Windows 8.1 Free Option missing during install

During the install steps for the Parallels trial I didn't get the option to choose 'Windows 8.1 Free'. Has this option been removed or is it only available in the full version?

The reason I need this option is that I don't have ready access to Windows image files (my Windows software is on DVD but my iMac doesn't have a DVD drive). I have licences for both Windows 7 & Windows 8 and don't mind which I end up using in Parallels on my iMac.

Any suggestions on how to get Parallels up and running with Windows would be great please.

 

Hello CameronI,

The preview version of Windows 8.1 expired on January 15,2014. Hence the option of downloading the Preview version of Windows 8.1 has been removed from Parallels Desktop.

To install a Windows VM you can create an .iso image of Windows installation disk on some other computer with CD/DVD drive and copy it to Mac (http://kb.parallels.com/4917)

Then install Windows VM using the .iso image file as suggested at : http://kb.parallels.com/4729

Thanks,
Maheeshwar

 

If the trial has been expired since January, 2014, why does the Parallels 10 marketing material and Users Guide still reference the free trial? It would sure make sense to have the information be timely.

 

This is technically a different option. Parallels Desktop 10 includes Modern.IE trials from Microsoft intended to be used by developers: http://kb.parallels.com/122641
As the KB article says, unfortunately, as of now, there is no way to convert these Windows trial virtual machines to a non-expiring virtual machine. When the 90 days trial expires, your Windows virtual machine will stop working. There will be no option to re-activate it even using a commercial Windows key. You will lose access to your Windows applications and there will be no way to migrate it to another Windows virtual machine.

 

So Andrew are you saying that a customer who wants Parallels cannot have it for more than 90 days because it will stop working? I am having the same trouble. I have paid for Windows 8.1 Pro but I cannot get it to launch on my Mac because it is a .exe file download, which my mac cannot open. You're tech guys suggested I download the 90-day IE developer version of Windows instead of using the expensive Windows that i paid for, but how does that help me after day 90? If I buy Parallels and I buy Windows I don't expect my money to go in the bin after 90 days? Am I missing something? Thanks.

 

Hi @alexm1 - your scenario is quite different.
What you are trying to do is to use this "trial" Windows to install a full licensed copy of Windows 8.1. Basically your Windows 8.1 .exe will just overwrite what's been installed before ("trial" Windows) and will ask you to activate with your commercial license key. So it should work fine.
The scenario we were discussing before is when you install this 90-day trial and then try to activate it with a commercial key.
The difference is that you install Windows .exe on top of your Windows trial (which basically reinstalls Windows).
Hope this helps.