An error occurred while accessing the Hard Disk 0 used by "WinXP".

When I try to start Windows on Parallels Desktop 6 For Mac, I keep getting the following message:
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An error occurred while accessing the Hard Disk 0 used by "WinXP".

Click Retry to try again or click Stop to forcibly stop the virtual machine. If this error persists, please contact the Parallels support team for assistance.

Note: If you stop the virtual machine "WinXP" now, you will lose all unsaved data.

Error ID: PRL_ERR_DISK_WRITE_FAILED (80021027), errno=5 (Input/output error).

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My recollection is that this started after I tried to compress the disk which I don't think completed.

Reported it via ticket Parallels #1148601

Is there a work around/fix for this issue?

-Sunil

 

Resolved?

Hi, did you resolve this? Thanks

 

I get the same error now. Haven't been able to fix it even restoring the VM from a good backup, which was working at that time.

 

Here is what Parallels Support recommended. The first set of instructions worked for me. YMMV.


1. Launch Parallels Desktop => do not start the Virtual machine.

2. Click on the "Window" option on the top menu bar => click on Virtual machine list.

3. Right click (ctrl+click) on the "Windows XP" => click on Configure => hardware tab => select "boot order".

4. Now, to the right pane you will have an option (a box) "boot flag", please add the following boot flag:

devices.hdd.error = 1

5. Click OK.

(Please perform these steps on both Virtual Machine that is Windows XP and 7)

Please refer the below given link to get to the boot order:

http://download.parallels.com/desktop/v6/docs/en/Parallels_Desktop_Users_Guide/22237.htm

If the issue persists then please perform the below given steps:

Step 1:

1. Please click on the link given and uninstall parallels desktop completely:

http://kb.parallels.com/9087

Step 2:

1. After the uninstall, open Finder => Applications => Utilities => Disk utilities.

2. Select Macintosh HD => click on repair disk permissions.

3. Please wait till the repair completes.

Step 3:

1. Now, please download the .dmg file to Install Parallels Desktop from the below given link:

http://www.parallels.com/download/desktop/

(select the language of parallels desktop you are using and click on download now=> .dmg file will be sent to your mail account => click on the first link in the mail and the file will start downloading)

2 .Once the file is downloaded, it will get mounted on the Mac screen => click on Install and proceed with the onscreen instructions to install parallels desktop.

 

Same for me. The first set of instructions worked for me.