How can I get consistent USB "focus" with Fusion?

[gajacobsen]

One of the programs I run in XP Pro under Fusion is Palm Desktop, which I use daily (don't care for Apple's Calendar or the Mac version of P. Desktop). The trouble is in getting Fusion's Virtual Machine/USB setting to consistently and/or predictably detect (focus) when the Palm TX is connected to the USB port for Hot Syncing. I have tried having the TX connected or not connected when I start Fusion. Have tried closing Fusion with the Palm Desktop open on the XP Pro desktop, or not on the XP desktop.

The Palm syncing cable is plugged into a Belkin USB 2.0 hub, which has other devices (Canon iP4300 printer, Mac Mighty Mouse). These other devices always show in the Virtual Machine/USB settings listing. I have the USB setings to "Enable USB 2.0 suppor" and to "Automatically Connect USB Devices."

If I leave the TX connected long enough (5-10 minutes), Fusion will finally see it, allowing me to HotSync. Is there a reliable way to tell when Fusion's Virtual Machine/USB has "fucus?"

[Harliv]

You can get focus in the VM by clicking it. You can also manually click on the USB icon at the bottom and connect it manually or go to the Virtual Machine menu -> USB and manually connect the device.

[marcusaurelius]

"Focus" is not specific to USB -- the VM has focus any time input is "grabbed" or directed into the Guest OS instead of the Host.

Have you tried disabling "Automatically Connect USB Devices" and attaching your Palm via the USB icon on the lower-right of the application window?

Another thing I'd be interested to hear is whether your Palm is detected more quickly if you start your VM without the Palm connected to the cable, then connect it once the Guest OS has finished "waking up", i.e., the boot or resume operation has pretty much settled down, you can see the Tools icon in the Windows system tray.

[gajacobsen]

The bottom Fusion menu bar typically shows four USB devices. When the Palm TX USB connection is "seen" by Fusion, a fifth USB icon appears. I have already tried every configuration you mentioned, except for disabling "Automatically Connect USB Devices," although that seems illogical. However, I've tried everything else, so what the heck!

The problem is that there seems to be no consistency in when the TX will connect and when it won't. If I just leave it connected, at some point, it will connect on its own.

[marcusaurelius]

Please let us know if connecting the Palm via the USB icon, rather than having it auto-detect, works better.

In either case, I'd still be interested to see the VM's vmware.log file after an instance of the Palm connecting "whenver it gets around to it" under the auto-connect settings.

[gajacobsen]

Just tried to uncheck "Automatically Connect USB Devices;" however, both choices checked are grayed out, so that I can not change them.

I should mention also that the all of the four USB icons shown mentioned in my last post are for other devices, not the Palm TX. Those four always show.

[gajacobsen]

I'm not making myself clear. When Fusion "sees" the Palm USB device, there is an icon and/or I can click on it and then make a connection. The problem is that Fusion frequently does not "see" the Palm device, so there is nothing to "click" on. Once Fusion sees it, it either auto-connects or I can then click on the Palm listing in the Fusion/Virtual Machine/USB panel

[Harliv]

the greyed out options require the virtual machine to be powered off before making changes. Go ahead and shut down the Virtual Machine and you should be able to make those changes.

[gajacobsen]

Have unchecked the automatic detect option. After HotSyncing, Fusion USB port detected the Palm TX, but did not connect (as I guess should be expected). I then manually connected the Palm device and was able to HotSync okay. However, I can't be sure at this point that having the automatic option unchecked is the reason, because sometimes this has happened before.

For what it's worth, it seems to me that Fusion USB should be able to automatically detect new devices (which is essentially what is happening when I press the HotSync button, as HotSyncing turns the TX on). I think I need to try turning the TX on without HotSyncing, and see if the is the key.

[gajacobsen]

I think I've figured it out. If I have the automatic detection option enabled, and then turn on the TX without trying to HotSync it first, Fusion sees the Palm USB device and the Palm USB icon is displayed. Running the mouse pointer over the Palm USB icon shows that it is already connected. Pressing the HotSync button then allows the TX to HotSync with the Palm Desktop. That is the practice I will follow, unless something else happens.

Thanks for your input, as it allowed me to think in another direction (I needed to turn the TX on before trying to HotSync, rather than turning it on by pressing the HotSync button).

[OwenStenseth]

I just wanted to say that this used to work flawlessly before vmware fusion Final. I just recently had to do palm syncing again and discovered that my beta version of Fusion had expired. I upgraded to the final version because I had pre-purchased and now palm syncing does not work the way it used to with automatic detection turned on.

I remember being extremely impressed with how seamlessly this worked. If the focus was not on a vmware machine I could sync my palm with iSync and when it was I could sync it with windows.

The only reason I run vmware is to run Palm conduits that I cannot run under OS X. I really don't want to have to switch to parallels.

\[update] I disabled the OS X hotsync conduit and now it seems to be working the way it used to. I guess I will have to disable/enable the OS X conduit as required.

Message was edited by:

OwenStenseth