Hyper-V USB Dongle Passthrough: Reliable Ways to Use a License Key Inside a VM

Olga Weis • Oct 29, 2025

Why Hyper-V Struggles With Dongles

One of the biggest drawbacks of solutions based on Hyper-V is the lack of universal USB support. Sooner or later, users trying to connect a USB dongle to a Hyper-V virtual machine face this problem: the better part of top-grade professional software won’t even start unless a USB license dongle is plugged into the machine. That means you can’t use those tools inside the guest unless you find a way to pass the key to Hyper-V.

Hyper-V doesn’t implement a generic “wire-level” USB bus passthrough. Microsoft’s supported path is Enhanced Session Mode (RDP under the hood) that redirects some device classes (HID, audio, printers, smart cards, drives). That can get Hyper-V USB dongle visibility for certain “RDP-friendly” devices, but license dongles often need low-level, vendor-specific USB protocols that RDP redirection won’t preserve.

For USB storage only, there is a supported “pass-through disk” method: take a USB drive offline on the host and attach it to the VM as a Physical Hard Disk. That doesn’t apply to USB dongle Hyper-V licensing keys (HASP/Sentinel/Rockey/etc.), but it’s handy for bulk data.

Community experience consistently confirms there is no universal native USB passthrough in Hyper-V beyond the exceptions above.

The Dependable Route: Donglify

Let’s talk about the most convenient (and for some USB dongles, the only) way of connecting USB keys to a Hyper-V guest: software redirecting the dongle over the network.

Donglify creates a secure, software bridge from a host’s physical USB dongle to your guest VM so the VM sees the dongle as if it were local—bypassing RDP class limits. With Donglify, you can also add USB dongles to Hyper-V VMs over the Internet, even if they’re connected to remote computers. Donglify connects USB dongles to Hyper-V instances over TCP/IP, so Hyper-V USB dongle passthrough works for local or remote security keys.

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Step-by-step: how to connect a USB dongle to a Hyper-V VM

1

Create a Donglify account.

2

Install Donglify on the machine with the attached USB dongle (server), then on all the Hyper-V guests (clients) that will connect to the shared dongle over the network.

3

Launch Donglify on server and clients and sign in.

4

On the host, click “+” to list available USB license dongles.

5

Select the dongle and click Share.

6

In the guest VM, find the shared dongle and click Connect.

7

Once connected, the dongle appears in the guest’s Device Manager as if it were physically attached.

Benefits (what makes it the “main solution” for Hyper-V USB dongle passthrough)

Protocol fidelity for license keys (far more reliable than RDP redirection).
Simplicity: install → share → connect; no Hyper-V feature gymnastics.
Team workflows: keep rare/expensive dongles safely on one server and share them to multiple Hyper-V guests when needed (see Multiconnect below).
Security: 2048-bit SSL encryption for data in transit; optional access tokens let teammates connect without sharing the account password.
Scope clarity: works specifically with USB dongles (not a general USB-any-device solution).

Advanced features you called out

Multiconnect feature

Considering the rare availability of some specific USB dongles, it is normal for numerous professionals to have access to a single USB dongle from time to time. This can be even further complicated by some of them operating VMs in Hyper-V. The USB license dongles aren't cheap and easy to replace. That's why it’s a great idea to keep your dongles safe by leaving them plugged into a single server, and use Donglify to share them for your team and set up Hyper-V USB passthrough for security keys in a couple of clicks.

Advanced security

Donglify keeps your dongles safe from unauthorized access thanks to the pick-proof 2048-bit SSL encryption protocol applied to all network data transmission.

Complete package

You only need Donglify to share your USB dongles on one computer and connect to them remotely from others. No spendings on any other apps or extra gadgets like hubs, cables, etc.

Safe shared access

You can grant other users access to your Donglify account without having to expose your login credentials. Just create digital tokens and send them to whoever you want to share your account with.

Tokens are secure digital keys that allow users to log in to a Donglify account without entering an email address and password.

Video guide

Here you can view how Donglify redirects USB license dongles to Hyper-V VMs:

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What Else to Try for Hyper-V USB Passthrough

1) Enhanced Session Mode (RDP) redirection

What it is: You connect to the VM via VMConnect in Enhanced Session Mode or standard RDP and redirect local resources. Works only with certain classes. Good for keyboards, smart cards, audio, and some HID-like dongles.
How to enable: In Hyper-V Manager → Hyper-V Settings → Enhanced Session Mode Policy (host) and Enhanced Session Mode (user). Then, when connecting, pick Show Options → Local Resources → More… to choose devices to redirect. Microsoft Learn+1
Limitations: It’s not “raw USB.” Opaque/low-level USB protocols used by many license keys don’t survive RDP tunneling, and Microsoft is tightening default redirection for security (Azure Virtual Desktop recently disabled several redirections by default). Microsoft Learn
When it works: Simple HID-style dongles or smart-card–style auth tokens; not reliable for most licensing keys.

2) Pass-through disk (USB storage only)

What it is: Bring a USB drive offline on the host, attach it as a Physical hard disk on the VM’s SCSI controller. The guest sees a block device. Microsoft Learn+1
When to use: Moving media, cold-importing data, imaging tasks—not for license dongles.
People often (incorrectly) think this solves Hyper-V USB passthrough dongle; it doesn’t for license keys.

3) `usbipd-win` (open-source, free)

What it is: A Windows implementation of USB/IP that can share locally attached USB devices to Hyper-V guests or WSL2. It exposes the device over TCP; the guest attaches as a USB/IP client. GitHub
Why it’s interesting: It’s free, actively maintained (as of Oct 11, 2025 release 5.3.0), and explicitly calls out Hyper-V guests as a target.
Caveats:
- Client-side support varies by OS; some device drivers may still balk at the USB/IP abstraction.
- Attachments are non-persistent across reboots/device resets (you’ll need to re-attach).
- Less “turn-key” than Donglify; operational polish, logging, and access control are DIY.
When to use: Labs, PoCs, and when you need a no-cost option for Hyper-V USB dongle passthrough experiments. Community write-ups show it working for Hyper-V/WSL scenarios.

Comparison of Solutions for Hyper-V USB Dongle Passthrough

Requirement	Donglify	RDP/Enhanced Session	Pass-through disk	usbipd-win
Works with most license dongles		Sometimes		Sometimes
Security & manageability	High	Medium	N/A	DIY
Persistence across reboots		Session-dependent		Re-attach
Effort to implement	Low	Low	Medium	Medium/High
Cost	Paid	Free	Free	Free

Conclusion

If you must run protected software inside Hyper-V, plan around Donglify for dependable Hyper-V USB dongle passthrough. Try Enhanced Session Mode or usbipd-win if you must stick to native/free options, but expect to land on a USB-over-IP tool for production reliability.