Microsoft Excel Won't Save or Open File Explorer

[Tfed0831]

I have switched from VMWare Fusion 4.0 to Virtual Box. I copied my old virtual machine and used the VM to upload with VBox. I installed Guest Additions and shared folders between the hosts are communicating as they should, but there is one issue. When I open Microsoft Excel, it will not save a file or open a file. I have to start on a new workbook. If I try to click on an excel file, it doesn't prompt Microsoft Excel to open. There seems to be a missing link between Microsoft Excel and Virtual Box. I have spent a good amount of time researching the issue.

Have any of you had this problem and what steps do you experts recommend?

Ways I have tried to troubleshoot the problem:
Reinstall Microsoft Office
Reinstall Guest Additions
Repair Microsoft Office

[mpack]

Not only is the "link between VirtualBox and Microsoft Excel" missing, it doesn't exist.

When you click a mouse, that's a mechanical event. To put it in simple terms, the mouse hardware sends the OS a signal which contains an x,y location on the screen, plus the fact that the click event occurred. Everything that happens subsequently is a matter for the OS and the application that ultimately gets the signal (e.g. Excel).

VirtualBox simulates the actions of hardware, so the interpretation of mouse actions by the guest OS/applications is as irrelevant to VirtualBox as to the mouse itself.

Basically, we can only support VirtualBox here. If you need help with an Excel issue then Microsoft are the people you need to approach. I will however note that some applications have been known to have problems access Guest Additions "simple" shared folders, though I have not heard that any Microsoft Office app had that problem.

[rpmurray]

There seems to be a missing link between Microsoft Excel and Virtual Box.

Are you attempting to have Excel on the guest open an Excel spreadsheet you double-click on the host, or Excel on the host open an Excel spreadsheet you double-clicked on the guest?

[mpack]

Seriously? You think that was the expectation? Well spotted if so... but why then the mention of shared folders? I assumed that the files were located in the shared folders and were being double-clicked from inside the guest.

But if so: @TFed0831. The host and guest should be thought of as separate PCs. If a behaviour wouldn't be expected if it was two separate physical PCs then you shouldn't expect that behaviour between host and VM either. Specifically, you wouldn't (I hope) expect to be able to double click a file on one PC and have an application on another PC react to that event and somehow get access to the first PC's file.

[rpmurray]

Seriously? You think that was the expectation?

Apparently Fusion has that capability so it could be that the OP is expecting that in VirtualBox.
Open a File in a Virtual Machine with an Application on Your Mac
Open a File on Your Mac with an Application in a Virtual Machine
In both cases you need to have shared folders enabled in Fusion for it to work.