Windows XP Guest - Shared Folders "request not supported"

Discussions about using Windows guests in VirtualBox.
Erik_FL
Posts: 55
Joined: 8. Feb 2008, 06:46

Windows XP Guest - Shared Folders "request not supported"

Post by Erik_FL »

When I try to delete a folder inside a shared folder with a Windows XP Guest I often get the error "The request is not supported".
If I click "Refresh" in the Explorer folder menu then I can sometimes delete the folder with no error.
I also see this error when right-clicking on folders or files and trying to use the shell menu choices, such as extract ZIP files.
Refreshing the folder sometimes fixes that problem as well.

I'm using VirtualBox 3.1.2 but this has been a problem for me since version 2 that I have been unable to solve.
I've noticed that the bug has been reported a few times and then closed as "fixed".
However I still have the same problem. Is there a work around?

My exact system configuration is a Windows Vista Ultimate 64-bit host with SP2 and a Windows XP Professional Guest with SP3. I'm using a very fast Core i7 quad-core CPU at 3.65 GHz.

This is really the last remaining long term bug that I've had with VirtualBox.
ChuckDtol
Posts: 8
Joined: 24. Jan 2010, 21:14
Primary OS: Ubuntu other
VBox Version: PUEL
Guest OSses: XP, Win7, Linux

Re: Windows XP Guest - Shared Folders "request not supported"

Post by ChuckDtol »

Erik: You are NOT alone. I've had the exact same symptoms (in 3.1.2 and still in 3.2.4) using WinXP 32bit guest on an Ubuntu 9.10 x64 host. This is holding me back from full adoption as well and I have not found a solution or workaround. Mapping the shared file as a network drive (under windows) also has not helped.

Bump. Lets keep this thread alive. We can't be the only 2 people with this problem. Maybe we are the last to figure out the solution; if so, I hope others will share how they solved it.
Perryg
Site Moderator
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VBox Version: OSE self-compiled
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Re: Windows XP Guest - Shared Folders "request not supported"

Post by Perryg »

I just tested this again on the following hosts, using XP x86_32 guests on both:
Ubuntu 9.10 x86_64 host
Vista x86_32 host
Folder deletion works as it should. Can you tell me a little more about the folders. Are they created from the guest or the host?
The part about not being able to delete a folder using a full network share connection indicates a permission problem on the host. Can you verify this?
Look at the share and see if it is full or read only.
What mode are you using for the network in the guest?
ChuckDtol
Posts: 8
Joined: 24. Jan 2010, 21:14
Primary OS: Ubuntu other
VBox Version: PUEL
Guest OSses: XP, Win7, Linux

Re: Windows XP Guest - Shared Folders "request not supported"

Post by ChuckDtol »

Perryg: Thanks for responding. I'll try to answer your questions, but in the past 24 hours, I've found a thread (bug) that describes this to a tee, with more information and an interesting work around that might shed light on it. See http://www.virtualbox.org/ticket/3340 for this thread. I'll try to answer your questions:

Folder deletion works as it should. Can you tell me a little more about the folders. Are they created from the guest or the host?
The folder file permissions seem fine (same as the r+w and owner access is enabled. It doesn't seem to matter if they are created by the guest or host. If the guest creates the file in a sub-folder, it cannot delete it (but the host can). I do have write permission turned on for the share (i.e. Read Only is not selected), which is verified because the guest can create the file in the first place - it is just that it cannot delete it afterwards.

The part about not being able to delete a folder using a full network share connection indicates a permission problem on the host. Can you verify this? The share looks fine with same permissions on sub-folders as the share root. I thought about windows Long Filenames possibly being related, but have ruled it out. From the guest, I can create a folder (called test) on the Shared Folder on the host and then inside it create a file (called test.txt) - no LFNs used. Properties in Windows shows not read only. Linux Host shows ls -al for test and test.txt as follows:
drwxr-xr-x 2 chuck chuck 4096 2010-02-14 14:02 test
-rw-r--r-- 1 chuck chuck 0 2010-02-14 14:02 test.txt
So it does look like when the guest creates the file, the group or others do not get write permission when VirtualBox puts it on the Host. This may be significant.

Look at the share and see if it is full or read only. Full.

What mode are you using for the network in the guest? Machine folder (not transient), Full access.

Have a look at http://www.virtualbox.org/ticket/3340. I'll monitor both threads and be happy to post logs, etc if you wish.
Perryg
Site Moderator
Posts: 34369
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Re: Windows XP Guest - Shared Folders "request not supported"

Post by Perryg »

@ChuckDtol,
Interesting. I would post to this ticket if I were you and explain your problem as well as attach a log file. That is the only way that the DEVs will know that this is a bigger problem.
I also find it interesting that I do not have this issue on any of my machines. I wish I knew why, but I can not duplicate this on my end at all, and I suspect the DEVs are having a time replicating this as well.
ChuckDtol
Posts: 8
Joined: 24. Jan 2010, 21:14
Primary OS: Ubuntu other
VBox Version: PUEL
Guest OSses: XP, Win7, Linux

Re: Windows XP Guest - Shared Folders "request not supported"

Post by ChuckDtol »

I did post in that bug ticket with my specs and confirming the behaviour and workaround on my system. One thing I'm pondering is whether there is a co-relation to having samba running on the host with the issue. By any change - on your working system, are you running Samba server?
Perryg
Site Moderator
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Re: Windows XP Guest - Shared Folders "request not supported"

Post by Perryg »

Actually at the moment I am not. I did at one point but I don't remember having any problems even then, but that was a while ago. Might be worth looking into.
ChuckDtol
Posts: 8
Joined: 24. Jan 2010, 21:14
Primary OS: Ubuntu other
VBox Version: PUEL
Guest OSses: XP, Win7, Linux

Re: Windows XP Guest - Shared Folders "request not supported"

Post by ChuckDtol »

Thanks Perry. My "guess" that it may be a conflict with Samba is a bit diminished. I turned off samba (i.e. "sudo /etc/init.d/samba stop") and retested, but the guest OS still has the problem.

Other than Samba and Crossover Office (which is not active), my host is pretty much stock. My Crossover/Wine is not running, but perhaps it changed something in config. I may try a clean machine without Samba or Wine (CrossOver Office) installed, just to rule those both out and see if I can make it work - like yours.

I'll let you know if I discover anything.
Perryg
Site Moderator
Posts: 34369
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Re: Windows XP Guest - Shared Folders "request not supported"

Post by Perryg »

Yeah I just setup my Samba server again and it still works as it should. Although I remember that accessing this from Vista was a pain until I remembered that I had to change a setting in the security policy of Vista to allow other than NTLMv2 which Samba does not support to. Arghhh Anyway back the the drawing board.
SecretCode
Posts: 67
Joined: 17. Jul 2009, 10:20
Primary OS: Ubuntu other
VBox Version: PUEL
Guest OSses: Ubuntu, XP, other
Location: Finland

Re: Windows XP Guest - Shared Folders "request not supported"

Post by SecretCode »

I have this problem, but only with NTFS volumes on the host (for dual boot) that are shared by vbox into XP guests (for vm use). VBox shared folder support does not make the attributes of the real NTFS volume visible to the guest, and I suspect this is something to do with it.

Can you see (and change) attributes of the files?

I have not investigated it very much, but I think I have read that using Samba to share the folders to the guest will be more functional than using vbox shared folders ... but I haven't tried this yet.
ChuckDtol
Posts: 8
Joined: 24. Jan 2010, 21:14
Primary OS: Ubuntu other
VBox Version: PUEL
Guest OSses: XP, Win7, Linux

Re: Windows XP Guest - Shared Folders "request not supported"

Post by ChuckDtol »

SecretCode: My host files are on an ext3 file-system, not NTFS.

Yes - I can see and change their attributes. Even if (on the Linux host) I add write permission to group and others, the XP guest still cannot delete the file, if it is in a sub-folder.
ChuckDtol
Posts: 8
Joined: 24. Jan 2010, 21:14
Primary OS: Ubuntu other
VBox Version: PUEL
Guest OSses: XP, Win7, Linux

Re: Windows XP Guest - Shared Folders "request not supported"

Post by ChuckDtol »

FYI - I have posted a cross reference to this thread in the bug report at http://www.virtualbox.org/ticket/3340 so those diagnosing can pick up the info over here as appropriate.

Since it is a reported bug, over a year old, affecting numerous users, hopefully it will get fixed. In the meantime, if you are stuck, try the workaround:

Code: Select all

subst z: \\vboxsvr\share
ChuckDtol
Posts: 8
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Guest OSses: XP, Win7, Linux

Re: Windows XP Guest - Shared Folders "request not supported"

Post by ChuckDtol »

Update. I just installed the VirtualBox 3.1.6 (r59338) update that was released this week. I upgraded both the VirtualBox Host machine and the Windows guest VirtualBox add-ons. I then tested to see if a file in the sub-folder of the shared folder could be modified or deleted. Sadly no. The bug as documented is, unfortunately, still not fixed. :{
NoraaC
Posts: 5
Joined: 9. Aug 2008, 08:39

Re: Windows XP Guest - Shared Folders "request not supported"

Post by NoraaC »

Sorry for others troubles.

Glad it's not just me !

The subst workaround seems to work for me in very limited testing.

I can see why this might be tough to track down - while the problem happens often when performing file operation in explorer, sometimes on a different day I will be able to do something that was impossible in the last session. I have never been able to figure out what the difference between the two sessions was. Also how this effects programs that operate on the shared folder doesn't seem to be consistent or very predictable.

Then there is the obvious fact that not everyone or it seems very many are effected.

I have been seeing this for almost a year and this is the first time I have come across someone else with the same problem.
ChuckDtol
Posts: 8
Joined: 24. Jan 2010, 21:14
Primary OS: Ubuntu other
VBox Version: PUEL
Guest OSses: XP, Win7, Linux

Re: Windows XP Guest - Shared Folders "request not supported"

Post by ChuckDtol »

Update. I just installed the VirtualBox 3.1.8 (r61349) update that was released this week. I upgraded both the VirtualBox Host machine and the Windows guest VirtualBox add-ons. I then tested to see if a file in the sub-folder of the shared folder could be modified or deleted. Sadly no. The bug as documented is, unfortunately, still not fixed. :{
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