WinXP/ Win7/ VB 3.0.6, cannot always access shared folder

[juppkk]

Hi there,

Host: Win XP, Guest: Win7, VB: 3.0.6, guest additions installed
cmd>net use f: \\vboxsvr\f: -p

Inside the explorer the shared folder is visible under
Computer>Networtpath(1)> f: (\\vboxsvr) (F:)
Most programs will run fine. i.e. f:\applications\tc\totalcmd.exe (or clicking thru the menu)

Others like f:\applications\cc\ccleaner.exe doe’s not. (or clicking thru the menu)
Error message: f:\applications\cc\ccleaner.exe. The path does not exist. Check Path and try again.

\\vboxsvr\F:\applications\tc\totalcmd.exe works
F:\applications\tc\totalcmd.exe works

\\vboxsvr\F:\applications\cc\ccleaner.exe works
F:\applications\cc\ccleaner.exe works not

Also at program installation:
Totalcmd offers F: as an installation directory
CCleaner offers only the local drives for installation.

(Totalcmd and CCleaner are just examples for all other)

I have to say that with VirtualBox 2.2.0 everything worked very well.

What can be done to fix this problem?
Thanks juppkk

[Perryg]

net use f: \\vboxsvr\f: -p

Try to setup the share name without the :
This can really cause problems. I suggest that you call it something that will not confuse two OSes like below.
(your share directory what ever it is) You share name f or fshare then the command would be as below.
net use f: \\vboxsvr\f -p or net use f: \\vboxsvr\fshare -p

[juppkk]

Thank you,

I have tried all combinations allready.
But for your suggestion I tried net use f: \\vboxsvr\f -p again without success.

it´s the hostdrive(partition) F: I wand to share.
\\vboxsvr\f or \\vboxsvr\f: can be used depending on what is defined
at the VirtualBox Menu for shared folder.

again, I point out at VB 2.x and earlier there was no problem.

regards juppkk

[Perryg]

There must be a reason. Post the information below:
host terminal/command windows vboxmanage showvminfo <VM Name> and post here. Replace <VM Name> with the actual name of the VM. Use "" if the name has a space in it.

[juppkk]

Hi,

her the answer of: vboxmanage showvminfo "Win 7 Build 7100"
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
VirtualBox Command Line Management Interface Version 3.0.6
(C) 2005-2009 Sun Microsystems, Inc.
All rights reserved.

Name: Win 7 Build 7100
Guest OS: Windows 7
UUID: 918c9342-0325-491d-a72e-29dd5c31b535
Config file: F:\--- VirtualBox\.VirtualBox\Machines\Win 7 Build 7100\Win 7 Build 7100.xml
Memory size: 1024MB
VRAM size: 12MB
Number of CPUs: 1
Boot menu mode: message and menu
Boot Device (1): HardDisk
Boot Device (2): Not Assigned
Boot Device (3): Not Assigned
Boot Device (4): Not Assigned
ACPI: on
IOAPIC: off
PAE: on
Time offset: 0 ms
Hardw. virt.ext: on
Nested Paging: on
VT-x VPID: off
State: running (since 2009-10-02T07:49:21.515000000)
Monitor count: 1
3D Acceleration: on
Floppy: empty
SATA: enabled
SATA 0: F:\--- VirtualBox\.VirtualBox\Machines\Win 7 Build 7100\Snapshots\{b129bf07-faec-42bb-9cf2-02bdb22be64d}.vdi (UUID: b129bf07-faec-42bb-9cf2-02bdb22be64d)
SATA 1: F:\--- VirtualBox\.VirtualBox\Machines\Win 7 Build 7100\Snapshots\{83ee7c54-5b08-45b0-a810-549e374508f4}.vdi (UUID: 83ee7c54-5b08-45b0-a810-549e374508f4)
SATA 2: F:\--- VirtualBox\.VirtualBox\Machines\Win 7 Build 7100\Snapshots\{cb222114-6088-49ab-a35a-3a402161bc46}.vdi (UUID: cb222114-6088-49ab-a35a-3a402161bc46)
SATA 3: F:\--- VirtualBox\.VirtualBox\Machines\Win 7 Build 7100\Snapshots\{4fa14276-d278-436c-9720-b61533499b7c}.vdi (UUID: 4fa14276-d278-436c-9720-b61533499b7c)
IDE Controller: PIIX4
DVD: C:\tmp\VBoxGuestAdditions.iso (UUID: 09c5ac8d-6b6f-4012-b64e-9ff78324838a)
NIC 1: MAC: 080027D83429, Attachment: NAT, Cable connected: on, Trace: off (file: none), Type: 82540EM, Reported speed: 0 Mbps
NIC 2: disabled
NIC 3: disabled
NIC 4: disabled
NIC 5: disabled
NIC 6: disabled
NIC 7: disabled
NIC 8: disabled
UART 1: disabled
UART 2: disabled
Audio: enabled (Driver: DSOUND, Controller: AC97)
Clipboard Mode: Bidirectional
Video mode: 1304x755x32
VRDP: disabled
USB: enabled

USB Device Filters:

<none>

Available remote USB devices:

<none>

Currently Attached USB Devices:

<none>

Shared folders:

Name: 'F', Host path: 'F:\' (machine mapping), writable

VRDP Connection: not active
Clients so far: 0

Guest:

Statistics update: disabled

Snapshots:

Name: Sicherungspunkt 1 (UUID: 64c67a54-a64c-4da2-a8d7-f3920f6de437)
Name: Sicherungspunkt --- 0 --- (UUID: 15e5c2ec-4b94-42db-9dce-1ace38480810)
Name: Sicherungspunkt 4 (UUID: 61fa5188-339e-48c7-951a-07324f99fc5e)
Name: Sicherungspunkt 5 (UUID: 57f64d80-6690-4b9e-9bb8-94c164c38d23)

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

What can you see now?

Regards juppkk

[Perryg]

I don't know for sure at this point but I suspect that sharing the entire drive that also houses the VirtualBox folders and files might cause a problem.
Why not try to share a folder that contains sub folders and see if that will work without problems. Then we can work to see if it is a guest, host, or VBox problem.

[juppkk]

I don't know for sure at this point but I suspect that sharing the entire drive that also houses the VirtualBox folders and files might cause a problem.
Why not try to share a folder that contains sub folders and see if that will work without problems. Then we can work to see if it is a guest, host, or VBox problem.

Hi,

believe me that was never a problem in the past. but for your shurenes I used
F:\Test as the shared drive. Full applikation host path is f:\Test\cc\ccleaner.exe.
Guest path now is f:\cc\ccleaner.exe. As exceptet ist does´nt work.

(Up to few days ago the VB folders .VirtualBox etc. was been placed at C: drive. Last weekend I
found the solution in this forum to place all VirtualBox file/folders at different location.)

At other thread you wrote:
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Re: WIN 7 Guest won't show or map shared folders [MAC OS X Host]
by Perryg » 28. Sep 2009, 15:43

Windows Vista and Windows 7 both have an issue with the VBox shared folders not showing in the network neighborhood and need to be mapped as a network drive. It then will show in the file manager once you have it mapped.

Click the program start button and then open a command window or click in the run box and type cmd and press enter.
Put this in the command window: net use x: \\vboxsvr\shared -p and press enter (replace share with the name you actually gave the share in the settings)
After this the share will show in the file manager as a mapped drive.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Could that be the direction to search?

Yes, in the W. Explorer the shared folder is shown as mapped drive, in the Group Computer
Clicking thru this menu up to the application and double click the application fails with the
Error message: ... path not found...

But now:
I click at the group network.
Network is marked and the adressline shows: "network icon">Network>
Now I click at the icon in the adressline and write: \\vboxsvr\f\cc\CCleaner.exe

How ever, the application starts perfectly.

Regards juppkk

[Perryg]

I don't know what to tell you my friend. It sounds like there are several errors and without being able to see the unit it would be very difficult to troubleshoot. I do know that special characters are not something that you want in the share name. As for a specific program (*.exe) not working over a share I don't even try to do this. I am including a step-by-step guide for sharing folders in windows. Maybe you can read that and see if there is a mistake that you have made.

Process to share a folder for Windows Guest.

• Close the guest (shutdown)
• Open the VirtualBox program and click once on the guest.
• Click settings and then click on shared folders.
• Click the folder with the green + to add a new share
• Click the down arrow on the folder path then click the Folder that says other.
• This brings up a browse window. Browse to the folder that you want to share and click OK.
• This will put the full path in your folder path line
• Click on the box just below that and type shared then press enter.

At this point you have created the shared folder.

• Now open (start) the guest.
• Click the program start button and then open a command window or click in the run box and type cmd and press enter.
• Put this in the command window: net use x: \\vboxsvr\shared -p and press enter
• After this the share will show in the file manager as a mapped drive.

All of this is assuming that you have the guest additions installed. If you don't then it will work for you until you do install the guest additions.

[juppkk]

Hi,

I don’t understand your last answer, not really.

From the whole discussion you can see that I build shared folder in the right way.
And against all experience from former trials I explicitly checked your suggestions again.

So be sure the shared folder is done in the right way. I only try to describe you the
mysterious effects I found out.

And I feel, the reason way one *.exe runs and other one runs not is behind:
i.e.
The installation process of TotalCommander offers Drives C:, D:, E:, F: (F: = shared Folder) as installation destination.
The installation process of ccleaner offers only Drives C:, D:, E: as installation destination.

Why?

With the Browser at double-click one program starts other program doesn’t.
But it starts entering \\vboxsvr\f\program.exe from command line. (f = name of shared folder)

Why?

In between I checked different installations about this problem:

Host Win7 / Guest XP / VB 2.1.4 works well
Host Win7 / Guest Win7 / VB 2.1.4 works not
Host Vista / Guest Win7 / VB 2.1.4 works not
Host XP / Guest Win7 / VB 3.0.6 works not

Back to Host XP / Guest Win7 / VB 3.0.6
I have changed properties of ccleaner.lnk to:
Destination: “\\vboxsvr\F:\--- Anwendungen\Sys-Tools\CCleaner\CCleaner.exe”
Execute at: "F:\--- Anwendungen\Sys-Tools\CCleaner"

And it will start. But inside the program at options all Drives are listed except Drive F:, the shared folder.

So it’s not a final solution.
(about f, F:, etc. I changed back all to my default settings)

Do you have running Win7 as a guest system?
http://www.ccleaner.com is a smart application, easy installed and removed.
Could you have a try to reproduce the effect?

Regards juppkk

[fulvio.fusco]

Perhaps my problem is related.
Host: MS Windows Vista Business 32 bit (all MS updates)
Guest: MS Windows 2003 Server SP2 (Standard Ed.)
Since VirtualBox 2.1.0 I have a network drive in the guest machine from an host shared hdd (\\work\hdd-dati -> F:). With all versions of VB until v. 3.0.6 this works very well (I use a tool from CodeGear, Delphi4Php, on the guest and the projects on the network share).
With VB 3.0.8 and GuestAdditions 3.0.8 this configuration no longer works: the IDE transforms the F: drive of the sources in the network path \\work\hdd-dati sistematically and the projects simply don't run.
Simply reverting to GuestAdditions 3.0.4 (continuing with VB 3.0.8 on the host) the problem disappears (I have tried reinstalling GuestAdditions 3.0.8 a couple of times and the problem always returns).
At this time I have not tried GuestAdditions 3.0.6, but I have used this version for a month without problems.

Reguards

[Sasquatch]

Can both of you try it with a normal network share? Some applications don't like it when they are run from a UNC mapped location. It might very well be a bug in the application itself, instead of VB.

In the case of Fulvio.fusco, I suggest you try GA 3.0.6 and create a bug report in the Bugtracker (separate account needed) with your findings so it can be fixed.

[juppkk]

Hi,

As mentioned at the beginning of this thread there are many applications with this malfunction, not just one.

Unfortunately nobody wants to install ccleaner for a try to see and understand what the problem is.

But finally it seems it’s a Win7 problem. Google around this problem I found a lot with the same problem (but not a solution).
i.e.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
http://www.windows7taskforce.com/view/3087

Under Win7, there is a problem with elevating the privilege to the local Administrator level. When launching an installer from the mapped drive, I click thru the UAC prompt,
then the installer complains about missing files.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Exact. The point is the message about missing file.
However these applications don’t see the shared drive.

What could help for further search is the statement:
At your Win7 Guest configuration you can run ccleaner at and on shared drive or you can’t.

What concrete do you mean with “a normal network share”

Regards juppkk

[Sasquatch]

With a normal share I mean the native share option in the OS itself. For Windows, it means right clicking a folder, select Sharing and Security and enter the share information. Then on the Guest, you simply point to the Host and share name and map that to a drive. It seems you already found that others tried it and failed too. I'm sure that disabling UAC entirely will fix it, but that's something you should do as final resort.

[juppkk]

Hi,
entirely disabling UAC doesnt help. Why should it?
The effect is not in general at all programs, its just only at few programs.

[juppkk]

Hi,

Disabling UAC entirely doesn’t help.
Like it was written ". . . I click thru the UAC prompt, then (after that) the installer complains about missing files."
Why should UAC decide between two executables, let one run and one not?

Again, FoxitReader.exe runs, Ccleaner.exe runs not.

The difference can only be inside these programs. (Both are Win 7 complaint).

However I still search for solution.