Open .lnk files in Mac

[shafferc]

I have a Mac running Lion with Windows XP running in a VMware virtual machine.  I mirrored the desktop and created shortcuts on the Windows desktop.  The shortcuts work fine if I view the virtual machine in a single window.  On the Mac desktop, they appear as .lnk files.  When I try to open them on the Mac desktop, the Mac asks me what program to use to open them.  It doesn't matter if the shortcut points at a folder or an application, the Mac fails to open it in either case.

Is there an easy way to open Windows shortcuts to folders on my Mac?

[WoodyZ]

Have a look at: Re: Hide .lnk files on the Mac OS screen

[shafferc]

Thanks, but I don't want to hide the files.  I want to execute them.

[WoodyZ]

They are not executable from the Mac side, hence the directions to hide them.

[shafferc]

Well, that's quite a disappointment.  Is there any way from the Unity menu or from the Mac desktop to drill down directly to a destination folder on the virtual machine?

[WoodyZ · Accepted solution]

If you share the Folder in the Guest's Filesystem you can access it on the Mac from Finder > Go > Connect to Server using the following conventions...

smb://Guest_IP_Address/Share_Name
Or
smb://Guest_Computer_Name/Share_Name

Then you can create a Alias for it and access it via the Alias when the Virtual Machine is already running.

[shafferc]

Thanks, that's very helpful.  Unfortunately, I doesn't accomplish what I want since the folder is on a network drive, so can't be shared.

[WoodyZ]

Unfortunately, I doesn't accomplish what I want since the folder is on a network drive, so can't be shared.

Unless in your particular case there is a policy prohibiting it, all resources should be able to be shared.

I have a Stack on my Dock of just Aliases to shares on both Virtual Machines and Physical Machines as well as several NAS, so baring a policy issue I see no reason why you are unable to share a Folder in a Virtual Machine and access it from the Host or any other system on the same Subnet.

[shafferc]

I suspect that since I am unable to modify permissions on folders in our network drive, I can't enable sharing.  Windows Explorer doesn't even offer the sharing tool for these folders.

[WoodyZ]

If you're accessing a shared network resource from within the Virtual Machine then why can't you access that same resource directly from the Mac and not have to try and access it via the Virtual Machine?

[shafferc]

Unfortunately, the network is configured such that Macs can't directly connect, and ADmit Mac + Lion + our network aren't compatible yet.

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Chris Shaffer

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