Fundamental Parallel Desktop Questions for a Corporate Environment

[Peter Loew]

Hi All,

I have recently been using Parallels Desktop build 3214 locally and so far so good.

I am about to move into a Windows network based corporate environment with my MBP, and would rather not use Boot Camp.

I have just a few fundamental questions I can't find proper answers for, that I hope you guys can help with:

1) Is it possible to use my XP Professional virtual machine on a Windows domain in an office environment? This means logging into a domain via XP on the VM, having full access to network printers, network drives, exchange server via Outlook, etc. This is the most important question for me.

2) When I load up the VM, XP logs in automatically to a local admin account and I can't seem to disable this to present a normal XP login screen. In an office environment I need to have the login screen appear when I boot up the VM. How do I do this?

3) Is anyone using Parallels Desktop in an office space as described above and have you had any issues connecting to printers, logging into the domain and network drives, etc.?

4) Is any extra software needed by either myself or my office admins to enable me to use my VM fully with the Windows corporate network?

I appreciate your answers! Parallels is great and if I can use it in a corporate environment with no catches or hitches, I am going to recommend it to my friends and family.

P

 

[DerekS]

1) Is it possible to use my XP Professional virtual machine on a Windows domain in an office environment? This means logging into a domain via XP on the VM, having full access to network printers, network drives, exchange server via Outlook, etc. This is the most important question for me.

Absolutely. It is, for all practical purposes, a Windows machine on the network.

2) When I load up the VM, XP logs in automatically to a local admin account and I can't seem to disable this to present a normal XP login screen. In an office environment I need to have the login screen appear when I boot up the VM. How do I do this?

This is actually a Windows XP thing not a Parallels thing. You can fix this:

click Start, then Run to get to the 'Run' box), then in the run box execute this command:
control userpasswords2
You will see a check box labelled 'Users must enter a user name and password to use this computer'.

3) Is anyone using Parallels Desktop in an office space as described above and have you had any issues connecting to printers, logging into the domain and network drives, etc.?

I've done it, no problems.

4) Is any extra software needed by either myself or my office admins to enable me to use my VM fully with the Windows corporate network?

No.

 

[Peter Loew]

DerekS,

Thanks you for your reply, it is much appreciated. Excellent. I am going to move my MBP into the office spaces I work in and see how it goes.

Thanks as well for the XP login thing, the solution worked great.

P