Manditory OS Install Dialog

L

lmcculley

Bit poster
Hi Parallels Team,

I am using Parallels Build 3188 and I have some problems. My major issue with this build is the fact that you cannot open Parallels without being prompted to install a new OS. Even if I have a parallels image someplace else on my system. For instance, I have my parallels images on an external storage device, because my hard drive is too small. When I try to start Parallels it will prompt to install a new OS. After canceling the application will _quit_ and not allow for opening of an existing image. This is _annoying_ to say the least. On top of it all, if I double click the .pvs or .sav Parallels will still prompt to install a new OS. I must actually "create" a new install instance and after creating it I am able to go to File>Open and open the existing image. Can the prompt for install, at the very least, contain a "Open Existing Parallels Image File"? Or, something to the like. I'd like it if the software didn't force me to install a new OS every time I have to reboot or disconnect my external hard drive. Thanks much!

Regards,
-Lance
 
lmcculley said:
Hi Parallels Team,

I am using Parallels Build 3188 and I have some problems. My major issue with this build is the fact that you cannot open Parallels without being prompted to install a new OS. Even if I have a parallels image someplace else on my system. For instance, I have my parallels images on an external storage device, because my hard drive is too small. When I try to start Parallels it will prompt to install a new OS. After canceling the application will _quit_ and not allow for opening of an existing image. This is _annoying_ to say the least. On top of it all, if I double click the .pvs or .sav Parallels will still prompt to install a new OS. I must actually "create" a new install instance and after creating it I am able to go to File>Open and open the existing image. Can the prompt for install, at the very least, contain a "Open Existing Parallels Image File"? Or, something to the like. I'd like it if the software didn't force me to install a new OS every time I have to reboot or disconnect my external hard drive. Thanks much!

Regards,
-Lance
Click to expand...

It's not Parallels.
Many users run from external drives, including myself.
If anything - it's cockpit problems!

ajm
 
nycruza said:
It's not Parallels.
Many users run from external drives, including myself.
If anything - it's cockpit problems!

ajm
Click to expand...

Can you provide any evidence that it is _not_ Parallels? Other than "I don't have problems, it must not be Parallels". This is not, in the least, helpful. Please don't respond if you're just going to say it's an I.D. 10 T. Error.

If you do _not_ have a virtual machine installed (or Parallels doesn't know of one) and you try to open Parallels, there is _no_ dialog that will allow you to open an existing virtual machine.

I'm not having problems running the machine on an external hard drive. Once the machine opens -- this is after having to 'create' a new virtual machine, _then_ from the edit VM window opening an existing VM -- the VM functions just fine. The frustration I have is that I am _forced_ to recreate a VM if Parallels doesn't see one in the preferences.

Hopefully, you will read my entire post instead of jumping to a conclusion that it is a user error.

Respectfully,
Lance
 
lmcculley said:
Hi Parallels Team,

I am using Parallels Build 3188 and I have some problems. My major issue with this build is the fact that you cannot open Parallels without being prompted to install a new OS. Even if I have a parallels image someplace else on my system. For instance, I have my parallels images on an external storage device, because my hard drive is too small. When I try to start Parallels it will prompt to install a new OS. After canceling the application will _quit_ and not allow for opening of an existing image. This is _annoying_ to say the least. On top of it all, if I double click the .pvs or .sav Parallels will still prompt to install a new OS. I must actually "create" a new install instance and after creating it I am able to go to File>Open and open the existing image. Can the prompt for install, at the very least, contain a "Open Existing Parallels Image File"? Or, something to the like. I'd like it if the software didn't force me to install a new OS every time I have to reboot or disconnect my external hard drive. Thanks much!

Regards,
-Lance
Click to expand...

Hi, Lance

I am just a user. Some Parallels team members do seem to monitor this forum, and once in a while they reply, but 99% of the replies are from other ordinary users. So don't take any of it as official.

With build 1970, Parallels had no problem remembering where my virtual machines were. Starting with the betas for the current release, it lost that ability. So there is a bug in Parallels, but it does not affect many people.

I think my primary problem was that I had renamed my Documents folder, and set up an alias to it called Documents, when I was trying to work around some problems in a particular release of the Retrospect backup program. After I got rid of the alias and renamed my folder to Documents, Parallels was able to find the PVS folders that it had in fact already created under Parallels in my library folder.

There is an old thread about issues similar to this, where someone posted a recipe for creating a missing folder and configuration file if Parallels had failed to do so. I did that too, and it may have been part of what solved this for me.

If renaming Documents is not your problem, and you don't want the bother of the fix in that old thread (sorry, I did not keep a link) there is an easy work-around. Search for all .pvs files with Spotlight, and just double click on the file for the VM you want to start.
 
Ok, it's like you guys don't read or something. The problem is not with _running_ the virtual machine. The problem is with Parallels not having an option to open an existing virtual machine. This is when Parallels is first installed or if you do not have a preferences file. If you keep your virtual machines in a different location than the default Parallels folder in your ~/Library then it will not find them and _insists_ that you install a new virtual machine _before_ you're able to open an existing vm.

I tried double clicking the pvs and it _still_ prompted me to install a new VM. The only work around that I was able to find was to recreate a VM (without creating a hdd image) and then use File-->Open to open the pvs.

I am able to run my VMs fine. I am able to open my pvs' fine. This is an annoyance post to the developers of Parallels. Give me a freaggin' option to open an existing VM without prompting me to install a VM!
 
Eru Ithildur said:
wtf? Have you tried re-installing? That issue is absurd and we have never had it here.
Click to expand...

How is asking for an option to open an existing virtual machine absurd? It is very reasonable to ask for an option to open an existing vm.
Just because you have never heard of it doesn't mean it does not exist. I am reporting it. And are you seriously telling me that reinstalling Parallels is going to magically make an option to open an existing VM appear?

I am requesting that an option be added to Parallels which will allow for opening an existing VM via the init wizard. Is that _seriously_ too much to ask? Is that unreasonable?
 
Al_Q said:
I think my primary problem was that I had renamed my Documents folder, and set up an alias to it called Documents, when I was trying to work around some problems in a particular release of the Retrospect backup program. After I got rid of the alias and renamed my folder to Documents, Parallels was able to find the PVS folders that it had in fact already created under Parallels in my library folder.

There is an old thread about issues similar to this, where someone posted a recipe for creating a missing folder and configuration file if Parallels had failed to do so. I did that too, and it may have been part of what solved this for me.
Click to expand...

I had a similar problem a while ago. In my case, I had made "Documents" an alias to a partition on which all of my documents are stored. This caused a problem, since the ".parallels-vm-directory" folder that is supposed to be in the ~/Documents folder was not created on the partition when Parallels.app was installed because the installer expected an actual folder rather than an alias. In order to fix it, I had to replace the alias to my documents partition with a symbolic link. An alias and a symbolic link look identical (in a "Get Info" dialog, both have the same icon and both are identified by type as "Alias"), but they behave quite differently. Following the process that I outlined eliminated the problem immediately.

Since something similar appears to have been the case with you, you can create a symbolic link easily. First, rename the ~/Documents folder to the way you had it. Then open Terminal and type

cd ~
ln -s /Volumes/FolderName Documents

where FolderName is the name of your renamed documents folder. This will make the "Documents" reference behave as though it were an actual folder. Parallels will then be able to find the invisible .parallels-vm-directory folder containing the pvs file(s) without problems.
 
Last edited:
lmcculley said:
How is asking for an option to open an existing virtual machine absurd? It is very reasonable to ask for an option to open an existing vm.
Just because you have never heard of it doesn't mean it does not exist. I am reporting it. And are you seriously telling me that reinstalling Parallels is going to magically make an option to open an existing VM appear?

I am requesting that an option be added to Parallels which will allow for opening an existing VM via the init wizard. Is that _seriously_ too much to ask? Is that unreasonable?
Click to expand...
I was actually referring to the Parallels issue of constantly asking you to make a new VM, and not your gripe with Parallels.
 
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