How to Copy Data From VMware to HDD

Manage files on your virtual computer.

VMware Workstation is a virtual machine manager for Windows. The Mac version of the software is called VMware Fusion. It allows you to run a second operating system on your computer by borrowing hard-drive space, RAM and processor cycles to make a virtual computer. Moving files from your desktop to your virtual machine can be easy or difficult, depending on what operating system you are virtualizing. Methods will vary for Windows, Mac, Linux and their various interactions.

Things You'll Need

• Windows or Mac computer
• VMware Workstation or VMware Fusion
• USB flash drive

Instructions

Transferring to and From Windows Virtual Machines

1. Turn on your computer and log in. Start VMware Workstation or VMware Fusion, then "power on" the virtual machine. Wait for it to boot, then log in.

2. Use Windows Explorer or Finder on the host computer to find files you wish to transfer. Click and drag the file or files into the VMware window, and drop the files onto the virtual desktop. Wait for the copy function to complete.

3. Use Windows Explorer on the virtual machine to find the files you wish to transfer. Click and drag the file or files from the WMware window into the Windows Explorer or Finder window on the host computer. Wait for the copy function to complete.

Transferring to and From Unix or Linux Virtual Machines

1. Turn on your computer and log in. Start VMware Workstation or VMware Fusion, then "power on" the virtual machine. Wait for it to boot, then log in.

2. Plug in a USB flash drive to your computer's USB port. Use Windows Explorer or Finder to find the files you wish to transfer. Click the "Start" button, then "Computer" or "My Computer" on a PC or the Finder icon in the dock on a Mac.

3. Click and drag the files from the Windows Explorer or Finder window onto the USB flash drive icon. Wait for the files to copy.

4. Switch to the VMware Workstation or Fusion window. Click the "VM" menu, then mouse over "Removable Devices," then the entry for your USB flash drive. Click "Connect (disconnect from host)."

5. Use the Window Manager in your Unix or Linux virtual machine to access the USB flash drive. To take files from the virtual machine back into Windows or OSX, copy them onto the USB flash drive and click "disconnect" in the "VM" menu.

Tips & Warnings

• VMware Tools needs to be installed on Windows virtual machines to enable drag-and-drop functions. VMware Tools installs automatically on new Windows installations in Workstation or Fusion, but if it has been subsequently uninstalled you'll need to enable it again.

References

• VMware Support: Using drag and drop
• VMware Support: Using USB Devices in a Virtual Machine