HowTo: Setting up VMware Fusion to work with HID devices

[#1]

Hi Guys,

Ever needed to enable a HID compatible device in a VMware Client product, and was unable to? VMware blocks HID devices (by design). However if you need to get around that, like I did to enable a USB Barcode Scanner or a Foot Control on my VMWare Fusion virtual machine, here's what to do. Directions are for VMware Fusion, however should apply to Workstation, etc. as well.

• Make sure Guest VM is powered down, go into settings for your Guest VM you want to enable and make sure that under USB-->Advanced Options the automatically USB connection was on "Ask what to do", NOT ON WINDOWS!

• Browse to the .vmwarevm file of the guest VM , right click and choose Show Package Contents (similar to unzipping archive) and find the .vmx file. * This will just be the .vmx file in your vm's virtual hard drive directory for Workstation (Windows) version.

• Right click the .vmx file and choose Open With --> TextEdit. Add the following line at the end of the file:

        usb.generic.allowHID = "TRUE"

• Save the .vmx file and close it, then connect your HID device (barcode scanner) so that it is recognized in OSX, and boot up your Guest VM.

• Once the Guest VM is booted and logged in, on the top of the vm's window there should be several USB icons to connect, hover over the one for the barcode scanner or foot control (as example), then click the Connect Symbol for your device.

Once connected open Device Manager and you should see the new device as USB Human Interface Device.

If you find this information useful, please vote or award points for "correct" or "helpful".

Twitter: http://twitter.com/#!/jo_strasser

best regards, Strasser Johannes

[tracywang]

How to vote to a wiki document?

[jo_strasser]

on the bottom of the document (stars)

[Charles0245]

Excellent !! Works perfectly for my Philips LFH 2320, included in the Philips LFH 7277 transcription kit.

Thank you again !!!!!

[jo_strasser]

Hi Charles,

no problem!

greetz, Jo!

[etka]

It doesn't work for me unfortunately. I want to add "Future Devices HID unikey lite". VM shows the device, but it doesn't work. I'd be very happy if you give an advice.

(Guest OS: Windows 8 Enterprise; System: Macbook Pro 13 Late 2013; VM: Fusion 6.02)

[firedogrod]

I tried this on my 2013 Macbook pro retina, but usb.generic.allowHID = "TRUE" is not in the list of possibilities to edit. I have done this in the past with my 2010 macbook pro so i wonder if having a usb3.0 machine is part of the issue. here is the list of things i can edit. Any help would be greatly appreciated

.encoding = "UTF-8"

config.version = "8"

virtualHW.version = "10"

scsi0.present = "TRUE"

scsi0.virtualDev = "lsisas1068"

sata0.present = "TRUE"

memsize = "2048"

mem.hotadd = "TRUE"

scsi0:0.present = "TRUE"

scsi0:0.fileName = "Virtual Disk.vmdk"

sata0:1.present = "TRUE"

sata0:1.fileName = "auto detect"

sata0:1.deviceType = "cdrom-raw"

floppy0.fileType = "device"

floppy0.fileName = ""

floppy0.clientDevice = "FALSE"

ethernet0.present = "TRUE"

ethernet0.connectionType = "custom"

ethernet0.virtualDev = "e1000"

ethernet0.wakeOnPcktRcv = "FALSE"

ethernet0.addressType = "generated"

ethernet0.linkStatePropagation.enable = "TRUE"

usb.present = "TRUE"

ehci.present = "TRUE"

ehci.pciSlotNumber = "35"

sound.present = "TRUE"

sound.virtualDev = "hdaudio"

sound.fileName = "-1"

sound.autodetect = "TRUE"

mks.enable3d = "TRUE"

serial0.present = "TRUE"

serial0.fileType = "thinprint"

pciBridge0.present = "TRUE"

pciBridge4.present = "TRUE"

pciBridge4.virtualDev = "pcieRootPort"

pciBridge4.functions = "8"

pciBridge5.present = "TRUE"

pciBridge5.virtualDev = "pcieRootPort"

pciBridge5.functions = "8"

pciBridge6.present = "TRUE"

pciBridge6.virtualDev = "pcieRootPort"

pciBridge6.functions = "8"

pciBridge7.present = "TRUE"

pciBridge7.virtualDev = "pcieRootPort"

pciBridge7.functions = "8"

vmci0.present = "TRUE"

chipset.useAcpiBattery = "TRUE"

hpet0.present = "TRUE"

usb.vbluetooth.startConnected = "TRUE"

chipset.useApmBattery = "TRUE"

tools.syncTime = "TRUE"

displayName = "Windows 7 x64"

guestOS = "windows7-64"

nvram = "Windows 7 x64.nvram"

virtualHW.productCompatibility = "hosted"

proxyApps.publishToHost = "FALSE"

tools.upgrade.policy = "upgradeAtPowerCycle"

powerType.powerOff = "soft"

powerType.powerOn = "soft"

powerType.suspend = "soft"

powerType.reset = "soft"

extendedConfigFile = "Windows 7 x64.vmxf"

uuid.bios = "56 4d bf c2 49 40 00 e7-f3 ae a3 46 8e 47 2e 0b"

uuid.location = "56 4d bf c2 49 40 00 e7-f3 ae a3 46 8e 47 2e 0b"

replay.supported = "FALSE"

replay.filename = ""

scsi0:0.redo = ""

pciBridge0.pciSlotNumber = "17"

pciBridge4.pciSlotNumber = "21"

pciBridge5.pciSlotNumber = "22"

pciBridge6.pciSlotNumber = "23"

pciBridge7.pciSlotNumber = "24"

scsi0.pciSlotNumber = "160"

usb.pciSlotNumber = "32"

ethernet0.pciSlotNumber = "33"

sound.pciSlotNumber = "34"

vmci0.pciSlotNumber = "36"

sata0.pciSlotNumber = "37"

scsi0.sasWWID = "50 05 05 62 49 40 00 e0"

ethernet0.generatedAddress = "00:0C:29:47:2E:0B"

ethernet0.generatedAddressOffset = "0"

vmci0.id = "-1907937781"

vmotion.checkpointFBSize = "134217728"

cleanShutdown = "FALSE"

softPowerOff = "FALSE"

usb:1.speed = "2"

usb:1.present = "TRUE"

usb:1.deviceType = "hub"

usb:1.port = "1"

usb:1.parent = "-1"

floppy0.autodetect = "TRUE"

sata0:1.autodetect = "TRUE"

floppy0.startConnected = "FALSE"

unity.wasCapable = "FALSE"

gui.fitGuestUsingNativeDisplayResolution = "TRUE"

tools.remindInstall = "FALSE"

toolsInstallManager.updateCounter = "3"

sata0:1.startConnected = "FALSE"

floppy0.present = "FALSE"

ethernet0.vnet = "vmnet3"

ethernet0.bsdName = "en0"

ethernet0.displayName = "Wi-Fi"

checkpoint.vmState = ""

ethernet0.startConnected = "TRUE"

monitor.phys_bits_used = "40"

gui.lastPoweredViewMode = "fullscreen"

gui.fullScreenAtPowerOn = "TRUE"

gui.viewModeAtPowerOn = "fullscreen"

usb:0.present = "TRUE"

usb:0.deviceType = "hid"

usb:0.port = "0"

usb:0.parent = "-1"