How to Share Files Between VirtualBox and Windows Using Shared Folders

Creating a shared folder between VirtualBox and Windows host makes sharing and transferring files quick and easy. Once created, the guest and host machines can access all the files in the VirtualBox shared folder. Whether you are sharing documents, code, or other files, a shared folder between the VM and host makes things easy.

In this quick and simple tutorial, I will show you the simplest way to create a shared folder in VirtualBox to make file sharing between your VM and Windows easy. Let’s get started.

Before You Being

• Before creating a shared folder for a particular virtual machine (VM), ensure that it is fully powered off (not running or in a saved state).

Steps to Create a Shared Folder in VirtualBox

1. Press the Windows button to open the Start menu.
2. Search and open “VirtualBox“.
3. Right-click on a VM on the left sidebar.
4. Select the “Settings” option.
5. Click the “Expert” option at the top.
6. Select the “Shared Folder” tab on the sidebar.
7. Click the “Add” button on the right panel.
8. Click the dropdown icon next to the “Folder Path” field.
9. Select the “Other” option.
10. Choose the folder and click the “Select Folder” button.
11. Click “OK“.
12. With that, you’ve added a shared folder in VirtualBox VM.

Good to know: How to share a folder in Windows 11 & 10

Detailed Steps (With Screenshots)

Open the VirtualBox application to get started. To do that, open the Start menu by pressing the Windows button on the taskbar. Next, type “VirtualBox” in the Start menu’s search bar at the top, and click the “Open” option.

Once the VirtualBox application opens, right-click on the VM for which you want to add the shared folder, and select the “Settings” option.

Click the “Expert” tab at the top, go to the “Shared Folders” tab on the sidebar, and click the “Add” button on the right panel.

Now, click the down arrow icon next to the “Folder Path” field and then click the “Other” option.

Select the folder you want to share in the selection window and click the “Select Folder” button.

Optionally, you can enter a custom name for the shared folder in the “Folder Name” field. You can also optionally select the “Read-only” checkbox to improve security. By selecting it, you can still access the files in the shared folder but cannot create or modify them. This keeps your host machine safe.

Click the “OK” button to continue.

That is it. With that, you’ve created and added a shared folder in VirtualBox VM.

To access the shared folder, start the virtual machine. To do that, select the VM on the sidebar and click the “Start” button at the top.

Note: The steps below are for Windows installed VirtualBox. If you are using some other OS, the steps to access the shared folder will be different.

Once the guest system boots, open the File Explorer, go to the “Network” tab on the sidebar, and open the “VBOXSVR” folder to see and access your shared folder.

Note: Network Discovery and File Sharing should be turned on to access network shares in Windows.

In the future, if you want to modify the shared folder settings such as read-only status, name, etc., go to VM “Settings” > “Shared Folder“, select the shared folder entry, and click the “Edit” button. You can also delete it by clicking the “Delete” button under the “Edit” button.

If you have any questions or need help, comment below. I’ll be happy to assist. Also, if you are using VMware, follow these steps: How to create a shared folder in VMware.