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AJKBOC

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ESXi 4.1 USB Device Not Detected

I have ESXi 4.1 running on a Sun Fire X4170 server. A Windows XP guest machine is running inside the host.

I connected a USB external hard disk on the X4170 server and I am trying to make the guest Windows XP machine to detect that hard disk.

I have also connected a USB flash disk on the same server, but the Windows XP machine does not see any one of the two external hard disks.

On the guest Windows XP machine I have added a USB controller and when I try to add another device, under the “Choose the type of device you wish to add” window, I have “USB Device (unavailable)”

What I’m I doing wrong here?

Thanks.
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ianmellor
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Hi,

Is your hardware version 7? Is your usb device on the hcl

http://kb.vmware.com/selfservice/microsites/search.do?language=en_US&cmd=displayKC&externalId=1021345

If it is not on the list then is might not work.

Hope this helps.
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AJKBOC

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The hard disk I have plugged in, is not in the HCL. So that is why it is not visible.

In the HCL there is a USB hub. - Cables To Go USB 2.0 7-Port Hub Model# 29560 -

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817810010

If I buy that hub, and plug my incompatible USB external hard disk on the hub, will it be detected by the guest virtual machine?
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ianmellor
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The list of supported USB Passthrough devices is all that VMware officially supports. Your device may or may not work, even if it's not listed in the KB, but support for it working or not will not be available is all. I always recommend to posters to stick to HCLs and officially supported hardware. Your other options that may help is VMDirectPath or, at the very least, AnywhereUSB:
http://www.petri.co.il/vmware-esxi4-vmdirectpath.htm
http://www.digi.com/products/usb/anywhereusb.jsp#overview

Regards,
~coolsport00