What do the two options mean, in any case? What's the difference? I want Shared folders enabled, why are there two checkboxes.

I tried to enable shared folders and saw the same problem as the original poster: I would click "Apply" and the settings box "Enable Shared Folders" would get unchecked again. I played with this for a while and somehow got it to stick eventually.

Then, I thought I better enable the shared folders at start up as well. But as soon as I checked that (both checkboxes checked) and clicked apply, the ceck would get removed from both.

After playing with this for a while again, I eventually got it so the second checkbox is checked. I was unable to get the first one to stick though.

Please fix, this is clearly a bug. And quite annoying when shared folders don't work...

I found another workaround:

• Quit VMWare
• Go to your VMWare Virtual machine. Mine is called winXP and it's in Documents/Virtual Machines
• Right click, select "Show Package Contents"
• Inside the folder that opens, find the virtual machine configuration file. The file is called (virtual machine name).vmx. It's the only file in this folder with extension .vmx. Since my virtual machine is called winXP, the file is called winXP.vmx
• Open the .vmx file with a text editor. I used the free TextWrangler, but any should do as long as it allows you to open the file
• Add the following line above the section where it says "sharedFolder0.x....":

sharedFolder.option = "alwaysEnabled"

This option is like checking the "enabled" checkbox, except that it actually works. If you already have a sharedFolder.option="..." setting in your file, be sure to replace it with the one above.

• Start VMWare

Now shared folders are enabled for good.

Make sure to not even look at the Settings/SharedFolders checkboxes - if you check or uncheck anything there, VMWare will override your settings again.

Nik

Fixed horrific email formatting

We are awear of this issue, a bug has been filed.

To enable the "Share Folders":

1. Power off the VM

2. In the Settings, Shared Folders, check the "Enabled at power on"

3. Click "Apply", then "ok"

4. Power on the VM

Check the setting again, both "Enabled" and "Enabled at power on" should be checked.

Hope this helps.

Host Vmware Fusion, guest Bootcamp/Vista. Shared folders cannot enabled as reported by vmware tools.

Works OK in a Windows XP guest on same machine.

Tried the alwaysEnabled settings edit, no joy.

This shared folder problem is the only BUG I have found so far with Fusion.

Any further ideas. Should I make a bug report?

Hi

I have now switched to a non-bootcamp VM running Windows XP. The
Bootcamp/Vista VM is now relegated to experimental status. That
resolves the primary issue.

The problem now is that the application installer I am using (Lotus
Notes 8.0), cannot change permissions on a Shared Folder. (It is
trying to set some files as RO). I can change them manually from WXP,
but the application uses the WinAPI's or MFC's I guess which do not
see what they expect. The VM emulator programmers have taken some
short cuts somewhere.

This has forced me to use a USB2 external hard disk formatted as FAT.
So far that is the only work around I have found to the problems with
the Fusion Shared folders. Vmware supports USB (not Firewire), and
that way operates pretty much in a native MS environment. The drawback
is the the data cannot be shared but at least can be made visible to
OSX when the VM is powered down.

For the VM to work in a production environment using Mac OSX native
drives, more work is needed.

Michael White
Zytac Ltd
T. 02082226490
M: 07966 284120