External portable hard drive not recognized

[ddk8788]

After successfully installing my VMWare Fusion, I attached my Simpletech 160 gb portable external hard drive under the Windows OS. Under SETTINGS on the Virtual Machine, I clicked the USB tab recongnizing the extrenal hard drive and it said CONNECTED. However, I could not find the extrernal hard drive under MY COMPUTER to be able to open my files . I called Simpletech and we formated the external hard drive for both Mac and Windows...still, it cannot be read or recognized.Anything I might be doing wrong or missing ? Thank you!

[rcardona2k]

What does Windows report under the Device Manager (Start > Run > devmgmt.msc)? Open the USB section and see if there is a mass-storage device there (See attachment). When you exit Fusion does the drive work in OS X? Also in OS X, when you click the hard disk icon and choose Get Info from the FIle menu what is the format?

[stkilda]

I'm having the same problem with a Sandisk Titanium USB flash drive and Vista as a virtual OS.

The Fusion Settings does seem to recognize the USB drive but it doesn't show under Vista's Device Manager as a USB Storage. The drive just isn't visible in Explorer.

Under OS X, it isn't visible either when Vista is the active application.

[ddk8788]

Oh, that is not good..stilll have not worked on my problem even if some have

helped me. I wonder why.....what do you plan to do if the problem with your

USB is not solved? Will you still go for VMWare Fusion? I am choosing

between this and Parallels for Windows bought at the Apple store....can't

decide yet....

[ddk8788]

*Hello ! When I click on USB, I donot see my USB or external hard drive. All

that are listed are 😘

**

Generic USB hub

Intel ( r ) 82371AB/EB/PCI to USB Host Controller

USB Root Hub

*When I exit Fusion, the extrenal hard drive works on the Mac. It appears on

the desktop. *

**

*When I click the Hard Disk icon from the Get Info of the File menu, the

format says:*

**

MAC OS Extended ( Journaled)

**

*I hope this information could help so you can assist me. This is the last

factor I need to finally decide on purchasing the Fusion. I had no problems

with this on my Paralllels for Windows but I just prefer the Fusion is set

up that is why I am veering towards purchasing the VMWare usion when my

30-day trial expires. *

**

*Thank you very much for youe help! *

**

Dinna

*

*

[rcardona2k]

MAC OS Extended ( Journaled)

This is a Mac ONLY-formatted drive. You will have to re-format the drive for use with any Windows system (Fusion or Parallels). You can do this by running Disk Utility (under Applications > Utilities). Pick your USB drive in the left column in the right panel click the "Erase" tab, then under "Volume Format:" chose MS-DOS File System, then click Erase.

Note: if you have important files on your drive copy them to your OS X disk first before performing the above. After you finish you will be able to mount the drive in OS X and Windows

[ddk8788]

Hello ! I already formatted my extrenal hard drive to MS-DOS and when I

attach it to my USB port under the Windows XP<\, it still does not recognize

it.

Under Virtual machine, it is Connected but in MY COMPUTER, it does not show.

Under device manager, there are only 3 USB ports showing ( Generic USB Hub,

/ Intel 82371 AB/ EB/PCI to USB Universal host Controller / USB Root Hub)

and not one of them seems to be my external hard drive.

I wonder what is missing to be able to read my external hard drive.

Again, thank you so much for the assistance!!!!

Sincerely,

Dinna

[jthall]

None of my USB devices are recognized under VMware Fusion 1.1 on a MacPro. Not my external harddrive, (formatted with NTFS specifically for windows XP to use in fusion), or my printer. (Brother 7820n). They are recognized if I boot natively to Windows XP. They work fine in Mac OSX (Leapord).

JTH

[admin]

Did you connect the USB devices to the guest? USB devices can only be used by one OS at a time.

[jthall]

Thank you so much for your reply, I feel so 'stupid'. I was unaware that I had to click on the USB icons in the VMWare bar to activate the devices. Now that I have done so, they seem to work just fine,

JTH

[BatGuano]

As an addendum to rcardona's post, after having opened device manager, I found that a USB controller(VMWare's virtual controller, I assume) was listed as unrecogized. I just reinstalled the driver and now life is good.

Should note that my problem was that I just couldn't see a USB hard drive in Windows (guest == Win2k3;OSX/Fusion not involved), so this might not be the absolute best place to record this. That said, it was rcarona's post that reminded me of device manager and led to the solution of my problem, so it's as good a place as any, I suppose...