If you want to create a VirtualBox shared folder in Windows 11/10, you can follow this step-by-step guide. You can access the shared folder from your Windows virtual machine and host computer to transfer files from one to another.
At times, you might need to transfer files from a virtual PC to a host computer or vice versa. In such situations, instead of using a USB drive, you can create a shared folder to get the job done.
Note: You must enable the Network discovery and file sharing on the host computer before following these steps.
How to create a VirtualBox shared folder in Windows 11/10
To create a VirtualBox shared folder in Windows 11/10, follow these steps:
- Create a folder on the host computer.
- Right-click on it and select Properties.
- Go to the Sharing > Advanced Sharing.
- Tick the Share this folder checkbox.
- Allow Full Control for Everyone.
- Open VirtualBox > right-click on virtual machine > select Settings.
- Go to the Shared Folder section.
- Click the Adds new shared folder
- Enter the shared folder path.
- Tick the Auto-mount checkbox.
- Click the OK button.
- Open File Explorer on the virtual machine.
- Go to the Network section.
- Turn on Network discovery.
To learn more about these steps, continue reading.
First, you need to create a shared folder on the host computer. For that, you can create a folder anywhere on your host computer. Then, right-click on it, select Properties and switch to the Sharing tab. Click on the Advanced sharing button and tick the Share this folder button.
Then, click on the Permissions button and tick the Full Control checkbox.
After that, save the changes and open VirtualBox. Right-click on the virtual machine, select Settings and switch to the Shared Folders tab. Click the Adds new shared folder button and choose the shared folder path you created earlier.
Then, tick the Auto-mount checkbox and click the OK button.
Next, run the virtual machine and open File Explorer on your computer. Go to the Network section in the sidebar panel of the File Explorer and turn on Network discovery and file sharing by clicking the confirmation button.
Once done, you can find the shared folder in the File Explorer of your virtual machine. Following that, you can use it to transfer files from the virtual machine to the host computer and vice versa.
For your information, you can add multiple shared folders using the same guide. If you want to create a different shared folder for transferring different files, you can follow the same steps mentioned above to get it done.
However, if you do not want to continue using the shared folder, you have two options to disable it. First, you can remove the original shared folder you created on your host computer. Second, you can open the virtual machine setting > go to the Shared Folders, where it contains all the shared folders. Following that, choose the shared folder you want to remove and click on the remove button.
How do I create a shared folder in virtual machine?
To create a shared folder in virtual machine using VMware, you need to follow this guide. However, if you want to create a shared folder on VirtualBox virtual machine, you can follow the aforementioned steps. Here we have shown the exact guide you need to follow to get things done.
Where is the shared folder in VirtualBox?
Like any other virtual machine software, you need to create a shared folder manually in VirtualBox. However, if you are looking for the corresponding option, you need to right-click on the virtual machine and select Settings. Then, switch to the Shared folders tab to find the setting you are trying to use.
That’s all! Hope this guide helped you.
Read: How to share Files and Folders over a Network in Windows.
