Bug? simultaneous writes to host from two guest VMs to mapped windows share fails

[JTinCA]

Seems to be a bug, or at least a limitation of usable configurations...

1. I have a host PC with Vista 64 running VMWare Workstation 6.5.1.

2. I created a VM with XP32, including Tools, and copied it.

3. Launched both VMs, chose the "I copied it" option in the second one when prompted.

4. Shared a directory on the host.

5. Mapped a network drive in each VM to that same share, called it drive Z: in both cases.

6. Start a long file copy to Z: in VM1 - goes along fine

7. Start a copy to Z: in VM2 (plenty of space, and different files so no naming collisions) - both VMs report disk write failures and cancel the copy operation.

I can repeat this and vary the timing with no change. Work great, even finishes, as long as just one (either one) is copying to the mapped share. But as soon as a second VM starts to write to the same host share both VMs get disk write errors reported and stop the copy.

Should this work, or is it a limitation or bug in Workstation?

Thanks,

JT

[ODeckard]

The officially correct way to produce the second VM is to clone, not copy.

What is the name of each? If copied, they will have the same name. That will cause problems. You muct change the name of one of them.

[RDPetruska]

Did you change the computer name of the 2nd VM? Did you run NewSID or similar tool to change the SID?

Just to clarify, you are using standard Windows File Sharing, and not the VMware Shared Folders feature?

[JTinCA]

I'll try cloning with a unique name. If same names weren't valid, it probably would fail on opening the .vmx instead of just on file copies to an external mapped drive, though...

Thanks,

JT

[Scissor]

I agree with RDP... my guess is that you are mapping to a VMware Shared Folder on the host. If you switch to using normal Windows File Sharing over the network I bet the problem will go away.

[ODeckard]

I'll try cloning with a unique name. If same names weren't valid, it probably would fail on opening the .vmx instead of just on file copies to an external mapped drive, though...

Thanks,

JT

Not true at all. They will both fire up fine, then colide when another computer sees them as the same computer.

[ODeckard]

I'll try cloning with a unique name. If same names weren't valid, it probably would fail on opening the .vmx instead of just on file copies to an external mapped drive, though...

Thanks,

JT

Cloning is the preferred way, but without cloning, go to Control Panel, System, Computer Name. The copies are copies, and one has to get its name changed.

[JTinCA]

Cloning the VM named "WinXP" to "Clone of WinXP" had same issue as the copy to new directory.

On the host I am using Vista file shares, just right clicking a folder and choosing Share.

I have not yet tried changing hostnames or SIDs. Will when I have time, but I may have found another workaround that doesn't require mapped drives.

Thanks for the suggestions,

JT

[Scissor]

Make sure you're running the latest driver for your Host's NIC. Then (temporarily) disable any "task offload" or other "offload" settings on the Host NIC properties to see if that solves the problem.