Windows 7: Share Hard drive space

Hi,
I have got windows 7HB OEM copy. I installed the virtual machine and installed XP on on it. I am not able to view my physical hard drives from the virtual xp os. Also the SUB drive is also not accessible. Please suggest me what needs to be done. All I see from the virtual OS is the Virtual hard disk, floopy drive and the cd drive. Its very necessary to see the physical hard drive.

Regards
Subhakanta

Hi Subhakanta, welcome to the Seven Forums.

To be able to assist you, I need to ask you to clarify a few things. I assume your operation system is Windows 7 Home Premium, 7HB does not exist.

So:
- Which virtualization program you have installed? (Oracle VirtualBox, VMWare, VMLite, Microsoft Virtual PC?)
- How did you install XP to virtual machine? From a CD/DVD? From a so called ISO file? Or did you use a program to create an XP virtual machine from your old XP computer?
- What do you mean with SUB drive? Do you mean an external drive connected to your computer's USB port?

Kari

Hi Kari,

Thanks for your quick reply. Here are the details you mentioned which you have asked...

I use Windows 7 Home basic 64bit OEM copy.

I use Microsoft Virtual PC 2007 setup.

I installed windows xP from a CD into the virtual pc.

Total hard disk space is 320 GB. While installing Windows 7 i did divided into 2partition. So total i have C: and D... I created the virtual hard drive of 3GB using my computer management as while installing it as asking for .vhd file. After installing the windows XP SP2 all i see the 3GB virtual hard drive space, the floopy drive and the CD/DVD drive. How can i see my actual c: or D: from the virtual machine.

How stupid can I be, telling 7HB does not exist! I totally, totally forgot the Home Basic. Please forgive me Feeling like a total idiot now!

OK. To start, 3GB vhd for XP is awfully small! But, that's what you now have. To be able to see the host's drives, you need to change the used network adapter from the XP virtual machines settings. I have not a Virtual PC 2007, but this screenshot from my newer Virtual PC shows what I mean:



After that you should see the host's drives.

Kari

Hi Kari,

Attached an image which shows the network drives selected in my virtual machine settings. On the left hand side of the image you will find the Windows 7 device manager which shows the network driver installed and on the right hand side shows the virtual pc settings network settings where the same is selected. But still i dont see the host drive in the virtual pc xp os.
Please suggest me what needs to be done...

Regards
Subhakanta

Next thing you could try is to install Microsoft Loopback Adapter on Seven, and then (after reboot) change the number of adapters used by VM to 2, setting Loopback Adapter as Network Adpater 2.

Kari

EDIT: Forgot this link: http://www.windowsreference.com/wind...-in-windows-7/

Hi Kari,

Installed the loopback adapter and followed the steps mentioned by you. But still that didnot help in getting the physical hard drive from the virtual pc....

Anyother steps need to be followed... please suggest...

Regards
Subhakanta

Have you installed the VPC additions on the virtual XP machine?

Hey Kari,

Sorry for late reply. Was out of station for couple of days. You used the word additons and that worked. I got the article with VPC additons. This link was really helpful.

Virtual PC 2007 - Install Virtual Machine Additions - Vista Forums

Thanks a lot Kari. Thanks for your time. My motive has been solved now. I can share folders or drives as per my wish. If required both folders and drives can be shared... Also i had another problem of mouse pointer moving from parent OS to the VPC window. Now that also solved with the installation of VPC additions.

You are awesome. Thanks again man. Also thanks to Vista 64 tutorials.

Regards and Hearful thanks again
Subhakanta Choudhary

You are welcome!