Bringing Virtual Machine to Desktop

[PrinterGuy]

I continue to be hopeful that VMWare Fusion will get me where I hoped to be when I studied VW and its possibilities - the ability to run some Windows programs on my new MacBook. So far, however, after over a month of work, I'm still not there.

At the end of the day, I need (want) to continue to run only Quicken 2009 and TurboTax next spring. I've made many (too many to remember) attempts to create the virtual machine VM promised as possible. I used Time Capsule as by external HD to convert my Windows XP PC. I have finally been successful in doing that - my PC calls this it's Z Drive. (An aside, the VMWare Fusion manual that came with the software is pretty deficient in its explanations throughout - it really assumes that the user is much more sohisticated that I. I ultimately had to download instructions.) I have been able to find this on my MB only by opening my TC and seaarching for the file. It can actually open it and the old programs from my PC (hooray!!) as a virtual machine, but here's my continuing problem - I can't operate it away from TC and its backup of my MB.

When I try, I get nothing but a message that says either it can't connect or the network drive is disconnected. How do I copy and/or move the virtual machine I have finally found on my TC into permanent location and functioning on my MB desktop, applications, or wherever I can open it without needing TC or the network, i.e., remotely and alone with my MB. I'd like to open it just like any other application and put it permanently into a screen on Spaces. So far, though, no luck. Simple step by step answers are appreciated - I'm not long on technobabble.

[admin]

Hi Printer Guy,

It sounds like you've created a virtual machine (good!) and have it stored on your Time Capsule (not good, unless you want to use the virtual machine with more than one Mac -- I'm guessing this isn't the case).

The easiest thing to do is move your virtual machine from Time Capsule onto your MacBook. To do so:

1. Plug in your Time Capsule.

2. Open up Fusion, and go to the Virtual Machine Library.

3. Ctrl+click your virtual machine, and select "Show In Finder".

A new window will open up, showing you the folder where your virtual machine "lives". You should see an object with the same name as your virtual machine has in Fusion -- this object is your virtual machine.

4. Move that virtual machine object into a folder on your MacBook (the default is a folder called "Virtual Machines" within your Documents folder, but you can put it anywhere you want as long as you remember where you put it).

Now, we need to tell Fusion that the virtual machine has moved.

5. Open up Fusion (if it's not already).

6. In the Virtual Machine Library, ctrl-click your virtual machine and then select "Delete".

Fusion might just remove the machine from the list; if it doesn't, and it asks you where to keep the files or move them to the Trash,tell it to keep the files.

7. Now, go to the File menu and select "Open..."

8. Navigate to where you put your virtual machine (in Step 4 from before), select it, and click "Open".

You should now be able to use your virtual machine, without having your Time Capsule connected.

You can permanently add Fusion to a screen in Spaces:

1. Open up Exposé & Spaces Preferences (Apple Menu > System Preferences > Exposé & Spaces)

2. Click the Spaces tab

3. Halfway to the bottom of the screen, just below the big white box with a column labeled "Application Assignments", click the + button.

4. Select "VMware Fusion", if available, or click "Other..." and then select "VMware Fusion".

5. In the "Space" column, click the double arrows on the right side to select a Space for Fusion to be assigned to.

If you have any questions, please let us know.

[PrinterGuy]

This response seems to make sense and walk me through what needs to be done. I will not be able to go through this process until this evening, but I appreciate the time you have given to this question. I'll let you know either later tonite or tomorrow am.

BTW - I sent the conversion to TC because I read many comments that it was acceptable to do this, and I needed an external drive large enough to accommodate the virtual pc. Hope I can get everything to work. It has been a struggle. Thanks in advance (I hope).

[admin]

Happy to help, and sorry you've had such a struggle!

It's absolutely acceptable to use Time Capsule as an external harddrive, and to create a virtual PC there. it just might not make sense to leave the virtual PC there if you don't want t have the external drive plugged in every time you're going to use the virtual machine.

[PrinterGuy]

I can report partial success. After a couple of tries, I've placed my named vm into my Finder under Documents. using a same name file However, when disconnected from TC and trying to open it (actually resume it from suspension), I see a grayed out desktop of my vm. When I click resume, I get a drop down "File not found - - 00002.vmdk" It asks me to browse or cancel. I've browsed and do not find this subfile. I'm guessing it is still in the TC along with other subfiles that did not come over with the main file. If so, how do I know what files and subfiles should have been moved? I would have guessed them to be under the folder of my vm. But, what do I know. Thanks again for your detailed assistance thus far.

[Michael Roy]

Does Spotlight know where it is?

Click the magnifying glass in the upper right corner of the menu bar and try a search for the missing VM from there. =)

[admin]

The files usually are under your virtual machine's folder; it's odd if they weren't.

It sounds like your virtual machine wants to start from a snapshot. Was this machine booting normally before you moved it? Also, asks a good question -- make sure your Time Capsule is plugged in before searching!

[PrinterGuy]

One step forward - two or three back. I found the alleged missing file needed to provide the engine to get things going. I copied it, and others that did not get moved over. Now, when launching VMWare I get the grayed out screen with the vm desktop, but when I attempt to resume it, I get a new command - "Check for missing files failed. Insufficient permissions to access the file." Only an OK button - no other options. That's the end of the road. Perhaps, this just isn't going to happen for me.

[admin]

Not at all -- this is good progress! There's one more thing to do:

1. Go to the folder into which you copied those iles, and ctrlclick on the folder itself. (Either ctrlclick on the file before opening it, or ctrl+click in the white space inside the folder).

2. Select "Get Info"

3. At the very bottom of the window that pops up, there'll be a section labeled "Sharing & Permissions" (you may need to click the triangle to the left to expand it. If the text is grayed out, click the lock icon and enter your password to be able to edit this section).

4. Below that, you should see your user name, and the words "Read & Write". If you don't see your name , click the plus button to add it. If it doesn't say "Read & Write", click the drop-down arrows to chage it.

5. Now, click the gear icon and select "Apply to enclosed items". This will give you sufficient permissions to access the file(s), clearing up that error message.

Close and reopen Fusion, and try your virtual machine again.

[PrinterGuy]

Did that, and all was fine until the gear icon which did not allow me to choose anything but "revert changes" - no "apply "option. I did not choose the revert changes, closed fusion, tried reopening the vm - same message. I'm going to try restarting the mac now.

[PrinterGuy]

Same error message. I've gone back into the files to see if the change to permisisons and sharing took effect, and they all seem to be in effect even without the "apply" command.

[admin]

I'm sorry, my mistake -- that will work for folders, but not for the vmwarevm bundles. However, any changes you make to the bundle itelf (as you just did) are applied to the contents automatically.

Based on your next post it sounds like you're all set?

[PrinterGuy]

Not set. I'm right were I started this am with my error code of insufficient permission to access file. It's frustrating to see it and not be able to open it.

[admin]

I understand! Try this.

1. Open up Terminal.

2. Type in (or paste): sudo chown -Rv

where you use your own username, and drag thevirtual machine bundle into the Terminal window to populate the file name. Hit Enter.

3. Type in (or paste): sudo chmod -Rv u=rwx

where you drag the virtual machine bundle into the Terminal window to populate the file name. Hit Enter.

Or, as I read my email, as said.

[PrinterGuy]

Tried your three steps using the bundle that has taken me to the vm. This bundle has a vmx extension. Is this the right bundle? There are other bundles that seem to have vmdk extensions. I've restarted and no change to the errror code. After completing your step #3, the Terminal brought me back to the original line of my user name. Is that all I should have seen or some recognition that something else happened?

[WoodyZ]

Check your private messages.

[admin]

I think we need to take a step back and talk about bundles and files types. I'm going to assume that 's private message cleared things up, but for anyone else reading, please see (specifically, the section labeled "Where To Find Things" and "Virtual Machine Files".

[PrinterGuy]

Woody and I are working this out with him taking over my machine. Thanks for everything.

[WoodyZ]

I'm sorry, my mistake -- that will work for folders, but not for the vmwarevm bundles. However, any changes you make to the bundle itelf (as you just did) are applied to the contents automatically.

It does not touch the files in the .vmwarevm package and you must remove the .vmwarevm extension temporarily changing the package to a normal folder or just use chmod and or chown in a Terminal.

[WoodyZ]

For anyone following this thread and without getting into all the details, as things were a little messed up, I used TeamViewer to remotely access the Mac and then created a new Virtual Machine using the New Virtual Machine Assistant and then moved the .vmdk files created by VMware vCenter Converter Standalone of the physical machine into the Virtual Machine Package created by Fusion and then edited the .vmx configuration file to reflect the correct path. I then ran the new Virtual Machine and installed VMware Tools and upon reboot got the expected 3 Days to Activate Windows message and while the Virtual Machine did have Internet Connectivity a Phone Activation is going to be necessary and done a bit later.

After the Phone Activation is done I suggested that a copy of the newly activated virtual machine be made as a backup so as not to have to go through the process again and showed the user how to do that.

Anyway regardless of what the situation was it's been cleared up and resolved and believe me when I say this was one that was more easily taken care of via remote access then the forum/email. :smileyhappy: