Gnome Boxes: Shared Folder Not Appearing in Windows Guest (Linux Host)
Gnome Boxes is a virtual machine manager that allows you to run multiple operating systems on a single physical machine. One common issue that users face when running Windows as a guest operating system on a Linux host is that the shared folder does not appear in the Windows guest.
Prerequisites
Before we begin, make sure you have the following prerequisites:
- A Linux host machine with Gnome Boxes installed
- A Windows guest operating system installed in Gnome Boxes
- A shared folder set up in Gnome Boxes
Why is the Shared Folder Not Appearing?
There are several reasons why the shared folder may not be appearing in the Windows guest:
- The shared folder is not mounted in the Windows guest
- The Windows guest does not have the necessary drivers installed to access the shared folder
- The shared folder is not configured correctly in Gnome Boxes
Mounting the Shared Folder in the Windows Guest
To mount the shared folder in the Windows guest, follow these steps:
- Start the Windows guest in Gnome Boxes
- Open File Explorer in the Windows guest
- Click on "This PC" and then click on "Map network drive"
- Select a drive letter for the shared folder
- In the "Folder" field, enter the path to the shared folder (e.g., \\vboxsvr\sharedfolder)
- Check the box that says "Reconnect at sign-in"
- Click "Finish"
If the shared folder is still not appearing, try restarting the Windows guest.
Installing the Necessary Drivers
To install the necessary drivers to access the shared folder in the Windows guest, follow these steps:
- Start the Windows guest in Gnome Boxes
- Open Device Manager in the Windows guest
- Expand the "Network adapters" section
- Right-click on "VirtualBox Guest Adapter" and select "Update driver"
- Select "Search automatically for updated driver software"
- Follow the prompts to install the updated driver
If the necessary driver is not found automatically, you may need to download and install it manually from the VirtualBox website.
Configuring the Shared Folder in Gnome Boxes
To configure the shared folder in Gnome Boxes, follow these steps:
- Start Gnome Boxes
- Select the Windows guest and click on "Settings"
- Click on "Shared folders" in the left-hand menu
- Make sure the shared folder is added and has the correct path and name
- Check the box that says "Automount"
- Check the box that says "Make permanent"
- Click "Close"
If the shared folder is still not appearing in the Windows guest after following these steps, there may be a more complex issue that requires further troubleshooting. However, in most cases, the issue can be resolved by mounting the shared folder, installing the necessary drivers, and configuring the shared folder in Gnome Boxes.
References
- VirtualBox Manual: Shared Folders
- How to Use Gnome Boxes for Virtual Machines in Linux
- Gnome Boxes Shared Folder Not Mounted
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