Unable to install Boot Camp and Parallels

[lg0001]

Hello,

I have the latest version of Parallels installed on a brand new iMAC but cannot seem to get BootCamp to install. After I partition my hard drive and insert the Windows XP Pro disc and hit "Install", the screen goes blank and freezes up. At that point all I can do is restart the computer. If I hold down the Option key as the system is booting up, I get the option of selecting the MAC (which works) and the Windows partition (which freezes the computer when I select it).
I am a complete computer novice, so if anyone has a suggestion, I would appreciate any help I can get. I have been unable to get any answers on the Apple Boot Camp discussion forum.
And please, please give any advice, hints etc. in a way that any computer simpleton can understand.

Thanks,

Larry

[jackybe67]

Wich version off parallels you running?

Did you first install bootcamp with xp?

Give you configuration off your mac. How much ram is installed?
How much ram did you accolate to parallels?

Greetings

[daj]

Are you using Windows XP Service Pack 2 CD?

[lg0001]

I am using Parallels 3.0 on an iMAC with 2GB RAM but I installed Parallels first. Do I need to install BOOT CAMP first? And I did try to install SP2 of Windows xp.

Before I try to install Boot Camp, one question: in BootCamp, does Windows create a C drive?

[daj]

you can install bootcamp after parallels. Once you install bootcamp, and it re-partitions your Mac hard disk, booting into windows XP will create a new partition and assign this as drive C so no need to worry about that.

Try this.... insert your XP CD, reboot the mac and hold down the option key to be given the choice of what to boot to. This time, select the CD. This should then boot up the Windows XP CD and start the installation.

(This will only work if you have already installed Bootcamp under the Mac, which you say you have already done)

[lg0001]

THanks for the info and suggestions but I still have the problem: After partitioning the hard drive using Boot Camp and inserting the Windows xp disc and restarting the computer with the option key held down, I get two choices with which to reboot: the MAC HD and the Windows partition. When I select the Windows partition everything just freezes up! HELP!!!!

[sandro]

hi,
are you sure that Windows XP bootable media fine? I mean whether anybody already installed Windows from it successfully? Sorry that i asking such questions but all you describing says about two possible assumptions: or you have a broken Windows installation media or CD drive on your iMac not working properly. First assumption maybe checked if you find another place where you can try to boot from that media (another PC i mean). Second also can be checked simply: just try to boot your iMac from another bootable media (from installation Mac OS X CD that must come with your iMac for example).

[lg0001]

Hi,
Thanks for the suggestions. The CD of Windows xp PRO works fine on other computer machines and my CD drive is also working fine with other CDs.

Larry

[brkirch]

Try inserting the Windows disc and opening System Preferences in Mac OS X. Click on "Startup Disk" and a list of bootable disks should be shown, which should include the Windows disc. If you see the Windows disc, select it, and click "Restart..." to restart your computer and start the installation. If you don't see the Windows disc listed then there is something wrong with your computer or disc. Make sure the disc you have is for service pack 2 of Windows XP, and that you have the latest firmware update for your computer.

[lg0001]

Thanks for the tip but it didn't help: I restarted after selecting the Windows disc and ended up with a blank gray screen that was frozen. The disc was service pack 2 of XP and the disc works fine on another computer. My computer is two weeks old and I couldn't find any firmware to install. Any other ideas as to what is wrong? The partitioning in BootCamp went well (I've tried many different sized partitions) so I can't figure out why Windows won't install on the partition. Do I need to uninstall Parallels and then try to install Bootcamp? I have been told that that isn't necessary.
Do I take the computer in for service?????

Thanks,

Larry

[sandro]

Parallels isn't trouble that results such behaviour of your Win XP Pro installation media. Especially when you making full iMac restart - at this time Parallels not presents basically. Maybe issue is around Win XP conflict with new hardware but i still can't understand why bootable media doesn't present at bootable items list on your iMac startup.Well couldn't you try follow: load MAc OS X, logon, start Parallels Desktop, create new Win XP VM, specify booting order where CDROM at the first place, insert your installation media, start VM and look what will be happened.

[lg0001]

Thanks. When I create a new Win XP VM, do I have to erase the original one?
And, is the WIN XP CDROM a bootable option into the Windows partition?(The only choices for booting up are the MAC HD and the Windows choice. My problem has been if I select the Windows choice, everything freezes up.)

[sandro]

Thanks. When I create a new Win XP VM, do I have to erase the original one?
It's not required. You can have as much VMs as you needed.

And, is the WIN XP CDROM a bootable option into the Windows partition?(The only choices for booting up are the MAC HD and the Windows choice. My problem has been if I select the Windows choice, everything freezes up.)

Sorry not fully understood your question. If you asking about booting order that i advised to change then i meant option from VM configuration. When you'll created new VM open it configuration (specify Edit->Virtual Machine... menu item) and there select Booting tab.

[lg0001]

When I try to boot from the Windows partition (with the Windows CD ROM inserted) the computer freezes up. THAT IS MY PROBLEM.

[sandro]

yes, i understand you. You can't boot from BOOTCAMP partition because no Win XP was installed there yet. As a fact it's empty disk partition now. When you specify Win XP partition on iMac startup system try to boot from this empty partition basically if you even have inserted Win XP media at this time. I advise you to try create VM at Parallels Desktop with CDROM virtual drive and check your bootable Win XP media on it. Thus you'll get a virtual analog of a personal computer. In other words you'll can testing boot process without rebooting your iMac. Directly from loaded Mac OS X using special virtual environment Parallels Desktop.

[lg0001]

Thank you, Sandro. I am not very good with computers and do not understand your suggestions or how to follow them. Could you please try to re-explain , in simple terms and step-by-step, how to do what you suggested?
I really appreciate your help.

[sandro]

ok, let try do follow steps (accounting that your iMac in power off state now):
1. Power on iMac (do not pressing any keys; we need to load Mac OS X at this stage)
2. When Mac OS loaded logon into it with your account
3. Run Parallels Desktop (Parallels icon in system taskbar must presents; if not run it through Finder from Applications/Parallels directory; i'll be call "Parallels Desktop" as "PD" further)
4. Specify File->New PD menu item (PD menu places in system menu top of the screen by default)
5. When new VM creation wizard startup specify "Custom" radiobutton at first page an press "Next"
6. On the next wizard page (OS type and etc.) do not change nothing and just press "Next" again
7. The same actions on the next RAM page: do not change nothing and press Next
8. On the next page (hard disk options) specify "Do not add any har disk" and press Next
9. On the next page (network configuration) specify "Networking is not required" and press Next
10. On the next page do not change nothing (PD provide you some default VM name - stay it without changes) and press Next
11. On the next page use recommended setting "More productive virtual machine" (it's selected by default) and press Next
12. On the last wizard page follow instructions (insert your Win XP installation CD and press Finish)
Then describe all what you see so informative as it possible. The best way of course will be if you create screenshot and attach it in your post. Screenshot of whole desktop can be created in Mac OS X by Command (Apple) key+Shift+3. It automatically created screenshot and save it on desktop. Than you can upload it by forum tools in advanced message editing mode.

[lg0001]

Thank you. I followed all your instructions. When I pressed Finish I got a message that no operating system was installed on the VM and that booting failed from the hard drive and from the CDROM drive and from floppy drive./Users/Larry/Desktop/Picture 1.png/Users/Larry/Desktop/Picture 2.png.... What can I do now? Does that tell you where the problem is?

[sandro]

This let to determine just one non good thing: iMac CD drive couldn't to recognize your Win XP media as bootable. Whether it can read this CD basically? Try to open Finder when Win XP CD inserted: whether you see it in the list of possible files sources? If you see try to open it and browse CD content. If you'll can't even to do this then i see just one possible solution: find another Win XP installation media.

[lg0001]

The WIN xp CD is listed in Finder and will open to display it's contents, so it's NOT the Win CD. Any other ideas?

[sandro]

Aha, very interesting. Let try follow (accounting that your iMac started, Mac OS loaded and you logged in):
1. Insert your Win XP media in drive
2. Open Terminal utility (if corresponding icon not presents in taskbar you can do it through Finder from Application/Utilities location)
3. Type command 'mount' and press Enter. This displays you currently mounted into system devices. We need to determine which device file from /dev/ system directory matched to CD drive. For example when i typing at Terminal command "mount" and Mac OS X installation media inserted in my drive i see follow:
mount
/dev/disk0s2 on / (local, journaled)
devfs on /dev (local)
fdesc on /dev (union)
<volfs> on /.vol
automount -nsl [184] on /Network (automounted)
automount -fstab [194] on /automount/Servers (automounted)
automount -static [194] on /automount/static (automounted)
/dev/disk1s3 on /Volumes/Mac OS X Install DVD (local, nodev, nosuid, read-only)

Thus device file that us interesting in that case is /dev/disk1s3.

4. Next stage we need to unmount device. Do it with follow command (i show on my example you'll must to use corresponding device file from your system):
sudo umount /dev/disk1s3
5. Next step we trying to create image from our CD (DVD) with follow command:
dd if=/dev/disk1s3 of=~/image.iso bs=4096
6. Wait still image will be created and then open Parallels Desktop. Select test VM that we created and open it configuration (specify Edit->Virtual Machine menu item or directly click mouse on CD/DVD-ROM device item at main window)
7. Select CD/DVD-ROM item. Than select "Use image file" radiobutton and in appeared field below type path to created image file (browse it through file dialog or specify directly: ~/image.iso). Confirm changes with pressing OK button and start VM.
What happened? Please describe it.

[lg0001]

Thank you for your help.
When I type and enter the unmount command I get a warning (see attached ). Should I proceed?/Users/Larry/Desktop/Picture 1.png
And what is the purpose of this whole procedure?

[sandro]

I couldn't to see screenshots from your remote desktop ;) If you want to show some screenshot you need upload it before and post link to it. To do this when posting answer on this form go to advanced message mode (press "Go Advanced" button) and use provided file upload tools (press button "Manage attacjments" there). Or simply describe what you see by words.

[lg0001]

OK the warning message i got when I entered the Unmount command was: Improper use of the Sudo command could lead to data loss or the deletion of important system files.....should I continue?

[sandro]

it's standard warning on sudo command execution. Point is that sudo command let to execute commands under exclusive administrative account (root) and it maybe dangerous to execute something not well known with it. We know what we do so do it without any fears.

[lg0001]

OK. Thanks. After I entered the command for creating the image, there was a long delay then a notation appeared that 607557632 bytes were transferred in 456+ sec. But I do not see an image on the desktop..
Then I opened Parallels desktop, selected the cd/dvd item, selected "use image file".
I had trouble with the path (the browse button didn't show any paths). I entered "~/image.iso" in the path but the VM wouldn't start . Again it said there was no operating system.
Did I type the path correctly ("~/image.iso") or do I need to type the entire command to create the image file ("dd if/dev/disk1s0 of=~image.iso bs 4096")?
Please bear with me. I am not a programmer and this is all new to me. I really appreciate your continued assistance.

Thank you.

arry

[sandro]

OK. Thanks. After I entered the command for creating the image, there was a long delay then a notation appeared that 607557632 bytes were transferred in 456+ sec. But I do not see an image on the desktop..

it's normally. With that command we created image file at your home directory non at desktop.

Then I opened Parallels desktop, selected the cd/dvd item, selected "use image file".
I had trouble with the path (the browse button didn't show any paths). I entered "~/image.iso" in the path but the VM wouldn't start . Again it said there was no operating system.
Did I type the path correctly ("~/image.iso") or do I need to type the entire command to create the image file ("dd if/dev/disk1s0 of=~image.iso bs 4096")?


yes i tell you broken step, sorry. I just try it and determine that Parallels can't understand such path ("~/image"; '~' sign means path to user home directory at UNIX based systems). So we need to specify absolute path to image file here. You can do that or with choose file dialog (there at the left will be listed item with your account name that points to your home directory) or specify it manually as "/Users/your_account_name/image.iso".

[lg0001]

OK. that worked. It opened windows XP pro Setup! What next???

[lg0001]

The solution was simple. When I tried to install Windows on the partition created by Bootcamp, everything froze up. WHen I disconnected my back-up drive and a USB DVD recorder and tried again, it installed! Apparently Windows couldn't determine which drive the installation CD was on, SO IT FROZE (instead of asking me which drive had the CD).

I would like to sincerely thank those of you (especially Sandro) who took the time to help with this frustrating problem.

One important lesson I learned was to avoid WIndows whenever possible.