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Albert_R
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USB 3.0 works on Host, but won't install on Guest

Hi @all

Recently I have installed VMware Player 12.5 on an HP Elite 8300, featuring Intel USB 3.0 ports. I7 CPU, 16GB RAM.

Host OS:

  • Windows 7 Professional (x64)

Guest OSes:

  • Novell Open Enterprise Server 6.5 (x86)
  • Windows Server 2008 R2.Standard Edition (x64)

Everything is running fine, but the the USB 3.0 driver won't install in Guest Win 2008, although it is installed and working fine on Host OS. So I am restricted to USB 2.0 mode (as selected in Guest options). The related drivers are:

  • Intel USB 3.0 Root-Hub
  • Intel USB 3.0 eXtensible Hostcontroller

Both are already installed on the Host OS, but the Guest OS rejects to install the drivers.

Any idea what I am doing wrong?

Best regards & many thanks

Albert

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bonnie201110141
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For Windows 2008 R2 guest, you need to install Intel xhci driver. The link is given in VM settings>USB Controller when you set USB compatibility to 3.0. Please download that driver and install it in the guest. Please let me know if it does not work well.

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RDPetruska
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1. You should not need to install vendor-specific drivers in a guest, as it typically does not see that hardware as such.

2. Is your VM configured to use USB3, or just USB2?  If you cannot change this, you may need to upgrade the virtual hardware (via the GUI it would be a change to the 'supported Workstation version').

3. If step 2 works, have you tried connecting a USB3 device and seeing what happens?

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Albert_R
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Thanks for the quick reply.

  1. I can select the USB version using VM's settings picklist - 1.1, 2.0 and 3.0. If pick 2.0 everything is fine, when I pick 3.0 I'll get a warning message from the Guest Windows (can't install driver). And indeed, then the hardware overview displays a missing driver for the particular USB port. This is the moment where I tried to install the vendor's driver, but without success, as mentioned before.
  2. I have tried both ways, with an attached device (a recent WD 3 TB external disk) and without.

Albert

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RDPetruska
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What does the device manager show for the hardware that needs drivers, when you select USB 3.0?  Obviously, the guest requires drivers (or else it would just work) - but my thought is that the interface VMware shows to the guest is not the actual vendor's hardware implementation... and therefore the vendor drivers will not work, you need a more generic driver from Microsoft (or other).

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Albert_R
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What does the device manager show for the hardware that needs drivers, when you select USB 3.0?

@

This is shown:

Geräte-Manager FS12_3_Seite_1_Bild_0001.jpg

BTW, I have already tried an Intel driver, from the Intel Download Center. But this won't install, as it complains about insufficient capabilties:

Bildschirmbereich_Seite_1_Bild_0001.jpg

Is there something more generic available?

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Albert_R
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In order to add some more information... I recently installed a new USB 3.1 adapter card, accompanied by the vendor's software (ASMedia XHCI 1.1 Controller).

Net result: Same problem as before, as with the built-in hardware (HP Elite 8300 CMT):

  • The access to the USB drive from the host machine is fine, no error in the driver list.
  • The access to the USB drive from the virtual machine won't work, and an error entry appears in the driver list.

It seems that the problems boils down to a failure in the virtualizing software (VMware player).

Any ideas what can be done?

Thanks

Albert

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wila
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Hi Albert,

For an old OS like Windows Server 2008 R2 that does not include an inbox USB3 driver you do need the intel driver that you pointed the link to.

If that driver does not install then you'll have to hope that intel supplies a new driver....

Note that the virtual hardware of your VM should be set to the latest version in order to work.

--

Wil

| Author of Vimalin. The virtual machine Backup app for VMware Fusion, VMware Workstation and Player |
| More info at vimalin.com | Twitter @wilva
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Albert_R
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Thanks for replying, Wil. So I gather that you can't install any third party driver, when using VMware. If a device isn't supported "out of the box" (from the OS), WMware won't allow using it. I remember that Windows 7 and Windows 2008R2 (as it's server counterpart) didn't support USB 3.0, as this finally was managed by Windows 8.

Still it is strange that many different drivers work fine on the host, but don't replicate their services to the VM. Obviously it is not possible to install the same driver onto the VM, as there is no "real hardware" visible.

How do I set the virtual hardware of my VM to the latest version? I have bought a license for VMware Player version 12.5.2.

Albert

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wila
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Albert,

With the virtual machine shut down, not suspended. Right click the VM in the library, -> manage -> Change Hardware compatibility

Follow the steps in the wizard.

The hardware should be set to "Workstation 12.0" compatibility.

--

Wil

| Author of Vimalin. The virtual machine Backup app for VMware Fusion, VMware Workstation and Player |
| More info at vimalin.com | Twitter @wilva
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Albert_R
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Thanks, will give it a try - after the server's production time.

Albert

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bonnie201110141
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For Windows 2008 R2 guest, you need to install Intel xhci driver. The link is given in VM settings>USB Controller when you set USB compatibility to 3.0. Please download that driver and install it in the guest. Please let me know if it does not work well.

Albert_R
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bonnie201110141‌: Great, this is working! So many thanks for pointing me to the (obviously visible) link on the VMware dialog!

Best regards,

Albert

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Clive_Thorne
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Hello all,

Just read through the above with great interest.

It seems that my VM originated in VMware '6.5-7.x', and so does not display USB 3.0 as a USB compatibility option.

This has alraedy been discussed above, but when I right click on the VM in the library and go to settings, I can see that the Hardware version is 6.5-7.x, but can't see anyway of changing it.

I'm using the free 'Player' version, would that account for it? If so then is there a backdoor way of changing the version, eg by editing a file somewhere?

If I create a new VM then it does show USB 3.0 and V12 Hardware version. I guess as a last resort I could create a new on with appropriate disk size and then restore the partition form a backup of the original?

Thanks,

Clive.

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wila
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Hi Clive,

Just install the Workstation trial version...

Even once that trial expires you can still use Player that comes bundled with it.

On top of that you then can also still use this part of the interface (and a few other extras not normally in player like network editor)

The only thing you can't do after the trial expires is start the VM in Workstation itself.

--

Wil

| Author of Vimalin. The virtual machine Backup app for VMware Fusion, VMware Workstation and Player |
| More info at vimalin.com | Twitter @wilva
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Clive_Thorne
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Thanks for your help people.

Looks like this is now resolved. In the free version you can still change the hardware version by editing the VMX file directly, and setting it to 12.0 enables the USB 3.0 option.

Haven't loaded the drivers yet, but I'm sure that that will work OK.

Clive.

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wila
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Hi,

Changing the hardware version using the wizard in Workstation tends to do more as just increment the number.

This is why I suggested installing workstation over just hand editing the file.

USB3 might or might not work by just bumping the number, I'm not sure, but you have a fair chance of it just working.

--

Wil

| Author of Vimalin. The virtual machine Backup app for VMware Fusion, VMware Workstation and Player |
| More info at vimalin.com | Twitter @wilva
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itc_qmb
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This is Solved for me

this issue  ocured when you want to add USB3.0  device on virtual machine OS.

In my case ,  I wanted to present my western digital external hard drive to windows 2008 R2 Enterprice .

First :you should go to link below

Downloads for Intel® USB 3.0 eXtensible Host Controller Driver

Second  : find the USB  driver for os and install it on OS

Finally  :   reset the OS.

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Gscanavachi
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hi Bonnie, I have a similar problem (virtual server is a Windows 2008 R2 SP1) but my environment, other than VMWare player, runs on top of VMWare 6.7, update 2, the virtual server has the hardware compatibility version 15 and VMWare tools version 11265. 

When adding the USB 3.0, it doesn't show any link for a driver download, so, I would really appreciate if you could point me in the right direction.

ps.: I have tried searching for the xHCI driver on the web, but everything I download says it's not compatible to the OS and can't be installed.

Thanks in advance

Guilherme

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