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rgadsdon
Enthusiast
Enthusiast

VM WS7 - VMware Tools update breaks 'Shared Folders'

Just upgraded to VM Workstation 7.0 (on Fedora 11, kernel 2.6.31.5), updated VMware Tools on WinXP (SP2) guest, and found 'Shared Folders' were no longer present. Previously running VM WS 6.5.3, where everything worked OK.

On another WinXP guest, ignored the 'out of date' message and kept the old 6.5.3 version of VMware Tools, and 'Shared Folders' were present, and worked. Then updated to 7.0 version of VMware Tools, and they were no longer present.

Tried conpletely uninstalling/reinstalling VMTools, and recompiling VM WS7 modules, but problem is still there.

Robert Gadsdon

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4 Replies
Ed654
Contributor
Contributor

Have you done the "Edit-Preferences-Workspace-Enable all shared folders by default" routine?

Shared folders are not enabled by default in Workstation 7, even though you had that option switched on in Workstation 6.

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rgadsdon
Enthusiast
Enthusiast

Thanks for the suggestion... Checked this, but it made no difference.. The problem would appear to be with the 7.0 version of VMware Tools, as with the old 6.5.3 version the Shared Folders feature worked correctly with VM WS7, despite giving the usual '...out of date...' message at the bottom of the window..

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Noel
Expert
Expert

Host: VM Workstation 7.0 (on Fedora 11, kernel 2.6.31.5)

Guest: updated VMware Tools on WinXP (SP2) guest

'Shared Folders' were no longer present.

What do you mean by "no longer present"? You do see the controls for them in VMware VM settings, right? Are you just not finding them on the guest side? Did you check the setting for mapping them as a network drive? See page 193 of the User's Manual:

(Optional) For easy access, select the Map as a network drive in Windows guests check box to map a drive to the Shared Folders directory. This directory contains all the shared folders you enable. The drive letter is selected automatically.

See also page 197, "View Shared Folders in a Windows Guest"

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rgadsdon
Enthusiast
Enthusiast

Yes, the 'Shared Folders' are configured correctly on the Linux host, and were working correctly with Workstation 6.5.3.

Configuring them as 'Map as network drive...' makes no difference. They are still not present/accessible from the WinXP guest.

To summarise the problem:

Workstation 6.5.3 on Fedora 11 host, with WinXP guest, using 6.5.3 version of VMware Tools - Shared Folders are all present and accessible.

Workstation 7.0 on Fedora 11 host with WinXP guest, still using 6.5.3 version of VMware Tools - - Shared Folders are all present and accessible.

Workstation 7.0 on Fedora 11 host with WinXP guest, using 7.0

version of VMware Tools - - Shared Folders are not present on WinXP guest.

On WinXP, in the Networks folder, there is a 'Shared Folders on .host' entry, but no folders under it.

'Real' network folders (on a Samba server) still show up, and work correctly.

Solution:

I have done some more digging around, and it appears that the location for 'Shared Folders' has changed from 6.5.3 to 7.0. The previous location on the Win guest was '
.host\Shared Folders\xxx', but it is now '
vmware-host\Shared Folders\xxx.... The folder 'Shared Folders on .host' still shows up under Networks, but is redundant..

Deleted and re-created all my Desktop shortcuts, and everything is now OK.

Thanks for all your suggestions.

Robert Gadsdon.

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