Shared drives not visible in some Windows apps !!

[vincen]

Hi

I'm using Virtualbox 5.1.14 in Ubuntu 16.04.2 I have setup in it a Windows 7 Machine with Virtualbox extensions installed in it. I have setup two shared folders from the Linux system to be avalaible in the Windows guest system. If I open the Windows file browser I can access these two shures without problems ! I can see that Windows have given them E and F letters (D being the CD drive).
But in most of windows app these drives are invisible (they are not even listed when it's an Open dialog box in these apps !).
Any ideas what's the problem ? as Windows still see the shares correctly !!

Thanks

Vincèn

[socratis]

Your applications don't like network folders (or shared folders)? Ever had an issue with Notepad? Are your shared folders auto-mounted or manually mounted? If manually-mounted, is the program running in the same user-context as the user that did the mounting?

VirtualBox shared folders present a very simplified file system implementation, just enough to read/write files from/to the guest. Many applications can error when using shared folders, because they expect advanced features, like file locking or access controls, which don't exist for shared folders. Try with SAMBA networked shares and see if that works.

[vincen]

Your applications don't like network folders (or shared folders), as evidenced from the kind of OpenFile dialog that they're using. Ever had an issue with Notepad? Are your shared folders auto-mounted or manually mounted? If manually-mounted, is the program running in the same user-context as the user that did the mounting?

Whichi is strange as two of the «problematic» apps are for sure compatible with network drives and don't show that problem when running as a guest with Parallels ! Auto-mounted folders at boot of guest !

VirtualBox shared folders present a very simplified file system implementation, just enough to read/write files from/to the guest. Many applications can error when using shared folders, because they expect advanced features, like file locking or access controls, which don't exist for shared folders. Try with SAMBA networked shares and see if that works.

Samba is not an option as I want something reliable and fast and access files like a drive not like a share So it looks like there is no solution at that very boring problem

[socratis]

1. Talk to the authors of the "problematic" apps and see why they don't like shared folders (since you're not telling us which apps they are).
2. Samba *IS* your best option, whether you like it or not. VirtualBox shared folders are sort of a network shared folder, except they're not as "reliable". You can definitely have Samba folders look as drives, have you ever tried it?

[vincen]

Talk to the authors of the "problematic" apps and see why they don't like shared folders (since you're not telling us which apps they are).

I didn't mention it because it's some very specific apps (NetLinx Studio by AMX among others) and they already told me they have no problem with regular network drives ! I have been able to test it works fine with some regular network drives in native windows and a friend using it in Paralles on Mac has no problem with network shares in it !

Samba *IS* your best option, whether you like it or not. VirtualBox shared folders are sort of a network shared folder, except they're not as "reliable". You can definitely have Samba folders look as drives, have you ever tried it?

oh didn't know it was possible Will check documentation to find help about how to do that

Thanks

[socratis]

You can definitely have Samba folders look as drives, have you ever tried it?

Will check documentation to find help about how to do that

Once you've enabled Samba on your host, and you've shared a directory, you should be able to see that directory in your Network section in your Windows Explorer. Right-click on a share, Map network drive, make it permanent. That's it.

[vincen]

Once you've enabled Samba on your host, and you've shared a directory, you should be able to see that directory in your Network section in your Windows Explorer. Right-click on a share, Map network drive, make it permanent. That's it.

Will have to investigate more in details as it looks not so easy to get it working like that I can see my Samba shares from my two other Linux computers but from my guest Windows I'm unable to see the shares of same machine The guest windows is well in bridge so it has well an IP adress in same LAN as host computer !