Mapping between main and VM

Discussion in 'Software' started by ichase, Aug 30, 2010.

  1. ichase

    ichase Corporal

    I have Windows 7 installed on my work laptop with 2 VM's both running XP Pro, 1 with IE6 and the other with IE7. Not so important it's for testing.
    I do not have MS Office installed on the VM's but do have Office installed on the main Win 7.
    The software that I have installed on the VM for work produces reports in Excel. Now, with out installing Office on the VM, once the excel file is created, can I map the Main PC to the VM so that I can open the Excel report that was created on the VM using MS Office installed on the Main Win 7 machine?
    The VMs were created using Windows Virtual Machine.

    Thanks in advance for the assistance. :)
     
    ichase, Aug 30, 2010
    #1
  2. DavidGP

    DavidGP MajorGeeks Forum Administrator - Grand Pooh-Bah Staff Member

    Hi


    I take it you are using Windows Virtual PC 2007? is it latest version update as well.

    If so then open the VPC console and highlight your VM OS then click Settings and then click Shared folders, you can setup a network share from the main OS to the VM. Just have the VM OS save the files to this shared folder. (will have to install the VM additions, from the Action menu)


    Should work.
     
    DavidGP, Aug 30, 2010
    #2
  3. Earthling

    Earthling Interplanetary Geek

    If you enable file and printer sharing in the VM, and share the folder containing the Excel files, you should be able to read them in Win 7 via the network. You could also enable write as well as read when creating the share.
     
    Earthling, Aug 30, 2010
    #3
  4. ichase

    ichase Corporal

    What if the laptop is not hooked up to a network? It's an independent computer not on any LAN. Now when I am over at the Corporate Office (work on a Military base 99% of the time) or if I have the laptop at the house of course I can get into the wireless network. But 9 times out of 10 it is not connected to any network.
     
    ichase, Aug 31, 2010
    #4
  5. Earthling

    Earthling Interplanetary Geek

    Well, I'm using VMWare, and that isn't an issue at all, as I can choose from three settings for the VM network adapter - Bridged, NAT or Host Only. Host only works just fine without connecting via a router, but I just don't know about Windows Virtual Machine.
     
    Earthling, Aug 31, 2010
    #5
  6. DavidGP

    DavidGP MajorGeeks Forum Administrator - Grand Pooh-Bah Staff Member

    Hi

    Just tested this in Windows 7 main PC to an XP SP3 VM and created the Shared folder as per the instructions I posted earlier ("may" just need to be on a LAN to create the folder initially as I noticed you cannot create when not connected to a network initially but may have been the VM needing a reboot) and it worked fine when I pulled the ethernet cables from the router, so the shared folder is working for me locally on the one PC and I created a text file that showed up with no LAN involvement, even edited the file on the XP SP3 VM and then re-opened it on the Win7 PC.


    Re-booted the XP SP3 VM to test it didnt disapear, may just when creating the shared folder initially to tick the "share every time" option and map the shared folder to a X, Y, Z type drive letter, one the upper end of the alphabet.
    Give it a try.
     
    DavidGP, Aug 31, 2010
    #6

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