Mount Windows VM disk in Finder like a regular disk

[jmahonski]

I have searched for info on this and have not had any luck - so sorry if there is an obious answer or thre is something that I have over looked.

What I want to do it mount my VM's disk in the finder so I can access it like a regular disk. I know parelles can do this, and I wasn't sure if VMware Fusion could do this until I saw this that said you could: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Comparison_of_VMware_Fusion_and_Parallels_Desktop

Any ideas?

[admin]

You need Fusion 2.0 and Leopard. Assuming you choose the default option during the Fusion insstall (or otherwise have MacFUSE), you can ctrl-click a non-running virtual machine and open the virtual disk in the Finder (Note: OS X must understand the filesystem).

[jmahonski]

Sorry for the long delay.

I download that "mac fuse" and I still can't mount the disk.

How exactly do I do it?

[WoodyZ]

Try reading the documentation... VMware Fusion (menu bar) > Help > VMware Fusion Help > Managing Virtual Machines > Using VMDKMounter to Mount a Virtual Disk as a Mac Volume

[jmahonski]

http://i86.photobucket.com/albums/k106/sdschramm/whatdoIdonext.jpg

So what do I do next? I installed that NTFS thing, restarted, and I still don't see a "mount with VMDK" thing? The instructions are in another language to me.

[WoodyZ]

Nothing like a bit of paranoia having to white-out a picture you upload... try using Cmd-Shift-4 and then you can select just the relevant part.

Anyway I'd uninstall/reinstall Fusion in an attempt to get it to properly register the VMDKMounter.app.

Message was edited by: WoodyZ

Also you cannot mount the Virtual Machine's Virtual Hard Drive with VMDKMounter if it is running or suspended.

[jmahonski]

( I know about pussing 4 - I just pushed 3 so you could see that I had the instorutions and everything else open too)

And where is the VMDKmounter app? Is there a way I can just install that? Is it under "show package contents?"

[WoodyZ]

( I know about pussing 4 - I just pushed 3 so you could see that I had the instorutions and everything else open too)

You're missing the point. If you know about 4 then you could have used 4 and cropped enough of the area showing what you wanted to and not have anything of a personal nature showing and this IMO is easier and faster then 3 and having to white-out the personal information! (Much less it makes for a smaller file and in turn faster upload/download and less wasteful on bandwidth, storage, etc.

And where is the VMDKmounter app? Is there a way I can just install that? Is it under "show package contents?"

Have you tried uninstalling/reinstalling Fusion in an attempt to get it to properly register the VMDKMounter.app?

[jmahonski]

I'm really sorry that I can not take screen shots to your stratification. I thought it would help everyone out but if all I am going to get is complaints in how I do it, then I just want take any at all and you can GUESS what I am seeing on my screen - rather then illustrating the problem.

And NO, I have not un/re-installed Fusion because I do not want to mess up anything else I have working with it. I simply asked where the WMDK mounter app was so I could replace JUST THAT, and NOT the WHOLE program!!!

[admin]

VMDKMounter is in /Library/Application Support/VMware Fusion (and I believe it's installed by default). However, it relies on MacFUSE, which the Fusion installer will take care of installing for you but you wouldn't get if you just extracted VMDKMounter from the installer package.

(un/re)installing Fusion does not affect your virtual machines, and is probably the easiest way to fix this.

[JohnZonie]

Thinking this would resolve my VM problem, I tried right-click, select VDMKMounter on a VM. Nothing happened. Checked /Library/Application Support. There was no VMWare Fusion folder. Reinstalled 2.0.0 and upgraded to a newly downloaded 2.0.1. Still no library.

Originally had 1.0 and upgraded through 1.3 to current 2.0.1 on Mac Pro OSX 10.5.6.

Any ideas?

Edit: Oops. Looked in the wrong place. It is there but does not mount the disk.

[WoodyZ]

My experience when using VMDKMounter has been that if no error message is displayed then the virtual hard drive was mounted and it typically appears on the Desktop as a white drive icon named "Untitled".

[JohnZonie]

Yes it works that way on one machine (iMac, 10.5.6) but not on my Mac Pro, also 10.5.6. It is clear that something is amiss that is not resolved by uninstalling and reinstalling. Haven't a clue on how to find out what's wrong, though.

[WoodyZ]

Yes it works that way on one machine (iMac, 10.5.6) but not on my Mac Pro, also 10.5.6. It is clear that something is amiss that is not resolved by uninstalling and reinstalling. Haven't a clue on how to find out what's wrong, though.

If you're saying that VMDKMounter is not working properly here is what I'd try...

1. Verify the the Fusion .dmg disk image's MD5SUM matches what was published by VMware to validate you have a good .dmg disk image file.

2. Uninstall MacFUSE.

3. Uninstall Fusion and reboot the Mac.

4. Reinstall Fusion and MacFUSE when prompted during the Fusion install.

5. Reboot the Mac

Now try VMDKMounter on a Windows Virtual Machine that is shutdown, not suspended and does not have any snapshots.

Note: If your were running a newer version of MacFUSE then what comes with Fusion then upgrade MacFUSE afterwards.

[JohnZonie]

Thanks for your help. I tried running a MacFuse uninstaller and it reported MacFuse was not installed. I uninstalled Fusion, rebooted and reinstalled Fusion. There was no prompt about installing MacFuse. I then downloaded MacFuse 2.0.3 and installed it. Lo and behold, VMDKMounter now works. I don't know why Fusion didn't install it but my issue is resolved.

Thanks again.

[WoodyZ]

Thanks for your help. I tried running a MacFuse uninstaller and it reported MacFuse was not installed. I uninstalled Fusion, rebooted and reinstalled Fusion. There was no prompt about installing MacFuse. I then downloaded MacFuse 2.0.3 and installed it. Lo and behold, VMDKMounter now works. I don't know why Fusion didn't install it but my issue is resolved.

Did you check to see if the MD5SUM matches what was published by VMware to validate the Fusion .dmg disk image file?

[JohnZonie]

Sure did. Checksums are identical.