Parallels says: "Unable to open disk image Boot Camp!"

OK, so I've been using Parallels with my Windows Vista Ultimate (OEM) Boot Camp partition for about a month or so. Today I used only Boot Camp Windows, as I was at work and we use Windows there. I take my laptop home and boot into Mac OS X and open Parallels so I can get some work done and check my personal stuff at the same time (Mac = personal, Windows = work... and games). I select my usual Windows Vista VM (which is linked to my Boot Camp partition) and click Play, and it pops up an error saying "Unable to open disk image Boot Camp!". So I freak out for a second, then push play again. Same thing.

THEN, I restart into Windows, thinking that may solve the problem. I log into my Windows account, but before it lets me see my desktop, a box pops up in the middle (over a black background), saying that my "license has changed" (I'm assuming it's referring to hardware) and that I need to enter my product key. After recovering from a somewhat severe heart attack and a mild stroke, I enter it, it connects to the internet and apparently is able to activate itself even though I've activated it before. I take a few deep breaths.

So I restart my computer back into the Mac OS and open Parallels again. Same error. I restart back into Windows, and it's telling me my license has changed again. I enter my product key again and it reactivates itself without any trouble. So I guess, every time Parallels tries to access the Boot Camp hard drive, it changes something that makes Windows think it's running on different hardware. So now I'm hesitant to open Parallels because each time I do, it's going to make me reactivate Windows when I open it in Boot Camp! I'm also worried that if I do ever get Parallels to work, it will make me reactivate Vista inside Parallels again.

I have NO idea what made this start happening. The only thing I can think of that I've "changed" recently is installing the recent Apple software update for Pro applications (which didn't apply to me as I don't own any). This came out of the blue completely. Parallels was working just the other day and now it's not. Has anyone else had this problem and can help me out?

 

Please post the contents of your Home->Library->Logs->Parallels->Bootcamp.log and Home->Library->Logs->Parallels->BootcampOSP.log files. There are many possible reasons for that error, but those logs should provide some detail about why you getting it.

 

Here are all the entries from today (which is when the problem started):

Bootcamp.log:
[31.07.2007]-[18:04:23.425]: find_bsd_win_parts: Win partition disk0s3 is not removable
[31.07.2007]-[18:04:23.475]: find_bsd_win_parts: Win partition disk0s3 is not removable
[31.07.2007]-[18:04:23.509]: find_bsd_win_parts: Win partition disk0s3 is not removable
[31.07.2007]-[18:04:23.543]: find_bsd_win_parts: Win partition disk0s3 is not removable
[31.07.2007]-[18:04:46.854]: find_bsd_win_parts: Win partition disk0s3 is not removable
[31.07.2007]-[18:04:46.857]: Open: use default partition "disk0s3"
[31.07.2007]-[18:04:46.858]: Open: connected partition disk0s3
[31.07.2007]-[18:04:47.835]: find_bsd_win_parts: Win partition disk0s3 is not removable
[31.07.2007]-[18:04:47.888]: find_bsd_win_parts: Win partition disk0s3 is not removable
[31.07.2007]-[18:04:47.900]: Open: use default partition "disk0s3"
[31.07.2007]-[18:04:47.901]: Open: connected partition disk0s3
[31.07.2007]-[18:04:48.582]: find_bsd_win_parts: Win partition disk0s3 is not removable
[31.07.2007]-[18:04:48.585]: Open: use default partition "disk0s3"
[31.07.2007]-[18:04:48.585]: Open: connected partition disk0s3
[31.07.2007]-[18:04:51.929]: MakeMbr: adding to mbr partition (155861032, 156720736)
[31.07.2007]-[18:04:51.929]: carbon_unmount_vol: unmounting volume Untitled
[31.07.2007]-[18:05:03.967]: Open: Got an error when preparing [3:29]
[31.07.2007]-[18:07:45.806]: find_bsd_win_parts: Win partition disk0s3 is not removable
[31.07.2007]-[18:07:45.836]: find_bsd_win_parts: Win partition disk0s3 is not removable
[31.07.2007]-[18:07:45.839]: Open: use default partition "disk0s3"
[31.07.2007]-[18:07:45.840]: Open: connected partition disk0s3
[31.07.2007]-[18:07:46.260]: find_bsd_win_parts: Win partition disk0s3 is not removable
[31.07.2007]-[18:07:46.263]: Open: use default partition "disk0s3"
[31.07.2007]-[18:07:46.263]: Open: connected partition disk0s3
[31.07.2007]-[18:07:46.304]: MakeMbr: adding to mbr partition (155861032, 156720736)
[31.07.2007]-[18:07:46.304]: carbon_unmount_vol: unmounting volume Untitled
[31.07.2007]-[18:07:51.282]: Open: Got an error when preparing [3:29]
[31.07.2007]-[18:08:02.967]: find_bsd_win_parts: Win partition disk0s3 is not removable
[31.07.2007]-[18:08:02.996]: find_bsd_win_parts: Win partition disk0s3 is not removable
[31.07.2007]-[18:08:02.999]: Open: use default partition "disk0s3"
[31.07.2007]-[18:08:02.999]: Open: connected partition disk0s3
[31.07.2007]-[18:08:03.406]: find_bsd_win_parts: Win partition disk0s3 is not removable
[31.07.2007]-[18:08:03.409]: Open: use default partition "disk0s3"
[31.07.2007]-[18:08:03.409]: Open: connected partition disk0s3
[31.07.2007]-[18:08:03.451]: MakeMbr: adding to mbr partition (155861032, 156720736)
[31.07.2007]-[18:08:03.451]: carbon_unmount_vol: unmounting volume Untitled
[31.07.2007]-[18:08:08.167]: Open: Got an error when preparing [3:29]
[31.07.2007]-[18:11:06.483]: find_bsd_win_parts: Win partition disk0s3 is not removable
[31.07.2007]-[18:11:06.517]: find_bsd_win_parts: Win partition disk0s3 is not removable
[31.07.2007]-[18:11:06.550]: find_bsd_win_parts: Win partition disk0s3 is not removable
[31.07.2007]-[18:11:06.583]: find_bsd_win_parts: Win partition disk0s3 is not removable
[31.07.2007]-[18:11:11.272]: find_bsd_win_parts: Win partition disk0s3 is not removable
[31.07.2007]-[18:11:11.276]: Open: use default partition "disk0s3"
[31.07.2007]-[18:11:11.276]: Open: connected partition disk0s3
[31.07.2007]-[18:11:12.549]: find_bsd_win_parts: Win partition disk0s3 is not removable
[31.07.2007]-[18:11:12.579]: find_bsd_win_parts: Win partition disk0s3 is not removable
[31.07.2007]-[18:11:12.582]: Open: use default partition "disk0s3"
[31.07.2007]-[18:11:12.582]: Open: connected partition disk0s3
[31.07.2007]-[18:11:12.952]: find_bsd_win_parts: Win partition disk0s3 is not removable
[31.07.2007]-[18:11:12.955]: Open: use default partition "disk0s3"
[31.07.2007]-[18:11:12.955]: Open: connected partition disk0s3
[31.07.2007]-[18:11:15.540]: MakeMbr: adding to mbr partition (155861032, 156720736)
[31.07.2007]-[18:11:15.540]: carbon_unmount_vol: unmounting volume Untitled
[31.07.2007]-[18:11:24.449]: Open: Got an error when preparing [3:29]
[31.07.2007]-[18:11:33.236]: find_bsd_win_parts: Win partition disk0s3 is not removable
[31.07.2007]-[18:11:36.542]: find_bsd_win_parts: Win partition disk0s3 is not removable
[31.07.2007]-[18:11:36.909]: find_bsd_win_parts: Win partition disk0s3 is not removable
[31.07.2007]-[18:11:39.199]: find_bsd_win_parts: Win partition disk0s3 is not removable
[31.07.2007]-[18:11:39.203]: Open: use default partition "disk0s3"
[31.07.2007]-[18:11:39.203]: Open: connected partition disk0s3
[31.07.2007]-[14:18:36.222]: find_bsd_win_parts: Win partition disk0s3 is not removable
[31.07.2007]-[14:18:36.276]: find_bsd_win_parts: Win partition disk0s3 is not removable
[31.07.2007]-[14:18:36.306]: find_bsd_win_parts: Win partition disk0s3 is not removable
[31.07.2007]-[14:18:36.336]: find_bsd_win_parts: Win partition disk0s3 is not removable
[31.07.2007]-[14:18:40.595]: find_bsd_win_parts: Win partition disk0s3 is not removable
[31.07.2007]-[14:18:40.598]: Open: use default partition "disk0s3"
[31.07.2007]-[14:18:40.598]: Open: connected partition disk0s3
[31.07.2007]-[14:18:41.991]: find_bsd_win_parts: Win partition disk0s3 is not removable
[31.07.2007]-[14:18:42.088]: find_bsd_win_parts: Win partition disk0s3 is not removable
[31.07.2007]-[14:18:42.091]: Open: use default partition "disk0s3"
[31.07.2007]-[14:18:42.091]: Open: connected partition disk0s3
[31.07.2007]-[14:18:42.713]: find_bsd_win_parts: Win partition disk0s3 is not removable
[31.07.2007]-[14:18:42.715]: Open: use default partition "disk0s3"
[31.07.2007]-[14:18:42.727]: Open: connected partition disk0s3
[31.07.2007]-[14:18:46.449]: MakeMbr: adding to mbr partition (155861032, 156720736)
[31.07.2007]-[14:18:46.450]: carbon_unmount_vol: unmounting volume Untitled
[31.07.2007]-[14:18:54.628]: Open: Got an error when preparing [3:29]
[31.07.2007]-[14:19:21.178]: find_bsd_win_parts: Win partition disk0s3 is not removable
[31.07.2007]-[14:19:28.296]: find_bsd_win_parts: Win partition disk0s3 is not removable
[31.07.2007]-[14:19:28.299]: Open: use default partition "disk0s3"
[31.07.2007]-[14:19:28.299]: Open: connected partition disk0s3
[31.07.2007]-[14:20:10.972]: find_bsd_win_parts: Win partition disk0s3 is not removable
[31.07.2007]-[14:20:10.998]: find_bsd_win_parts: Win partition disk0s3 is not removable
[31.07.2007]-[14:20:11.022]: find_bsd_win_parts: Win partition disk0s3 is not removable
[31.07.2007]-[14:20:11.046]: find_bsd_win_parts: Win partition disk0s3 is not removable
[31.07.2007]-[14:20:14.251]: find_bsd_win_parts: Win partition disk0s3 is not removable
[31.07.2007]-[14:20:14.253]: Open: use default partition "disk0s3"
[31.07.2007]-[14:20:14.262]: Open: connected partition disk0s3
[31.07.2007]-[14:20:23.396]: find_bsd_win_parts: Win partition disk0s3 is not removable

 

And the rest...

[31.07.2007]-[14:20:23.424]: find_bsd_win_parts: Win partition disk0s3 is not removable
[31.07.2007]-[14:20:23.427]: Open: use default partition "disk0s3"
[31.07.2007]-[14:20:23.427]: Open: connected partition disk0s3
[31.07.2007]-[14:20:23.803]: find_bsd_win_parts: Win partition disk0s3 is not removable
[31.07.2007]-[14:20:23.806]: Open: use default partition "disk0s3"
[31.07.2007]-[14:20:23.806]: Open: connected partition disk0s3
[31.07.2007]-[14:20:26.362]: MakeMbr: adding to mbr partition (155861032, 156720736)
[31.07.2007]-[14:20:26.362]: carbon_unmount_vol: unmounting volume Untitled
[31.07.2007]-[14:20:32.632]: Open: Got an error when preparing [3:29]
[31.07.2007]-[14:20:49.429]: find_bsd_win_parts: Win partition disk0s3 is not removable
[31.07.2007]-[14:20:49.458]: find_bsd_win_parts: Win partition disk0s3 is not removable
[31.07.2007]-[14:20:49.461]: Open: use default partition "disk0s3"
[31.07.2007]-[14:20:49.461]: Open: connected partition disk0s3
[31.07.2007]-[14:20:49.848]: find_bsd_win_parts: Win partition disk0s3 is not removable
[31.07.2007]-[14:20:49.851]: Open: use default partition "disk0s3"
[31.07.2007]-[14:20:49.851]: Open: connected partition disk0s3
[31.07.2007]-[14:20:49.886]: MakeMbr: adding to mbr partition (155861032, 156720736)
[31.07.2007]-[14:20:49.886]: carbon_unmount_vol: unmounting volume Untitled
[31.07.2007]-[14:20:54.617]: Open: Got an error when preparing [3:29]
[31.07.2007]-[14:20:57.183]: find_bsd_win_parts: Win partition disk0s3 is not removable
[31.07.2007]-[14:20:57.211]: find_bsd_win_parts: Win partition disk0s3 is not removable
[31.07.2007]-[14:20:57.214]: Open: use default partition "disk0s3"
[31.07.2007]-[14:20:57.214]: Open: connected partition disk0s3
[31.07.2007]-[14:20:57.721]: find_bsd_win_parts: Win partition disk0s3 is not removable
[31.07.2007]-[14:20:57.724]: Open: use default partition "disk0s3"
[31.07.2007]-[14:20:57.724]: Open: connected partition disk0s3
[31.07.2007]-[14:20:57.765]: MakeMbr: adding to mbr partition (155861032, 156720736)
[31.07.2007]-[14:20:57.766]: carbon_unmount_vol: unmounting volume Untitled
[31.07.2007]-[14:21:03.272]: Open: Got an error when preparing [3:29]
[31.07.2007]-[14:22:44.729]: find_bsd_win_parts: Win partition disk0s3 is not removable
[31.07.2007]-[14:22:44.758]: find_bsd_win_parts: Win partition disk0s3 is not removable
[31.07.2007]-[14:22:44.761]: Open: use default partition "disk0s3"
[31.07.2007]-[14:22:44.761]: Open: connected partition disk0s3
[31.07.2007]-[14:22:45.151]: find_bsd_win_parts: Win partition disk0s3 is not removable
[31.07.2007]-[14:22:45.154]: Open: use default partition "disk0s3"
[31.07.2007]-[14:22:45.154]: Open: connected partition disk0s3
[31.07.2007]-[14:22:45.200]: MakeMbr: adding to mbr partition (155861032, 156720736)
[31.07.2007]-[14:22:45.200]: carbon_unmount_vol: unmounting volume Untitled
[31.07.2007]-[14:22:49.541]: Open: Got an error when preparing [3:29]
[31.07.2007]-[14:22:57.205]: find_bsd_win_parts: Win partition disk0s3 is not removable
[31.07.2007]-[14:29:40.669]: find_bsd_win_parts: Win partition disk0s3 is not removable
[31.07.2007]-[14:29:40.683]: Open: use default partition "disk0s3"
[31.07.2007]-[14:29:40.683]: Open: connected partition disk0s3

BootcampOSP.log:
[31.07.2007]-[18:04:56.185]: extract_system_root_path() file "boot.ini" open error (DaAPIWrap error code 0x40011).
[31.07.2007]-[18:04:56.206]: extract_system_root_path() using default system root directory
[31.07.2007]-[18:04:59.527]: Error 92274711 at 12

[31.07.2007]-[18:04:59.528]: Error 92274711 at 9

[31.07.2007]-[18:04:59.528]: Key enumeration error 5800017
[31.07.2007]-[18:04:59.529]: Key enumeration error 5800017
[31.07.2007]-[18:05:00.303]: switch_to_guest_config() RestoreKeys(system) failed
[31.07.2007]-[18:07:46.682]: extract_system_root_path() file "boot.ini" open error (DaAPIWrap error code 0x40011).
[31.07.2007]-[18:07:46.683]: extract_system_root_path() using default system root directory
[31.07.2007]-[18:07:49.676]: switch_to_guest_config() RestoreKeys(system) failed
[31.07.2007]-[18:08:03.799]: extract_system_root_path() file "boot.ini" open error (DaAPIWrap error code 0x40011).
[31.07.2007]-[18:08:03.799]: extract_system_root_path() using default system root directory
[31.07.2007]-[18:08:06.785]: switch_to_guest_config() RestoreKeys(system) failed
[31.07.2007]-[18:11:18.908]: extract_system_root_path() file "boot.ini" open error (DaAPIWrap error code 0x40011).
[31.07.2007]-[18:11:18.908]: extract_system_root_path() using default system root directory
[31.07.2007]-[18:11:22.777]: switch_to_guest_config() RestoreKeys(system) failed
[31.07.2007]-[14:18:47.761]: extract_system_root_path() file "boot.ini" open error (DaAPIWrap error code 0x40011).
[31.07.2007]-[14:18:47.772]: extract_system_root_path() using default system root directory
[31.07.2007]-[14:18:51.224]: switch_to_guest_config() RestoreKeys(system) failed
[31.07.2007]-[14:20:27.051]: extract_system_root_path() file "boot.ini" open error (DaAPIWrap error code 0x40011).
[31.07.2007]-[14:20:27.052]: extract_system_root_path() using default system root directory
[31.07.2007]-[14:20:30.765]: switch_to_guest_config() RestoreKeys(system) failed
[31.07.2007]-[14:20:50.173]: extract_system_root_path() file "boot.ini" open error (DaAPIWrap error code 0x40011).
[31.07.2007]-[14:20:50.173]: extract_system_root_path() using default system root directory
[31.07.2007]-[14:20:52.954]: switch_to_guest_config() RestoreKeys(system) failed
[31.07.2007]-[14:20:58.103]: extract_system_root_path() file "boot.ini" open error (DaAPIWrap error code 0x40011).
[31.07.2007]-[14:20:58.103]: extract_system_root_path() using default system root directory
[31.07.2007]-[14:21:01.850]: switch_to_guest_config() RestoreKeys(system) failed
[31.07.2007]-[14:22:45.623]: extract_system_root_path() file "boot.ini" open error (DaAPIWrap error code 0x40011).
[31.07.2007]-[14:22:45.624]: extract_system_root_path() using default system root directory
[31.07.2007]-[14:22:48.232]: switch_to_guest_config() RestoreKeys(system) failed

 

If someone could please help me out with this, I'd appreciate it. I'm unable to use Parallels until this is fixed...

 

Looks like it could be an issue with the boot.ini file but I'm not entirely sure. Could you post the contents of boot.ini?

 

Any plans to fix this?!?

Come on Parallels team! The is is ri-frickinin-diculous!

You have known about this often-encountered and easily reproduced bug for quite a long time! When is a *permanent* and *reliable* fix going to be available?!? How long do you expect to remain in business when you make people purchase full licenses to perform never-ending beta tests of your products?!?

I was running Windows Vista Home Premium from a Boot Camp partition for some time (about a month) without any problems. An "upgrade" to build 4560 "fixed" my ability to boot reliably (in other words, I cannot count on it booting every time now).

Most times (4 out of 5), I get "Unable to open disk image Boot Camp." Please don't insult me by suggesting that I don't know which partition Boot Camp is using. Yes, yes, yes, I know how to use `df` to find out. And yes, I am typing my password correctly. And yes, I have installed the latest build (actually, I did not have this problem until I installed the latest build).

I can eventually get it to boot by editing my .pvs file. Here is the process:
1. If the disk definition does not end with my Boot Camp partition, add a semi-colon and the partition to the end of the disk definition line. If it does end with the Boot Camp partition, remove it. (change 'Disk 0:0 image = Boot Camp' to 'Disk 0:0 image = Boot Camp;disk0s3' or change 'Disk 0:0 image = Boot Camp;disk0s3' to 'Disk 0:0 image = Boot Camp');
2. Try to boot. This will not work (same error).
3. Change the .pvs file back to its original contents (undo the changes in step 1).
4. Try to boot. This will not work (same error).
5. Change the .pvs file back to the first change (repeat step 1).
6. Try to boot. It will work this time.

This is consistently repeatable. EVERY time I am unable to boot and receive the "Unable to open disk image..." error, I can follow these steps and eventually boot.

Seriously, this has gone on WAY too long. This is inexcusable.

Provide a fix immediately, or you'll have no reason to wonder why you're losing customers, like myself, to VMWare.

I'm absolutely fed up, and everyone who has struggled with this problem for as long as you've known about it should be also.

You are not the only choice any more, and if you continue to fail to fix very well-kknown bugs, you can expect for your customers to go away.

 

I installed Vista Ultimage on Boot Camp and then successfully booted into Vista in Parallels (both systems activated properly). Then I went back to boot camp and did some work. After booting back into Mac with Parallels, I got the "Unable to open disk boot camp" then it ran again after several of those errors. Does anyone know what's going on there?

 

schalliol, I ran into the same problem with my boot camp XP installation over parallels. After upgrading to Leopard I started getting these errors. After attempting to run the "verify disk" tool from Disk Utility on my windows partition, I got an error message telling me that it couldn't unmount my disk to start the verification process. It turns out one of my mac applications had gotten a lock on my partition and hadn't released it. So after quiting all applications and then trying to run Parallels again I was able to boot successfully into my boot camp installation. I don't keep any files I use on OS X on the boot camp partition, so I don't know if it's one of the applications that was trying to index something off of the disk, or a side-effect of something Leopard is doing, but that has seemed to fix the problem for me. I hope this helps!

 

Frustrated

Disclaimer: I'm not a tech person, and I bought this software because it's supposed to be "easy". Anything but, so far.

I have a brand new Macbook. I bought Parallels and have a copy of XP.

First, I created a 32G partition in BootCamp (FAT32). I installed Windows XP w/SP2 and then added the Mac drivers. Then I installed Parallels on the Mac side and pointed it towards the partition. The install went fine, I thought. However, when I open Parallels, it says "Windows XP" stopped. When I try clicking the green "play" button, I get an error screen with a red stop sign with a white exclamation point that says "Unable to open disk image Boot Camp!"

I've been through the manual and googled extensively, but I have no clue of how to proceed or what I am doing incorrectly. All I can think of is that maybe I wasn't supposed to install Windows on the BootCamp side, but I thought that's what I was supposed to do.

Am I doing something wrong, or is this the same problem everyone else is having? I don't have the latest build, and when I downloaded, I received an email seconds later saying that it was a two-week trial and I could "buy" it after two weeks. Huh? Shouldn't the one I just payed $80 for work first?

Someone else told me I could just install Windows right onto Parallels, and that it won't work as efficiently, but at least it will work. I'm not even sure how to, though. I uninstalled Parallels thinking I'd try that, but when I reinstalled, it's kept all of my info and immediately says it can't open disk image boot camp. What kind of un-install keeps all my info?

If anyone can offer any words of advice, I'd appreciate it. I wrote to Parallels support a few days ago, and haven't heard anything yet. I'm leaving the country in 48 hours for several months and would like to get this rectified before my big trip.

Thanks in advance for your help!