Need help with WinXP Mode converted VM - shared folders

[Naki]

Using latest VMware Workstation on Windows 7 64-bit Ultimate SP1 Host OS, with all Windows updates installed.

I converted the WinXP Mode virtual machine to VMware format using the converter supplied with VMware Workstation.

I have a major problem with the Shared folders feature - in a Windows 3.x/16-bit app running on the Guest OS the Shared folder (which is Z:) does not appear in any file open dialog boxes. Any suggestions on how to get the folders to appear? Maybe I should not use the VMware Shared folders feature, but the Windows OS own shared folders?? No such problem when using Microsoft's WinXP Mode - the drive appeared fine in the dialog boxes!

Also, can I change that Z: drive to be 😧 or E:?

Also, why does no drive appear anywhere if I don't check the Mount the folders as a Share in Windows Guests - is that normal??

[continuum]

> Maybe I should not use the VMware Shared folders feature, but the Windows OS own shared folders??

That would be clever ! Do that.
VMware shared folders have a lot of issues - so dont be surprised if they behave different than regular Windows fileshares

[Naki]

Would it?? I just remembered that sharing files via the network between WinXP and Windows 7 can become a little (major??) nightmare!

There are tutorials on how to get it work, and they involves tens of steps oven many pages of text and screenshots.

Windows 7 can share files via the network with other Windows 7 machines, but not easily with WinXP.

Some questions:

1) Would I have better luck with Shared Folders if I used a normal VMware WinXP Pro Guest OS, and not a WinXP Mode converted one?

2) If I am to use the Windows shared folders, what would be the best Networking mode - Bridged, NAT, Host-only?
Please note that on my main machine I use Bridged and it works great, because I have a router. But on this problem machine, there is no router.

3) Maybe I am accessing the Shared folder the wrong way? Would Mapping or using subst help any?
I use subst to create a Q: drive on my main machine, because my Eudora email client looks for itse files there - this is for a long time, when I still had WinXP (using Windows 7 now).