Logitech mouse drivers lose connection when using Fusion -- any solution?

[michael_f]

When using Fusion, Logitech (on the Mac side) loses track of the mouse, and as a result, no special mouse features work, nor do any per-application settings assigned by the mouse control panel. I usually have to log out and back in to get the mouse working properly again. I've tried de-selecting every USB option in Fusion (no USB 2.0, no auto-connect), to no effect. It's quite annoying, since I rely heavily on my mouse button mapping. Screenshot attached of the mouse control panel having a problem finding my mouse. I've tried disconnecting / reconnecting it, I've used Logitech's utility for forcing a reconnect -- nothing works except logging out and back in. Details below:

\- Mac Pro

\- Logitech MX Revolution (superb mouse... spin baby spin)

\- Logitech "lcc213" drivers

\- OSX 10.4.9

\- Fusion 3 running clean installation of Vista Ultimate (64-bit)

\- 4GB RAM (1GB assigned to VM,

[manuel_wenger]

Logitech Mac mouse drivers have never worked well and don't behave correctly IMHO. Try uninstalling Logitech Control Center, reboot, then download and install USB Overdrive (www.usboverdrive.com).

It's not free, but definitely worth the $20. It solved all my Logitech mouse problems.

[ta6er · Accepted solution]

I was in the same exact boat... I'm psyched because hopefully I will definitely hook you up. I just figured out my setup. I have an mx510 and I use my buttons like so:

mouse1 - default

mouse2 - default

mouse3(wheel) - left double click

cruise up and down buttons - off

application switch button - alt+f4 (close)

smaller side button - minimize

larger side button - windows key+D (desktop)

So here's what I did:

Set all USB options in fusion to default.

Install SteerMouse on your host Mac computer: http://www.apple.com/downloads/macosx/drivers/steermouse.html

Add the VMWare Fusion app to the applications list, configure your mouse button actions as you want. For me, I had to keep mouse 3 (the wheel button) to the "Middle Click" action in SteerMouse. Then in my Windows XP guest machine, I installed Cool Mouse and configured that to remap the wheel click to double click. Voila! SteerMouse is awesome.

Also, you didn't enable HID devices in your config file in VMWare by any chance, did you? And did you install the VMWare tools on the guest machine?

By the way I was just using the default VMWare mouse drivers, not Logitechs. They are yucky.

PS: IMO SteerMouse > USB Overdrive.

Good luck!

[michael_f]

Thanks guys. This is more of a workaround than a solution, but given the problem seems to be more with Logitech, I'm giving it a pass for now. Double thanks for the tip about steermouse -- nice little app, and more full-featured than USBOverdrive. It even supports using the tracking-speed buttons on the gaming mice for changing the mouse's native optical tracking speed, just like the original drivers. Nice touch.

Sadly, this means going back to my Logitech G5 instead of the MX Revolution; Logitech's drivers install \*vastly* improved scrolling support (it scrolls with many times the usual resolution; totally smooth... there's nothing like it on any platform, even Logitech's PC drivers can not compare when scrolling), and without that, there is really no point in a mouse with a wheel as nice as the Revolution's. I'll be sticking with G5 + Steermouse until they figure it out.

[manuel_wenger]

Sorry about that - I actually wanted to recommend SteerMouse in my first reply, but instead typed "USB Overdrive" for some reason. I probably was tired

Anyway, USB Overdrive was the piece of software that solved the problem on my system as well.

But why do you need to go back to the G5? Doesn't the MX Revolution work with SteerMouse? Scrolling can be fine-tuned with it as well...

[michael_f]

But why do you need to go back to the G5? Doesn't the

MX Revolution work with SteerMouse? Scrolling can be

fine-tuned with it as well...

The MX drivers seem to do something with scrolling; it's extremely smooth in "free spin" mode, and can be set extremely slow, so if you spin the weighted wheel the page just glides for several seconds. With Steermouse the mouse can't be put into spin mode; it's locked in ratchet mode (as far as I was able to manage, at any rate). Sort of like the gaming mice needed to have their resolution buttons programmed to work, the same will need to happen with the Revolution series scroll mode switch.

[fragmore]

Open the system pref pane and then look at the configuration for the mouse. At the top is global settings, hit the + key to the right and a dropdown will let you choose VMWare Fusion, do it. Then set the special setting you need and close out. You should not install a windows version in windows or you will get 2 cursors and only one will work and not correctly. Since VMware is a mac app solve it by these special settings.