I bought a new Mac and Parallel's 8 Is there a way for me to create a Virtual Mac from my old Mac? So I can basically run my old Mac as a virtual on the new one?
Mike, There is no current way to create an OS X Virtual Machine from an existing OS X Physical Machine. That only works for Windows in Boot Camp. You can simulate your old Mac on OS X Snow Leopard Server or plain old Mountain Lion in a VM. 1. Create a new OS X virtual machine. After booting, stop at the Migration step. 2. Boot your old Mac in Target Mode 3. Plug your old Mac into the new Mac. You should see the old boot volume in the Finder of your new Mac. 4. Continue the Migration by migrating from the disk drive of your old Mac. 5. Eject the old Mac and shut it down. Now you can log on to a (nearly the same) virtual instance of your old Mac under Parallels. .
Seems like a "no brainer" feature to be able to clone an existing Mac OS device. Maybe using Target Disk mode or something. Hopefully Parallels will consider it for a future release. I basically did a new VM using the same OS then used the Migration Assistant to create a VM that is "close" (not "clone") of my other Mac from a Time Machine backup. Thanks for your help and input
New forum user - but I'm in virtually the same position as Mike_C was nearly 4 years ago . . . Just got a new MacBook Air, and want to clone my old MacBook Air (2013 - 10.8.5) onto a VM in the new one. Is it now possible to clone it directly? If not, any update on the above suggestions?
It's now 2020, on Catalina and want to create a VM from my old Mojave disk. Still an open feature request
I've done it in Parallels 15 - here's how: 1. Create a new MacOS VM the standard way, verify it works, install Parallels tools. Shut down. 2. Configure a new HDD the size of the actual machine you want to clone. 3. Boot and install Carbon Copy Cloner. You can use the trial license. 4. Use CCC to make the new HDD a bootable clone. Shut down when done. 5. Change boot order to use the new HDD with the CCC clone on it. 6. Boot and install Parallels Tools. Reboot using cloned disk and you're done! FYI I also used an existing VM to set up an external boot device and set the boot order to boot from that, just to try it.
@SWH - thanks for posting this. I just wanted to confirm, in step 2 - are you configuring a new physical hard disk drive (external) and using CCC to clone your MacOSX to it? Thanks.
No, the numbered instructions are for creating a new VM, and one step is a little unclear, so here's an update: 1. Create a new MacOS VM the standard way, verify it works, install Parallels tools. Shut down. 2. Configure a new HDD the size of the actual machine you want to clone. 3. Boot and install Carbon Copy Cloner on the VM you just created. You can use the trial license. 4. Mount the drive you wish to clone in the new VM. 5. Use CCC to make the new HDD a bootable clone of the old machine. Shut down when done. 6. Change boot order to use the new HDD with the CCC clone on it. 7. Boot and install Parallels Tools. Reboot using cloned disk and you're done!
Hijacking this thread as it's close to what I want to do. I have Sierra (the oldest OS supported by my iMac) installed on a second partition, because I want to upgrade to Catalina/Big Sur, but retain a few key 32-bit apps. I know I can use a Windows Boot Camp drive as a source for Parallels; can I use my second partition (rather than creating a whole new image)?
just for those of us, apparently, who haven't got a clue what those directions above from SWH mean can anyone rewrite them while being very specific (not patronising) and better still I'd love to watch a video of someone doing all this to prevent misinterpretation (I suspect you would also get a TON of views and likes for doing so too) - has anyone got a link to a video for this or can rewrite these directions in more specific details (ie; it says configure a new HDD - where? parallels or actual macOS environment?, how to mount the drive mentioned (if it is a.hdd or real one - my parallels can't seem to see my other disks internally or externally and the only way to see them seems to be via seeing the real mac as a network connection), labelling which drives you're on about when you mention them - VM1, RealHD1, etc)). how do I install parallels tools (on my real mac or within the mac VM I've created? - can't seem to do the latter). I just find there is too much ambiguity in these instructions and some of them I don't know how to do unless I have detailed steps for.
Hi guys, Any updates for this request? Does "Backup time machine / New mac vm / restore time machine" still a secured way to do that? There is no new built feature on Parallels to do that? I need to upgrade to mac os Monterey but keep my adobe C6 (32 bits) apps in High Sierra. Unfortunately my others apps are upgrading to non-compatibility with High Sierra...
