Can't see Windows VM in Mac Finder

[martinjbull]

First post here. Searched forum but can't see anything on this topic. After months wresting with Paralles eating 100% cpu I have transferred to Virtualbox-seems a lot better! However although I have successfully mapped the relevant folders from my iMac (Snow Leaopard) to the VM, (so in the VM I see my mac's folders) the VM does not appear in the side pane of Finder on the Mac. As far as I can see they are in the same workgroup, and file sharing is enabled on both machines. Can anyone suggest why I can't see the VM from the mac?

[martinjbull]

BTW-I put my VB version as Debian but I have no idea what that means! I can't see a reference to different types in the menus.
As t the problem, any ideas at all are welcome!

[stefan.becker]

What type is the virtual network adapter (nat, bridge, hostonly)?

[martinjbull]

Hi Stefan Thanks for responding, Also apologies for delayed reply-I have subscribed to this thread but had no messages to notify that you had posted. It's nat. I'm playing wih the other types (I don't know much about this, like what all these acronyms like nat etc mean). I have the same issue with a Ubuntu VM too. Shame because compared to Parallels this VM solution is amazing it is lean fast and stable. Loving it but for this one issue.

Martin

[Perryg]

If you have a router in the network use Bridged mode. The guest will appear as any other PC in the network.
However if you do not have a router then add a second adapter set to host-only.

See Chapter 6 in your VirtualBox users manual.

[martinjbull]

Hi Perry. Thank you very much. Done that but no show so far-I will check the manual. I very much appreciate the swift response-I am a designer, not a tech guy so I may ask dumb questions and have no objection to being patronised if you think I ever look like i am missing the obvious...!

[Perryg]

There's no need for anyone to patronizes you, but some feel the need I guess.
You might want to shed some light on exactly what you are trying to achieve though. Folder sharing is done from the host to the guest. Auto-mounting depends on the guest as to anything extra that needs to be done, Etc...

[martinjbull]

OK Perry, very helpful.
I Here's what I am trying to do.
As a web designer (not developer) I am running my iMac as my main machine fopr design work. All work is done on that in CS5 and a nice program called softpress Frreeway 5 Pro which both have a useful 'local file upload' facility. MAMP runs fine no worries. For testing purposes I need a Windows environment running WAMP server. I have a VM in virtualbox with a Win XP pro sp2 install which can 'see' the iMac. So if needed I can go to that XP machine and copy a site over to the XP Machine and open it in wamp. But that adds a layer of work into my workflow that I am trying to avoid.
So: I am trying to find a configuration that means that from the iMac I can tell Dreamweaver or Freeway to upload via local file copy a site to the HD of the XP VM so i can open it in WAMP (these are often php driven sites, Joomla etc so I need a local XP directory for WAMP to view.)
Currently the XP VM 'sees' (in Explorer) the iMac's files, but on the iMac (and programs on the Imac) I do not see the xp vm.
Hope that makes sense.
(Also the 'patronize' comment comes from me finding over years that some people are very rude and either insult or ignore, with no middle ground between, so lest they ignore me I just sometimes make the comment i that it's ok to tell me the obvious. However I appreciate the respect in ypour remark
Hope this makes my request clear.

[Perryg]

So you are going to map either map the guest "folder" to the MAC or you are going to need to use the shared folder and map the MAC shared folder in the guest.
The first will require that you use Bridged or host-only to achieve and the second the network adapter will not matter and long as you don't need to open the guests server in the host.

If there is a router I would go the Bridged route to make your life easier.

[martinjbull]

Thank you. I have 'bridged' enabled. However I am a bit lost to follow your advice (I am sure you are right and the lack of understanding is mine).
EWhen you say "map the guest "folder" to the MAC ' I assume you mean that on the XP Machine I use My Compiuter/tools/map network drive and link that way? That is already done. However it does not appear in Finder on the Mac.
Then you say "or you are going to need to use the shared folder and map the MAC shared folder in the guest". This also seems (as I understand it) to refer to using the 'shared' folder on the mac as a way to drop files from the XP VM onto the Mac... am I right?
If so my problem remains. On the iMac the XP VM is not seen in finder. No programs see it at all. This is what I need to fix. I can go the long way around (Create a site in Dreamweaver on the mac, export to a Mac folder, then go to the XP VM and copy it across and open it, bu that is adding an extra layer of work I would like to avoid if I can.
If I have misunderstood your advice please put me right. Remember that you will know an immense amount about this area than me.
Thank you.

[Perryg]

you say "map the guest "folder" to the MAC ' I assume you mean that on the XP Machine I use My Compiuter/tools/map network drive and link that way? That is already done. However it does not appear in Finder on the Mac.

What you have actually done will allow the guest to see the folder you are sharing on the MAC so what ever MAC folder you shared is there. It's a one way street since the machine sharing is sharing it's own folder.
If you want to see a folder in the guest you need to map the guests folder in the MAC. This is a standard network share so you can get a lot of help by searching mapping a network drive in MAC on Google. I don't actually use a MAC that much so this you will need to do yourself.

[martinjbull]

Hi Perry. Thank you. I had not realised this was the way to go. I have mapped from the Mac Finder 'Connect to server' option using smb Samba Sharing to the IP address of the VM on my LAN (just ran ipconfig/all at the c:\ prompt on the VM). Now all is connected happily.
Appreciate you taking the time and trouble to explain. Many thanks.