unified BootCamp + Parallels trick

Jun 19, 2006, 02:51 AM #1
perle Junior Member Join: Jun 2006 Posts: 7	unified BootCamp + Parallels trick I came up with a trick which gets you close to a unified bootcamp/parallels XP installation. 1. When you install bootcamp, partition your drive for the OSX/Data/WindowsSystem scheme, instead of just OSX/WindowsSystem, as is explained on the onmac.net wiki: http://wiki.onmac.net/index.php/Trip...t_via_BootCamp . You need a FAT32 partition that is independent of both OS X and Windows. 2. Install XP on the bare hardware partition, and also install it in Parallels. 3. Go to bootcamp and install all your programs, except, when you install them have them install to the letter of your data partition, instead of to C. 4. In parallels, map the /Volumes/DATA or whatever your data partition is named to a shared folder (read/write). 5. Boot parallel windows, and navigate to the shared folder of your data partition. Choose Map Network Drive from the menu and set it to the same drive letter that bootcamp calls your data partition. 6. Install your programs _again_ to the data drive. This sets up the registry, shortcuts, etc. properly in parallels now. 7. Enjoy access to your programs from BootCamp and Parallels both! There is even a way to map your My Documents to a different drive, so that that can be shared. I don't remember it off the top of my head but I have definitely done it. In the end this will save you loads of hard drive space, and unify some of your program settings. Because the drive letter is the same from bootcamp and parallels, you will not have the endless problems that trying to directly map the bootcamp drive will give you. The problem with this is that the registry is not shared. This may not be so bad in the end. Another trick if you want to be adventurous, is, instead of installing your programs again in parallels, map your bootcamp partition to a parallels read-only shared folder. Then map it to a drive in Parallels windows. Then add [that_drive]:\WINDOWS and [that_drive]:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM32 to your system path, giving you the ability to load the dlls installed there. Then you can try running your programs directly without a reinstall. Some will work... many won't. Someday later this week I may write this up better and post it on my blog, I will let you guys know. ~perle

Jun 19, 2006, 02:51 AM

perle
Junior Member

Join: Jun 2006
Posts: 7

unified BootCamp + Parallels trick

I came up with a trick which gets you close to a unified bootcamp/parallels XP installation.

1. When you install bootcamp, partition your drive for the OSX/Data/WindowsSystem scheme, instead of just OSX/WindowsSystem, as is explained on the onmac.net wiki: http://wiki.onmac.net/index.php/Trip...t_via_BootCamp . You need a FAT32 partition that is independent of both OS X and Windows.

2. Install XP on the bare hardware partition, and also install it in Parallels.

3. Go to bootcamp and install all your programs, except, when you install them have them install to the letter of your data partition, instead of to C.

4. In parallels, map the /Volumes/DATA or whatever your data partition is named to a shared folder (read/write).

5. Boot parallel windows, and navigate to the shared folder of your data partition. Choose Map Network Drive from the menu and set it to the same drive letter that bootcamp calls your data partition.

6. Install your programs _again_ to the data drive. This sets up the registry, shortcuts, etc. properly in parallels now.

7. Enjoy access to your programs from BootCamp and Parallels both!

There is even a way to map your My Documents to a different drive, so that that can be shared. I don't remember it off the top of my head but I have definitely done it.

In the end this will save you loads of hard drive space, and unify some of your program settings. Because the drive letter is the same from bootcamp and parallels, you will not have the endless problems that trying to directly map the bootcamp drive will give you.

The problem with this is that the registry is not shared. This may not be so bad in the end. Another trick if you want to be adventurous, is, instead of installing your programs again in parallels, map your bootcamp partition to a parallels read-only shared folder. Then map it to a drive in Parallels windows. Then add [that_drive]:\WINDOWS and [that_drive]:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM32 to your system path, giving you the ability to load the dlls installed there. Then you can try running your programs directly without a reinstall. Some will work... many won't.

Someday later this week I may write this up better and post it on my blog, I will let you guys know.

~perle

Jun 19, 2006, 06:45 AM #2
kaidomac Member Join: Jun 2006 Posts: 48	That's an interesting approach, thanks for the post! I'm curious to see what Apple is going to be releasing as a virtualization or dual-boot solution with the next release of their operating system. I think they're going to have a hard time one-upping Parallels since Desktop for Mac supports so many operating systems and currently the Apple Boot Camp beta only supports XP. Anyway, nice work!

Jun 19, 2006, 06:02 PM #3
Ricochet Junior Member Join: May 2006 Posts: 12	Interesting approach Perle - do you notice much of a performance hit in running programs from the shared folder/network drive? Quite a nifty way of sharing programs, but like you mentioned it won't be able to mirror any changes to windows/registry settings relating to those programs. However given the different hardware configurations of parallels and boot-camp that is probably not such a bad thing, provided you have two XP licenses...

Jun 19, 2006, 06:02 PM

Ricochet
Junior Member

Join: May 2006
Posts: 12

Interesting approach Perle - do you notice much of a performance hit in running programs from the shared folder/network drive? Quite a nifty way of sharing programs, but like you mentioned it won't be able to mirror any changes to windows/registry settings relating to those programs. However given the different hardware configurations of parallels and boot-camp that is probably not such a bad thing, provided you have two XP licenses...

Jun 19, 2006, 06:47 PM #4
unused_user_name Senior Member Join: Jun 2006 Posts: 501	I'm not going to reformat my drive to try it, but it would be interesting to see what would happen if parallels were told to use a fixed size drive (the size of the partition) on the file in /dev/ One would probably have to manually edit their VM config file to try this. ... anyone try this?

Jun 20, 2006, 10:35 AM

celendis
Junior Member

Join: Apr 2006
Posts: 19

Quote:

Originally Posted by unused_user_name

I'm not going to reformat my drive to try it, but it would be interesting to see what would happen if parallels were told to use a fixed size drive (the size of the partition) on the file in /dev/

One would probably have to manually edit their VM config file to try this.

... anyone try this?

Yeah, I tried. Parallels complained that it wasn't a proper image file. =)

The issue with the installation on the common location is that one version of Windows will not realize that there are new programs installed. They will not show up on the Start Menu, nor do many programs work without the registry entries that are on the other installation's registry.

I tried this a while back with a two XP installation (on a PC...why? I don't remember!), but it was way more hassle than I thought it worth.

However, if you do install on Boot Camp, then also install on Parallels to the same location, it should work pretty well, as well as cut down significantly on used space.

Jun 23, 2006, 11:30 AM

MicroDev
Senior Member

Join: Apr 2006
Posts: 122

Quote:

Originally Posted by kaidomac

That's an interesting approach, thanks for the post! I'm curious to see what Apple is going to be releasing as a virtualization or dual-boot solution with the next release of their operating system.

Rumor has it that Darwine - or something like it - will be an option on or after Leopard. Apparently, that was something high on the plate with Next that never saw light. That would allow us to run Win32, OS X, etc., under OS X without the need for the guest OS - like Rosetta for Windows and Linux apps. That would be ideal in my mind - the holy grail of software compatibility. My personal guess, however, is that Leopard will only provide virtualization like we get from Parallels.

Jul 2, 2006, 02:40 PM #7
X8C_Marvin Junior Member Join: Jul 2006 Posts: 7	Another way to use existing Bootcamp XP install? Hi - I was wondering if anybody thinks that maybe creating a new harddisk image in Parallels & copying all the contents of the XP partition that a Bootcamp install of XP created into it would allow you to run that install of XP under Parallels? That way you would have a second copy of XP, already installed, to run from & not have to reinstall all of XP & then install all your programs again, etc & so you wouldn't use this suggested trick of a shared drive. Thoughts? Thanks, Marvin

Jul 2, 2006, 02:40 PM

X8C_Marvin
Junior Member

Join: Jul 2006
Posts: 7

Another way to use existing Bootcamp XP install?

Hi - I was wondering if anybody thinks that maybe creating a new harddisk image in Parallels & copying all the contents of the XP partition that a Bootcamp install of XP created into it would allow you to run that install of XP under Parallels?

That way you would have a second copy of XP, already installed, to run from & not have to reinstall all of XP & then install all your programs again, etc & so you wouldn't use this suggested trick of a shared drive.

Thoughts?

Thanks,

Marvin

Jul 2, 2006, 02:57 PM #8
namery Member Join: Jun 2006 Posts: 45	Parallels uses its own special drivers, as does Bootcamp (Remeber that Mac Drivers disk you created when installing Bootcamp?). So if you copied Bootcamp XP partition to a parallels image, chances are it won't work. Although, I may try it and report back:)

Jul 2, 2006, 03:45 PM #9
namery Member Join: Jun 2006 Posts: 45	No I can't get this to work.

Jul 3, 2006, 09:00 PM

#10

Sirblackadder
Junior Member

Join: Jun 2006
Posts: 16

Quote:

They will not show up on the Start Menu, nor do many programs work without the registry entries that are on the other installation's registry.

Yes, you have the problem with the registry not being shared between the two XP installations. However, there is actually one part of the registry that could well be shared, which is the current user branch. When a Windows user logs on, his own piece of registry is blended into the system registry. Where software settings are located in the registry is sometimes determined during the installation process when the user is asked whether the software ought to be installed "for all users" or "for the current user" only. When you click the former, settings will be written mostly to a global branch of the registry whereas the latter has XP utilize the user branch for property saving.

The interesting thing here is that the user registry branch becomes stored in a registry file which is located the the user folder. These user folders can be moved away from the system partition to another partition - preferably the partition where all your shared software is installed. Hence, at least parts of the registry could be shared, too.

The crucial problem is that a) not all software complies to the "all users/current user" scheme and b) many programs like to store files within the Windows system folders or the global settings folder, respectively. The german computer mag c't had an extensive article recently about how to force software to run and install without administrator rights. Many of the problems and solutions described centered around forcing software to use only the user folders and the user branch of the registry for storing its files and settings. All of the techniques could well be adopted to the dual-installation-by-sharing enterprise. Unfortunately, the bottom line of the c't article was: it works with some software, with other programs it doesn't. So in the end, even if you can get quite a few pieces of software to completely install to the shared folder, place its common files in the user folder and imprint itself to the user branch of the registry, Celendis would be right: It is an exhaustive, nervewracking and very unproductive thing to start with.

Bye, Blacky

Jul 3, 2006, 10:21 PM #11
skapplin Member Join: Apr 2006 Posts: 34	RE: MicroDev Darwine is an independent open source project based on WINE, originally an open source Linux project for running Windows software. Darwine has nothing to do with Next having begun development around 2004.

Jul 4, 2006, 09:48 AM #12
X8C_Marvin Junior Member Join: Jul 2006 Posts: 7	Another approach to moving Bootcamp XP to Parallels XP Just thought of another approach & wondered if anybody has tried this or thought about trying it. The Windows system comes with a Files & Settings Transfer Wizard function (right off the Start Button usually but accessible from the Satrt Programs Accessories area too) that is intended for users to be able to upgrade to a new computer & carry over their files & programs I believe to the new system. If we apply that approach then we essentially unload all the installed programs & files (essentially transporting the registry entries for the Bootcasmp installed programs) to a DVD probably & then transfer them into the Parallels XP installation. While this will duplicate the installation & take double the hardisk I realize that it isn't as elegant as the subject of this original posts approach but for those of us who had already installed Bootcamp & can't easily create the shared environment described originally, this approach may work out - maybe if we eventually remove Bootcamp this approach has validity. THoughts? Experiences? Thanks

Jul 4, 2006, 09:48 AM

#12

X8C_Marvin
Junior Member

Join: Jul 2006
Posts: 7

Another approach to moving Bootcamp XP to Parallels XP

Just thought of another approach & wondered if anybody has tried this or thought about trying it.

The Windows system comes with a Files & Settings Transfer Wizard function (right off the Start Button usually but accessible from the Satrt Programs Accessories area too) that is intended for users to be able to upgrade to a new computer & carry over their files & programs I believe to the new system.

If we apply that approach then we essentially unload all the installed programs & files (essentially transporting the registry entries for the Bootcasmp installed programs) to a DVD probably & then transfer them into the Parallels XP installation.

While this will duplicate the installation & take double the hardisk I realize that it isn't as elegant as the subject of this original posts approach but for those of us who had already installed Bootcamp & can't easily create the shared environment described originally, this approach may work out - maybe if we eventually remove Bootcamp this approach has validity.

THoughts? Experiences?

Thanks

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unified BootCamp + Parallels trick