From the VirtualBox’s menu, go to Devices → Shared Folders… to add/remove the folders of the host operating system that you would like to share with the guest operating system (Windows XP, in this example). When done click Ok.
Now we are going to access the folders we added. DO NOT open My Network Places! Instead open a new explorer instance. You can do that by pressing WinKey-E or by executing the explorer command (Start → Run… → type “explorer” → Ok). You should see a windows that looks like this:
Now, carefully click on the expand icon (
) right next to My Network Places. Make sure you click exactly on the expand icon. If you accidentally clicked on My Network Places, you ruined everything and you will have to go back and start all over again. After expanding the My Network Places branch, you should be able to see Entire Network right underneath:
Now expand the Entire Network branch, too, and you should be able to see VirtualBox Shared Folders:
Open VirtualBox Shared Folders. Normally, you should be able to see your shared folders in there.
You’re a genius!
From all WinXP bugs I’ve seen, this is one of the weirdest.
thanks
YES!! The company Innotec dont help out but this does!
Hiya. Sorry, but this method doesn’t work out with me. Am using OS X host and Win XP guest and just cannot connect to the shared folder using Explorer. Do you have any alternative ideas?
Cheers.
Hi b.qiya, I have the same woeful problem…:(
tis works! thx
Thanks for this. It worked for me
Hello, thank you very much for your posting. It really helped.
To hell with all those other so called fkin’ geeks on the Internet who, instead of helping you out, rather confuse the hell out of you. If you don’t know, don’t fkin’ write and waste our time. If you know what you are writing, then write it like this post — simple solution that actually gets thing done.
Thanks again
It seems that the 1.6.0 works but versions above may not. More details here : http://www.virtualbox.org/ticket/313
Thanks a lot !!!
thanks! I got virtualbox to run fine, and was pissed when I couldn’t find my shared folder under windows. Now I got all my files up and running sweet thanks again!
THANK YOU SO VERY MUCH!!!! I couldn’t figure out why the shared folders weren’t working. You’re awesome.
I can’t believe this worked. I’ve been working all day on this problem and these simple steps did the trick.
Thanks!
Thank you Giannis for this post.
I almost gave up before I found this page. Most of the instructions out there are very complicated.
This post is simple, to the point and it worked for me. I am using OS X as the host.
Thx buddy. It solved my problem. Thx alot
Thank you giannis, you have saved me a lot of time and effort pointing this bug. I knew I had it working once but could remember what I did.
Great! This is great Thanks!
i ve got micro xp and it dosn’t work. anybody know how to install “net use”?
Wow, I looked for this all day and came across your help – quite easy and it works. Thanks!!!
Thank you for this clever solution! All the other suggestions just said “Click on Network Places”. When I did that, my shared folders didn’t appear. Only you were able to anticipate this difficulty and help me and a lot of others solve this problem.
It does not work for me. I’m in Vista running XP with VirtualBox 2.1.0. I don’t see the shared folders under My network using your method. Virtual PC seems more intuitive for file transfer btw systems that you can drag and drop to either one, although VirtualBox feels faster. Any solution to the problem I’m having?
It turns out that I need to install Guest Additions in order to use the shared folders function. It’s working now after I did that. Thanks for the instruction.
Excellent! Got me unwedged. Thank you very much.
Dominik
Came really close to giving up too and this solved my problem perfectly. Thanks!
You saved my life.
I am using Virtualbox 2.1.2 and running winxp on Ubuntu 8.10. Wasted about an hour trying to figure out this.
I shared the folder and couldnt find it by going to network places or by manually typing vboxsvr.
This is really weird bug. Thanks again for your post!
If you don’t want to have to do that every time, you can use the option “Map Network drive” to map a drive letter to it. Then it can be accessed from My Computer. I did it from an “Open” dialog in Powerpoint (in the upper right).
Doesn’t work for me, I don’t see the “VirtualBox Shared Folders”.
i see nothing on osx host, xp guest, guest additions installed. has anyone succeeded with an osx host?
Thank you very much!
All works fine. It’s wonderful bug from Microsoft!
Works like a charm, thanks.
Works like a charm. Thanks i’ve spent 3 days trying to get this to work. Now just need to get fedora to see windows on Virtualbox now
Yeah nice
Helped me out much…. searched the complete “my computer” but didn’t find any drive haha-…
Thanks ! The funny thing is you need to follow this to the letter otherwise it doesn’t work. I couldn’t believe this at first…
Yeah… this didn’t work at all for me.
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the problem is insisting on VB 2.2.0 installed on Mac OS X, hosting windows xp; shared folder doesn’t show up under “entire network”
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Thanks a lot!
It works for me – Windows XP SP1 as a guest, Ubuntu 9.04 as a host.
Thank You, Thank You, did I say Thank You.
I have been trying to copy stuff all day, searches by google kept pointing me in the wrong direction. It seems that with every release of VB there was a different way to copy between the os’s. Thank you again.
THANK YOU!!!!!
Hi,
Thanks so much. My tech guy got everything right except this last crucial bit of information. I learned that you cannot use a search in XP to find these shared files. Nor do they turn up in the program files.
This seems to be solved in SP3.
Thank you VERY much. Extreme help!!!
Thanks for your information. I had some problem while moving large files between guest OS to host OS using USB drives. Now my problem will be solved. Once again Thank you to all who may work for this….
by,
V.Rajasekaran
thank’s for this wonderful post, same as others i also encounter other post which are of no effect.
more power
thank you for the post, i was very helpful.
“it was” of course
YOU ARE AWESOME!!!! thank you so much
)
Thanks a lot.
It’s help me more.
Thanks a lot!!! This helped!!!
p liu pointed correctly that guest additions are required; access command to install additions from virtualbox host menu, download additions iso, mount it when prompted. this will start installation inside windows. after reboot works fine (thou you still need to do the magic). thanks giannis for posting.
(kubuntu(xp))
It works perfectly…thanx…..
I installed VirtualBox 3.4 and XP on my Mac OS Snow Leopard. I am not able to find Shared folder in my XP. I tried all the solutions from above threads, but no use. Can some one help me please to share the folder with my Mac OS and XP.
Also have micro xp and have the same problem. instructions do not work,
Γιάννη, ευχαριστώ πάρα πολύ για αυτήν την συμβουλή. Πράγματι από το Network Places δεν βγάζεις άκρη. Αντιμετωπίζω όμως ένα άλλο πρόβλημα. Ενώ από τον κοινό φάκελο μπορώ να αντιγράψω τα αρχεία που έχω ρίξει μέσα για να πάνε στον εικονικό, δεν μπορώ από τον εικονικό να ρίξω μέσα σε αυτόν τον φάκελο αρχεία και να τα πάρω μετά από τον κανονικό μου Η/Υ.
thanks, you saved me some troubles
Its Wonderful.. made my work.. Any guess how to use the LAN card for sniffing through virtual PC
Thanks!
Hi
Thanks work out perfect,
Regards Kundaliniboy
Thanks!
ohhh cheers man! life saver!
You are a genius, really really thanks!
You, my man, are a genius. Thank you very much.
Worked like a CHARM
on ubuntu host
THANK you
Thanks, worked beautifully virtual xp on ubuntu 9.04 host
It didn’t work at first, but now it does.
I think you have to install “Guest additions” first. You should probably mention that.
Works awesome, thanks!
Nice work. Now I’m running both Windows XP and Ubuntu guests on my Mac Snow Leopard host. Technology is amazing.
PV: Remember to ‘Machine’ – “Install Guest Additions’ – then reboot. Everything worked for me the first time.
For those with an Ubuntu guest, you have to use terminal to mount the shared folders. If you want to have the shared folders mount on boot up, you have to alter your etc/modules and etc/fstab files (see How do I automatically mount my shared folder?).
Now when you see Virtual Box shared folders, right click on any of folder, and click “MAP NETWORK DRIVE”. You will see this drive when you will click “My computer” with no need to go again to explorer.
Cheers. You just stopped me tearing out what’s left of my hair.
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Wonderful.. Thank you.
Cheers! I thought I was going mad not being able to figure this out!
Cheers indeed, one hell of a weird bug that one oO
Great. After testing my patience on trying to find a manual where everybody is running linux as guest.. This is what was needed.
Thanks.. merci.. .. and I owe you a beer… KEG …
thanks dude! it was so easy, but oh so hidden
Wow man, this is amazing! Thank you very much! This has been bugging me the whole day!
There are no words!
This method does not work with OS X host. Alternatively you can open cmd and map folder manually:
net use v: vboxsvrname_of_your_share
Works also with OS X host and all Windows 7 guest.
Written on 12/12/09
Sir, you are very amazing and clever. You figured out something that no one could have. I say, when you
read this comment, you should be proud of yourself and you wonderful talents, whether you are a Christian or not.
I do really want to emphasize this when no one could but only because you already spent alot of time figuring this out. I just want to say thank for you help. Even Google appreciates this because I found your site there.
Well, I you don’t mind….make a website of how to fix stuff and do stuff that nobody understands, like tech wizard.
I hope you have a great time. Merry Christmas!
Nothing worked until I downloaded the “guest additions” iso from the lower right corner of the host window. Now the shared folder shows up in network places and some other neat things work too, like mouse capture, where I don’t have to click on the guest OS for it to capture/uncapture the mouse, it happens automatically. Neat!
wow…. this did the trick and solved.
Best solution.
Thanks for taking your time to show it to us
Excellent solution to a strange tricky problem. Only showed up on 2nd account, thought it might be a permission issue. Great job!
big cheers .. appreciated!
Rockon! thanks!
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Thankx for the help dude! Nice post really worked!!!!!!!!
Thanks mate, great tutorial.
I was messing around with this for hours.
Well done….but addons have to be installed if using virtualbox 3
This is an outstanding solution. Thanks!
Thank you, I can unbend my mind now.
have mac OS x, hosting windows xp, it worked fine thanks,
remember to install guest additions:
http://www.dedoimedo.com/computers/virtualbox-guest-addons.html
thanks again
Thanks a lot, this helped
Despite this post being an old post I have to really thank you for this! It worked when everything else failed. Thanks!!!!
Thank god for this post! Luckily it is the first one I read, and it works beautifully!
Hi Man,
your advice really works, this is the only way I was able to transfer files from Windows Vista (Host) to Windows XP (Guest).
Thanks a lot!
Doesn’t work for me
.
great !! I love you man.. saves my huge time
Thank you Sir, i rarely Post any Comments but your Post made my day
Thanks again!
you are a genius.
thanks
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This is my first post ever. but i had to . U have no idea how much this helped me . My whole project work n graduation program was at stake . thank u so so so so much I really do love you…….
u r a life saver………………..
Thanks a lot
Repeating what everyone said positively about these instructions but loudly. THANK YOU!!
It help me a lot
Thanks
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thanks so much,i cant say fairer
Thank you!
I was in trouble trying to access my host shared folders, and your solution worked just fine!
You need to use Map Network Drive.
Follow these steps.
Open My Computer – Got to Tools Tab – Mapped Network Drive..
Driver: Z — Any driver letter that you want
Folder: _________ — click on Browse
Under Browse:
My Network Places
+ Entire Network
+ VirtualBox Shared Folder
— Vboxsvr
Or do the other way…
On the second picture above..
Click My Network Places, then right click Entire Network below that, then select Explore or Expand..
Now, you will be able to see VirtualBox shared folder..
Hehehehe.. Enjoy sharing..
Hi, this is sooooo amazing!! It finally works!! Thanx!! Cheers, Sven
Tnx a lot
nice post
Running on Fedora 11. The vboxsvr that kecheri suggested worked perfectly.
Thanks
thank you very much for Explain virtualbox it’s great program and nice
Here is a tip if the “VirtualBox Shared Folders” entry does not show up along with Microsoft Terminal Services and others:
You need to install the Guest Additions! From the VirtualBox’s menu, go to Devices -> Install Guest Additions and keep clicking “next” and “continue anyway” etc. (as i understand it, this will install some additional software not from SUN).
After that you may have to reboot, and the “VirtualBox Shared Folders” entry should be visible as described in this article.
Thanks a lot. This solved my problem!
Thank you!!! It is finally working. You are a genius!!!
that’s very helpful, thank you!
Thanks a lot…worked like a charm!!!
That worked perfectly! Thanks.
Thank you!! This solved my problem of having to transfer files using usb drive.
Thanks!!!! Great simple article help me!!!!
Respect to author!
Thanks, it worked. I also had to install Guest Additions (version 3.2.8 of VirtualBox: go to the guest OS’s window, go to the Devices menu -> Install Guest Additions).
thanks a lot
Yep! Thanks men!
THANK YOU SO MUCH. Saved my ass tonight. after a LOT of googling.
Great work! Thanks a million!
Very helpful tutorial. Thanks !!
thank you!
this worked like a charm on ubuntu as a host and xp as a guest
running on VirtualBox OSE.
Works with Guest Additions for me.
Thank you! And THANKs for good and useful comments!!
I must be missing somethink here but where is the devices dropdown menu???? I can not find it anywhere??
Thank you very much .
i really appreciate it .
love u… thnx a lot… really helped me a lot…
What do you actually mean by “ruining everything”? Does it mean I have to re-install or does it just mean I need to do the procedures here again?
I followed the procedures here but I still can’t get it to work.
HEY I GOT IT TOOK WORK iv been working on this for weeks never seen this but what u sead didnt work it was what some 1 else sead. i downloaded the guest additions and i installed it on to the guest and do what u sead erlyer and it worked but make sure to map the drive cuz it gets anoiing to open it over and over
Good work!!!!
Here is a full proof way of getting it to work, the above does not work for me. I am running XP host and XP guest. The following works as long your running XP in virtual box.
Once you have installed xp and guest additions and restarted your computer such that XP is still running, you click on the device button of virtualbox, and navigate to shared folders. The folder you select CANNOT have any spaces, else the “ok” button will be greyed; this in particular drove me nuts. Make sure the “make permanent button is checked and click ok. Now navigate XP guess to My Network Places. Click “add a network place”. Click next, click next again, then click browse; ha! theres the entire button that I couldn’t find!!!! wonderful. Click the + click on virtualbox and select the folder you chose to share. Done, now you can share files between HOST and GUESS. I am running my home made micro versions of xp which is probably why I had to go through the hassle above. Hope it saves some people some work. Anyone the instructions on the original page will not work for everyone. BUT mine will.
Cheers
Here is a full proof way of getting it to work (don’t worry these steps are FAST):
1. If host is XP make sure, computer browser, server and workstation are running.
2. Install XP in virtualbox.
3. Install Guess Additions
4. Restart XP Guest; the one you just installed.
5. XP Guest finishes starting up.
6. Click on device button of virtualbox (on the top), navigate to shared folders.
7. Click browse, select a path & folder name that does not have spaces. For example you
wouldn’t select my documents. C:A is ok.
8. Check the make permanant box.
9. Click OK.
10. If I selected C:A, I must ensure the a folder exists on the host.
11. Navigate to network places on XP guess; in virtualbox.
12. Click on “add a network place”. Click next, click next again.
Click Browse, expand the “entire network” button.
13. Expand “virtualbox” and select your shared folder.
Done!!
BTW,
shared folders and usb don’t work in portable version of virtualbox.
one last correction: the mentioned services must run on Hosts/Guests where the OS is XP.
In case it’s not clear, you have to also activate guest services in the guest OS. For example, if your host is Ubuntu Linux, and your guest is WinXP, you have run Synaptic Package Manager and installed VirtualBox OSE, VirtualBox Guest Additions, and virtual-box-ose-guest-x11
These will pull in a couple of other packages such as virtual box dkms
Add a share to your machine in the VirtualBox control panel.
Then start up your guest OS. Press CTRL-D which will install the guest additions device drivers into the virtual OS. It will install, then reboot the virtual machine.
Finally, you should see your shared folder from your guest window.
This took me quite a while to figure out because it’s not clear that you need to install several different packages to get everything you need. Good luck to everyone and it’s worth it once you’re done.
Now if I could just figure out why the WinXP window shrank back down to itty bitty size after stretching to my laptop’s correct resolution! It was nice while it lasted, oh well…
Hi everybody:.
I read all the posts for resolve my problem but I can`t achieve it
I have win xp 32 bits using virtualbox to mount Ubuntu. Installed vboxadd but I don´t know if it installed correctly. I shared a folder with the settings in VM.
I try to map a network in my win xp,but I can not find in the Entire Network–>VirtualBox Shared Folders. I try it with the comand L:Documents and Settingscvalencia>net use l: vboxsvrUbuntu but it shows:
system Error 85.
can you help me please?
i’m not very technical in Linux and need my shared folder on the XP guest nmachine. This was the simplest and technically best explained fix I found. Thanks for sharing.
Thanks! Great! Works nice and fine. Thank you very much!
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It works properly with LinuX , but for XP i see no Virtualbox shared folder .
i tried to put them both(host and guest )in the same work group but when i try the ping test,they are not connected.
I’m confused …
Very quick and easy solution- thanx!
ubu1010 w/ xp guest
Thank you very much!
I skimmed and looked at the pictures and worked it out in no time.
Great job.
Thanks a lot for the post. Don’t know how long I would have spend looking for them otherwise.
Thanks for this sir, worked instantly. You’re the man!
Hi,
Thank you for the details (including commenter). Installing VirtualBox 4 on Ubuntu 10.10 64-bit solved the pblm. Guest OS: Win XP.
Great work, I was looking for this solution for quite some time. Thanks..!
this also works for windows 7 32 bit
Oraios file mou
Efxaristo to epsaxna…
Thanks buddy!
Thx Buddy.
Amazing, quick advice! Thanks a ton!
With VirtualBox 4.10 (at least) on OSX hosts, to add the Guest Additions one has to go through the _Storage_ menu specific to the VM machine and not through the “Devices” menu (as stated in section 4.2.1.1 Installation of the Users Guide) which does not exist anymore…
Almost 4 years later and still helpful! Thanks!
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Thank! Very helpful)
as some have said already, the guest addition needs to be installed first.
This procedure is described here:
http://www.virtualbox.org/manual/ch04.html#sharedfolders
then it worked find.
YEAH! this works! thanks alot!
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This is pathetic! This is the best that VirtualBox/Oracle can do? A convoluted series of “don’t touch this icon this way, or you’ll mess it up!”?! I’m going back to VMware. This is an absurd problem to have in the first place! If it’s a shared folder, it should show up in “shared folders under XP” If it’s actually a shared network drive, then call it that, and auto-mount it so I can see it when I open “my computer”. If it’s a network place, show it there! There should be no set of circumstances that lead me to not being able to see a network place that’s set up in the My Network Places explorer “folder”. What an unholy, badly-hacked waste of time!
thanks today i tried VB after 9 months and forget the method how to open the shared folder. your article helps
Thank you!! This was so helpful to me – I was beginning to give up.
Thank you! very helpful.
vBox works only half way and is poorly coded ! They should not advertise and promise things that can not be fulfill ! They re only lifting our nerves sky high !!! Nasty and poorly coded app !!! Its still better do work on physical machines as using virtual tech ! Its not user friendly its full of errors and poor support too and there are the license policy that in great manor stall development of IT !!! We are living in 21st and most of the things should be plug and play auto connect auto config auto install needed drivers and support tools like VBoxGuestAdditions ! I do not have time and nerves bother around with problems that should work right out the box !!! I simply give up its like Linux – too many problems as newer will be used as alternative dektop workstation environment due crappy bootloader and never ending story around the standarized software installer ! For instance who needs Linux if for more complex job one need more Linuxes installed and can not install desired software package as being unsupported (dependancy hell) as one can solve problem on win just with one OS ! Linux my be best OS in the world but making problems to user – then is useless the same goes for vBox !!!
Thanks a lot!!!
@cajhne, yes, the problem is absurd, no doubt, but there’s no reason to complain about it here
The author found the solution for this problem for those persons, who are constraint to use Virtual Box, like me.
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Perfect. I always forget how do it. Thank you.
Thanks!
You Don’t Need to do all that stuff.
just Click My Network Places Then The Folder there and that’s it. All the Stuff you put on the host folder will be there.
I do agree with all of the ideas you have introduced for your
post. They are really convincing and can certainly work.
Still, the posts are too short for novices. May just you please lengthen them a bit from subsequent time?
Thanks for the post.
Gr8
good job man
Thanks.
+1!
I see you already have a few of these but … it’s still nice to show gratitude when it’s there.
THANK YOU FOR THIS PAGE.
In fact no matter if someone doesn’t know afterward its up to other users that they will help, so here it happens.
Thanks !! Bro for providing steps..
thanks for simple yet precise post
Thank you so much for this post! Correct and precise!
Highly Appreciate The Assistance
my problem solved. thanks!
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thanks man it helped me a lot
Hi, Im running OSX as my host, and Win XP in VirtualBox. This method does not work for me, any ideas?
Μπράβο Γιάννη και ευχαριστώ. Μου έχει σπάσει τα νεύρα.
Champion! This was wrecking my brain – thanks so much! Surprised this hasn’t been solved in the 8 years since the post! Although to be fair, Windows XP is no longer supported. In any case, I can now share files. Yay!
After muddling around for the better part of 2 days, I came upon your very east-to-understand post. Boy, did it ever work! The wonders of the Internet! You have made my day! THANK YOU!
Nice article, Really useful information. I will bookmark this one.