Running Vista in a VM on a Tablet PC

[Tom Ker]

I have Vista Business installed in a VMware VM on my XP Tablet Edition 2005
HP tablet PC. VMware doesn't recognize the Wacom digitizer, so I can't use
all the functionality of the tablet in the VM. I have basic input and
writing capabilities, but that's it.

Does anyone know how to, or even if it's possible to, get VMware to
recognize that device so the VM will be a fully functioning tablet? I
haven't been able to find anything on their forums.

Thanks,

Tom

 

[Thai Berry \(U.S.\)]

The VMachine does not care or know you are using a tablet PC as the host...

you can try installing the software of the walcom inside the vmware client
OS...

IF it is compatible with vista, if not find the updated drivers from
walcome...


normally VMWARE has a USB support, so whatever you plug in will work as a
usb device normally

 

[Thai Berry \(U.S.\)]

to clarify this.. you must install the walcome inside the vista client.. and
use it with the USB support
that VMware provides...

Perhaps what you are currently doing is just using it as a mouse from the
host to the client.

 

[Tom Ker]

The VMachine does not care or know you are using a tablet PC as the
host...

Right, but because the host is a tablet PC it has special hardware built in
(the digitizer), not plugged in via USB, that allows pen input. As I said
in my OP, I have basic input capabilities, but because the VM does not see
the digitizer I can't, for instance, calibrate it. If I press and hold my
pen for a right mouse click I see the XP dotted circle instead of the Vista
radiating circles.

you can try installing the software of the walcom inside the vmware client
OS...

Fails because the VM does not have a virtualized digitizer installed, so the
software doesn't think the hardware is there to support it. That's what I
need to do, get VMware to recognize it.

Thanks,

Tom

 

[Taibear ios]

then the answer is simple

You cannot do that.

A virtual machine thinks its running on the hardware inside the virtual
machine and does not care
or knows whats "outside"

 

[Tom Ker]

then the answer is simple

You cannot do that.

Simple answer, and what I figured, but not what I wanted to hear. :-(
Just trying to see if there was any way to bring what's "outside" into the
VM.

Thanks,

Tom

 

[Taibear ios]

you can perhaps DUAL boot your tablet pc so that you will
chose to go to XP or Vista..

that way you will have top speed and each os will have access to the
hardware

 

[Philip Doragh]

Simple answer, and what I figured, but not what I wanted to hear. :-(
Just trying to see if there was any way to bring what's "outside" into the
VM.

Thanks,

Tom

The "architectural" answer is that the VM Manager must be upgraded to
understand the new device/bus class and then provide a "generic" device/bus
solution for all of the VMs. If VMWare had a generally available VM Manager
DDK adaption kit, then you could attempt to do it yourself... but since they
don't, your only avenue is to ask VMWare to do it and watch it fall to the
bottom of a long list of requests that they don't have time to do given the
ROI (Return On Investment) of the request.

Phil

 

[Tom Ker]

you can perhaps DUAL boot your tablet pc so that you will
chose to go to XP or Vista..

Unfortunately not worth the political effort in my environment. Thanks for
the suggestion, though.

Tom

 

[Tom Ker]

Thanks for the details, Phil. It's good background knowledge to hold.

Tom

 

[Josh Einstein]

Technically speaking, some digitizers are in fact connected via USB
internally. You can verify this in the host's device manager by grouping the
list in "Devices by Connection" mode. The digitizer may be connected to a
USB bus or it may be a serial device.

Now I don't know off hand what VMWare is capable of as far as emulating USB
or serial devices in the guest PC, but because it's Vista you are much
better off than if it were XP. While you won't be able to get flick gestures
or the in-place TIP, the TIP can be added to the taskbar simply by right
clicking and going to toolbars, then tablet pc input panel. You can stick it
to the right or left of the screen and bring it up that way and it won't
have to be docked and it won't disappear when you move the pen away from it.
This type of interaction with the TIP was impossible in XP without a
bonafide Tablet PC with a HID driver.

 

[Tom Ker]

Technically speaking, some digitizers are in fact connected via USB
internally. You can verify this in the host's device manager by grouping
the list in "Devices by Connection" mode. The digitizer may be connected
to a USB bus or it may be a serial device.

Thanks, John. When viewed by Type the Wacom digitizer is listed as an HID
and when viewed by Connection it falls under "Intel 82801GBM (ICH7-M) LPC
Interface Controller - 27B9" then under "Extended IO Bus" and "Wacom
Penabled MiniDriver".

I've been through the VMware forum discussions about USB Wacom tablets and
tried all the stuff they suggest, but no go.

I think I'm done till I can upgrade the (host) PC to Vista.

Tom