Enable additional forward/back mouse buttons, now?

[GoStryker]

This problem was discussed two years ago:

http://communities.vmware.com/message/449260

and closed with an hope for an update of an new mouse driver.

Now two years later...

Is there an answer for this problem?

Thanks in advance!

[WoodyZ]

Yeah Right! ROFLMAO I've been using VMware Products for over 5 years now and the Mouse hasn't change much at all if any in that time and while they continue to make changes to VMware Shared Folders it is still buggy and problematic since its inception too so I wouldn't hold your breath waiting for a new mouse.

[maddymac]

Fusion uses Standard Virtual PS/2 Mouse (with only Left and Right click)

[wpatton]

Macs have more than one button!?

Sorry, had to add sarcasm to the thread

I would seriously doubt that this addition will be coming as VMWare has to support a lot of hardware and throwing in that support just probably isn't high on the list.

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[Piggy]

Try SteerMouse which lets you define how any of the buttons work. I have a bluetooth Logitech mouse that has a center wheel that can tilt left/right and be pressed down. Don't use the Logitech software (uninstall!) and make sure you're not competing with the MAC OS mouse settings (Expose for example). I slide between two Spaces desktops via tilt left/right. It works great.

[GoStryker]

Yeah, it work's fine.

Thanks a lot!

The back (delete) and forward (shift+delete) shortcut key are the same as in Windows.

[admin]

I believe Fusion 2.0 now presents a 5-button USB mouse (instead of the 3-button PS/2 mouse in Fusion 1.x and older VMware products) to appropriate guests if you create a new virtual machine (I believe it's just a .vmx setting, so older virtual machines could be edited to have it too).

[WoodyZ]

I believe Fusion 2.0 now presents a 5-button USB mouse (instead of the 3-button PS/2 mouse in Fusion 1.x and older VMware products) to appropriate guests if you create a new virtual machine (I believe it's just a .vmx setting, so older virtual machines could be edited to have it too).

The OP didn't state was version of Fusion is being used however when not stated I assume 1.x and if there is something different in the Beta that doesn't mean it will be there in the end either. Also if it is just a parameter in the .vmx then that means the ability has to be in one of the binaries and unless the binaries involved are the same in both 1.x and the 2.0 beta then I don't see how adding a new parameter by itself to an 1.x Virtual Machine running under 1.x is going to provide additional functionality beyond what we've been told to us by you in the past. Does that make sense?

Message was edited by: WoodyZ

Note: That when I said the binaries being the same I mean more so the code in reference to the functionality being discussed and not necessarily the binary itself.

[admin]

I interpreted the OP to be generally asking about the state of multibutton mice, not specifically in Fusion 1.x. Yes, you'd have to be running Fusion 2.0 for the USB guest mouse to work properly.

[Rzn8tor]

I haven't been able to find anything on this in the release notes or use docs. How do I enable a 5-button USB mouse?

[WoodyZ]

I haven't been able to find anything on this in the release notes or use docs. How do I enable a 5-button USB mouse?

According to VMware Fusion menu > Help > VMware Fusion Help > Virtual Machine Basics > Virtual Hardware Specifications

Mouse and Drawing Tablets
■ PS/2 mouse
■ USB mouse
■ USB drawing tablets

Now the only way I see a USB mouse (or USB drawing tablets) functioning is it being attached to either the Host or the Guest but not both at the same time since a USB Device can only be directly controlled by one OS at a time and in doing so obviously once the mouse is connected to the Virtual Machine then you have no mouse in the Host unless you are using a Notebook or a second mouse.

I do not have a 5 button mouse to test so it's just an assumption on my part, so I'm assuming that if you have a 5 button USB mouse and the appropriate software for the target Guest then you would have use of a 5 button USB mouse in the Guest.

[Rzn8tor]

I believe Fusion 2.0 now presents a 5-button USB mouse (instead of the 3-button PS/2 mouse in Fusion 1.x and older VMware products) to appropriate guests if you create a new virtual machine (I believe it's just a .vmx setting, so older virtual machines could be edited to have it too).

Here is the post I was responding to. I'd like to know what the .vmx setting is to enable the 5-button USB mouse.

[WoodyZ]

I believe Fusion 2.0 now presents a 5-button USB mouse (instead of the 3-button PS/2 mouse in Fusion 1.x and older VMware products) to appropriate guests if you create a new virtual machine (I believe it's just a .vmx setting, so older virtual machines could be edited to have it too).

Here is the post I was responding to. I'd like to know what the .vmx setting is to enable the 5-button USB mouse.

See USB HID in

[Rzn8tor]

See USB HID in I've seen that; it talks about using two mice, not about support for a single 5-button mouse in Fusion 2.x. Just to keep from churning further, let me repeat that I reviewed the available docs and help files before posting.

[admin]

No, the USB HID setting isn't the one you want. IIRC, you need to set mouse.vusb.enable = "TRUE" to tell Fusion to use a USB mouse.

[Rzn8tor]

I added the setting, but nothing seems to have changed. The mouse still works, but the extra buttons are not active.

In Device Manager I now have three mice defined: two HID-compliant mouse entries and one VMware Pointing Device.

I tried uninstalling the first HID-compliant mouse entry and no longer had a mouse.

Backed out the change and the Device Manager entries are the same.

Message was edited by: Rzn8tor