USB activesync work-around that works for me
Wait for XP to finish loading in your VM. That's LONG after you hear the windows music and see the verdant desktop. (Until the CPU graph in the XP Task Manager's Performance Tab is low and stable.) That way XP can turn all its attention to recognizing your USB device.
Make sure Parallels has focus (click on the Windows desktop).
Then plug your phone/pda into the Mac's USB port.
If Activesync doesn't recognize it, tell Parallels to virtually "unplug" and "replug" your phone/pda device from XP like this:
Go to Parallel's list of USB devices it knows about (click on Devices, USB in the menu or on the USB icon at the bottom right of the window frame)
Click on the name of your phone/pda. (Mine is named "vendor specific 0bb4:0a51") Click on it again if necessary.
(Not sure which cryptic name is your phone/pda? Compare the list you see with your phone/pda physically plugged into the Mac with the list you see with it physically unplugged)
IMPORTANT - IT'S NOT YOUR BATTERY: if your phone/pda charges off your USB port, like mine does, make sure it's actually charging when you plug it in. My phone's orange charging light does not go on unless Activesync sees it and can sync to it. Another way to check is that the Activesync icon in the Windows taskbar tray, lower right, is green, not gray.
So Parallels running, XP completely booted, virtually unplug and replug the phone with the Devices, USB menu or your battery won't charge, even though you've physically plugged your phone/pda in. I thought my battery was dying for a while.
Hope that helps
- Ty