RC3 Install/Activation Sequence of Boot Camp XP and Parallels

I have a question about RC3 and Boot Camp that I have not been able to find in the FAQ or docs.

When setting up a new iMac with Boot Camp and Parallels, what is the order things are done in?

i.e. Do you install XP with Boot Camp but not activate it, then install Parallels and 'import' the Boot Camp installation, run it and activate it?

Having done this are both the Boot Camp native version and the Parallels version activated?

RC3 highlights states:

Easy offline configuration. Simply tell Parallels Desktop that you want to create a virtual machine from a Boot Camp Partition and click start. No complicated set up required!

No need to re-activate Windows each time you switch between Boot Camp and Parallels. Activate Windows only once inside Parallels and work in both environments

 

Good question. I did exactly this with 3186, (parallels with bootcamp, activation of Windows XP through parallels). When running through parallels Windows is happy. But when booting into bootcamp Windows wants a new activation.

So this doesn't seem to be the correct sequence.

Can anyone give advice ?

 

great thread

I am just about to instal XP on my iMac and I would love to do it the right way from the start.

I want to be able to use Boot Camp and Parallels. Boot Camp for things that dont run smooth in Parallels.
I dont want to buy two licenses of XP.

What order do I install?
Which install gets authorized with MS?

 

I'm having the same problem - XP is happy from within OSX but from bootcamp it wants me to activate and if I try to activate it says that it has been activated too many times.

 

Me three. I'm tired that there are no responses to this issue, and my activation in bootcamp has expired.

 

OK, in the abscence of any response, I can tell you catagorically what *DOESN'T* work:

1. Install fresh XP Pro via bootcamp, but don't activate.
2. Install Parallels Desktop and import from bootcamp.
3. Activate via Parallels.

When you re-boot via bootcamp, Windows (and Office XP) both detect 'major hardware changes' and demand reactivation.

So, Parallels Team, what is the answer. You claim it can be done.....but HOW???

Thanks
Jim

 

Activating a single XP installation for Parallels and Bootcamp

Hi all,

I had this issue also - I suspect it wasn't thoroughly tested by the Parallels team, because I haven't heard of anyone performing a "single activation" for this successfully.

I believe it is caused by Windows detecting a "change" in hardware - i.e. in Parallels the installation resides on a virtual machine with different hardware configuration to the "real" machine used by Bootcamp.

The easiest way to fix it? Activate by phone. Initially, this gives you the same 'already activated on another machine' error, but then offers you the option of being transferred to a Microshaft rep if you believe you have received this message in error.

I went for the transfer (which was surprisingly quick) and explained that I have a single installation of Windows XP on a single computer, which can be booted either using Bootcamp for performance or Parallels for convenience, but when I boot using Parallels, I Windows won't activate. After this explanation, the Microshaft rep was happy to give me another activation code, and voila - Windows is activated in Bootcamp and Parallels with only one license purchased.

I think most of you did the reverse to me with activation (and need to activate your Bootcamp configuration rather than Parallels), but the solution should still work.

Hope that helps.

Chris