louyo, answering your questions:
1 - yes, all other usb devices connect ok.
2 - yes, the device shows up in the removable devices on status bar.
3 - VM settings: yes, auto connect is on.
4 - I dont know - I am using usb 3 - where do I set the compatibility?
5 - Reboote several times :-(
and @WoodyZ - where do I find the vmware.log file to compress and attach?
Thanks you all for trying to help me!!!