File Associations - launching Mac apps from a fusion WinPC

[I_Brown]

Hi,

I've moved over from Parallels to Fusion. However, my wife is now unable to open a file on the Windows PC in a Mac application.

The documents are Word .doc files and Office 2004 is installed on the Mac.

'Microsoft Word (Mac)' is shown in the 'Open with' list.

You can drag the file from the windows desktop to the Mac icon on the OSX dock - and it opens.

I tried shutting down zonealarm - but it didn't help.

The file association is shown in windows as being Wordpad - and setting it to Word (Mac) doesn't seem to have any effect - the file is still listed as a Wordpad document. Double-clicking the file has no effect - but it can be opened in Wordpad.

This works in Parallels!

Does anyone know how to get this to work in Fusion? I simply want to have the file association set to Word Mac and for the document to open in Word Mac.

Thanks in advance.

I Brown.

[I_Brown]

Further information:

The 'Word (Mac)' item is actually in docs&settings...Application Data/Parallels/Shared Applications.

So, the reason the link is not working in Fusion might be because the stub Word application is designed for use in Parallels not Fusion. Is this correct VMWare Support People?

The question remains - how do I set up this association so that when I double click a Word doc in Fusion it open Mac Word?

[admin]

So, the reason the link is not working in Fusion

might be because the stub Word application is

designed for use in Parallels not Fusion.

Yes, that's correct. Fusion does not support cross-platform file associations at this time.

[I_Brown]

That's ... disappointing ...

Is this a planned feature or should I be looking at a refund?

I Brown.

[RDPetruska]

Treat your guests as if they were separate PCs on your network. In general, that's what they are. Now, think. How could you do what you are asking to do - double-click on a file from on a remote computer and have a program on your computer launch and load that document? As far as I know, it's not possible...

[I_Brown]

Parallels manages it...

What happens is that Parallels installs a stub application in the Windows virtual PC for mapped application that acts as a proxy between windows and OSX. When the file is launched, the proxy passes the file onto the virtualization layer which then launches the mapped OSX application - passing in the file.

As far as the OSX app is concerned, the file is simply from a share on a different computer. The virtualization layer handles read/write access to the file.

[Bullswool]

This is definitely a feature I miss from Parallels. I have a number of VMs and I would like to remove all programs that are not really required and therefore save space and and abide by my software licence agreements. Is there a way to get the feature on a Fusion wish list?

[DerekS]

I just want to reiterate to the VMWare folks...

If you implement cross-OS file associations, PLEASE make sure it is off by default, and 100% completely disableable.

I hate that "feature" on Parallels, it is why I switched to VMWare.

I want Windows to be dumb and happy inside it's little VM firewall, with zero knowledge of my Mac. It's a security thing.

[meinolfg]

Hi all,

@DerekS: I think the same as you! I also don't want to have any cross-OS file associations \!!!

Greetings

Meinolf