How do I address this error about USB devices?

Apple Article

Is anyone here technical enough to understand this linked article?
http://developer.apple.com/hardwaredrivers/customusbdrivers.html

Seems like it may explain how OSX interacts with USB devices and how to write drivers etc.
I really need to get my magnetic stripe reader to work & Parallels support finally responded saying they can't help me.

 

is it possible to get osX to disengage the usb port(s) by using "quit process" in activity manager?

i don't know enough about this... forgive if it's a silly question

 

USB device not connected error

I keep getting an error and timing out everytime I try to get my USB card writer to connect to Windows in Parallels.

the error code is easy enough: No USB card writer connected, please connect Card Writer?
It is connected and then the error comes back with "hungApp" in the code
How can I use my USB card writer device

Card writer is a Brother USB PED-Basic

 

Quick 'n' dirty USB solution

This won't work in every case, but it works well enough for us, and is the only solution we've found for Palm syncing:

Disconnect your USB device from the Mac. Open or switch to Parallels. Reconnect the USB device. With Parallels at the front, the virtual machine prevails in contention over ownership of the USB port and the PC can use the USB device. If the Finder or a Mac app are at the front when the USB device is introduced, the Mac captures it and it's unavailable to the PC.

It ain't pretty, but it'll do until Parallels gets off its USB act together.

- John Norris, Duke University

 

Thanks for everyone's comments, but has anyone found a solution? Parallels tech support finally did email me back but was not helpful at all. Unfortunately, John N, your solution does not work for me. Does anyone have both Parallels and Boot Camp installed? Can Boot Camp utilize the XP I installed for Parallels?

 

No, it can't.

 

Put it this way, the error message is incorrect. OS X is not grabbing on to your USB device. Parallels simply has very poor USB support. After so many updates since the first released version, my Parallels 2.2 1970 version still cannot work with my Garmin Forerunner 2.05.

Bottom line is Parallels Desktop for Mac has HORRIBLE support for USB devices.

 

Please have a look at the workaround I propose in this thread and let me know if it's of any
help:

http://forums.parallels.com/showthread.php?t=5403