Parallels 8 / Windows 8 disaster

I really could use some help. I am a convert to mac after a lifetime of PC and the learning curve has been steep. I installed Parallels 8 and Windows 8 successfully. It was great. But now I've discovered I installed an upgrade only version of Windows 8. So now I need to uninstall it. I have no idea how to do that. Parallels is set up to automatically start Windows when I click on the Parallels desktop icon, and consequently I've been unable to figure out how to find the virtual machine to delete it. And I'm not sure that deleting the virtual machine is the right way to uninstall Windows 8. Thank you so much in advance for help.

Ben

 

Open a finder window

Look in Documents => Parallels

You should see a .PVM file in there for the Windows 8 VM you created.

If you delete that then when you start up Parallels it should prompt to say it can't find the VM, if it doesn't show you a list of VM's then right click on the Parallels icon in the dock and choose "Virtual Machines List".

The only way to install Windows 8 for personal use in Parallels is to buy the System Builder edition, or install a previous version of Windows you legally own and upgrade using the upgrade license you bought.

If it's for development work and you have an MSDN subscription or similar you may have it from there.

Easiest way for home use is to already own an existing version of Windows, once you activate Windows 8 you can't simultaneously have your old version of Windows installed on the same or any other machine.

Try and solve your issue of removing the VM first, and then see if you have any questions on Windows 8 licensing.

Are you sure you aren't legally entitled to use the upgrade version you bought? Do you already own a retail version of Windows XP, Vista, or 7 for example?

There are ways to install straight to Windows 8 as long as you own the older version of Windows (Without first installing it and doing an update) - It should be fine follow that specific method as it was talked about on Microsofts Channel 9 at one point.

 

Hold the Command (Apple) key while starting up Parallels, that way you can access the virtual machine list.