How to Share Folders Between Host and Virtual Machine in VMware Workstation

Edited 3 weeks ago by ExtremeHow Editorial Team

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Sharing folders between your host machine and virtual machines in VMware Workstation can be incredibly useful for a number of reasons. It allows seamless access to files and easy data transfer without the need for external drives or frequently using cloud storage. In this guide, we will explore the step-by-step process on how you can set up shared folders between your host system and virtual machines using VMware Workstation.

Before we move on to the steps, it is important to understand some basic concepts and terms:

• Host machine: This is your normal computer where VMware Workstation is installed. It runs the operating system you use every day.
• Virtual Machine (VM): This is a guest system running inside VMware Workstation. It mimics an independent computer with its own operating system.
• VMware Tools: A suite of utilities installed into the guest operating system that enhances the performance and manageability of virtual machines.
• Shared Folders: A feature that allows you to access host files from within a virtual machine and vice versa.

Why share folders?

Sharing folders between your host and virtual machines is beneficial for several reasons. It provides:

• Convenience: Easily transfer files without additional peripherals or services.
• Efficiency: Save time by accessing files directly instead of copying them multiple times.
• Integration: When a file can be opened or converted in any environment as needed, the workflow becomes much smoother.

Steps to share folders using VMware Workstation

Step 1: Make sure VMware Tools is installed

VMware Tools is important to enable the shared folders feature. If not already installed, follow these steps:

1. Start the virtual machine on VMware Workstation.
2. Once the virtual machine is started, go to the VM menu from the top menu bar in VMware Workstation.
3. Select Install VMware Tools from the dropdown menu. A virtual CD-ROM will be mounted on the guest operating system.
4. Inside your virtual machine, open the CD-ROM drive labeled VMware Tools. Run the appropriate setup.exe or the specific installer file for your VM's operating system.
5. Follow the installation wizard to complete the installation.
6. Restart your virtual machine to apply the changes.

Step 2: Configure shared folders

Now that VMware Tools is installed, you are ready to configure shared folders:

1. Make sure the virtual machine is turned on and VMware Tools is installed.
2. In the VMware Workstation interface, right-click the corresponding virtual machine and then click Settings.
3. Go to the Options tab and select Shared Folders listed on the left.
4. There will be options about shared folders. Set the option to the right Always enabled for continuous access or Enabled until the next power off or Suspend if it is temporary.
5. Click Add... to specify a new shared folder. A wizard will pop up to guide you through the steps.
6. In the wizard:
   1. Select the host folder you want to share. Either browse or manually type the path to the folder.
   2. Specify a name for this shared folder as it will appear inside the virtual machine's file system.
   3. Decide whether you want to enable read-only access, which allows the VM to view files but not modify them, or full access, which allows reading and writing.
   4. After reviewing the summary and making sure the settings are correct, finish the wizard.
7. Click OK to save the shared folder settings.

Step 3: Accessing shared folders in the virtual machine

After you've set up the shared folders, accessing them inside the virtual machine is simple:

For Windows guest OS:

1. Open File Explorer on your Windows virtual machine.
2. Go to Network. You will see the VMware Shared Folders network location listed.
3. Open VMware Shared Folders to view the shared folder(s) you configured.

For Linux guest OS:

1. Open the file manager on your Linux virtual machine.
2. Navigate to /mnt/hgfs/ or other default sharing mount point integrated with VMware.
3. Your shared folders should be available in this directory.

Step 4: Troubleshoot shared folders

If you have problems accessing shared folders, consider the following troubleshooting steps:

• VMware Tools: Make sure VMware Tools is properly installed and updated to the latest version. Reinstall if necessary.
• Firewall and security software: Some firewalls or security software may block access to shared folders. Configure them to allow shared folder operations.
• VM Settings: Recheck the shared folder settings in the VMware Workstation Settings menu for your virtual machine to make sure everything is set up correctly.
• Remounting in Linux: For persistent problems in Linux, try manually mounting the shared folders in your file system, for example, sudo mount -t vmhgfs .host:/<your-shared-folder-name> /mnt/hgfs.

By following these steps, you should be ready to share folders between your host and virtual machine in VMware Workstation, improving your workflow and efficiency when dealing with files across platforms. This feature removes many of the barriers that traditionally existed between physical and virtual environments, providing a seamless experience. Be sure to revisit and modify your shared folder setup as your needs change to maintain optimal productivity.

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