Starting Parallels asks for new VM install each time

Discussion in 'Installation and Configuration of Parallels Desktop' started by jvargas92, Apr 2, 2008.

  1. jvargas92

    jvargas92 Bit poster

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    Every time I start Parallels it goes to the "New installation" process. If I quit it, Parallels quits. It seems to want me to install Windows each time, which is getting very annoying.

    I'm running OS X 10.4.11 and Parallels 2.5 Build 3214.0 and am trying to run XP.
     
  2. santa

    santa Junior Member

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    Have you renamed your hard drive? I did so and got the same thing you have. I am here to find out how I can rename my hard drive and still get Parallels to work properly.
     
  3. jvargas92

    jvargas92 Bit poster

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    Nope. This is all happening because I did a clean install of OS X 10.4 on my box after having unresolvable problems running some java-related applications.

    After the clean install I installed Parallels, updated it and the installed XP. Since then, every time Parallels starts up it walks me through the "New Installation of OS" process, as if nothing has ever been installed.

    If I go through with the install, it's the same thing the next time I start it up.
     
  4. santa

    santa Junior Member

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    14
    Have you tried repairing permissions? If a file that Parallels needs to see has the wrong permissions it might be forced to treat it as if it did not exist. Just a straw I'm grasping at here....
     
  5. jvargas92

    jvargas92 Bit poster

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    As simple as that sounds, no I have not. I'll give it a shot now and cross my fingers.
     
  6. jvargas92

    jvargas92 Bit poster

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    No luck with that.
     
  7. santa

    santa Junior Member

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    Instead of starting parallels itself, what happens if you double click on .pvs file. To start Windows I put the Microsoft Windows xp.pvs alias on my desktop. At one point I could start up windows from that when I had the same problem you describe. In my case it was a change in name to the hard drive, but the .pvs file still opened windows properly.
     
  8. jvargas92

    jvargas92 Bit poster

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    That seems to have worked. Thanks a lot. It's just odd that Parallels cannot find my existing VM.
     
  9. santa

    santa Junior Member

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    I am by NO means an expert with parallels. I just installed it a week or so ago and did so for a client who wishes to use it. I am just starting to play with it to learn it a bit but frankly I have no use for it so currently I'm just opening it and exploring around with it so these suggestions are just guesses.
    If you got it to open properly by using the pvs file, then try going to the Parallels preferences and check the General tab to see what the Default folder for virtual machines is. I would guess the path to it it not exactly the same as your current location of your folder. When I changed the name of my hard drive I had the same symptoms as you have and I simply when to parallels prefernces and changed the name in the preferences/general tab to make it match the new path name. After I did that I threw sugar over my shoulder, spit on a piece of wood, rubbed the back of a cat and spun around three times. I'm not sure which thing was responsible for my eventual success but since I attribute all computing problems and their eventual solutions to voodoo magic it could have been any of them. :) It worked for me.
     
  10. jvargas92

    jvargas92 Bit poster

    Messages:
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    The bizarre thing is that the path is right; even if I reset it and walk to the VM, it still starts up asking me to walk through the OS installation wizard.

    It's bizarre and I might even have to resort to uninstalling Parallels and reinstalling it from scratch. But at least now I have a solution that works. Thanks again!
     

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