usb and cd/dvd devices not attaching

[maynard]

I have a need for windows xp and some old software that will not run in compatability mode.
I am running windows 7 x64 as the host machine.
I set up a windows xp guest and I am having erratic attaching and un attaching both the cd and the usb devices.
when i installed the guest I used most of the default settings. i did increase the disk size and also the vidio to 128k
on the host I left the autoplay set as it was or default settings
I did install one windows xp program called autoCAD and it was on a cd and had no problem using that drive.
however I have some other programs on both a dvd and also a usb stick that I need to bring up to install from .
could someone give me a nudge in the right direction please.
Larry

[mpack]

"usb stick" doesn't really tell us much, since it's just a disk drive and anything could be on it. However in most cases the easiest way to get access to a host folder (whether on a local or an external drive) is to access it via the simple "Shared Folders" feature of the VM settings. For this to work you must install the Guest Additions (inside the guest) first.

I'm not aware of any problems accessing CD/DVD drives on Windows hosts, however there's usually less chance of interference from the host if you assocate the guests virtual CD/DVD with host ISO files, rather than host physical drives.