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I'm running Windows 8.1 on VMWare Fusion, on top of OS X 10.8.5.

I have some DMG files on Mac that I mount sometimes to work with. These are some encrypted data folders.

Can I access them from the virtual machine when I mount them?

Example: VM is running, Windows is running inside. Then I go to MacOS and mount a DMG. Next moment, a new drive (or folder) appears in Windows... without needing to restart the virtual machine.

Is this scenario possible?

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2 Answers 2

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I don't think this is possible without some special software in the windows vm. The dmg is analogous to the windows .exe. In the same way a Mac can not run an .exe, a windows box can not open a dmg. That being said a software solution like transmac installed in the vm may offer the functionality you seek.

No personal experience with transmac myself.

http://www.acutesystems.com/scrtm.htm

Trasmac features:

-Open Mac format disk drives, flash drives, CD/DVD/Blu-ray media, high density diskettes, dmg and sparseimage files.

-Copy files to Mac disks and dmg images.

-Format for Mac and restore disks and flash drives.

-Create, compress and expand (convert to iso) dmg files.

-Built in burner functionality to burn ISO and dmg files directly to CD/DVD/Blu-Ray.

-Read Mac multisession and hybrid CDs.

Good luck.

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  • No no no no no that's not what I want. I want to go to Mac, and mount a DMG. So now Mac has one more "disc", i.e. virtual disc, mounted on the system. Just like when I plug in a USB hard drive, only this drive is virtual. Okay? So now Mac has one more drive. Then I open the VMWare window, in which Windows 8.1 is running all the time. I want that virtual Windows to recognize that host OS has one more drive, as if I plugged a drive into Windows. Am I explaining this in a good way?
    – Martin
    Commented Dec 1, 2013 at 22:04
  • As I said in my original reply, a windows o/s, virtual or otherwise can not natively mount/open a .dmg. The software I posted is installed on the windows o/s. With it you 'can' then mount/open .dmg's. I just downloaded and installed the transmit software and it works as advertised.
    – atldeadhead
    Commented Dec 3, 2013 at 14:59
  • DMG gets mounted in OS X, not Windows. Windows should only be informed (by the virtual machine) that new hard drive is connected to the system. OS X accesses the DMG, and Windows sees this DMG as a simple new hard drive. Virtual machine (VMWare) translates interactions between virtual Windows and physical DMG. To illustrate this, here's an example: within virtual machine Windows can easily read and write to Mac's file system, without any additional software - because virtrual machine translates all interacions. I want the same with newly mounted DMGs.
    – Martin
    Commented Dec 4, 2013 at 3:16
  • Just because you think windows "should" be informed about the DMG does not mean it works that way. Apple disk images (dmg) is a proprietary format. No matter how many ways you state your case it will not change the fact that a windows o/s (virtual or otherwise) can not natively 'see' a DMG file. You can read more about the Apple Disk Image format on wikipedia: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apple_Disk_Image.
    – atldeadhead
    Commented Dec 4, 2013 at 15:50
  • OK. Let's go step by step. How does my Windows natively "see" propriatery HFS+ filesystem?
    – Martin
    Commented Dec 4, 2013 at 20:38
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Can't you just share a folder on the mounted DMG through the Fusion folder sharing facility? It would appear under the Z: somewhere I believe inside the Windows VM.

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  • Can you add some more detailed descriptions on how to do this? This would help other users not so familiar with the concept to implement the solution you are proposing
    – nohillside ♦
    Commented Apr 26, 2014 at 8:31
  • Right now I'm out of virtual machines on my system, but when I copy one back I'll definitely try this scenario.
    – Martin
    Commented Apr 28, 2014 at 1:14

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