BootCamp-W7 now unable to start in Parallels

BootCamp Windows 7 used to run fine as a BootCamp-based VM under Parallels 5. Now the W7 only runs OK from BootCamp, while from the VM it fails at start-up, W7's Startup Repair runs and says "Your computer was unable to start".

I don't know what happened to cause this change in behavior.

I have tried many things, including Windows Repair and BootCamp repair, also uninstalling and reinstalling Parallels 5 (latest version). Is there any way to diagnose what the problem is or hopefully fix it?

 

Reverting Parallels version didn't work

I uninstalled Parallels 5.0.9379 (the latest version) and installed Parallels 5.0.9308 (the previous version). I deleted the existing VM and created a fresh one (as before, onto the BootCamp-Windows7).

Sadly no difference - Windows 7 in the BootCamp-W7-VM still fails to startup.

 

You can boot the Mac into Windows 7 ok?

Try the following commands in Terminal.app (assuming that disk0 contains the Boot Camp partition):

Code:

diskutil list
sudo gpt -r show -l disk0
sudo fdisk /dev/rdisk0

Then compare that with this command (assuming espy is your user name, Windows 7 is the name of your VM, and "WDC WD3200JD-22KLB0 (disk0)" is the name of the virtual Boot Camp hard disk:

Code:

fdisk "/Users/espy/Documents/Parallels/Windows 7.pvm/WDC WD3200JD-22KLB0 (disk0).hdd/PhysicalMbr.hds"

Check the Edit Partitions dialog in the hard disk configuration and make sure all the partitions that Windows 7 needs are selected.

 

I ran those commands - here are the results

Hi joevt, thanks for those diagnostic tips.

Yes I can boot the Mac into BootCamp WIndows 7 OK, no apparent problems.

I ran the terminal commands you suggested, my interpretations of what they mean and the results obtained from them are below. I do not have the experience to tell whether or not these results show any problem, the "Suspicious MBR at sector 0" looks odd at first, but maybe that's just Apple getting fussy about non-Apple items being present on its landscape (?).


LIST THE PHYSICAL HARD DRIVES AND THEIR PARTITIONS:
$ diskutil list
/dev/disk0
#: TYPE NAME SIZE IDENTIFIER
0: GUID_partition_scheme *500.1 GB disk0
1: EFI 209.7 MB disk0s1
2: Apple_HFS Macintosh HD 250.0 GB disk0s2
3: Microsoft Basic Data BOOTCAMP 249.7 GB disk0s3


PHYSICAL HARD DRIVE CHECK - GPT PARTITION TABLE:
$ sudo gpt -r show -l disk0
Password:
gpt show: disk0: Suspicious MBR at sector 0
start size index contents
0 1 MBR
1 1 Pri GPT header
2 32 Pri GPT table
34 6
40 409600 1 GPT part - "EFI system partition"
409640 488374272 2 GPT part - "Customer"
488783912 264152
489048064 487725056 3 GPT part - "BOOTCAMP"
976773120 15
976773135 32 Sec GPT table
976773167 1 Sec GPT header



PHYSICAL HARD DRIVE CHECK - MBR PARTITION TABLE:
$ sudo fdisk /dev/rdisk0
Disk: /dev/rdisk0 geometry: 60801/255/63 [976773168 sectors]
Signature: 0xAA55
Starting Ending
#: id cyl hd sec - cyl hd sec [ start - size]
------------------------------------------------------------------------
1: EE 1023 254 63 - 1023 254 63 [ 1 - 409639] <Unknown ID>
2: AF 1023 254 63 - 1023 254 63 [ 409640 - 488374272] HFS+
*3: 07 1023 254 63 - 1023 254 63 [ 489048064 - 487725056] HPFS/QNX/AUX
4: 00 0 0 0 - 0 0 0 [ 0 - 0] unused



VIRTUAL DRIVE CHECK - MBR PARTITION TABLE:
First, find out what the virtual hard disk is called (wow, didn't know one could do this...")
$ ls "/Users/Shared/Parallels/Windows 7.pvm"

Next, run your command:
$ fdisk "/Users/Shared/Parallels/Windows 7.pvm/ST9500420ASG (disk0).hdd/PhysicalMbr.hds"
Disk: /Users/Shared/Parallels/Windows 7.pvm/ST9500420ASG (disk0).hdd/PhysicalMbr.hds geometry: 0/4/63 [1 sectors]
Signature: 0xAA55
Starting Ending
#: id cyl hd sec - cyl hd sec [ start - size]
------------------------------------------------------------------------
1: EE 0 0 2 - 25 127 14 [ 1 - 409639] <Unknown ID>
2: AF 25 127 15 - 1023 254 63 [ 409640 - 488374272] HFS+
*3: 07 1023 254 63 - 1023 254 63 [ 489048064 - 487725056] HPFS/QNX/AUX
4: 00 0 0 0 - 0 0 0 [ 0 - 0] unused

You say "Check the Edit Partitions dialog in the hard disk configuration and make sure all the partitions that Windows 7 needs are selected." But I don't know how to do that (what's an "Edit Partitions dialog", how do I view it and what does Windows 7 need? I wish I had that kind of background knowledge.

Many thanks,
David

 

Note, when pasting text output from the Terminal, surround it with [code] and [/code] to preserve spacing.

I guess the Edit Partitions button only appears if there's more than one boot camp partition to choose from.


Verify that your VM's config.pvs contains the following:

Code:

         <Partition>
            <SystemName>/dev/disk0s3</SystemName>
         </Partition>

Your disk configuration looks ok. The problem is something else.

Are you using Parallels Desktop 5.0.9370?

Did you try W7's Startup Repair booting the Mac into Boot Camp?

Can you remove Parallels Tools while the Mac is booted into Boot Camp then try booting in Parallels?

Install EasyBCD 2.0.2 while the Mac is booted into Boot Camp, try the BCD Backup/Repair options (Reset and Re-create). Also try modifying the entry for Windows 7 (Advanced Settings) to run it in
1) Safe Mode
2) SOS/Verbose-Boot Mode

How far does booting in Parallels gets?

 

Sorry about the code format, wilco in future.

My VM's config.pvs does indeed contain the code you stated.

I have tried both Parallels 5.0.9379 (the latest version) and Parallels 5.0.9308 (the previous version). Currently I have the latter, to exclude any possibility that the upgrade might have caused it.

I did not yet try W7's Startup Repair booting the Mac into Boot Camp. I only ran it (it ran automatically) when trying to start the VM. I will have a go now at doing it from BootCamp as you suggest. I found instructions at SevenForums, it says you just boot from Windows 7 installation disc then at the System Recovery Options screen, select the Startup Repair option.

I guess I'll do some more backing-up first...

 

Working again! (Parallels Tools removal fixed it)

As you suggested, from BootCamp-W7 I deleted Parallels Tools (then allowed restart under BootCamp).

Then in Mac OS I also deleted the existing VM and created a new one (from BC). Unlike when I did this before (when I had not first removed Parallels Tools), it did a more fundamental VM re-create, taking 20 minutes or so (not just a few seconds like before) and the VM launched and restarted.

Result: it now starts up just fine.

Thanks enormously joevt for your help! And I learned a few useful things from it along the way.

David