Before I start - total amateur

M

McDuff

Junior Member
I'm a total amateur in regards to virtual machines - not sure i understand it, but I'm ready to give it a try. I've read through the manual for Parallels (just received my MacBook Pro yesterday and it's charged and ready to go). I plan to use OS X for most things (I've got a mac mini and have multiple other older macs, but also have an HP windows machine) but I'm a radiologist and must use a windows based machine and Internet Explorer in order to do teleradiology via Fuji's product Synapse - something to do with active-x. Currently I have Synapse loaded onto my PC desktop and have to connect to the hospital server via IE, then open Synapse to see images.

I currently have my macs and several other computers connect to the internet wirelessly from either Comcast or DSL modem via a Linksys wireless G router. My PC is connected directly via an ethernet cable as there is no wireless card in that machine. Do I need to have the windows VM connect directly to the internet for this or does the mac connection do the job? Do I choose shared networking or bridged ethernet? I apparently don't understand the implications of choosing one or the other.

Can anyone help? Thanks
 
Is ActiveX the same as DirectX?

I access the hospital server through IE, then Synapse is run off the desktop. I've been told that I should be able to use Apple's Osirix workstation once I've accessed the server - just query for individual studies.
 
McDuff said:
Is ActiveX the same as DirectX?

I access the hospital server through IE, then Synapse is run off the desktop. I've been told that I should be able to use Apple's Osirix workstation once I've accessed the server - just query for individual studies.
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try and ask one question at a time

keep your vm small
and use the default / recommended values unless you have a good reason to change them

think of your computer as a cake in layers

Parallels is a layer on top of Mac OS

WinXP sp2 sits in a macintosh window provided by parallels

above that

any win xp app is the icing on the cake

do study all the Parallels Menus
use the help files and ask here if stuck

learn about
mac menu >> Parallels Desktop >> Devices >> shared folders >> add . . . .

I just add the mac desktop and all mounted HD one by one

virtual networking made easy

Hugh W
 
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McDuff said:
Is ActiveX the same as DirectX?
Click to expand...
Sorry about that. I went off on my own little tangent there. They are different things.

ActiveX is supported and should work fine for you.
.
 
Thanks for the help. I'm going to try to install parallels today.

One more item, though. I've been told to use parallels and that I could use bootcamp as a backup. Do I have to install bootcamp first? Do I need to partition the macbook?
 
McDuff,

The bootcamp installer will partition for you. Bootcamp requires you to boot OUT OF MacOS and into Windows directly.

I had Bootcamp installed but Parallels has been so good I removed the bootcamp partition to regain that wasted space.

The other posts are good:

Keep your VM disk small and allocate ONLY the amount of memory you think you need plus some overhead. I hope your MBP has at least 1G of RAM. 2gb is much better. RAM is your friend.

Once you get Parallels installed and you have a freshly installed copy of WinXP shutdown XP and Parallels. Locate your WinXP VM files, they have sort of moved around from Parallels releases. Mine reside in Library/Parallels. Back up the entire folder that contains your .hdd and .pvs files.

This will allow you to start over again with a fresh copy of WinXP if something goes wrong.

This is the thing I love about the file based VMs... Back up before you do any kind of software install either in Mac or in WinXP. I save them off by dates with comments about any issues. I even have a fresh XP so I can go back and completely start over if I want.

Once your XP is registered you can move it from machine to machine and it will remain activated as far as MS is concerned. I bought two copies of Parallels. One for my MacMini, one for my MBP. I can move my XP VM back and forth and it works great.

But again the key is to move slowly. Before big critical steps in either OS make sure you have a good working backup of your VM.

The size you make your VM has to be a good guess at what you will need. I made mine 20gb. It's big enough for all of my development stuff but still easy to copy. There is a thread on how to make your VM bigger and I successfully did it once but have read that others have had troubles so it is best to make it a little bigger now rather than rely on being able to extend it.

On memory allocation, I set 512mb. That seems to run everything in windows I need. You'll have to see what your active-X program will require. I use a bunch of active-x tools from barcode libraries to motor control libraries all of which are active-x with no problems.

The other thing I've had GREAT success with is the suspend resume feature of Parallels. These days I rarely "reboot" my VM. I typically suspend it then shutdown or suspend Mac OS. Then the next day I simply resume the VM. It has been working perfectly. It takes far less time to suspend/resume than it does for XP to boot.

If you do this, beware that Parallels when resuming the VM will paint the windows XP screen and menus but they will not be active for another 20 seconds or so while Parallels is reloading everything. It can be deceiving... you think you can go but nothing is working. Just wait a minute and it will be fine.

Good luck and feel free to ask questions. Most of us here learned by doing and that is the best way.

M
 
Oh ya... forgot to mention networks...

Parallels offers shared and bridged and host only.

Shared will probably be the one you will want because many companies or if you happen to try and get online at starbucks or something will ONLY offer you one DHCP address.

With shared your MacOS will get the DHCP address from the connection and Parallels will allow your WinXP install to "ride along" and use the network connection as if it was part of MacOS.

This has a catch... Let's say your Mac gets an IP of 135.0.16.2 from the DHCP server and we have no idea what your diagnostic software needs. Under shared networking your WinXP install will get something in the 10.x.x.x range. So subnet searches from WinXP will fail. IE trying to find a machine by doing a network broadcast will fail. A direct connection to something like 135.0.16.225 will work fine. But if your program tries to to a broadcast to "find" the other machine it will fail under shared because technically your WinXP is on a completely different subnet. This can also cause problems with some chats, printer locations, shared drive browsing etc.

If you go bridged then in effect your computer has two OSs running and BOTH with get their OWN address. So for example: MacOS might get 135.0.16.2 and WinXP might get 135.0.16.15. As long as your company allows this you'll be fine. This will allow WinXP to think it is really on the same LAN and most functions will work perfectly.

This mode will not work however at a starbucks or other pay as you go type of wireless connect UNLESS you are will into purchase TWO accounts!

M
 
Thanks for all the tips. The quick response is great.

I installed parallels and xp with the express install. When I opened Windows and IE I got right on the internet, navigated to the hospital website and signed in with no problems, other than having to adjust the pop-up blocker settings.

I was unable to download the Synapse code, however, so will have to do some more work on that problem. The express install had networking defaulted to bridged ethernet. Do you think that I have to have shared network to get that code download? Is it easy enough to simply change that setting depending on the situation (i.e. the wireless I can pick up downtown at the train station, home, Panera...)? (remember, I'm a total amateur - I know how to use the few programs I use and read as much as I can when I run into problems, but don't know the nuances).

MarkHolbrook, is there a benefit to backing up the fresh install when I have the disks for both programs? Does it reload easier/quicker/better? Would I just save that backup on an external drive (I have several), then reimport when needed? Does it avoid the activation code process?

Do any of you have any experience working with Photoshop Elements or Quicken via parallels? Those are the applications, other than Synapse, that I use fairly intensively on my current windows box. Am I likely to need to increase the size of the VM for that? Should this question go on another forum?

Sorry, I know someone said I should ask only one question at a time, but I might overload the forum servers doing it that way... Please feel free to answer only what you want.:o

Thanks, again, for all the help.
 
McDuff said:
I was unable to download the Synapse code, however, so will have to do some more work on that problem. The express install had networking defaulted to bridged ethernet. Do you think that I have to have shared network to get that code download?
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Shared networking is unlikely to help. What did you try to download the code, and what was the result?

is there a benefit to backing up the fresh install when I have the disks for both programs? Does it reload easier/quicker/better? Would I just save that backup on an external drive (I have several), then reimport when needed? Does it avoid the activation code process?
Click to expand...

My backup philosophy is to back up whenever I've done enough work that I don't want to have to do it again. You can just copy the whole VM directory to an external disk using the Finder. Copying it back is faster than reinstalling, and activation is maintained just like any other full backup.

Do any of you have any experience working with Photoshop Elements or Quicken via parallels?
Click to expand...

I use Photoshop (not elements) with Parallels and it works fine. Haven't tried Quicken but I recall some reports that it works fine.

Am I likely to need to increase the size of the VM for that?
Click to expand...

The VM disk needs to be big enough to hold your files, so increase it if necessary if you run out of space. the easiest way to increase it is to create another virtual disk and add it to your VM.

Should this question go on another forum?
Click to expand...

Probably, but as long as you're here with it, you might as well stay.

Sorry, I know someone said I should ask only one question at a time, but I might overload the forum servers doing it that way... Please feel free to answer only what you want.:o
Click to expand...

You won't overload anything by posting several times, but asking several questions in one post is fine. That one individual may not choose to answer you, but the rest of us don't care.
 
JoeM - thanks for responses.

When trying to download Synapse code get a "page cannot be displayed" message. I'll try it again when I get home in case the server was cranky. I figured the networking setting shouldn't really matter since I got signed onto the server without problem, only when downloading was there an issue.

Again, thanks for the help. I'm always grateful when people take the time to aid the newcomers.
 
McDuff,

If you are having any troubles with downloading your Synapse program then I highly doubt it is Parallels giving you the trouble. Once installed, and networking is alive Windows XP has NO IDEA it is running in a VM situation.

I've done WebEx conferences which install a conference manager when it starts and it runs just fine.

So far, unless the program requires USB or some piece of hardware like an express card, I've found it will work perfectly in Parallels. USB is still problematic and some people report success, others have issues. But if the program does not require that kind of stuff it will run.

I also run Solidworks. This is a 3D CAD design program that puts a HUGE load on the processor and graphics systems. I wouldn't say Solidworks runs anywhere near as well as it does on a native machine but it does work and it performs well enough for me to do my job.

Mark
 
I figured it was probably not a parallels problem when I could get to the server. I'm contacting our IT department to see if they can help. It's probably some simple setting on IE that I've forgotten needed fixing.

Thanks to everyone for the help.

Mark, you talked about USB printing. I haven't gotten that far yet. I currently have quite a few peripherals attached to various computers which I hope to consolidate. One printer (HP laserjet 1200) is currently on a print server to which I connect wirelessly from all the comptuers in the house. I'm assuming I just need to set up that connection through XP. As to the USB printers/all-in-one, I'll search the forum for help on those if they won't work. I'm hoping that the all-in-one, which includes fax, will work from this computer.

Again, thanks.
 
McDuff said:
I figured it was probably not a parallels problem when I could get to the server. I'm contacting our IT department to see if they can help. It's probably some simple setting on IE that I've forgotten needed fixing.

Thanks to everyone for the help.

Mark, you talked about USB printing. I haven't gotten that far yet. I currently have quite a few peripherals attached to various computers which I hope to consolidate. One printer (HP laserjet 1200) is currently on a print server to which I connect wirelessly from all the comptuers in the house. I'm assuming I just need to set up that connection through XP. As to the USB printers/all-in-one, I'll search the forum for help on those if they won't work. I'm hoping that the all-in-one, which includes fax, will work from this computer.

Again, thanks.
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McDuff,

USB printing could be sketchy. It totally depends but is worth a try. Again I would do as Joem suggested. Before installing ANY drivers, backup your VM and keep that clean copy handy. Then install your USB printer drivers and hope for the best.

In my experience the BEST printing I've had from XP under Parallels is to make use of Bonjour and do network printing. Some printers by default show up as bonjour printers. But if you download the windows Bonjour utility and install it in XP under Parallels then finding network printers is MUCH MUCH easier.

So if there is anyway you can put those devices on a machine on the LAN and serve them that way you will be much better off. But again you may be ok with your USB printer driver. It is worth a try.

M
 
I just found out via my work based computer guru that I have a very old version of parallels (even though purchased new in November). I will download the updates and try again. Maybe it will be miraculous!
 
OK, downloaded and installed updated parallels and voila! the usb external hard drive is appropriately displayed and accessed. I was also able to print to the laserjet which is on a wireless printserver. I still haven't tried to connect the all-in-one or any other usb printer and my attempt to download synapse is still no-go. I'll take the MBP in to work tomorrow and see if the IT guys can figure out what setting needs to be changed - can't imagine it's anything but a setting, since internet access is just fine.

My next step is to study bonjour and try that when I've determined whether usb printing will work.

You guys have been great. I'll be back if I run into more snags. Thanks
 
OK, the download problem was, as suspected, something simple but I'll post it in case anyone else having the problem missed the same step I did.

Had to disable the Windows firewall.

That done, everything going smoothly.

Thanks, again, all.
 
McDuff,

I am running Fuji Synapse on a Parallels XP VM on a Power Mac and I've had absolutely no problems on install, it installed exactly the same as on my Windows PC. So I suspect your problem is not really a Fuji issue but some configuration problem in your XP VM.

The active X controls installed without problems.

I'm running build 3188 of Parallels Desktop, FWIW
 
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