Windows 7 xp mode driver issues?

[86waterpumper]

Here at work, we are using windows 7 with xp mode. Basically windows xp runs in a virtual machine on top of win 7. It works fairly well in some aspects, but we are using autocad which we use dual scroll wheel mice for. These mice have a custom driver obviously where you can setup the wheels and buttons. This driver works perfectly fine when I load it up on windows 7, but I cannot load it up on the virtual xp mode. It says it's installed, but yet it will not launch the mouse setup program. Is there a workaround for this at all or are you just screwed using virtual xp mode into generic mouse drivers? Thanks.

 

[goobernoodles]

You said the driver works fine in windows 7 but doesn't in the XP VM... This may be an obvious question, but is the version you installed on the VM XP compatible?

 

[86waterpumper]

Yes I have the compatible driver. Right now the mouse is working on a older laptop running windows xp and it works on the new one that is running windows 7 with the same driver off the cd it came with. It's actually labeled as a xp/vista driver, but works with win7. Besides I have a older driver that I tried too in the xp virtual machine that said it was for 2000/xp but neither of them work...

Trying to install the driver on the vm, the downloaded older 2000/xp driver actually fails to copy onto the disk it gives a write error in the middle of installation which is strange. The driver that came on the disk with the mouse, installs fine and goes all that way through, it even adds the folder and mouse program to the list of installed programs. When you click on it however, nothing happens whatsoever...nor is the mouse icon added to the taskbar where it usually resides after the driver install

 

[dawks]

Yes I have the compatible driver. Right now the mouse is working on a older laptop running windows xp and it works on the new one that is running windows 7 with the same driver off the cd it came with. It's actually labeled as a xp/vista driver, but works with win7. Besides I have a older driver that I tried too in the xp virtual machine that said it was for 2000/xp but neither of them work...

Trying to install the driver on the vm, the downloaded older 2000/xp driver actually fails to copy onto the disk it gives a write error in the middle of installation which is strange. The driver that came on the disk with the mouse, installs fine and goes all that way through, it even adds the folder and mouse program to the list of installed programs. When you click on it however, nothing happens whatsoever...nor is the mouse icon added to the taskbar where it usually resides after the driver install

Obviously you'll need to get the driver installed before it will work. I'd verify that the download and/or extracted file isn't some how corrupt. Try installing it on a non Virtualized XP install. then use the SAME file to install in the VM. I'm not sure if the XP VM has some sort of tweak to it that doesn't allow a lot of customization or third party drivers.
Then you have the problem that the mouse needs to be passed through to the VM before the XP VM will actually change drivers. When you're not passing the mouse directly to the guest OS you're stuck using the VM's generic driver.
See if you can pass the mouse straight through to the VM.. the mouse wont be available in the host OS until you release it, but should help. Just installing the driver wont cut it.

I have a problem Virtualizing Windows in Fusion on Mac where anytime I click in a text box, the pointer goes super sonic, and its unusable until I go out of the Windows VM and click on something in Mac OS. But, I can pass the USB mouse straight to the VM where Windows changes to its own proper driver for the specific mouse, and the problem is solved. This is a bug between Mac OS, Microsofts mouse driver, and VMware Fusion.

 

[imagoon]

In xp mode, the mouse is translated in to a "virtual mouse" which the VM's driver handles. Unless you setup USB passthrough, you will likely not get it to work because VPC will likely filter any commands it doesn't understand rather than try to pass them to the VM's driver. Pass-through will make the mouse stop working in windows 7 however. Also, AutoCAD as long as you have stayed at least semi current with it, runs fine on Windows 7.

--edit-- Just realized that Dawks said this already.

 

[winoutreach5]

Hi,

Remember that when using Windows XP Mode and Windows Virtual PC that because it is a virtualized environment you may have to select which machine you wish to connect certain USB devices. However, it is also important to note that some devices are not able to be virtualized. In the Microsoft TechNet blog post Networking and Using Windows XP Mode the author briefly touches on the options to attach select USB devices to an XP Mode VM.
About a quarter of the way through the article, there is also a screenshot available for reference. For your convenience I have included the instructions below:

• Click the USB tab on the XP menu bar
• Click ATTACH

Also, for additional potential solutions you might want to defer to the following Microsoft TechNet and Microsoft Answers forum threads Windows XP Mode VPC USB’s and How to add a USB device to XP Mode in Windows 7.

There is another method that does allow for the pass through of certain devices to VMs but said method relies on hardware virtualization. More specifically, Intel’s VT-d or AMD’s AMD-Vi would be required for hardware redirection support within a virtual environment. Also a server level virtualization product such as Microsoft’s Hyper-V, an integral part of Windows Server 2008 R2, would be required.

Jessica
Windows Outreach Team – IT Pro

 

[86waterpumper]

Thanks for the help and replies. Here is what I know so far.

Try installing it on a non Virtualized XP install. then use the SAME file to install in the VM.

This part is no problem. We have used the exact same drivers on both a xp machine, and on the new machine on the windows 7 environment. I have verified the driver is not corrupt. We have the original disk drivers off the cd. If you are just in windows 7 the driver and mouse wheel works great even now. In fact we have even got autocad working under windows 7. The problem is that we use a very expensive third party add on program for autocad, which is written in 16 bit code, and will not work on windows 7 no matter what. This is the reason we are forced to use the virtual mode.

Indeed the problem is the driver pass through. All windows 7 is doing is passing through a very meager generic driver. To be fair this is the same way that virtualbox and other programs work I guess. The trick is to make the pass through driver to give up control and let the vm dictate the proper driver, or either to pass through all the mouse settings, either option would work. I do know about the add usb feature on the vm window, but all i can see here to add on are things such as usb thumb drives and external media etc I see no mouse option.

I do have a option to enable vt-d in the bios which i think is already enabled but I will make sure. At this point I have another older mouse I intend to also try, I guess I am just curious if anyone had gotten ANY specific mouse drivers to install within the normal windows virtual xp environment as shipped without special virtualization software etc.

 

[dawks]

I haven't tried this on Microsofts Virtual PC so I don't have the specific fix for you, but with VMware Fusion, I actually had to go into the vmkd and manually edit the config file to let the guest take exclusive control over the mouse. I'm guessing they hid this to minimize support calls from rookies who'd inadvertently get their mouse stuck in a guest OS. Google to see if Virtual PC has that option too.

 

[86waterpumper]

I can try that, but I'm betting that it isn't as easy to change a config file to get the microsoft vm to work for the same reason you are mentioning...idiot proofing etc. I looked through a few pages of google searches and couldn't find alot relating to it, but more may be available in the technet boards/blog etc.

I fooled a bit more with this issue, I had a older a4tech wop-35pu dual mouse, this mouse will not install under windows 7, but it would install under the virtual xp mode. Driver went all the way through and even loaded it's icon in the taskbar so alot better install than the other mouse. I can right click the mouse icon in the taskbar and pull up the mouse driver properties and set all settings and they take and the option is saved. Now for the bad...with all of this still the scrolling wheels do not work under autocad. For some reason both wheels only zoom. It is weird, some of the mouse features work, like there is a goofy sonar feature that will put a circle around the mouse pointer if you hit cntrl key etc. even that worked, but other things such as mouse tails for instance and the scrolling do not. So the vm is giving that driver a partial control at best. It is infuriating to be so close and part of it to work and not that. I will test some more and see if the scrolling function works on other programs such as internet pages or office or wordpad etc