virtualbox.org

"F:/ is not accessible. The parameter is incorrect."

I'm using VB 5.02 on Linux Mint 17.3. In my Windows 7 VM, I have two shared folders. "F" is on my Linux home partition. "G" is on another partition, same one as the VM. (log file attached)

This happened once already with "F" (no problems with the "G" folder). I removed the shared folder from the VM settings and recreated it, but the connection appears to be lost again. Any idea why this keeps happening?

Let me know if I've forgotten to include any relevant info.

The root folder on drive F is called "F:\". If you called it "F:/" as quoted in your error message then the parameter is incorrect just as the error message says.

Note that in any case this is not a VirtualBox question, it's a "usage 101" question about the guest OS. The fact that the hardware is virtual doesn't affect the guest OS's rules for device naming.

That excerpt of the log might also explain some things:

SharedFolders host service: Adding host mapping

Host path '/media/o/Win2/0_Docs', map name '0_Docs', writable, automount=true, create_symlinks=false, missing=true

ERROR [COM]: aRC=NS_ERROR_INVALID_ARG (0x80070057) aIID={872da645-4a9b-1727-bee2-5585105b9eed} aComponent={ConsoleWrap}
   aText={Shared folder path '/media/o/Win2/0_Docs' does not exist on the host}, preserve=false aResultDetail=0

Console: VM runtime error: fatal=false, errorID=BrokenSharedFolder message="The shared folder '0_Docs' could
   not be set up: Shared folder path '/media/o/Win2/0_Docs' does not exist on the host.
The shared folder setup will not be complete. It is recommended to power down the virtual machine and fix the shared folder
   settings while the machine is not running"

SharedFolders host service: Adding host mapping

Host path '/home/o/zShareVM', map name 'zShareVM', writable, automount=true, create_symlinks=false, missing=false

So, it seems that you share '/home/o/zShareVM' and '/media/o/Win2/0_Docs'. The latter does not exist.

The root folder on drive F is called "F:\". If you called it "F:/" as quoted in your error message then the parameter is incorrect just as the error message says.

This was just a typo, as I typed my post, instead of using a screenshot of the error. It is actually "F:/". Sorry, I thought my question belonged here in this sub-forum, as it only happens on the win7 VM, never on my Linux or XP VMs. But that's no longer relevant.

When Socratis boldfaced the part of my log file above, that highlighted for me my own incredible stupidity. The initial configuration I mentioned in my post was the one on my desktop. It's on my laptop that I have the problem and the shared folder that keeps getting 'lost' is, in fact, on that separate "win2" partition. It's coming up as "lost" because I hadn't mounted the partition in Linux before starting the VM, so of course it doesn't see it. (Guess I need to automount Win2.)

You can file this one under "Some people are too stupid to run a computer."

There's an acronym for what you have: PEBCAK.
I know it because I have the chronic version (PEBCAKitis), stage 4.

There's an acronym for what you have: PEBCAK.
I know it because I have the chronic version (PEBCAKitis), stage 4.

I think we need a support group for that.

By the way, I forgot to say thanks for the responses. They pointed the way to my problem.