Installing Parallels after Bootcamp

Thread was moved from "General Discussions > User Solutions and Workarounds" to "Parallels Desktop for Mac > Installation and Configuration in Mac OS".
Stacey M

I just got my new Macbook and have installed bootcamp to run a windows specific application. Everything is working fine, OS X and XP. I wanted to avoid having to reboot each time to switch operating systems.

Apple Store told me to install Parallels. Parallels installation asks if I want to create a new virtual machine or choose a recently used virtual machine. Since I already have a virtual machine set up through Bootcamp I figured to use it. Parallels won't let me select it and continue with the installation. Do I first have to reformat and eliminate the bootcamp partition and start over? Install Parallels first then bootcamp? Any guidance most appreciated.

 

Boot camp isn't a virtual machine. Your Parallels VMs and bootcamp are unrelated. To use Parallels, create a new VM (make sure you make the virtual disk big enough for your needs -- an expanding disk uses only enough space for the data you actually have in it, so make it at least 16 gig -- you'll use it eventually, and expanding a too small virtual disk is complicated) and install your preferred Windows version.

People stand on their heads to try to move a bootcamp installation to a VM with limited success. Unless you're a bare metal expert, install again. If you're using XP and need to activate it, you can call MS and explain that you are reinstalling on the same machine and they will probably give you a new magic I'm-really-not-a-criminal code.

 

Thanks for your help. Will proceed with your recommendations. Is there a special phone number for MS that you can provide?

 

When you attempt to activate XP, you get a choice of Internet or phone. If internet fails because you've run out of activations, the phone number is on the screen.

It's (IMNSHO) a long and truely annoying process of typing in a bazillion digits, so I use Win2k which doesn't need it.

 

A follow-up question: How does Win2K measure up against XP as to speed, reliability, etc? I have three or four copies of Win XP but I'm ALWAYS uninstalling and reinstalling, and I ALWAYS have to call the idiot number and wade through that apalling process. If I could avoid it I probably would, esp if Win2K is about the same as XP (I never used it, went straight from 95 to XP).