No PC suite is needed, the flasher tool includes the connectivity cable driver needed for the machine to connect the phone properly.
Install / load XP mode > download flasher tool > install > plug in phone with u pressed > give the machine a few secs for the host system to pick it up > select "USB" from the XP mode VPC instance's menu > tick the "N900 (Recovery Mode)" or similar device name > XP instance detects it, and if you have the flasher tool already loaded, will pick it straight up and run.