How to Add a Serial Port in XP and Win7 Guest.

[avatrx]

Thanks! got it. now I have to figure out how to get my VM to recognize printers on my network. BUT - at long last I can use my cutter and my old cutter software on XP running in Vbox!

[mit2sumit]

ok,..let me brief
i did the settings recommended in guest OS as WinXP where host OS as Win7
and found the same error as

Failed to open a session for the virtual machine Black XP.

Failed to open host device '\\. \COM2' (VERR_NET_HOST_NOT_FOUND).

Result Code: E_FAIL (0x80004005)
Component: Console
Interface: IConsole {db7ab4ca-2a3f-4183-9243-c1208da92392}

i understand that there is no such port installed in my host OS, i.e. win7
but what to do,...there is always driver failed to install for Pl2303 usb_serial driver for my usb burner of microcontroller...
I checked latest version but it always failed...and thus i installed VMWAre to work in WinXP...but again im not sorting out my prob...
is any solution there...plz let me know

[jorgensen]

Normally the serial port emulation only works with the built in legacy port.
Try to instal the USB driver at the guest, and possible ad it to the USB settings for automatic attachment.

[mpack]

Normally the serial port emulation only works with the built in legacy port.

Umm... I'm not aware of that restriction, in fact we've had plenty of successful issues solved on this site dealing with how comm ports numbered >9 are handled. Naturally, nearly all such ports are via USB adapters of some kind. In fact VirtualBox has no way of knowing whether a host comm port is native or via an adapter (and therefore couldn't treat them differently), as long as the host provides access to it by name using a common API. You may have been thinking of the recently introduced support for Windows LPT ports: those have to be grabbed at a lower level and therefore VBox will care whether they are native or via USB.

@mit2sumit: the Windows UNC name for COM2 is "\\.\com2". Note that case might be important. Do not insert superfluous spaces either. If course it's important to look in the host device manager and verify that it is actually COM2 and not some other number. This number must identify a serial port on the host which exists and is not already in use.

[mit2sumit]

@mpack: Thank u for showing interest...
but let me brief again...
I always got yellow exclamation mark while installing "Pl2303 usb_Serial comm driver" in my host Win7 OS.
To solve this, i went for "update the driver" as many times...but its not getting installed, and fails..
Now, what i tried is,... installed WinXP as client in Virtualbox and tried to install that driver.
What im not getting solved is, how to make the com port active in client side to use this port to connect with my "USB burner for microcontroller".

Plz suggest me if this trick gonna work...and where am I making faults...
or is there any other ways to solve....

[mpack]

If it's a USB serial port then yes, you can mount that in a VM. You have to take care of the USB side first before you can load drivers for device which USB connects to. Please read the user manual sections on configuring a guest, specifically the USB section, also Google for "USB site:forums.virtualbox.org" for discussions of common problems.

[mit2sumit]

i may be troubling nonsense....but "negative"...i didnt' got my usb microcontroller burner detected in guest OS
i tried to update the extension packs...and enabled EHCI....though it is showing msg as "No USB attached"...in guest OS...
Plz help me in any other way...

[mpack]

Configuring USB is beyond the scope of the OPs discussion. Please do not hijack someone else's topic. Use Google as described above to find other USB discussions on this site, create your own question topic if you need to.

[mit2sumit]

sorry... n thank u!
btw, whats OPs means?

[mpack]

OP = Original Poster or Original Post, the first post in a topic, which sets the subject to be discussed. In this case, adding a serial port to a Windows guest.

[jorgensen]

Normally the serial port emulation only works with the built in legacy port.

Umm... I'm not aware of that restriction, in fact we've had plenty of successful issues solved on this site dealing with how comm ports numbered >9 are handled. Naturally, nearly all such ports are via USB adapters of some kind. In fact VirtualBox has no way of knowing whether a host comm port is native or via an adapter (and therefore couldn't treat them differently), as long as the host provides access to it by name using a common API. You may have been thinking of the recently introduced support for Windows LPT ports: those have to be grabbed at a lower level and therefore VBox will care whether they are native or via USB.

As I recall the +9 port numbering has been about PCI Express cards, using the 'legacy port' interface, but you are right about the 'built in' statement which was wrong.

I have had no success using VirtualBox virtual port with an USB serial port, but admittedly it has been a long time since I tried that. But anyway having the USB driver on the guest side, is what I believe is the preferred way, and stick to this.

[mpack]

As I recall the +9 port numbering has been about PCI Express cards

In fact I have personal experience of a USB/RS485 adapter which had this issue (in fact that's how I learned how to fix it). I imagine that any non-native serial port might be numbered >9, it's entirely up to the vendor.