Vista host Xp guest, shared folder inacessible from host!

tulving · Post by **tulving** » 6. Sep 2007, 23:05

I installed on my Windows Vista, where I have a folder UNIFORM in my Document folder, Virtual Box.

I add a new virtual machine, with Windows XP. I add as share folder that folder: Users\myUser\Documents\UNIFORM.

The problem is than now, if I am on the host Vista, if I go to Documents folder I can't reach the folder UNIFORM, I see as a link, and a messagge that
\\VBOXSVR\UNIFORM is not accessible!!!

PLEASE HELP!

Dudeington · Post by **Dudeington** » 8. Sep 2007, 01:44

What steps did you use to add the share in your XP guest?

tulving · Post by **tulving** » 8. Sep 2007, 02:00

I used the gui, from the shared folder section I selected the host folder.

In fact I cuold use it on the guest. But, when I see that on the host I can't reach it, I've smouted it as sared folder from the same gui dialog of the virtual machine.

Now I neither can't add it again as shared folder...

Dudeington · Post by **Dudeington** » 8. Sep 2007, 02:13

Well, for some reason your Vista host thinks the folder is a network share on a machine called VBOXSVR. The relationships seems to be backwards.

Try right clicking on the actual folder (on your Vista host) then go to properties. What's listed as the location in the properties window?

You could always try starting the process over using these steps:

1. Add the folder into the Shared Folders section in the settings

2. Start your virtual machine, click "Start", "Run...", type cmd, then click "Ok"

3. At the command prompt type:
net use z: \\vboxsvr\[the name you entered for your share]\

This would set the z: drive on your guest as the shared folder. You could use any drive letter though, just replace it in the above line of code.

tulving · Post by **tulving** » 8. Sep 2007, 09:36

This is the properties windows:

I've just tried to add manually again the folder as shared with net use prompt command, but it doesn't work. [/img]

Dudeington · Post by **Dudeington** » 8. Sep 2007, 17:07

I think I see the problem. What you're looking at on Vista isn't actually a folder, it's a shortcut to a folder. Try this.

Right click in a blank area in your "Documents" folder (not on any existing file or folder).

Choose "New" from the menu that appears

Then choose "Folder"

You should see a new folder appear with the name highlighted. Type in anything you want for the folder name. Then go through the steps above to share the folder in virtual box.

tulving · Post by **tulving** » 8. Sep 2007, 20:33

Yes of course....but maybe I'mnot very clear on explaying my real problem.

I can create a new folder on the host documents, and share it for the guest machine...

but my real problem is that I have a UNIFORM subfolder on my host folder Documents, with a lot of important stuff.
After making it as a shared folder for the VirtualBox gust, it is not accessible from the host. And if I try to dismount as shared folder to see if something return ok, nothing happened.

In few words, after sharing a Vista host folder on a Xp virtual machine, that folder with all its content is not more accessible...I think this is a real critical bug.

The strange thing is that on cmd shell the folder is accessible, so I'm moving all the stuff to another new folder...but is still a mystery why on my Windows Explorer on Vista host a folder, after sharing for a virtualbox machine with XP, is not seen as a folder but as a file, link file....