To share a host folder with a virtual machine, use the sharing feature built into your hypervisor—but the steps depend on whether you use VirtualBox, Hyper-V, or VMware, and on the guest operating system. Which hypervisor and guest OS are you using? Choose the matching guide below. These methods do not require a network share; VirtualBox, for example, uses Guest Additions to provide access to host files.
Before you start: identify your hypervisor and guest OS
Check the app you use to run the VM: Oracle VirtualBox, Microsoft Hyper-V, or VMware Workstation/Fusion. Also note whether the guest operating system is Windows, Linux, or another supported system. Each product exposes shared files differently: VirtualBox and VMware configure shared folders, while Hyper-V’s documented method redirects local drives in an Enhanced Session.
Use the narrowest host folder that meets your needs. If the guest only needs to read files, choose read-only access where the product offers it; grant write access only when the guest must change or create host files.
Share a folder with Oracle VirtualBox
VirtualBox 7.2 requires Guest Additions inside the guest for shared folders. Install the Guest Additions version that matches your VirtualBox installation, then configure the host directory and the share name. You can set up the share in the VM’s settings before starting it or through the running VM’s Devices menu. See Oracle’s Guest Additions: Shared Folders.
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- Install Guest Additions. In the guest, install the Guest Additions matching the VirtualBox version on the host. Restart the guest if the installer requests it.
- Open the shared-folder controls. For a powered-off VM, open its settings and find the shared-folder controls. For a running VM, use Devices > Shared Folders.
- Add the host folder. Select the host directory, enter a simple share name, and choose whether the share is read-only or writable.
- Choose its lifetime and mount behavior. A permanent share is saved with the VM settings; a transient share ends when the VM powers off. Enable automount if you want VirtualBox to mount it automatically where supported.
- Open it from the guest. Find the share using the guest OS’s conventions. Its mount location can vary with the guest and automount configuration.
VirtualBox also supports global shares that can be available to multiple VMs. For a single VM, a permanent share is usually the simpler choice. The available configuration options are described in Oracle’s shared-folder settings documentation.
If a Linux guest cannot access the share
On Linux and Solaris guests, VirtualBox shared-folder files can be owned by root and the vboxsf group with restrictive permissions. Add the intended guest user to the vboxsf group, then log out and back in or restart the guest as needed. Use your distribution’s user and group management tools; the exact commands vary.
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Redirect host drives to a Windows VM in Hyper-V
Microsoft documents local-drive sharing through Enhanced Session Mode and VMConnect for Windows VMs. This is drive redirection, not a VirtualBox-style named folder mount. The documented support includes Windows 10 and 11, and Windows Server 2016, 2019, 2022, and 2025; the exact experience depends on the host and VM configuration. See Microsoft’s Enhanced Session Mode guidance and Share devices with Hyper-V Windows virtual machines.
- Connect to the VM with VMConnect and use an Enhanced Session Mode connection.
- In the connection dialog, select Show Options, then open Local Resources.
- Select More, choose the local drives or devices to redirect, and connect.
- Inside the Windows guest, open File Explorer and check This PC for the redirected drives.
This feature is documented for Windows VMs; Microsoft states, “This functionality is only available for Windows VMs.” If the drives do not appear, confirm that the connection is an Enhanced Session and that the desired drives were selected in VMConnect.
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Share folders with VMware Workstation or Fusion
In VMware Workstation or Fusion, enable Shared Folders in Virtual Machine Settings > Options, then configure the folders to share. For Linux guests, VMware Tools and guest-side mount setup may be needed; the mount point and persistence steps depend on the Linux distribution and installed tools. Consult Broadcom’s Shared Folders configuration guidance and Linux guest mount guidance.
Windows guests on a Mac host: mirrored folders
VMware Fusion’s mirrored folders are a separate feature from sharing an arbitrary folder. They redirect standard Windows guest folders such as Desktop and Documents to corresponding host locations. Broadcom warns that files previously stored in a guest folder may become unavailable after mirroring; back up or move those files before enabling it. See Broadcom’s mirrored folders guidance.
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Choosing the right sharing method
| Hypervisor | What is shared | Guest requirement or access detail | Access and persistence |
|---|---|---|---|
| VirtualBox | A host directory exposed under a share name | Guest Additions required; Linux or Solaris access may require vboxsf group membership |
Read-only or writable; permanent, transient, or global shares; automount option |
| Hyper-V | Selected local drives or devices redirected into a Windows VM | Enhanced Session Mode through VMConnect; documented for Windows VMs | Selected during connection; not a named shared-folder mount |
| VMware Workstation/Fusion | Configured shared folders | Linux guests may need VMware Tools and mount setup | Configure in Virtual Machine Settings > Options; exact guest mount behavior varies |
For a folder shared with one VM, VirtualBox or VMware’s folder-sharing feature is the closest fit. Hyper-V’s documented approach is useful when you want selected host drives available in a Windows guest. If you only need to move files once, a removable USB device may be an option in supported setups, but it is not required for these built-in sharing workflows.
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Menu labels, available features, and guest mount locations can vary by hypervisor release and guest OS. Parallels documentation surfaced for this topic describes an older Workstation product and does not establish current Parallels Desktop steps or OS support. For Parallels Desktop, check documentation for your specific product version rather than relying on those older instructions.
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