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akouris
Contributor
Contributor

OSX Application list does not appear in Windows Virtual Machine

Hi,

I am trying to get Windows to use/open some of OSX's applications for specific file types.

Through the VMWare/Preference, in the Default Applications menu I am only able to set behaviour for certain URL types, and it works fine.

What I am trying to do is get Windows to open/play media files (i.e. *.avi, *.wmv, *.mp3 etc.) through OSX and vlc or quicktime.

When I am in OSX, if I right-click on dock/vmware I can see the application list of Windows virtual machine.

However when inside Windows virtual machine I cannot find the OSX application list and set the behaviour I described above.

I am currently running an iMac/Intel Core 2 Duo/OSX10.5.7 with every update installed, and operating VMWare Fusion 2.0.4 with virtual machine Windows XP Professional Service Pack 3, with the latest VMWare Tools installed.

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WoodyZ
Immortal
Immortal

Have a look at: VMware Fusion (menu bar) > Help > VMware Fusion Help > Sharing Applications Between Your Mac and Your Virtual Machines > Opening a File in a Virtual Machine with an Application on Your Mac

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akouris
Contributor
Contributor

Thank you - the problem however is that you cannot enable this as a default function for every file that you open in Windows virtual machine - you have to manually save the file on a shared folder and only then will OSX host open it.

Is there a way to perhaps allow the OSX host to see the whole Windows system disk as a "shared folder"? That would be an indirect to way to achieve what I am trying to do.

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WoodyZ
Immortal
Immortal

If you are trying to open a file with an OS X application from within Windows then read and follow the directions at: VMware Fusion (menu bar) > Help > VMware Fusion Help > Sharing Applications Between Your Mac and Your Virtual Machines > Opening a File in a Virtual Machine with an Application on Your Mac

As that is the way it works!

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akouris
Contributor
Contributor

I read it, however it is not a solution to my problem.

I primarily work with a lot of mail attachments coming in from our Microsoft Exchange Server.

This is the only reason I run a Windows virtual machine.

The only way as you describe to open a multimedia attachment with the OSX/host application, would be to save the attachment on a shared folder, and then go and double click it. If I end up doing all this, it not different than saving it on a shared folder, and instead of double clicking on the file while I am on the virtual machine desktop, to double click it when I am on the OSX desktop.

I would like to be able to avoid the whole save as, navigate to folder, save, minimize outlook, open shared folder, double click on file, to view the file. I would like to be able to do it by double clicking on the attachment.

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akouris
Contributor
Contributor

One more thing/problem with your proposed solution:

I just changed the default behaviour/open with, for mp3 files.

Now whenever I click on an mp3 file on the virtual machine, if the file is not on a shared folder I get an error message telling me that the default host application cannot open it. So instead of solving a problem, it creates one.

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WoodyZ
Immortal
Immortal

One more thing/problem with your proposed solution:

I just changed the default behaviour/open with, for mp3 files.

Now whenever I click on an mp3 file on the virtual machine, if the file is not on a shared folder I get an error message telling me that the default host application cannot open it. So instead of solving a problem, it creates one.

This is not my proposed solution and I'm just pointing you to the documentation on this feature! This is the way this feature works in VMware Fusion and if you do not like it then don't enable or use the feature!

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WoodyZ
Immortal
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I read it, however it is not a solution to my problem.

I primarily work with a lot of mail attachments coming in from our Microsoft Exchange Server.

This is the only reason I run a Windows virtual machine.

I really don't care if this is the only reason why you run Windows in a Virtual Machine and am only pointing you to the documentation on this feature.

The only way as you describe to open a multimedia attachment with the OSX/host application, would be to save the attachment on a shared folder, and then go and double click it. If I end up doing all this, it not different than saving it on a shared folder, and instead of double clicking on the file while I am on the virtual machine desktop, to double click it when I am on the OSX desktop.

I'm not describing anything and am only just pointing you to the documentation on this feature.

I would like to be able to avoid the whole save as, navigate to folder, save, minimize outlook, open shared folder, double click on file, to view the file. I would like to be able to do it by double clicking on the attachment.

If what you're saying is that you want to be able to double-click an attachment in a Outlook Email in with that files type has been associated with the Default Host Application then you need to modify the Windows Registry Key value for the location of OutlookSecureTempFolder to a location on a VMware Shared Folder and you can look at my reply to:

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akouris
Contributor
Contributor

Thx for taking the time to reply & help - I understand that at the moment it is not as easy to do what I described as it is with Parallels.

However having used both products I think VMWare is more stable.

Nice trick the one you suggest with Outlook - can you think of any way that I could make Windows virtual machine primary disk (c:\) something like a "shared folder" to be used with OSX?

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WoodyZ
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I understand that at the moment it is not as easy to do what I described as it is with Parallels.

What does Parallels have to do with this? (rhetorical question) How a competitors product functions in this area is irrelevant especially considering Parallels was never mentioned as a part of the original or subsequent questions and all that is relevant here is if you what to open files from within Windows with an application in OS X then the directions for that are located at: VMware Fusion (menu bar) > Help > VMware Fusion Help > Sharing Applications Between Your Mac and Your Virtual Machines > Opening a File in a Virtual Machine with an Application on Your Mac

Nice trick the one you suggest with Outlook - can you think of any way that I could make Windows virtual machine primary disk (c:\) something like a "shared folder" to be used with OSX?

If what your asking is to make the C: Drive accessible from Finder under OS X then normal Network Resource Sharing Methodologies apply and this is covered in both the Mac OS X Help File and the Windows XP Help File and really isn't a Fusion issue per se.

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akouris
Contributor
Contributor

Although it was a rhetorical question I am inclined to answer! The only reason I mentioned Parallels is that this is a default (and nice) function: you can set OSX to open any kind of filetype from the guest operating system, without the need to setup sharing folders etc.

I tried to use the standard sharing mechanisms, however they do not seem to work:

- I shared c:\ through Windows/my computer

- I then switched to OSX, connected via network (smb) to the shared resource

- I then switched to VMWare/Settings/Shared folders, and I added that new OSX-resource as a shared folder

At this point VMWare freezed for something like 10", and then the whole computer freezed (not just vmware) for another 20". As soon as it became responsive I went to Windows/My computer and tried to browse the shared resources. Again everything froze up for 20-30". It does not seem to work.

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WoodyZ
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While it may or may not be expressly stated nonetheless I would think that common sense might dictate that the VMware Shared Folder feature is for use more so with Local OS X Resources since it states " Share folders on your Mac" in the Sharing section of the Virtual Machine's Settings however that's not to say that one cannot use it on a Network Share of another Computer mounted under OS X (although this is where the real common sense comes in) but not in a manner that would cause something akin to an infinite loop and that is what you're doing by mounting a Network Share of the Virtual Machine and then sharing it back to itself through the VMware Shared Folders feature and trying to access it in this loop like manner and this is why you're locking up both the Virtual Machine and the Host.

While we're at it lets try dividing by zero. Smiley Happy

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