Using VMware Workstation 6.5.3 on Vista 64-bit. I started having problems with VMware networking about 6 months ago after upgrades to Sprint SmartView. I did not have problems previously, but I don't know if that is because I was lucky. The main symptoms of the problem when SmartView is installed are:

1. I can no longer drag files from the host to copy them to the guest. When they are dragged, the disallowed cursor (the circle with a slash) shows in the guest.
2. If I try to enable shared folders in the guest while it is running, I will not be able to see the shared files and will be informed that networking is not working. I can still ping guests from the host and I can still access network services via NAT most of the time when connected via my USB broadband adapter.

When I configure shared folders so they are "always enabled" (with a mapped drive), I can access files on the via the mapped folders. I can also copy the file on the host and then paste it in the guest, as was suggested in some other threads concerning drag-and-drop problems that I found.

The VMware Tools icon is showing in all cases and I don't see any obvious errors in the host's event viewer. If I uninstall SmartView, the problems disappear. If SmartView (current version is 2.28.0082) is reinstalled I will experience the same problems. I have tried uninstalling/reinstalling VMware and SmartView in various ways but it appears tha these problems are consistent when SmartView is installed (not just when it is running or connected, but when it is present on the system).

I'm wondering if this is a combination of software (WS 6.5.3, Vista64, and SmartView) that works for other people, which would indicate a problem that is peculiar to my configuration.