VMWare shared folders access problem

[Joe E. 259]

I'm using multiple VMWare virtual machines to manage my automation software.  In general, it works very well, but I've hit a snag.  When I first started here 5 1/2 years ago, every PLC (SWAG: 100-200 PLCs) had its program file stored on a floppy disk in the cabinet with it.  We have transitioned to USB flash drives (mostly: yesterday, I found another PLC I didn't know about) but that has caused major issues with maintaining source control and protecting the computers and VMs from folks putting in infected flash drives from home.  We currently have about a dozen computers that need to be able to connect to PLCs; two of them are in the electrical shop and are used by about a dozen electricians.  The rest are individuals' computers.

What I would like to do is this: eliminate the flash drives altogether and set up a network directory that all of the required folks have read/write/modify/etc. access to.  We already have another network directory set up that's our ultimate backup that only 4 of us have access to, so this would be a "working copy" for folks to use when they need to get online with a PLC.

Problem:  With the Windows XP virtual machines, all works well.  I set up a shared folder in VMWare Player and the automation software has no problems opening the files.  I've tested both the Allen-Bradley RSLogix 5000 and Siemens Simatic Manager.  The problem is with the Windows 7 virtual machines, both Allen-Bradley and Siemens.  They can access the directory and browse the contents, but when I try to open a program file in Logix or Simatic Manager, the automation software throws an error message saying that the user doesn't have access rights to the directory.  From inside the VM, I can copy the files from the network directory to the desktop and open them that way, but the whole point of this exercise is to eliminate as many copies of the program files as we can.

Basically, Windows can see the files, both to read and write, but the automation software doesn't think it has permission.

How can I fix this?

Edited 23 Jun 2016 by Joe E.

[Joe E. 259]

Ok, this is weird.  I tried again using a different network drive and it looks like it works ok, if a little slow.  It may be something strange with the way our IT folks have the permissions set up on those drives.  The first one was a test using a personal drive that only I can see.  The second is accessible to about a dozen folks. 

I'll work on this more once we get the final network location set up.