Sorry, but I think VPC must support USB, now.

I have just read an article that said Microsoft will ship VPC on Windows 7,
to support "Windows XP mode" in order to encourage "small business users to
move to Windows 7.

As far as I know there are three major virtual PC solutions, VMWare, VPC and
VirtualBox. The only reason I don't use VPC is that it lacks support for USB!
For example, there are an old software that is used at my office, it checks
license by a USB dongle. There is another embedded development tool that
connects to a debugging device via USB. So in order to move the company move
to Windows 7, the virtual PC solution must support USB or the software
vendors provide drivers for Windows 7. Since the latter option is not always
available, for example the software company is out of business, it's better
for the VPC to support USB.

What is the reason that VPC doesn't support USB while VMWare and VirtualBox
do?

On Mon, 27 Apr 2009 06:05:02 -0700, Tester
<> wrote:

>I have just read an article that said Microsoft will ship VPC on Windows 7,
>to support "Windows XP mode" in order to encourage "small business users to
>move to Windows 7.
>
>As far as I know there are three major virtual PC solutions, VMWare, VPC and
>VirtualBox. The only reason I don't use VPC is that it lacks support for USB!
>For example, there are an old software that is used at my office, it checks
>license by a USB dongle. There is another embedded development tool that
>connects to a debugging device via USB. So in order to move the company move
>to Windows 7, the virtual PC solution must support USB or the software
>vendors provide drivers for Windows 7. Since the latter option is not always
>available, for example the software company is out of business, it's better
>for the VPC to support USB.
>
>What is the reason that VPC doesn't support USB while VMWare and VirtualBox
>do?

THis is a question asked about once a week or so and it is invariably
*not* replied to by any official Microsoft person with inside
information. At least not wit giving any time scale for actual
implementation..

That being so we can safely assume that Microsoft is not at all
interested in supplying support for USB in the guests of their
virtualization software. One could argue that VPC2007 is not really a
Microsoft product, they bought it from Connectrix a few years back so
they might consider it a product only barely maintained.

But then realize that not even the very latest offering, Hyper-V, has
support for USB! And this is new development from MS...

Concerning USB software protection hardware keys I have today tested a
working solution at least for the SafeNet Sentinel SuperPro:
An external USB hub connected to via the TCP/IP network from the
company DIGI (AnywhereUSB) can actually (with some work) be configured
to be used by a virtual computer!
It is a rather costrly solution, but for me at least it *is* a
solution....

--

Bo Berglund (Sweden)

"Bo Berglund" wrote:

> On Mon, 27 Apr 2009 06:05:02 -0700, Tester
> <> wrote:
>
> >I have just read an article that said Microsoft will ship VPC on Windows 7,
> >to support "Windows XP mode" in order to encourage "small business users to
> >move to Windows 7.
> >
> >As far as I know there are three major virtual PC solutions, VMWare, VPC and
> >VirtualBox. The only reason I don't use VPC is that it lacks support for USB!
> >For example, there are an old software that is used at my office, it checks
> >license by a USB dongle. There is another embedded development tool that
> >connects to a debugging device via USB. So in order to move the company move
> >to Windows 7, the virtual PC solution must support USB or the software
> >vendors provide drivers for Windows 7. Since the latter option is not always
> >available, for example the software company is out of business, it's better
> >for the VPC to support USB.
> >
> >What is the reason that VPC doesn't support USB while VMWare and VirtualBox
> >do?
>
> THis is a question asked about once a week or so and it is invariably
> *not* replied to by any official Microsoft person with inside
> information. At least not wit giving any time scale for actual
> implementation..
>
> That being so we can safely assume that Microsoft is not at all
> interested in supplying support for USB in the guests of their
> virtualization software. One could argue that VPC2007 is not really a
> Microsoft product, they bought it from Connectrix a few years back so
> they might consider it a product only barely maintained.
>
> But then realize that not even the very latest offering, Hyper-V, has
> support for USB! And this is new development from MS...
>
> Concerning USB software protection hardware keys I have today tested a
> working solution at least for the SafeNet Sentinel SuperPro:
> An external USB hub connected to via the TCP/IP network from the
> company DIGI (AnywhereUSB) can actually (with some work) be configured
> to be used by a virtual computer!
> It is a rather costrly solution, but for me at least it *is* a
> solution....
>
> --
>
> Bo Berglund (Sweden)
>
Yes the DIGI AnywhereUSB does work, to a small extent. It is intended for
USB software keys and dongles. Not sure if it will allow storage and other
periphs...

PabloCruzio wrote:
>> It is a rather costrly solution, but for me at least it *is* a
>> solution....
>
> Yes the DIGI AnywhereUSB does work, to a small extent. It is intended for
> USB software keys and dongles. Not sure if it will allow storage and other
> periphs...

Boy, that's a helluva "solution" to foist off on the *honest* users of one's wares.

Shame on those vendors.
--
..NET: It's About Trust!
http://vfred.mvps.org

On Mon, 27 Apr 2009 18:37:47 -0700, "Karl E. Peterson"
<> wrote:

>PabloCruzio wrote:
>>> It is a rather costrly solution, but for me at least it *is* a
>>> solution....
>>
>> Yes the DIGI AnywhereUSB does work, to a small extent. It is intended for
>> USB software keys and dongles. Not sure if it will allow storage and other
>> periphs...
>
>Boy, that's a helluva "solution" to foist off on the *honest* users of one's wares.
>
>Shame on those vendors.

Are you shaming DIGI and the others who are supplying a solution to
the problem of remote access to USB devices or are you shaming
virtualization software makers that force these workarounds on us to
get USB into the virtual machines?
It is not really clear from your comment what your view is....

Notice that AnywhereUSB and the SILEX products are not specifically
aimed at virtual computers, they instead target the market of
relocating the USB devices via the network thus allowing multiple
users access to them (albeit one at a time).

--

Bo Berglund (Sweden)

On Mon, 27 Apr 2009 15:58:01 -0700, PabloCruzio
<> wrote:

>
>
>"Bo Berglund" wrote:

>> Concerning USB software protection hardware keys I have today tested a
>> working solution at least for the SafeNet Sentinel SuperPro:
>> An external USB hub connected to via the TCP/IP network from the
>> company DIGI (AnywhereUSB) can actually (with some work) be configured
>> to be used by a virtual computer!
>> It is a rather costrly solution, but for me at least it *is* a
>> solution....
>>
>> --
>>
>> Bo Berglund (Sweden)
>>
>Yes the DIGI AnywhereUSB does work, to a small extent. It is intended for
>USB software keys and dongles. Not sure if it will allow storage and other
>periphs...

It works with USB storage too, that was the easiest part to make
working. I have not tested transfer speeds though.
SILEX has products that are lower cost and they have specific units
for USB 1.1 and USB 2.0 too.
See: http://tinyurl.com/dxwcdl

--

Bo Berglund (Sweden)

Bo Berglund wrote:
> On Mon, 27 Apr 2009 18:37:47 -0700, "Karl E. Peterson" <> wrote:
>>PabloCruzio wrote:
>>>> It is a rather costrly solution, but for me at least it *is* a
>>>> solution....
>>>
>>> Yes the DIGI AnywhereUSB does work, to a small extent. It is intended for
>>> USB software keys and dongles. Not sure if it will allow storage and other
>>> periphs...
>>
>>Boy, that's a helluva "solution" to foist off on the *honest* users of one's
>>wares.
>>
>>Shame on those vendors.
>
> Are you shaming DIGI and the others who are supplying a solution to
> the problem of remote access to USB devices or are you shaming
> virtualization software makers that force these workarounds on us to
> get USB into the virtual machines?
> It is not really clear from your comment what your view is....

I hadn't thought of including MSFT in that, but now that you mention them, sure,
they're the *epitome* of shameful corporate behavior.

No, I was casting derision upon those who force honest users to jump through hoops
to use their software. I have no respect for hardware dongles, activation, and
other schemes of this sort, nor for those who use them to hurt their customers.

> Notice that AnywhereUSB and the SILEX products are not specifically
> aimed at virtual computers, they instead target the market of
> relocating the USB devices via the network thus allowing multiple
> users access to them (albeit one at a time).

Nothing wrong with that.
--
..NET: It's About Trust!
http://vfred.mvps.org

On Tue, 28 Apr 2009 09:39:08 -0400, "Bob Campbell" <>
wrote:

>"Tester" <> wrote in message
>news:C9BFBBA7-B5C6-40A3-915F-...
>> What is the reason that VPC doesn't support USB while VMWare and
>> VirtualBox
>> do?
>
>
>Because MS clearly does not care about having a competitive virtualization
>product.

http://blogs.zdnet.com/microsoft/?p=2621
MJF: Will Virtual PC 7 be available independently of Virtual XP? Or
are the two only available hand-in-hand?

Woodgate: Customers can use Windows Virtual PC independently of
Windows XP Mode. We expect developers and IT Professionals to do
this, as they do today, and we catered to these folks by adding the
commonly requested support for USB to Windows Virtual PC.


--
Cheers,
Steve Jain, Virtual Machine MVP
http://vpc.essjae.com/

On Mon, 27 Apr 2009 15:58:54 +0200, Bo Berglund <>
wrote:

>On Mon, 27 Apr 2009 06:05:02 -0700, Tester
><> wrote:
>
>>I have just read an article that said Microsoft will ship VPC on Windows 7,
>>to support "Windows XP mode" in order to encourage "small business users to
>>move to Windows 7.
>>
>>As far as I know there are three major virtual PC solutions, VMWare, VPC and
>>VirtualBox. The only reason I don't use VPC is that it lacks support for USB!
>>For example, there are an old software that is used at my office, it checks
>>license by a USB dongle. There is another embedded development tool that
>>connects to a debugging device via USB. So in order to move the company move
>>to Windows 7, the virtual PC solution must support USB or the software
>>vendors provide drivers for Windows 7. Since the latter option is not always
>>available, for example the software company is out of business, it's better
>>for the VPC to support USB.
>>
>>What is the reason that VPC doesn't support USB while VMWare and VirtualBox
>>do?
>
>THis is a question asked about once a week or so and it is invariably
>*not* replied to by any official Microsoft person with inside
>information. At least not wit giving any time scale for actual
>implementation..
>
>That being so we can safely assume that Microsoft is not at all
>interested in supplying support for USB in the guests of their
>virtualization software. One could argue that VPC2007 is not really a
>Microsoft product, they bought it from Connectrix a few years back so
>they might consider it a product only barely maintained.
>
>But then realize that not even the very latest offering, Hyper-V, has
>support for USB! And this is new development from MS...
>

And neither does Hyper-V's competitor VMWare ESX server.

--
Cheers,
Steve Jain, Virtual Machine MVP
http://vpc.essjae.com/

On Tue, 28 Apr 2009 17:58:24 -0700, "Steve Jain [MVP]"
<noreply.-@-.essjae.com> wrote:

>On Tue, 28 Apr 2009 09:39:08 -0400, "Bob Campbell" <>
>wrote:
>
>>"Tester" <> wrote in message
>>news:C9BFBBA7-B5C6-40A3-915F-...
>>> What is the reason that VPC doesn't support USB while VMWare and
>>> VirtualBox
>>> do?
>>
>>
>>Because MS clearly does not care about having a competitive virtualization
>>product.
>
>http://blogs.zdnet.com/microsoft/?p=2621
>MJF: Will Virtual PC 7 be available independently of Virtual XP? Or
>are the two only available hand-in-hand?
>
>Woodgate: Customers can use Windows Virtual PC independently of
>Windows XP Mode. We expect developers and IT Professionals to do
>this, as they do today, and we catered to these folks by adding the
>commonly requested support for USB to Windows Virtual PC.

Does this mean that unless we update our hosts to Windows7 RC we are
left without USB support in the guests?

--

Bo Berglund (Sweden)