Using USB in virtual XP mode

[cameo]

I want use virtual XP mode in Win7 to run an old USB scanner (Umax Astra
2200) that used to run fine not only on my old XP PC but even in a
previous installation of virtual XP mode on my Win7. (Unfortunately Umax
did not make Win7 drivers for it.) But now I just can't get it going
because the USB port somehow is not "seen" by the scanner's driver. I've
been thinking that maybe my XP mode is not configured properly to share
the USB ports with Win7 OS even though the integration features are
enabled in the Tools menu of XP mode box. On the other hand, I'm not
sure how the USB setting should be next to the Tools menu: attached or
not. Can anybody help me with this?

 

[Paul]

I want use virtual XP mode in Win7 to run an old USB scanner (Umax Astra
2200) that used to run fine not only on my old XP PC but even in a
previous installation of virtual XP mode on my Win7. (Unfortunately Umax
did not make Win7 drivers for it.) But now I just can't get it going
because the USB port somehow is not "seen" by the scanner's driver. I've
been thinking that maybe my XP mode is not configured properly to share
the USB ports with Win7 OS even though the integration features are
enabled in the Tools menu of XP mode box. On the other hand, I'm not
sure how the USB setting should be next to the Tools menu: attached or
not. Can anybody help me with this?

Did you try this at all ?

"Use a USB device in a virtual machine"

http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ee449448(v=WS.10).aspx

"From the virtual machine window, click USB
and then click Attach <device name>. "

Paul

 

[pjp]

I want use virtual XP mode in Win7 to run an old USB scanner (Umax Astra
2200) that used to run fine not only on my old XP PC but even in a
previous installation of virtual XP mode on my Win7. (Unfortunately Umax
did not make Win7 drivers for it.) But now I just can't get it going
because the USB port somehow is not "seen" by the scanner's driver. I've
been thinking that maybe my XP mode is not configured properly to share
the USB ports with Win7 OS even though the integration features are
enabled in the Tools menu of XP mode box. On the other hand, I'm not
sure how the USB setting should be next to the Tools menu: attached or
not. Can anybody help me with this?

If you are using Virtual PC then it doesn't "support" USB. If it's
something native to Win7 then my Home Premium doesn't have any built-in
facility for virtual machines so???

 

[cameo]

Did you try this at all ?

"Use a USB device in a virtual machine"

http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ee449448(v=WS.10).aspx

"From the virtual machine window, click USB
and then click Attach <device name>. "

Paul

I've tried with both attached an unattached USB but my scanner still
showed as unrecognized device. What is really puzzling to me is that
once before I had to reinstall the virtual XP, the USB connection used
to work with this scanner just fine. I just don't remember what I did
deifferent then.

And in answering pjp as well, I though it was obvious from my original
post that I used a version of Win7 that included the virtual XP mode,
too. So it's not the Home Premium version.

 

[Dave]

I want use virtual XP mode in Win7 to run an old USB scanner (Umax Astra
2200) that used to run fine not only on my old XP PC but even in a
previous installation of virtual XP mode on my Win7. (Unfortunately Umax
did not make Win7 drivers for it.) But now I just can't get it going
because the USB port somehow is not "seen" by the scanner's driver. I've
been thinking that maybe my XP mode is not configured properly to share
the USB ports with Win7 OS even though the integration features are
enabled in the Tools menu of XP mode box. On the other hand, I'm not
sure how the USB setting should be next to the Tools menu: attached or
not. Can anybody help me with this?

I have the same problem with a visioneer scanner. In my case I couldn't
even get to load the software, told me it didn't like a virtual console.
Since I now have an HP all in one which works all versions of windows and
linux, I've never tried to troubleshoot the scansoft software, maybe
there is a solution.

 

[Paul]

I've tried with both attached an unattached USB but my scanner still
showed as unrecognized device. What is really puzzling to me is that
once before I had to reinstall the virtual XP, the USB connection used
to work with this scanner just fine. I just don't remember what I did
deifferent then.

And in answering pjp as well, I though it was obvious from my original
post that I used a version of Win7 that included the virtual XP mode,
too. So it's not the Home Premium version.

You can try verifying the device exists, and can present config data
properly. On the right, are some download links. x86 is for 32 bit Intel.
x64 is for 64 bit Intel. IA64 is for Itanium (not a desktop). The
UVCView will display the currently connected devices in the host
OS. And, try connecting the scanner to a computer port, and not
to an external hub. If the computer has USB3 and USB2 ports, try
a "native" USB2 port.

http://web.archive.org/web/20070817...com/whdc/device/stream/vidcap/UVCViewdwn.mspx

Note that Microsoft had this stuff removed years ago, so enjoy while
it lasts

There is a later version of UVCView, but it's part of some
SDK or something. And the above version is "good enough".

If you have a problem with the utility, try "Run as Administrator".

And lastly, you could try running the scanner from a Linux LiveCD.
There is a table indicating whether a SANE driver was ever available
in Linux Land. The info on this site, can also be used for
determining what scanners were "similar", and how some
alternate driver solutions might be arranged.

http://www.sane-project.org/cgi-bin/driver.pl?manu=&model=&bus=usb&v=&p=

Paul

 

[Gene E. Bloch]

I want use virtual XP mode in Win7 to run an old USB scanner (Umax Astra
2200) that used to run fine not only on my old XP PC but even in a
previous installation of virtual XP mode on my Win7. (Unfortunately Umax
did not make Win7 drivers for it.) But now I just can't get it going
because the USB port somehow is not "seen" by the scanner's driver. I've
been thinking that maybe my XP mode is not configured properly to share
the USB ports with Win7 OS even though the integration features are
enabled in the Tools menu of XP mode box. On the other hand, I'm not
sure how the USB setting should be next to the Tools menu: attached or
not. Can anybody help me with this?

I can't recall the details 100%, but here's some of my experience.

I was running software to program two home A/V remote controls, one by
Philips and one by Universal Remotes. Their USB connections wouldn't
work in Vista, so I used VMware and a valid Windows XP license to good
effect.

When I switched to W7, I got Home Premium so I could use XP Mode. Well,
it didn't work (USB problems!). I installed the VMware + XP setup under
W7 and all was OK once more.

 

[Gene E. Bloch]

I can't recall the details 100%, but here's some of my experience.

I was running software to program two home A/V remote controls, one by
Philips and one by Universal Remotes. Their USB connections wouldn't
work in Vista, so I used VMware and a valid Windows XP license to good
effect.

When I switched to W7, I got Home Premium so I could use XP Mode. Well,
it didn't work (USB problems!). I installed the VMware + XP setup under
W7 and all was OK once more.

I meant W7 Professional, not Premium, of course. Sorry.

 

[Joe Morris]

You can try verifying the device exists, and can present config data
properly. On the right, are some download links. x86 is for 32 bit Intel.
x64 is for 64 bit Intel. IA64 is for Itanium (not a desktop). The
UVCView will display the currently connected devices in the host
OS. And, try connecting the scanner to a computer port, and not
to an external hub. If the computer has USB3 and USB2 ports, try
a "native" USB2 port.


Note that Microsoft had this stuff removed years ago, so enjoy while
it lasts

There is a later version of UVCView, but it's part of some
SDK or something. And the above version is "good enough".

It's part of the Windows Driver Kit (aka "Device Driver Kit" or DDK). The
current kit (version 7.1) is available for free download from Microsoft.

http://www.microsoft.com/en-us/download/details.aspx?id=11800

The download is a 619 MB ISO file.

And yes, it's irritating to have to pull down the entire WDK to get the
tools it contains when (as in my case) you're not writing device drivers.
Consider it another example of Microsoft not being willing to understand its
customers' needs.

I generally keep the full DDK installed on my development system and grab
the tools from it as needed. The tools are really good (including for crash
dump analysis), but many have a steep learning curve.

Another tool that might help (and which comes by itself) is USBDeview from
NirSoft.

http://www.nirsoft.net/utils/usb_devices_view.html

A heads-up: many antivirus programs will treat some Nirsoft executables as
possible malware and delete, quarantine, or delete them. Given what the
tools do that's not really an unreasonable response, but you may need to
tell your AV program to keep its cotton-pickin' hands away from the Nirsoft
tools.

Joe

 

[cameo]

I have the same problem with a visioneer scanner. In my case I couldn't
even get to load the software, told me it didn't like a virtual console.
Since I now have an HP all in one which works all versions of windows and
linux, I've never tried to troubleshoot the scansoft software, maybe
there is a solution.

Good news! It turned out the fix was a simple driver swap. I've had two
UMAX drivers for this scanner on my PC, one was digitally signed and the
other was not. The installed one was the signed one and that's the one
that did not work. After I swapped it for the unsigned one everything
worked again as I remember it used to before I reinstalled the XP Mode.
I have no idea how those two drivers got there with identical names.

 

[Paul]

It's part of the Windows Driver Kit (aka "Device Driver Kit" or DDK). The
current kit (version 7.1) is available for free download from Microsoft.

http://www.microsoft.com/en-us/download/details.aspx?id=11800

The download is a 619 MB ISO file.

And yes, it's irritating to have to pull down the entire WDK to get the
tools it contains when (as in my case) you're not writing device drivers.
Consider it another example of Microsoft not being willing to understand its
customers' needs.

I generally keep the full DDK installed on my development system and grab
the tools from it as needed. The tools are really good (including for crash
dump analysis), but many have a steep learning curve.

Another tool that might help (and which comes by itself) is USBDeview from
NirSoft.

http://www.nirsoft.net/utils/usb_devices_view.html

A heads-up: many antivirus programs will treat some Nirsoft executables as
possible malware and delete, quarantine, or delete them. Given what the
tools do that's not really an unreasonable response, but you may need to
tell your AV program to keep its cotton-pickin' hands away from the Nirsoft
tools.

Joe

I downloaded that ISO as well. I have a recipe somewhere, for how I extracted
the tool from it. I generally try to avoid installing the ISO, because
it just fills C: with a lot of crap. (Means extra backup time.)

On some of the ISOs, you can readily locate executables and just extract them
with 7ZIP (and rename them). But some of the ISOs, there seems to be a runtime
preparation of some sort, so you really have to install those, in order for the
executable to be prepared properly.

I always look forward to the "monster download" from Microsoft, especially when
I've finished the download, and don't find the tool I was looking for. (I.e.
Tool promised on some web page, but actual SDK doesn't have it. Download next
ISO. Rinse. Repeat.)

*******

And the last thing I downloaded from Nirsoft, I uploaded to virustotal, and
got about three hits out of forty five scanners. Didn't know what to make
of it. Sometimes, you can tell from the name of the detected thing,
whether it's just a heuristic gone wrong, but in the thing I was testing,
I really couldn't be sure what got detected. No matter what site I get something
from, I always have to consider that the site got knocked over, and malware
got inserted. I scan a lot of stuff on virustotal as a result.

Paul