Opening VM docs with Mac Apps

[blaineac]

I am unable to open any documents within the Windows VM with my Mac applications.  Specifically Office documents and Outlook attachments.  I have checked the box "Open your Windows files and web links using Mac applications" in the Settings menu for Default Applications.  I can access the Z: share from the Windows VM, but when I open a file it uses the application installed on the VM (e.g. MS Word 2010 for .doc files).  The same also happens when I am in Outlook on the VM and try to open an attachment.  I have read some of the threads here that identified a related issue to Fusion 3.0.  I am running Fusion 3.1.3, OS X Lion, and a Windows 7 VM.  Some of the things I have tried are....

Shut down Outlook, delete the registry key for OutlookSecureTempFolder and let it recreate itself as well as pointing it to Z:\My Documents\Outlook Temp, etc... to no avail.  I have deleted the Outlook Temp folder as well.  Not sure what else to do.  Any ideas?

Thanks in advance,

Blaine

[tracywang]

Can you upload your settings screen capture here?

And also the screen of VMware Fusion -> Preferences...->Default Applications-> Default Applications pane.

2 questions:

Did you choose your office documents open with Default Host Application? if not, try it.

Did you place your files in your shared folder? if not, try it.

[blaineac]

Thanks for the response...Here you go...

VM Settings:

.encoding = "UTF-8"

config.version = "8"

virtualHW.version = "7"

scsi0.present = "TRUE"

scsi0.virtualDev = "lsisas1068"

memsize = "1024"

scsi0:0.present = "TRUE"

scsi0:0.fileName = "Windows 7.vmdk"

ide1:0.present = "TRUE"

ide1:0.autodetect = "FALSE"

ide1:0.deviceType = "cdrom-raw"

ethernet0.present = "TRUE"

ethernet0.connectionType = "bridged"

ethernet0.virtualDev = "e1000"

ethernet0.wakeOnPcktRcv = "FALSE"

ethernet0.addressType = "generated"

ethernet0.linkStatePropagation.enable = "TRUE"

usb.present = "TRUE"

ehci.present = "TRUE"

sound.present = "TRUE"

sound.fileName = "-1"

sound.autodetect = "TRUE"

mks.enable3d = "TRUE"

serial0.present = "TRUE"

serial0.fileType = "thinprint"

pciBridge0.present = "TRUE"

pciBridge4.present = "TRUE"

pciBridge4.virtualDev = "pcieRootPort"

pciBridge4.functions = "8"

pciBridge5.present = "TRUE"

pciBridge5.virtualDev = "pcieRootPort"

pciBridge5.functions = "8"

pciBridge6.present = "TRUE"

pciBridge6.virtualDev = "pcieRootPort"

pciBridge6.functions = "8"

pciBridge7.present = "TRUE"

pciBridge7.virtualDev = "pcieRootPort"

pciBridge7.functions = "8"

vmci0.present = "TRUE"

roamingVM.exitBehavior = "go"

tools.syncTime = "TRUE"

displayName = "Windows 7"

guestOS = "windows7"

nvram = "Windows 7.nvram"

virtualHW.productCompatibility = "hosted"

printers.enabled = "TRUE"

proxyApps.publishToGuest = "TRUE"

tools.upgrade.policy = "upgradeAtPowerCycle"

powerType.powerOff = "soft"

powerType.powerOn = "soft"

powerType.suspend = "soft"

powerType.reset = "soft"

extendedConfigFile = "Windows 7.vmxf"

ide1:0.fileName = ""

floppy0.present = "FALSE"

ide1:0.startConnected = "TRUE"

ethernet0.generatedAddress = "00:0c:29:2c:73:bf"

uuid.location = "56 4d 1a 8e 89 0e f2 55-1c 0c 8c 4e ab 2c 73 bf"

uuid.bios = "56 4d 1a 8e 89 0e f2 55-1c 0c 8c 4e ab 2c 73 bf"

cleanShutdown = "FALSE"

replay.supported = "FALSE"

proxyApps.publishToHost = "FALSE"

hgfs.mapRootShare = "T:RUE"

hgfs.linkRootShare = "TRUE"

hgfs.redirectShellFolder.maxNum = "1"

unity.wasCapable = "TRUE"

isolation.tools.hgfs.disable = "FALSE"

sharedFolder.maxNum = "1"

replay.filename = ""

scsi0:0.redo = ""

pciBridge0.pciSlotNumber = "17"

pciBridge4.pciSlotNumber = "21"

pciBridge5.pciSlotNumber = "22"

pciBridge6.pciSlotNumber = "23"

pciBridge7.pciSlotNumber = "24"

scsi0.pciSlotNumber = "160"

usb.pciSlotNumber = "32"

ethernet0.pciSlotNumber = "33"

sound.pciSlotNumber = "34"

ehci.pciSlotNumber = "35"

vmci0.pciSlotNumber = "36"

scsi0.sasWWID = "50 05 05 6e 89 0e f2 50"

vmotion.checkpointFBSize = "134217728"

usb:0.present = "TRUE"

usb:1.present = "TRUE"

ethernet0.generatedAddressOffset = "0"

vmci0.id = "-1423150145"

usb:1.deviceType = "hub"

usb:0.deviceType = "mouse"

sharedFolder0.present = "TRUE"

sharedFolder0.enabled = "TRUE"

sharedFolder0.readAccess = "TRUE"

sharedFolder0.writeAccess = "TRUE"

sharedFolder0.hostPath = "/Users/username/Documents"

sharedFolder0.guestName = "My Documents"

sharedFolder0.expiration = "never"

sharedFolder0.shareTags = "auto,documents"

hgfs.redirectShellFolder0.name = "documents"

hgfs.redirectShellFolder0.enabled = "TRUE"

gui.viewModeAtPowerOn = "unity"

gui.exitOnCLIHLT = "TRUE"

checkpoint.vmState = "Windows 7.vmss"

Default Applications (Screenshot):

2 questions:

Did you choose your office documents open with Default Host Application? if not, try it. - Answer: Where do I do this?

Did you place your files in your shared folder? if not, try it - Answer: Do I need to do this if "documents" folder on the mac is mirrored with "documents" on the VM

[tracywang]

blaineac wrote:

Did you choose your office documents open with Default Host Application? if not, try it. - Answer: Where do I do this?

See attached image. I right clicked the test.txt, in context menu I selected open with Default Host Application (if no present, find it in Choose default program...)

Do I need to do this if "documents" folder on the mac is mirrored with "documents" on the VM

No, you don't need to move your files to shared folders. Mirrored folder is ok.

And one tip here, You can configure your windows files open with mac app or mac files open with windows app by configure button in your screenshot. 

[blaineac]

Thanks for the help, I was overlooking the "Default Host Application" in the list.  I have never had to do this before.  On my other mac pro, when I right click it shows, for example, the Mac App -- e.g. "Excel (Mac)" in the list along with other VM apps that can open the same file.  Just FYI, I have been using Fusion for a while now, just not opening files using Mac Apps until now.  However, I did try Parallels and it worked out of the box without having to do what you explained.  I hope this is fixed in Fusion 4.

Kind Regards,

Blaine

[warriorfullight]

Good thing this problem has been answered. That is right. You just have to right click on the exact file and then choose Default Host Application to get done with it. Way to go. Thanks as well.

[tracywang]

Yes, may be VMware should add more explain info for this feature to avoid the confusion.