I can not map a network drive.

Discussion in 'Windows Virtual Machine' started by abrasha, Jan 9, 2008.

  1. abrasha

    abrasha Member

    Messages:
    44
    The thread was moved from "User Solutions and Workarounds" by Xenos

    I have been braking my head over this one for several hours now, I am ready to throw in the towel.

    I am running Windows XP Home as my VM. I want to be able to open files from a certain folder and/or sub folders in the Finder in a certain windows app. I also want to be able to save files to this folder and/or sub folders from that application.

    So I have tried to create a Mapped Network Drive.

    When I open the Tools/Map Network Drive, I am presented with a dialog box, where I can choose a drive letter. Let's say I choose Z. I then click on "Browse" to browse for the folder I want to map as the network drive.

    I then see the following tree:

    My Network Places
    |---Entire Network
    |------Microsoft Windows Network
    |---------Home
    |---------Workgroup
    |------Parallels Shared Folders
    |---.Home on .psf
    |---.Mac on .psf
    |---abrasha's public folder on Abrasha's Mac (Abrashas-mac-2)
    |---ruben's public folder on Abrasha's Mac (Abrashas-mac-2)

    The last four look like folders with a network icon.

    When I browse to the desired folder under .Home on .psf, (in my case Home/Documents/Abrasha's Projects) and choose it, I end up with a folder under Network Drives called ".Home on '.psf' (Z:)" I cannot choose and open this folder from the application, from the Open File dialog box. When I double click on the folder icon, it does open to the contents of the Abrasha's Projects folder.

    When I do the same thing and choose either abrasha's public folder or ruben's public folder, I end up with a Network Drive labeled "Abrasha's public folder on 'Abrasha's Mac (Abrashas-mac-2)' (Y)" or "Ruben's public folder on Abrasha's Mac (Abrashas-mac-2)' (X:)" These are the only two folders that I can choose from when I click on "Network" in the File Open dialog box in my application.

    Also, when I open "My Network Places", I see two sections, i.e. Local Network, and Unspecified. The Local Network section has the abrasha's and ruben's public folders on Abrasha's Mac in it, and the Unspecified section has ".Home on .psf" and ".Mac on.psf" in it.

    When I right click on the Network Drive icons in My Computer, and choose disconnect, the drives that have "on Abrasha's Mac" in the name can be disconnected, and then disappear from the list. But when I try to disconnect the the drives that have "on '.psf'" in their name, I get an error message, i.e. "The network connection could not be found."

    It seems, that the Network Location I need to be able to create is called something like "Abrasha's projects on Abrasha's Mac (Abrashas-mac-2)", in order for me to be able to see that drive in the Open File dialog box of the app.

    BTW, just in case my firewall software might be the culprit (I use Zonealarm), the results are the same when I turn the firewall off.

    Does anyone have any ideas how I can achieve what I want? What am I doing wrong?
     
    Last edited by a moderator: Jan 11, 2008
  2. Xenos

    Xenos Parallels Team

    Messages:
    1,547
    Hello Abrasha,

    To open Mac files on Windows side you should share the Mac folder with Windows.

    For this open Configuration Editor (start the Virtual Machine but do not launch the Guest OS, click Configuration).
    Choose Shared Folders from the list on the left side of the window.
    Enable User-defined folders and click +.
    Browse to the folder you'd like to see in Windows.
    Click OK.

    When you start Windows now, you will see the shared folder in Explorer and will be able to work with the files.

    Best regards,
    Xenos
     
  3. abrasha

    abrasha Member

    Messages:
    44
    I had already done all of that.

    I have two shared folders. One is called "Abrasha's projects", the second one "Quickbooks Backup". I do not see these folders under C: in Explorer.

    Only the Quickbooks Backup folders shows up in Explorer under My Computer under Network Drives, but for some reason is called "Network Drive (W:)" The other network drive I have there is also called "Network Drive (X:)", but this is not Abrasha's projects, it is my Mac Home folder.

    And in the application, when I hit Open File/Open and choose Network, the dialog box that opens is the same Windows dialog box that open when I choose Tools/Map Network Drive in Explorer.

    Here I can see the two shared folders under "Folders" as "X: \\.PFS\.Home" and "W: \\.PFS\Quickbooks backup".

    I then choose "Folder" and browse to \\.PFS\.Home\Documents\Abrasha's Projects.

    When I hit Finish, I now get two dialog boxes. The first one is titled Map Network Drive and says: Attempting to connect to \\.PFS\.Home\Documents\Abrasha's Projects...

    The second dialog box is titled "Windows". It says: "The drive X: has a remembered connection to \\.PFS\.Home. Do you wish to replace the current connection with \\.PFS\.Home\Documents\Abrasha's Projects?" When I click Yes, the computer rings a tone, the dialog box refreshes and nothing else happens. The dialog box just stays open, and I cannot access the folder in question.
     
  4. Xenos

    Xenos Parallels Team

    Messages:
    1,547
    Hello Abrasha,

    In your VM Configuration you seem to have All your Mac disks and Home folder checked on Shared Folders tab. This makes them mounting automatically.

    You will not see them under C: in Explorer. You can see them under W and X.

    Abrasha's Projects folder is your home folder that is mounted by default as "X: \\.PFS\.Home". When trying to share it again, you get connections confused and that's why you get the error message.

    So if you don't like your home folder to be seen as "X: \\.PFS\.Home" in Windows, you can disable Home folder in Configuration Editor -> Shared Folders and add the folder manually using the name you wish.

    Best regards,
    Xenos
     
  5. abrasha

    abrasha Member

    Messages:
    44
    When I uncheck, "All Mac disks" and "Home folder", I still get the same results. It makes no difference.

    Under "My Computer", I can create a network drive called "Abrasha's projects on '.psf' (Z:)" (or whatever drive letter I want to choose)

    However, when I go to "My Network Places" , I only see "abrasha's public folder on Abrasha's Mac (Abrashas-mac)", and "ruben's public folder on Abrasha's Mac (Abrashas-mac)" under "Local Network"

    I can create a new network place by using "Add a network place". This does not add the network place under "Local Network", but this creates a new category called "Unspecified", in which this new network place now shows up.

    When I then go to File/Open in my application, under the drives besides the common a:, c: and d: drives, i only see the two public folders as options to choose from, but not the just created network drive for Abrasha's projects.

    It does not seem to matter whether "All Mac disks" and "Home folder" are checked or unchecked in the Configuration Editor. The only difference seems to be, that if they are checked, they are mounted automatically at start up, and if they are not checked, I have to create them manually.

    I think, what needs to happen, is that when I create a new network place, it needs to show up under "Local Network", (which it is) and not under this new category "Unspecified". Or I need to be able to change the properties of the "Abrasha's projects" folder, so they are identical to the public folders that show up.
     
  6. Xenos

    Xenos Parallels Team

    Messages:
    1,547
    Abrasha, if you want to be able to open Mac folders from Windows and save files to these folders, you do not have to create a network place.

    Just open Configuration Editor -> Shared Folders.
    Enable User-defined folders and click +.
    Browse to the folder Abrasha's Projects.
    Click OK.

    You will see this folder from Windows and will be able to open files from it and save files to it as well.

    Best regards,
    Xenos
     
  7. abrasha

    abrasha Member

    Messages:
    44
    As I wrote before. I can find the folders in question in Explorer and I can browse to the folders. I can drag and drop files to and from the folders. All I have to do, is double click the Parallels Shared Folders shortcut on my XP desktop, and I'm there. Or I can open my computer, and map a network drive. I can do pretty much everything I want.

    The only thing I have not been able to do so far, is to create access to the folders from the Open File dialog box in my application. BTW, the application in question is trueSpace 3.1 by Caligari.

    I am beginning to think, that the culprit may be this application, because I can open files from my shared folders, and save to them in other windows applications, just not in this one.
     
  8. abrasha

    abrasha Member

    Messages:
    44
    I still think this has something to do with how Windows XP sees my shared folders on the Mac.

    As I mentioned before, in My Network Places, under Local Network, I can see the two Public Folders on my Mac, i.e. Abrasha's public folder, and Ruben's public folder. Please note, that these two folders have not been assigned shared folders in the Configuration Editor of PD. Yet they do show up under Local Network in My Network Places.

    I am almost certain, that the solution has something to do with this.
     
  9. Xenos

    Xenos Parallels Team

    Messages:
    1,547
    Hello Abrasha,

    The trueSpace 3.1 probably doesn't support opening files through network. Why don't you copy the files you would like to open with trueSpace 3.1 from the shared folder to any Windows folder?

    Best regards,
    Xenos
     
  10. abrasha

    abrasha Member

    Messages:
    44
    That is not true, because I can see and access the following two folders on the network. They are network places on my "Local Network" under My Network Placesin Windows!

    They are Abrasha's public folder, and Ruben's public folder, which each hold their respective dropbox.

    The folders are located here:
    For Abrasha's public folder: Abrasha's Mac/Macintosh HD/Users/Abrasha/Public/Drop Box
    For Ruben's public folder: Abrasha's Mac/Macintosh HD/Users/Ruben/Public/Drop Box

    What I think needs to happen, is make the folder "Abrasha's project" behave the same way as these two folders. Any ideas how to do that? Assingning the folder "Shared Folder" status, in the Get Info window, does not do the trick.

    Again, please remember, that I did not assign "Shared Folder" status to these two folders in the PD Configuration Editor". These two folders are the public "shared" folders of OSX.

    Your suggestion to copy the files and folders in question to a Windows folder is not an acceptable solution, because this will inevitably lead to synchronization issues. I have kept all of my projects in that folder for years. I do not keep any of my data files in the VM, they are all on the Mac side. This makes things simple and clear. BTW, not only can I not open files from the desired folder(s), I cannot save to the desired folder(s) either.

    I have created random "test" folders inside both of my Mac public folders, and those I can access easily from trueSpace. I just cannot access ANY folder on my Mac, that was assigned "Shared Folder" in the "Configuration Editor".
     
    Last edited: Jan 16, 2008
  11. Xenos

    Xenos Parallels Team

    Messages:
    1,547
    Abrasha, the fact that trueSpace application can not open files through network does not contradict the fact you can see and access the Mac folders on your Virtual Machine.

    Please drag-and-drop the file you would like to open with trueSpace to the desktop of your Virtual Machine. Then open the file with trueSpace.

    Best regards,
    Xenos
     
  12. abrasha

    abrasha Member

    Messages:
    44
    It seems that you don't get what I want to do. And you are ignoring the facts that I mentioned about the two public folders that I can use with trueSpace.

    Because I CAN open files through my network in trueSpace, just not ANY file in ANY the PD Shared Folder!
     
  13. Xenos

    Xenos Parallels Team

    Messages:
    1,547
    OK, I see. You did not tell that you could open files from the Mac folders with trueSpace, you just told that you could see and access them.

    Do you mean that you can not open file with trueSpace only from Abrasha's project folder? Or are there any other files or folders that you can not access using trueSpace?

    Did you share the Abrasha's project folder the same way that you shared Abrasha's public and Ruben's public folders?

    Best regards,
    Xenos
     
  14. abrasha

    abrasha Member

    Messages:
    44
    Xenos, with all due respect, you are not reading my posts very carefully.

    From my very first post I have mentioned the OSX public folders as folders I could access from my application. And I said so again in my post of 9:29 this morning. This is what I wrote: "Again, please remember, that I did not assign "Shared Folder" status to these two folders in the PD Configuration Editor". These two folders are the public "shared" folders of OSX."

    I repeat now. I DID NOT SHARE THESE TWO PUBLIC FOLDERS IN PD CONFIGURATION EDITOR. Yet, I have access them in the trueSpace Open File dialog box, and therefore I can open files that are in them, and save files to them.

    These are the folders where the Mac OSX drop boxes are located.
     
  15. spectre

    spectre Parallels Team

    Messages:
    270
    abrasha,

    Please keep in mind that Parallels Shared Folders use the same technology as Windows File Sharing, to technically the files you see in "Abrasha's project folder" under the public folder isn't different from the same folder you assign to Windows VM using Parallels Shared folder.
    The only difference here that while your general public folders are visible on the network - Parallels Shared folder is hidden, you can access it from "My Network Places" by "\\.psf\" link.
    So it looks like your application is unable to properly open the files from hidden network share for some reason.
     
  16. bluto0251

    bluto0251 Bit poster

    Messages:
    1
    I am not sure if this applies to your problem, but I couldn't map a network drive with paralles and XP pro until I switched to Bridged Ethernet networking. Our Domain controller would not allow me to register on the domain until I switched to Bridged. Then I could map a drive. Our IT spent weeks trying to figure it out, with no luck. I was about to give up on my MBP at work.

    All of our software at work is run from the network and won't allow it to run unless the drive is mapped. Our software is all ancient tech based on Fox Pro. Works like a charm now.
     
  17. Hugh Watkins

    Hugh Watkins Forum Maven

    Messages:
    943
    lately there have been FTP problems with MS IE 7 to a distant server running Apache on Red Hat Linux reported in another context

    http://rootsweb.blogspot.com/2008/03/you-cannot-log-on-to-ftp-site.html
    >> I found the solution in IE7. When using IE7, instead of IE6, you cannot
    logon to ftp sites. Instead you have to go through Windows Explorer to do
    what we use to do in IE6. There was a design change in IE from 6 to 7 that
    makes this necessary. You can see the explanation at:
    http://support.microsoft.com/kb/941896/en-us <<

    Microsoft has a work around

    Hugh W
     
  18. DrKarl

    DrKarl Member

    Messages:
    71
    Parallels Shared Folders same tech as Windows Sharing

    This cannot be completely true, Spectre.

    As I've reported in a different thread, file access via Parallels Shared Folders is quite different from a folder I have set up to share a Mac folder via Windows Sharing.

    With a looping Microsoft Access database update (coded in VBA), my application takes 20 to 40 seconds with a Windows share and 3 to 5 minutes with the same database in a Parallels shared folder!

    There are other issues as well, related to Windows security. QuickBooks cannot access data files (*.qbw) via a Windows share, but can under a Parallels shared folder.

    So, because of the above two issues (speed and limited access), I access all of my files via a Windows share except for my QuickBooks data which I put in a folder that is shared via Parallels shared folders.

    It seems to me that both should use the same technology and should give the same results. The fact that they do not suggests an area requiring performance tuning by the developers.

    One last issue related to this broader topic: mapped network drive. I have my Windows shared folder set as a mapped network drive with the box checked to reconnect at login. Yet, if I start a program that accesses that drive, it says that no files are found. I have to first, after starting a new XP session, open Windows Explorer, then click on the mapped drive to view its contents - and then my programs can access the contents of the drive.

    Cheers,
    Karl
     

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