VMware VDI client applications (such as VMware Horizon Client or VMWare Workstation) may in some conditions automatically forward USB devices into a virtual machine upon connection. This can cause issues with medical devices such as ECG, Spirometry, ABPM, ABI, etc as the device will not be connected to the local computer where it is supposed to be.
Diagnosing the issue
The USB device cannot be detected when you try to start a test even though the device is plugged in.
Upon further inspection, a device will appear in Windows Device Manager with the name ‘VMWare USB Device’ on the local PC where the device is connected.
Solving the issue
In VMware Horizon Client, this can be prevented by toggling the following settings (under the ‘Connect USB Device’ button) ‘Automatically Connect at Startup’ and ‘Automatically Connect when Inserted’ from VMWare's top navigation bar whilst being connected to the session.
For other VMWare applications, there will be a similar setting either on the toolbar when connected to a virtual machine or in the VM's settings.
In VMWare Workstation:
- Select the virtual machine and select Player > Manage > Virtual Machine Settings.
- On the Hardware tab, select USB Controller.
- Deselect Automatically connect new USB devices to disable automatic connection of USB devices.
- Click OK to save your changes.
If custom USB redirection settings are required for other devices on your system, please contact your internal IT provider for advice and share this article with them.
Need Help?
LEMR customers can get help by contacting LEMR Support.