How to move Parallels and VM(s) to different drive

Hello - I'm running Parallels Desktop 7 on Mac OS 10.7.4 with a Windows 7 Guest OS. I'm preparing to replace my iMac with a new one with a 256Gb SSD as the main drive. In order to downsize my Macintosh HD, I'm moving some of my larger directories (particularly iTunes content) to an external drive. After that, my next largest directory is Parallels stored at user/Documents/Parallels and it contains the Windows 7 .pvm. What's the best way to move the .pvm to a new directory on an external drive and have Parallels see and use it by default? Does the .pvm contain the virtual C: Drive or do I have to move something else? Any other considerations I should be aware of in moving Parallels data and files to a new location/drive? Thanks!

Mitchell

 

.pvms are self-contained, everything needed is there (except for bootcamp based VMs).

1. Move your ~/Documents/Parallels to another drive
2. Launch Parallels, go to Preferences > General > Virtual Machines Folder: (point to new location).
3. For each item/VM in your Virtual Machine list, you'll have click on it, a message might appeat that it can't find the VM, press Locate and point to the new location of the said VM.

 

Thanks very much for the fast reply!

 

Thank you very much

Your instructions were very clear and worked exactly right. I really appreciate your taking the time to post and help! Sue

 

Where is the ~/Documents/Parallels folder located? I'm unable to find this on Mavericks.

 

In Unix ~/ means it's the user folder. So this is your Documents folder, and Parallels folder is by default inside it, in any version of OS X, including Mavericks.

If you don't find it there, then check your Parallels preferences, in General you'll find what's your default folder.

 

It looks like on Parallels 10, the hard drive source also needs to be re-referenced in addition to performing the above. This can be done by clicking on the gear icon beside the vm and changing the source under "Hard Disk 1".

 

Hello Iwho,

If you move the virtual machine file from one Mac to another Mac there is no need to reference the virtual hard disk as it will be within the same .pvm file. Incase, sometimes if your virtual machine is not working and you have created a new virtual machine then referenced virtual hard disk of old virtual machine if those virtual machines are moved then the virtual hard disk need to referenced or copied into the new .pvm file. You can refer this article to add a hard disk from one virtual machine to another virtual machine or refer this article to transfer hard drive from the existing virtual machine to an empty one.

Thanks,
Ajith M.

 

Is it possible to have some of my VMs on the internal drive and some of them on an external drive?

 

Hello RonS3- yes, it is possible to run some VMs on the internal and some of them on an external. Please try this article

 

I have just moved two pvm files to an SSD. (from my Hard Drive)
I have changed my Parallels preferences to point to the directory on the SSD.
1) Despite Windows 7 performing a bunch of updates - I don't see any change in "Date Modified" field of Finder - either of the original pvms on the Hard Drive or on the SSD.
2) This appears to have triggered a massive re-indexing exercise by kernel_task , mds_scores, and Windows 7 (ie huge amount of read / write activity to disk)
3) It's hard to detect any speed increase.........
4) Should I try moving Parallels and Parallel Tools to the SSD as well ? Will it find everything if these live outside of the Application Folder on Hard Drive ?

Thanks
(was going to attempt to create a Fusion drive - but this seemed a lot simpler...............)

 

I'm also with this trouble now clear Thanks very much for the fast reply!

Regard
http://www.studiowinterz.com/

 

just to add to this - Despite altering my Preferences - Parallels appears to be using the old Windows7.pvm - even though it is called Windows7.pvmold , on the Hard Drive. Will have to try again - to force it to use the pvm on the SSD................