Android VirtualBox Shared Folders

I have figured out a way by which you can access your Host Windows 7/8/8.1 files in Guest Android installed using Virtual Box. I am accessing my host files in Guest Android by this method on host Windows 8.1 (Virtual Box Version 4.3.14r95030).

INSTRUCTIONS for Windows 7/8/8.1

  • Go to Network and Sharing Center>Change Adapter Settings. Find and select "VirtualBox Host-Only Network" and the adapter you are using to connect Internet (e.g. Ethernet or Wi-Fi). Right click on any of selected connections and choose Bridge Connections.

  • Once Bridging connections process is completed, a new network adapter will appear in adapters list (Network and Sharing Center>Change Adapter Settings>Network Bridge).

  • Bridging above Two connections means Guest Android can access all the network devices which you can access from your Host Windows using your specific adapter which you bridged with "VirtualBox Host-Only Network".

  • You will need to share some folders which you want to access in Guest Android. This is done just like you share folders on Windows to be accessed from any other computer (Right Click on folder to be shared>Share With>Specific People>Add Everyone in list and provide permission of Read or Read/Write as per your need)

Please Note: Only shared folders on host system through Windows Sharing will be accessed in Guest Android.

INSTRUCTIONS for Android Guest

  • Install any program file manager or other program in guest android which can access network computers. (I used ES File Explorer's LAN feature for this pirpose).

  • Install & Open ES File Explorer.

SIMPLE METHOD FOR ES FILE EXPLORER

Go to LAN Window of ES File Explorer. Press Scan to look for devices on network of Host Windows including your Host Windows. Once Devices found, try one by one to get shared folders of your host windows.

(If Found Devices are too many or Your Host Windows need Username and Password for sharing, Advanced method is recommended)

ADVANCED METHOD FOR ES FILE EXPLORER
  • You need to know your Host Windows IP Address (IPv4). For this purpose, check status details of newly created Bridged Network.
  • Once you identified IP of your Host Windows, Go to LAN Window of ES File Explorer and select Add Option to manually add server. Leave Domain Empty, Write Your Host Windows IP in Server. Further fill log in details to access your Host Windows or Tick Anonymous. Lastly, Name your server e.g. "My Host Window" in Display as and click OK.
  • If you have provided valid information, You will see a new Computer icon in LAN Window of ES File Explorer. Click on it to open it. You will see your shared folders of your Host Window here.

Very simple answer is to use USB device,

Go to virtualbox > settings > USB > add usb device connected to your computer

Go to ES file explorer in android guest

ES > local > you will find new USB listed here, click on that, select allow ES to use this USB storage,

BANG, you can share files through USB storage

Note: I used this in host UBUNTU and it works, and I think it should work with other systems also.


I have installed Terminal from Google Play in a Genymotion emulator. This works like the standard Linux terminal (as the name suggests).

If you then cd to /mnt/shared/ you should be able to see the shared folder and copy files to anywhere with cp.


To use shared folders, VirtualBox guest additions have to be installed within the guest OS. However, it is cannot be done for Android as mentioned in the following SO thread: Getting VBox Guest Additions for Android x86

Hence, you cannot obtain access to your shared folder within the Android OS installed under virtualbox

One way to transfer files between Android in VBox and external resources is to use internet. You can create a free account on file sharing websites (e.g., deposit files or the like) and then upload files from VirtualBox and download them elsewhere, and vice versa.

Tags:

Android

Virtualbox

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