Can't Find .hdd file

T

TobyT

Hunter
As a result of a badly bungled Parallels 4 installation (upgraded to 5) dating from a year ago, I'd been advised to create a new vm (done; with brand new copy of Windows XP) and then paste the .hdd file from my most recent installation. I have three virtual machines, two of which have serious problems that we've determined are unresolvable. But, the .hdd file in my most recent Windows XP guest vm was said to be okay by Parallels tech support. I'm now running Parallels 6. Parallels Tech Support was supposed to help me with this vital step, but closed my ticket DESPITE a written promise not to do so until I'd completed the new installation on or before Nov 30. I've been waiting all day to try to get help after copying tech support with this email promise. No help has been forthcoming.

What I absolutely CANNOT find is the relevant .hdd file. I can navigate to the PVM file, but no .hdd files are shown in Finder. On the Configuration menu of the new XP Guest installation, my choices are either the one created when I installed the new XP vm today OR two .hdd files which relate to the oldest vm on my system - not acceptable. I've spent hours trying to find the right .hdd file with no success. I've used get info, show package contents, and show view options on each of the three virtual machines on my iMac.

I don't know if the issue is Finder, but absolutely NO .hdd files are shown with any of their virtual machines in Finder. Even the brand new one. Given that I can't use the configuration settings, I really have to be able to find these files.

Can anyone help?
TobyT
 
I'm sorry but I have no idea what you mean by running in terminal. What is terminal? I did open Finder and place the phrase in the search field, but nothing was found.

I've checked Parallels Help for "terminal," but nothing was found.

Thanks for responding, but please explain.
TobyT
 
Terminal is standard Mac OS X app used to work with Unix shell.
You could find it in /Applications/Utilities/Terminal.app
 
Thank you for responding. When I went to Applications/Utilities/Terminal and input your phrase, I got this alarming message back: "WARNING: Improper use of the sudo command could lead to data loss
or the deletion of important system files. Please double-check your
typing when using sudo. Type "man sudo" for more information."

I am unwilling to run the risk of losing any system files, so I'll pass on doing this.

Parallels support has completely failed me. Despite receiving promises of support until the end of November on my problem via numerous emails (all of which I've copied to Parallels Secondline Support), I'm told the ticket is closed and no help is forthcoming. As a result I'm preparing to reinstall my entire old system manually. I can't wait on non-existent support any longer. Nor am I willing start all over again with a new ticket, jump through all the hoops, waiting interminable periods of time on responses, finally get a remote session scheduled, struggle through that, etc.. I've used both free and paid support in the past; free, I'd thought, had been superior in that finally it was determined the problem could absolutely NOT be fixed without a new Windows installation.

My problem was so serious, as well as unique, that I spent weeks off and on with Secondline Support after waiting weeks to get that level of support. I am NOT going to go through all that process again. Why was the problem so serious? I bungled the initial installation a year ago (P 4 manual was unclear on one step). Parallels paid support (an Indian tech) evidently made the problem much worse earlier in Feb of this year. I'm not inexperienced and have two successful Parallels installations to my credit; but, the dud was on my main desktop. So, it's got to be fixed and I've allocated Nov 24-27 to get things fixed prior to another research trip.

Thanks for trying, but I've given up on getting relevant help.
TobyT
 
I got a phone call from secondline support just now and a remote session is scheduled for today. So, I've revising my negative report above. Don't know if it was the email (with 3 copied verification emails) or this post. Whatever, I'm going to get some help in a tricky matter.
TobyT
 
I had a remote session just now with Ilya who was helpful, but the end result is that my problem cannot be remedied the way I'd hoped. I can't paste the old .hdd file into the new vm after all. It took some complicated checking, but the upshot is that when you truly have a bungled installation you really do have to start completely over. I have a new vm with a clean, working copy of Windows so I will have to partition the vm's drive (using Disk Director), re-load all my programs, data and images. I have all this in backup or original disks, but dread doing it. I'd hoped for an easy solution; but, when Windows is involved there never is an easy solution. Something was so terribly wrong with the Windows installation on the old .hdd that pasting the old .hdd over the new one would be insane.

Moral: be very, very careful on your original transport of a Windows PC into an Apple. Especially, if your motherboard is failing!
TobyT
 
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