HOWTO: install Windows 7 RC in bootcamp via XP using Parallels 4.0 in Snow Leopard

I know, the subject sounds pretty complicated, but don’t worry: the process of doing it is even worse.

Basically the main idea was to be able to use the same BootCamp partition of WinXP to upgrade to Win7, using the win7 .iso image to install it (I was simply to lazy to go to a shop and buy a rewritable DVD). Still, during my days <!> of tests and investigations few things came out. This can be useful even if one wants just to create a Win7 Parallels virtual machine from an already present BootCamp installation, make a Windows installation using BootCamp or for general knowledge. So let’s start.

GOLDEN RULE:

Disable (or even better, uninstall) any 3rd party NTFS package like Paragon NTFS (beta) NTFS-3G, NTFSmount or else. This caused me many problems since it seemed that Parallels and those packages were conflicting on the NTFS ownership of the BootCamp partition. Don't forget to reboot after that.

INITIAL SETUP:

Have Parallels 4.0 cleanly installed
Partition your hard disk with Boot Camp Assistant. Reserve at least 15GB for Windows. This will create a 2nd FAT32 partition called “BOOTCAMPâ€
Insert a WinXP SP2 install CD/DVD in the DVD drive
Go back to Boot Camp Assistant and click “restartâ€

INSTALLING WINDOWS XP:

The system will reboot from the WinXP install disk
Let the installer do its job (loading drivers)
The screen to chose on which partition to install Windows would appear.

Here is the first trick. Boot Camp Assistant actually created 2 more partitions. An empty one of about 100 MB, and the FAT32 one. RESIST from the temptation of deleting the FAT32 partition to then format the available disk space as NTFS or to convert it into NTFS. Instead SELECT the FAT32 partition. This will take us to a next screen were will be able to format it. Select “Format as NTFS†and go. It may be better to use the FULL format, but I’m not sure it’s necessary.

Not doing as above will produce at a certain point the infamous

“hal.dll missing or corrupted messageâ€.

which I can assure you is very much frustrating since we get it only at the end of the installation.

The installation will then continue. Follow all steps as required until you have a full Windows XP installation.

Reboot and press the Option key (alt). Select the Windows partition to check that WinXP is actually cleanly installed. No need to install BootCamp device drivers at this point.

CREATE THE PARALLELS WINDOWS XP VIRTUAL MACHINE (VM).

Reboot as OSX.
Check in Finder or Disk Utility that the NTFS partition is present and readable.
Start Parallels Desktop
Go to File/New Virtual Machine and follow the steps to create a Windows XP virtual machine.
Choose custom setting to tell Parallels to use the BootCamp partition
Once the VM file will be create Parallels will start the BootCamp Configurator (a 4 steps very long process) to “convert†the BootCamp partition into a VM.
At the end it will install the Parallels tools as well
Let the WinXP VM start
Shut WinXP down and close its VM window

UPGRADE THE WINXP PARTITION TO WIN7

Here is the second trick, and this has been a pretty nasty one. Actually the Parallels BootCamp configurator seems to mess up with the BootCamp partition when creating a Win7 VM. Parallels when trying to access the BootCamp partition during the process of creating the new Win7 VM reports a message:

“A disk configuration error has occurred. Make sure that you have read/write permissions for the diskâ€

Even being able to pass after that error, and having Win7 installation starting, Win7 may report

Error code ox80070057

When trying to access/format the BootCamp partition.

The solution to these problems appears to be in the BootCamp Configurator, as I’ve found in the Parallels forum:

http://forum.parallels.com/showthread.php?t=31190&page=3

Open the Terminal application and type:

sudo mv /Library/Parallels/Parallels\ Service.app/Contents/MacOS/BootcampConfigurator /Library/Parallels/Parallels\ Service.app/Contents/MacOS/BootcampConfigurator.old

Now the environment should be ready. So follow these steps:

Create a new Win7 VM in Parallels (File/New Virtual Machine)
Use as DVD drive the Win7 RC installation image. This will automatically select a Windows 7 environment in Parallels
Change the boot order having the CD/DVD-ROM first and Hard Disk 1 second
Use the BootCamp partition as VM and create it

The VM will start loading the Win7 installer. Select your local setting, a screen to chose the partition will appear, select the NTFS partition (BootCamp with WinXP on it). The installer will move the old WinXP files in C:\WINDOWS.old and continue with the installation.

Once the installation is complete do the following:

Start Windows 7 in Parallels to check that it is functional
Install Parallels Tools if you like
Shutdown the VM.
Shutdown OSX.
Press the power button and hold Option key at the chime sound
Boot from the Windows disk
Windows 7 should start booting. Don’t worry if it will take a long time. Personally it takes to me something like 30 s. with the blinking cursor before to see the graphical Windows 7 screen
Insert the Snow Leopard install DVD.
Open the Bootcamp folder and Double click on setup.exe to install the BootCamp device drivers.

If it says that your computer is not compatible do as follow:

Locate the Command Prompt app in the Start/All Programs/Accessories menu
Right click on it and start it as administrator
At the DOS prompt:
Select your DVD drive (D: or whatever)
Type
cd \BootCamp3.0\Drivers\Apple

Execute BootCamp.msi or BootCamp64.msi depending if your Win7 installation is 32 or 64 bits (yes, it works in EFI32 Macs as well. Not like SL K64 apparently).
You will be required to reboot.
Restart Windows 7 and enjoy!

PS: This is not intended to be a tutorial about the best way of installing Windows 7 in a Mac. I know a much easier solution is to burn a DVD and do the installation from it using BootCamp assistant. Still doing so one may (will?) face some of the problems described above. It’s just a description about how the Windows 7 installation can be done in the hard way, with hints about common problems installing Windows with BootCamp and the loading it into Parallels. I hope it will be useful for anyone.