Bluetooth in VMWare Fusion

Yesterday I wanted to update the firmware in my Parrot EasyDrive Bluetooth carkit. Seems simple enough to do it using VMWare Fusion. I started up Fusion, chose the option to connect the “Bluetooth USB device” and found that Windows didn’t have the driver. Crap, I remember having to do something with BootCamp to get the drivers, but I couldn’t recall. Now that BootCamp wasn’t a download (it is part of Leopard), I started poking around at the BootCamp Assistant and got no where. I searched online and couldn’t find an answer. Finally, I found a reference to inserting the Leopard DVD while in Windows. I tried this and when I did, the BootCamp driver installer came up and installed my drivers. Perfect; why couldn’t VMWare say something about this on their website?

Oh that brings me to something else, on the Mac, AutoPlaying of a data CD/DVD has been disabled for years, but it seems that Windows still has this on by default (I run Windows XP). Has Microsoft not learned from all the viruses and malware available for Windows? Are they taking that ease of use over security? While I understand there are tradeoffs, I think this is a poor one to make.

12 Replies to “Bluetooth in VMWare Fusion”

  1. How would you know there is a virus on there before putting it in? A number of large companies have accidentally introduced viruses in the manufacturing process of their CD/DVDs.

  2. Thanks for blogging! You just saved me, trying to get Win XP Pro under VMWare Fusion to use bluetooth drivers so I could upgrade my Parrot CK 3100. Thanks!

  3. Thanks for the tip. I’m a Mac and VMware Fusion newbie. I’ve been getting nowhere trying to get my Nokia 6110 to talk to the Win XP VM. Your article hit the spot. I thought I’d put in more detail for other newbies like me.
    1. While the Win XP VM is running, insert the Mac OS X Install Disc.
    2. Close the Install Assistant window when it offers to Remote Install Mac OS X/DVD or CD Sharing.
    3. Open My Computer, right click the CD drive and select Open from the drop-down menu.
    4. Go to the Boot Camp folder and run setup.
    5. Click Next/Yes when the installer offers to install Windows Software Updater. It won’t ask you but it will also install the Boot Camp drivers for Bluetooth and iSight among other things.
    6. Follow the instructions. The last step is a reboot. If Windows hangs on shutdown just stop and restart the VM from VMware Fusion.

  4. Thanks for that, you\’re right you would think VMware would tell you this. Anything that executes automatically is a risk, I agree with that point too.

  5. i cannot seem to get my bluetooth mouse to work. does it have to be a mighty mouse? i inserted the leopard software and followed the directions above. the process went perfectly, however the computer will not find my device and still shuts down due to a blue screen error? what should i do i need this mouse so i can do architectural work?

  6. I have also a problem.
    Even bootcam installed perfectly, I have the Bluetooth device in the hardware table (in Windows) with the yellow Question mark, because Windows does not have the drivers.
    I have tried to execute the AppleBluetoothInstaller.exe, and nothing happens. The same with the AppleBluetoothEnablerInstaller.exe

    Are you sure there is nothing more to do?

  7. Gambit, your answer is the key. Thanks very much.
    I was looking for a way to sync a new LG Cookie with my MacBook, and I had recently installed Fusion3 +WinXP. Could not figure out how to have apple hardware windows drivers!!
    I installed them following your excellent stepbystep,

    thanks

  8. Thanks. This was the hint I needed. Btw if you only want to install the bluethooth drivers, insert the CD and goto \bootcamp\drivers\ . Here you will find the single driver installers. Just select the one for bluetooth and execute it.

  9. Thanks for this! It’s been bugging me for a few minutes, and I assumed that VMware Fusion would provide an abstraction layer that wouldn’t require drivers. Obviously I was wrong, and VMware is stupid for not putting this on their site.

    In relation to your autoplay comment; Microsoft has recently released an update that changes autoplay behaviour (i.e. it doesn’t work by default).

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