Thanks for your response --- So to answer your questions....

1) exact version of Windows used (type: winver from a command line and list the version, windows home/windows professional and language)

• Windows Enterprise 10 Version 1809 (OS Build 17763.1577)

2) "when manipulating files/attribute".. please provide steps and what to expect? Eg. change 10x hidden attribute and boom, or change 40x ...

• Usually happens within the 1st 2-3 file copies, file renames or if I am editing a file for some period of time (it does var)

3) what kind of files? Does it matter? .ico/.txt/...

• Nope - doesn't matter

4) how are you manipulating those files.. I take it that you are using Windows explorer, but are you going via the mapped drive or via "\\vmware-host\Shared Folders"

• Usually a mapped drive, but could happen to either.  

4a) are the files you manipulate in a subfolder? 1 level deep, multiple levels deep..

• usually multiple levels deep

5) what kind of antivirus/antimalware product are you using in your Windows 10?

• Symantec
• But could be other other management spyware (Tanium, CrowdStrike Falcon) -- Who knows??

6) are you using an antivirus/antimalware product on your host?

• Yes

Also one thing to try is to see if it still happens after you run Microsoft's System File Checker tool:

• Thanks - I have tried this before, but will try again.  

This all started happening when I moved my VM from my 2017 MB Pro to the 2019 MB Pro.  I let Fusion update the VM to be compatible with 11.5 Fusion on the new machine. Hate to do it, but may have to build a new VM and see if it happens again.   

Just can't figure out if it is an underlying VMware Fusion Issue or a Windows issue.    

Wish I had more.