virtualbox.org

My host is macOS Sierra 10.12.6. I just downloaded and installed VirtualBox 5.2.18 (the latest build). I installed the latest Guest Additions CD image. I installed the latest version of Windows 10 Pro.

I successfully shared a folder between the Windows 10 VM and the Mac host via VBOXSVR. The shared folder already contained files and folders. However, there are some problems which I can't resolve.

1.) Windows can't see all the files and folders in the shared folder on the Mac OS X host.
2.) Files and folders created in the shared folder by Win 10 aren't visible to the Mac host.
3.) If Win 10 changes a file name in the shared folder, the new name isn't visible to the Mac host.
4.) If Win 10 changes the contents of a file in the shared folder, the content changes don't show up when the Mac host opens the file.

I don't see any patterns in the file and folder permissions which would account for this.

Can anyone suggest a reason why the Mac and Windows views of the same folder aren't synchronized? Also, how can Win change one of the visible files, but those changes don't show up on a Mac?

It sounds like you're sharing one folder, and you're looking at a different folder in your host...

I would like to see the "recipe" of the VM, the ".vbox" file:

1. Right-click on the VM in the VirtualBox Manager. Select "Show in Finder/Explorer/Whatever".
2. ZIP the selected ".vbox" file and attach it to your response.

Thanks for your interest! Yes, I was wondering whether I was looking at a copy or clone of the folder in question, but I've been selecting it by browsing through the vboxsvr connection.

Also, the folder did contain some files from the Mac host, just not all of them. I have refreshed and browsed again with no luck. In a related development, after rebooting, the Win10 VM has lost sight of a few of the files it created. This took place even with the shared folder properly connected.

<SharedFolder name="Dropbox" hostPath="/Users/lawrence/Dropbox" writable="true" autoMount="true"/>

Hmm... A Dropbox folder... That may actually be an issue right there. Can you try with something different? Your Downloads folder for example? The reason that I suspect a Dropbox interaction is that it has filter drivers so that it can figure out when a file was changed/added/deleted so that it can propagate the modification to the servers. And that might conflict somehow...

Looking back, instead of the .vbox file, I should have asked you for a complete VBox.log, from a complete VM run:

• Start the VM from cold-boot (not from a paused or saved state) / Observe error / Shutdown the VM (force close it if you have to).
• With the VM completely shut down (not paused or saved), right-click on the VM in the VirtualBox Manager and select "Show Log".
• Save only the first "VBox.log", ZIP it and attach it to your response. See the "Upload attachment" tab below the reply form.

That would tell me additionally if you've installed the appropriate Guest Additions. Sorry about that...