running virtual WinXP on Win7 and can't install printer driver

[gib65]

I just bought a new laptop for someone and it has Windows 7 on it. But I ask to have Window XP installed overtop it since he's not used to Windows 7 and the transition would be too much for him (they couldn't just have Windows XP by itself because the hardware doesn't support it).

I seem to be having a problem installing the driver for his printer now, and I think it has something to do with the dual layers of operating systems.

Let me explain:

While inside Windows XP, I try to install the driver (I've made absolutely sure it's the right one) and I get to a stage where it tells me:

Step 1: plug the USB cable into the computer and the printer.
Step 2: Turn on the printer.
Step 3: Wait for the installation to continue.

Step 3 never happens. It just sits idle forever. I know it's responding to the printer because every time I turn it on/off, I get that "ding-dong" sound from the computer (also whenever I plug/unplug the cable when the printer is on).

After a few trials without success, I tried installing it on Windows 7. It worked.

I figure probably what happened was that upon turning on the printer, it was able to inform Windows 7 of its presence (because Windows 7 is the de facto OS), but this information failed to be relayed to the virtual Windows XP running on top of it.

Here's my question: now that I have it installed on Windows 7, is there some way I can go into Windows XP and inform it of the new driver and/or where it is?

 

[a_giunta67]

This may or not may not be the issue. I run Ubuntu in a virtual machine, and every time I plugged in my external, it gave me the ding dong, but it never appeared. This is what fixed it for me, it may or may not for you. Have the focus on the XP virutal machine and nothing else. Close all other running applications. Then plug in the printer and wait a minute or so. I'm not sure what you're using to run the virtual machine, but there should be a menu or a button that shows all USB connected devices. Choose your printer and it should show up in XP and let you install it. Good luck.