. I did what you asked rcardona2k and booted up VM session to see if vnc worked. However, the keyboard worked without it. I am not sure why as nothing has changed other than downloading textwrangler. I am sorry if I wasted anybody's time but it really did not work and I did not have Quicken!

Thanks all

J

jburnett · ‎02-12-2007

Spoke too soon. Once I got vista to allow me to put the initial username and password, it booted into windows for the first time and said configuring for the first time. The display drivers appeared to be kicking in as the screen flickered and resized. I was left at the vista log in screen with the username I had typed in earlier and I could not put in the password.

This time however, the vm window just said to click inside the window too direct input. However, no matter where I clicked that message did not change to ctrl + option to exit and I was not able to input any text.

I had to shut down the session from the vmware toolbar. I have just restarted the vmware session and able to click inside the window during the vista boot. When the login comes up I am again able to login. I am not sure if it is helping anyone with this? I will keep posting if it is.

Thanks

bgertzfield · ‎02-12-2007

Hi jburnett,

Do you perhaps have your Mac on a KVM, or another system that can connect or disconnect the mouse?

There's a known issue in the current beta where disconnecting and reconnecting a mouse causes this kind of issue. It's been resolved internally, and the fix will be present in the next release.

Sorry for the inconvenience.

Ben

jburnett · ‎02-13-2007

Hi Ben, no no KVM or external devices at all.

However, I booted up today while I was travelling. I was using bluetooth connection to mobile phone and secure remote was connected through the mac. vista came online fine and did not allow me to type any password in. I rebooted a couple of times but no effect. I will try to open the session again once I am offline.

bgertzfield · ‎02-13-2007

Hi Ben, no no KVM or external devices at all.

Is your mouse Bluetooth perhaps? Some Bluetooth mice disconnect from the computer when they go into power-saving mode.

jburnett · ‎02-13-2007

Unfortunately there are no devices on my mbp. no keyboards, no mice. To continue from my earlier post - everything did work once I exited out of secure remote. I stayed on the internet connection over bluetooth to the phone and it was fine.

jburnett · ‎02-13-2007

I just tested secure remote. I booted up Vista on VMware with wireless airport - logged in and all fine. Secure remote client was in the toolbar of osx but not connected to tunnel. All good. switched to osx - connected secure remote and established a tunnel to work - did not open anything else. Went back to Vista - no keyboard. Think I found my problem!

J

bgertzfield · ‎02-13-2007

When you say "secure remote", do you mean Checkpoint VPN-1 SecureClient?