[Knitebane]

Not an assumption EXPERIENCE. If XP can see it, and it can’t automatically install drivers for it, and it hasn’t been told to ignore the fact that it doesn’t know what it is, then there will ALWAYS be a New Hardware wizard. 100% of the time ZERO exceptions. That’s what the New Hardware wizard is for ALL hardware that it can’t recognize.

I guess that's why they have instructions on what you need to do if XP doesn't detect your new hardware.

Now if it can’t see it, like with your virtual machine, that’s a completely different situation. It can’t fail to recognize what it can’t see.

No it's not. Windows has no idea whether it's running on real hardware or virtual hardware. The hardware is presented exactly the same.

It can’t fail to recognize what it can’t see.

Well, that part is true enough. Of course, it happens with real hardware too, just like it did to the writer of the article.

[boogerbear]

Didn’t bother to actually read the article you linked to huh. It’s all about getting the OS to see the hardware. Like I said, if it can’t see it it can’t not recognize it.

Windows doesn’t know if it’s running virtual or real. But depending on your virtualization that’s going to keep a lot of hardware away from it. I work everyday with faxboards that Windows cannot see in any virtual environment, tried them all and none of them pass the existence of those boards through to a virtual Windows.