Can't use USB serial dongle

Parallels Desktop 3.0 build 5584, OS X 10.5.2, 15" MacBook Pro

I use an IOgear GUC232a USB serial dongle both with OS X and with a Windows XP guest OS under Parallels. This all worked fine until last week when I installed IOgear's USB driver on the OS X side. Now whenever I plug in the USB dongle, Parallels returns this error:

USB device you are trying to connect to the virtual machine is being used by another application. Close that application or unplug the device and plug it again. Then try to connect the device again.

This is true regardless of the setting in Configuration Editor. Also, *nothing* is using the USB dongle on the OS X side -- it doesn't even show up under kextstat.

This is a showstopper, as the one critical app I have in Windows requires serial console access. Please advise.

thanks

dn

 

OK, a workaround: If I uninstall the USB serial dongle driver on OS X, Parallels can see the dongle again.

That's a stupid fix, though. Is there some way where I can use this USB dongle in *both* OS X and Windows under Parallels?

thanks

dn

 

Can't use GUC232A with Garmin 201

I had the same problem in trying to get my Iogear GUC232A to work with my Garmin 201. I found that the OS X driver seemed to take control of it and wouldn't let Parallels have it. So I just uninstalled the Mac driver and just use the XP driver installed on the Windows side. Not a perfect solution, but it works since I am using the PC version of the Garmin software and have no need to use the converter from the Mac side.