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NPMinn
Contributor
Contributor

Serious USB 3.0 Issue on VMware Fusion 5

Hi Guys!

I'm new here & below are my problem.

  • USB 3.0 external hard drive is not able to discover on 64 bit window 7 Ultimate Edition.
  • However the same device can be found easily without struggling under MAC OS X Lion & 64 bit Window 7  which is installed under Bootcamp.
  • In addition to that, all external DVD/CD drives can be found without any issue.
  • Tried with other USB 3.0 external HDD, still the same.
  • However can connect any USB 2.0 flash drives & USB 2.0 external HDD without swats & tears.

ERRORS

  • Under Window device manager - "The driver for this device are not installed. (Code 28)
  • Under VMWare Fusion 5 - "unable to connect host". Dont know which host does the software referring to?

ACTION TAKEN

  • Try to resolved as per early threads & KB instructions but no improvement.
  • Requested tech support since the last 2 days back with VM log files but no reply as of today.
  • Tried to used squirk method as per KB but still the same.

LAPTOP & Hardware Detail

  • MBPro Retina with i7 2.7 Ghz, 16 Ghz RAM, 512 GB SSD
  • Window is - 64 bits Window 7 Ultimate Edition
  • External HDD used is "SeaGate 1 TB, Backup Plus", "HP 500 GB", "Buffalo 1 TB". All are USB 3.0.

As of 24th, I'm using PARALLELS DESKTOP 7 but due to RETINA display issue, I've purchased VMWare as they declared RETINA & USB 3.0 support as well as Window 7 & 8. Yes! it does supprt RETINA & do value their effort.

But my major issue here is USB 3.0 seems totally not supported & VMWare support is quite incredible as there's no reply at all.

By looking at the previous threads & KB, this USB 3.0 issue was existed since VM version 3 & SUPRISINGLY......!!!!! still there on VMWare 5..???

I used to deal with PARALLEL tech support via call centre & chart. Impressively they're 24 hrs available & they dare to admit that PARALLEL DESKTOP 7 is not RETINA support but VMWare...???

Does anyone experienced the same issue then... pls... pls... let me know as my all my DATAs are on external HDDs & I'm using on both MAC & Window.

20 Replies
a_p_
Leadership
Leadership

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vmEck
Hot Shot
Hot Shot

I'm running a 16 GB rMBP as well and have no issues with my Seagate passport 750 gb usb 3.0 hdd. I'm using it with both win7 and win8 along with nested esx servers. I haven't seen any of the issues you are seeing.

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Linjo
Leadership
Leadership

Fusion 5 does only support USB 3.0 with Windows 8, please see here:

http://www.vmware.com/products/fusion/features.html

// Linjo

Best regards, Linjo Please follow me on twitter: @viewgeek If you find this information useful, please award points for "correct" or "helpful".
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NPMinn
Contributor
Contributor

Mine is "Seagate Backup Plus Portable Drive 1 TB" (Link: http://www.seagate.com/external-hard-drives/portable-hard-drives/standard/backup-plus/). Do you think there's any issue with above model...

As I mentioned in my initial discussion, all my external HDDs are working fine with Mac OX X Lion & 64 bits Window 7 Ultimate edition. No additional USB driver or controller require... Why it's not working with Window 7 on VMWare fusion.

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NPMinn
Contributor
Contributor

Thank! I saw that as well but it didn't say Fusion 5 doesn't support USB 3.0 but it does say something confusing like "1Microsoft Windows 8 required for USB 3 support."

Am I correct?

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WANGooRoo
Enthusiast
Enthusiast

Why is that confusing?

It's pretty clear.   To use USB 3.0 in a Fusion 5 guest, the guest must be Windows 8.

Simply not supported for Windows 7.

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laughinman1
Contributor
Contributor

Ok, so I understand that USB 3 is only supported via Windows 8 in Fusion 5.

So it's not even possible to run my USB 3 HDD in USB 2 mode to work in Windows 7? It's this that's confusing me ...

Please forgive my ignorance. Thanks in advance.

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NPMinn
Contributor
Contributor

Hi Guys!

Don't waste your time any more!

Below is the feedback fm VM & attached is the screen shot showing that Window 7 supports USB 3.0 & you can connect USB 3.0 in your virtual mchine.

But! the catch is you need to use "Parallel Desktop", either Parallel (7) or (8)....:smileylaugh:

---QUOTE---

Hello Nyi,

Thank you for your response.

Please find below the details required.

1) Windows 7 Guests are not supported with USB 3.0.
2) No,installing additional driver wouldn't work

Here i would suggest you to share the USB 3.0 drive as a mac-mounted volume and then map as as network drive in the VM

Steps:

1) Launch VMware Fusion
2) Start Virtual Machine(Windows)
3) Go to virtual machine from menu bar--> settings
4) Click on sharing -> Make sure shared folder is on
5) Click on +  and add the drive --> this will map on Virtual machine

Please find below some more information

USB 3.0 support works only for OS that comes with USB 3.0 drivers.
Which are Windows 8 and the recent Linux OSes.
Microsoft hasn't provided USB 3.0 drivers in Windows 7.
So no USB 3.0 support for Windows 7.


Please feel free to revert back for any questions

Thanks,

Girish
Technical Support Engineer – Desktop
Global Support Services, VMware Inc.

---UNQUOTE---

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naderz
Contributor
Contributor

So, why does the same USB3 drive work just fine when connected directly to a Windows 7 machine (not Mac/Fusion)? VM's answer is unacceptable.

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laughinman1
Contributor
Contributor

I agree naderz, VMware's answer is unacceptable.

I've converted to Parallels. USB3 works fine with Windows 7 via Parallels.

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ColoradoMarmot
Champion
Champion

Because the windows host machine has direct access to the hardware, and doesn't go through a virtualization layer.

Firewire works directly on Mac's, but not in an OSX guest for the exact same reason.

USB 3 drives can be used (slower) with Win7 in Fusion by placing a USB 2.0 hub between the device and the Mac.  That'll step it back down to USB 2, which Fusion can virtualize.

I note in passing that pre-built external harddrives often have strange 'virtual CD' or other partitions in the firmware that make them rather funky - sometimes they won't even mount directly on a Mac at all!

manuelmoreno
Contributor
Contributor

i have the same problem. Severals USB 3.0 disk dont work in windows 7.... but Why Parallels USB 3.0 works fine and in Fusion DONT???

This is unpresentable! we are a lost vmware fusion users... this error NEED to be FIX ASAP!

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ColoradoMarmot
Champion
Champion

As has been answered earlier in the thread, Windows 7 doesn't support 3.0 devices natively.  There are third-party hacks and drivers, but nothing official from Microsoft, so that's why they don't work.  If you put a USB 2.0 hub between the device and the computer, then they drop back to USB 2.0 mode and work just fine.

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manuelmoreno
Contributor
Contributor

Say that Windows 7 don't support USB 3.0 is the same to say that dont support the new Nvidia Graphic Card... Is all Drivers!!! and if don't exist drivers in Vmware for USB 3.0 in Windows 7 is a VMWARE PROBLEM... USB 3.0 is only hardware.. and the hardware need to be handle by a driver.

OR why in Parallels under Windows 7 the USB 3.0 works???

is a Driver problem... but vmware is so lazy that do not want to do!

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ColoradoMarmot
Champion
Champion

No it's not.  Call Redmond.  Microsoft doesn't support USB 3.0 in Windows 7.

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laughinman1
Contributor
Contributor

manuelmoreno wrote:

OR why in Parallels under Windows 7 the USB 3.0 works???

It just clicked. Parallels must've built their own custom USB 3 driver for USB 3 HDDs to work with Parallels 8.

But what everyone's saying is true: Windows 7 doesn't support USB3 natively.

Windows 8 does. Which would be why VMware Fusion 5 + Windows 7 = included USB 3 support.

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ChipMcK
Hot Shot
Hot Shot

laughinman1 wrote

It just clicked. Parallels must've built their own custom USB 3 driver for USB 3 HDDs to work with Parallels 8.

That seems unlikely.

More likely is that they have Windows 7 install a USB 3.0 driver, like one from Intel

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philippx
Contributor
Contributor

Hi everyone

I ran into the exactly same problem. Just to be sure that I got everything right:

On my MacBook Air mid 2013 I've installed VMWare 5 running Windows 7 Ultimate.

It's not possible to connect a USB 3.0 hd to Windows 7 which is plugged into the USB 3.0 port of my MacBook Air? Not even if in the VMWare Fusion settings "USB 2.0" is given?

Have a nice day.

Best wishes, Philipp

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WoodyZ
Immortal
Immortal

@philippx You need to use a USB 2.0 Hub in this use case scenario.

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