FIX HERE: BootCamp "boot from hard drive..." error

[joemx]

First there is a great script by brkirch in the 4th post down this thread, it will probably fix your issue... You need to run it whenever you get the error...

http://forum.parallels.com/showthread.php?t=12386&highlight=change+address+.pvs+file

If you want to read the history then read below..

I have not yet seen a thread that just has the FIX so here it is...

I don't know why but for whatever reason the when you boot into OSX sometimes the bootcamp parition is not always in the same place..

My setup is 2 Drives 4 partitions.. My drives in OSX are called... OSX and OSXData drive 1 WinXP and WinXPData drive 2

My setup qualifies under the experimental or custom setup, or however Parallels words it.. because my WinXP drive contains two partitions.....

Boot camp is in WinXP and the linux shell utility "df" usually shows is as /dev/disk1s3 so that in my .pvs file (that's the setup file for your Parallels VM)

there's a line which under normal configs looks like this...

Disk 0:0 image = Boot Camp

but I needed to edit it to look like this.. for my "custom" config...

Disk 0:0 image = Boot Camp;disk1s3

Out of the blue Parallels was hanging on the first black screen with the final like saying
"Boot from hard drive..."

I had no fix.. Many have had this problem.. I emailed Parallels support and got NO response.. Thanks guys...

One day many reboots later, and probably a few weeks later, I tried again.. and parallels booted... hmmmm... a few weeks later... Now paralells won't boot again.. I do notice that Parallels is now unmounting the WinXPData partition and not the WinXP partition..

I open terminal and run a "df" to find that WinXP is now /dev/disk0s3

I edit .pvs file
change the line to

Disk 0:0 image = Boot Camp;disk0s3
Note:!
(make sure you run the df utility to find out where your bootcamp partition is!
If you dont know how see the explanation two posts down..)


and it boots fine...

Parallels Support, you need to get that script and make it a STICKY and probably make this thread a STICKY... and thank the ton of people who are helping you out...

[maverick808]

Unfortunately, this fix doesn't work for me. I now get an error saying "Unable to open disk image Boot Camp;disk0s3!". Ugh, I can't even get Parallels running at all.

[joemx]

Unfortunately, this fix doesn't work for me. I now get an error saying "Unable to open disk image Boot Camp;disk0s3!". Ugh, I can't even get Parallels running at all.
I suspect that your using disk0s3 because that's what I was putting.. You need to find out what YOUR bootcamp partition is...

Open Terminal (Applications->Utilites->Terminal), type df and hit return

look for a line like this

/dev/disk0s3 390301696 15937944 374363752 4% /Volumes/WINXP

where /Volumes/WINXP is the name of YOUR bootcamp drive.. "WINXP" is mine..

see the first part disk0s3 is mine.. your is probably different...

edit .pvs to use whatever yours is..

But simpler even is to go run the utility I mentioned in the first few lines.. It will help you edit your .pvs for you.. It's a great util and very easy...

[maverick808]

I suspect that your using disk0s3 because that's what I was putting.

Nope, I know how to identify the disk and I checked using df in the terminal and verified in Disk Utility too (right-click the boot camp drive and select info). My Boot Camp partition is definitely disk0s3, and the solution doesn't work for me :(

[mini.boss]

Doesn't work for me either. disk0s3 is definitely my bootcamp but it just won't go and i get that Unable to open disk image.... error.

[brkirch]

Try the latest build (http://download.parallels.com/v3/en/GA/Parallels%20Desktop%204560%20Mac%20en.dmg) and see if it corrects this. I know that at least some Boot Camp issues are fixed, so check and see if yours are.

[batchku]

hello,
i have the same problem, i have verified that my bootcamp disk is indeed disk0s3 and editing the .pvs does me no good.
i still get the message:

Unable to open disk image Boot Camp;disk0s3!

i'm using the very latest Parellel, i.e. build 4560


anyone find a solution for this yet?

[mIIwaukee]

Hi,

I've tried the recommendations to no avail with the latest build. Is anyone else here experiencing this or have any other ideas? I thought I could 'use' parallels, so I pd for the upgrade.

[sw25481]

I have the same problem and think I understand why.

My Vista Partition is /dev/disk0s4 and I get the message

Unable to open disk image Boot Camp;disk0s4!

It worked before I added disk0s3 for Ubuntu. The Ububtu one boots.

I believe the problem is the boot loader for Vista is actually in the MBR of the disk and not of the MBR of the partition, (I have installed the boot loader for Ubuntu in the partition). We probably need a boot loader in the partition. I can't find a way of putting the Vista one there so I may try Grub

[zero27]

Same problem here. Did check my disk, downloaded latest build, ran script... Still same problem: Vista would not load. Any suggestions?

[sw25481]

Could you try booting into Windows from rEDIt before then booting to Mac OS X and trying Parallels. That seems to fix it for me at the moment. I only have a problem if I boot Ubuntu from rEFIt then boot Mac OS X and try and start my Vista virtual machine.

[wvdheiden]

Hi

Thanks a lot, mate. This works. To all others in this thread: Beware that this is not a "copy and paste" solution. You need to find out what to enter in your .pvs file because the correct string depends on your own personal computer configuration. If you don't understand what these cryptic stuff means (That's absolutely nothing to be ashamed of) read the text above very careful and follow the steps and it'll work.

Many greetings to all

Walter