Enabling FileVault - best way to move Parallels folders...

F

fwong

Member
I need to enable FileVault to secure my home directory.

But I've already setup Parallels...So within my home directory there are two 1.9GB directories under Documents/Parallels. Since FileVault encrypts the entire home directory - I suspect this will kill performance of the Parallels/VM. I know they need to be outside of my home directory.

Can I simply move these Parallels directories with Finder to a location outside of my Home Directory Path, and then open them from Parallels? Or should I create brand-new Parallels configurations from scratch. I don't want to lose any settings I currently have because Parallels has been running smoothly for me.

Thanks!
 
You can copy them outside your home dir without much fuss. Just make sure everything (the .PVS config + hard drive files/etc) stays together, the way it is now. Just in case (unlikely, but you may wind up having to edit the config to change the path to your hard drive files), shutdown (& backup) your parallels machines first.

Also, on a side note, I run my VM all day (my day job is development in MS Visual Studio, which I do solely with Parallels on my macbook) on an encrypted sparse image (same as FileVault) with no problems. There probably is a performance hit, but it's so small (at least for how I use Parallels) that it makes no difference. Don't know how it'd do on things like gaming or video editing, but you might consider just trying it with FileVault on and see if it's acceptable before moving it.
 
I would second bgt, if your type of use is of low intensity (no hard-core gaming, compiling of applications, graphics work, file sharing, DB hosting, etc. rather you use Word, Excel, E-mail, a Web Browser, Solitaireesque games, etc.) you should be fine.
 
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