Can't mount virtual disk in Vista host

[pjw1]

I have an NTFS virtual persistant independant virtual disk; when I try to mount the disk using VMWare (or the Explorer shortcut) it all seems to work, but (a) it does not appear in explorer and (b) even though I de-select 'read-only', I can not write to it.

I have seen one other post on this, but it was not resolved.

Other weird facts:

- I can open a command window and select 'Y' drive by typing 'Y:<return>'. I can not then do 'dir > z.z' (I get 'access denied')

- If I run cmd.exe as administrator, I can not CD to it by typing 'Y:<return>'

- The drive is locked and as far as VMWare is concerned, it is mapped. VMWare even shows a list of partitions when I start the mapping process.

- The drive is not visible in explorer etc.

I am running Vista 32 bit with the latest SPs etc.

Can anyone report that it works for them in Vista? If so, give details of drive type, vmware version etc.

Can anyone report the same problems in any OS? If so, which OS? And were you able to fix it? If s, how?

Any help appreciated.

[continuum]

Are you sing the drive you want to map in a VM at the same time ?

Anyway - try vdk.exe instead

[pjw1]

No, it was not being used. If it was, VMWare would refuse to mount it.

As far as I can tell, vdk.exe is not a VMWare product. I would like to use a solution to the apparent bugs in the software I have purchased, not install some other piece of software to plug the hole.

[continuum]

> I would like to use a solution to the apparent bugs in the software I have purchased, not install some other piece of software to plug the hole.

LOL - vdk.exe is the best vmdk-mounting tool available - if you don't want to use that you have to take second best

[pjw1]

Advertizing aside, I'd just like to help get VMWare working properly under vista.

[asatoran]

My results only partialy confirms your results.

Vista-Business 32bit host. Workstation 6.0.1-Build 55017. I can map a NTFS drive from a Windows 2000 VM. It does not show in Explorer, but I can access it fully from a Command Prompt. All appears normal in Command Promt, drive letter, read, write. But no drive in Explorer nor from the Run Command. I cannot mount a virtual disk from a Vista VM.

One difference is that I have not applied all the Vista patches yet to this host. So perhaps a Windows update has further affected this Workstation bug. In any case to fix, I suspect we may have to wait for an update to Workstation.

In the mean time, the VDK program that was already suggested will mount drives. I just tested it with both the Win2k drive and the Vista drives. It does show in Explorer and seems to work, although I don't use it normally so I have not tested it much with a Vista host. It is a free download so that would be a usable workaround for now.

[glibik]

Is your host Vista, or is your VM Vista, or both?

I'm told there are some minor version differences between NTFS on

Win2k, WinXP, and Vista. If that's true, then trying to read/write a

Vista version of NTFS from Win2k or XP might be problematic.

Just a thought. 😕

[asatoran]

I couldn't even mount a Vista virtual disk, so I'm going to assume that the OP is not using a Vista VM. (Correct me if I'm wrong.)

One other thing I forgot to mention is that my VMs were NOT using independent persistent disks. This could be the reason why you can access the disk (from a command prompt) but not write to it. My virtual disks were not independent at all.

[pjw1]

It's an NTFS virtual disk formatted under and XP VM. The host is running Vista, and that seems to be where vmware is broken. Guess I should see if it works undet XP.

Im using a persistant disk because I want to remove risk of breaking snapshots & rollbacks.

[asatoran]

It's an NTFS virtual disk formatted under and XP VM. The host is running Vista, and that seems to be where vmware is broken. Guess I should see if it works undet XP.

Im using a persistant disk because I want to remove risk of breaking snapshots & rollbacks.

I would also suggest trying to mount a non-persistent disk as a test of your setup. Just create a new one for testing.

In any case, the disk never showed up in Explorer so if you only need to access the disk from a command prompt, then ok. But otherwise, VDK did work.

[pjw1]

Same problem with 1GB persistant NTFS disk created under XP Guest - can mount, is only read-only (Access Denied when I try to write), even though I turned off read-only mode. Also, disk does not appear in "My Computer". So bug it with VMWare in general, not just specific disk types.

I am very unlikely to get permission to install VDK.EXE (unless it's produced by VMWare Inc), so will have no chance of testing it. Besides, it does not seem to unreasonable to ask for VMWare to work as documented.

[asatoran]

I agree, it's reasonable to have VMWare fix this. Submit and SR or bug report. But it you really need to mount the disks, how long you gonna wait? That's what I'd be explaining to the higher-ups that deny permission to you for VDK. Depending on what and how you need to access the VMDK, you could just share it from within the VM and access it across the network, even a host-only network or shared folder...just to get your work done. :smileyblush:

[adza77]

Just for the record - I have the same problem with Vista too - so I don't believe it's isolated to your case. (Although admitidally, I'm running Vista 64)

[pjw1]

Thanks all; good to know it's not just me.

I've submitted a bug report (once I found how to do that without paying), so maybe it will get fixed.

[adza77]

How do you go about submitting a bug report without paying? I've found another couple of bugs that I'd like to submit also!

Thanks

Adam.

[pjw1]

Can file feedback here:

http://www.vmware.com/support/support_feedback.html

[adza77]

I must admit, I've become very dissapointed and dissilusioned with VMWare. I think I've seen at the most 2 updates to Workstation since I purchased it mid last year - and with plenty of bugs (like this) still remaining after 6 months without any official responses from the VMWare team.

Does anyone know VMWare's current path of development? Are they dropping Workstation 6 and developing 7 to fix these bugs, (and if so, has anyone heard of a leaked date), or are they pretty much ignoring Workstation users and concerntrating on other areas (which is the impression I'm getting at the moment).