Multi-Accounts / Correct Permissions / Owners / Folders for this?

[orbison]

I hope I can get some help on this issue. I'll try to be as thorough as possible for you. I've done searches on this board for this, but haven't really found an answer that really spells it all out for me. Believe me, I need it spelled out!

I have a Mac with 2 user accounts. I've got Parallels and Windows XP successfully installed on my Admin account. My Windows XP has 2 user accounts to (myself and my wife). I'd like for her to be able to login to Windows XP (her account) from her Mac account.

So far, no luck. Rather then telling you everything I did... I'll tell you were everything is and how the permissions are set. If someone could just tell me what changes to make in the following to achieve this:

* Account A (Me) and Account B (my wife)

Folders are situated as such (view from my account):

* Mac HD > Library > Parallels > bugreports / Help / Tools / License.txt
-- My Account is the "Owner" with Read & Write Permissions

* Mac HD > Users > Account A > Library > Parallels > WinXP > winxp.pvs / winxp.hdd
-- My Account is the "Owner" with Read & Write Permissions

* Mac HD > Users > Shared > cdrom1.iso
-- "Owner" is System and I have Read Only Permissions

So, what should I change? Thanks in advance!

 

[gch14]

Multi-Accounts

Orbison, I feel for you -- there's just no documentation on this at all. Can we get some senior members to weigh in on this in a straight-forward, non-criptic fashion so that we non-UNIX experts who just want to be able to use a product we paid a whopping $80 for can use it?

All of my user accounts are Admin users. I have installed XP and the VM in the Shared folder. It works great when I'm logged in as the user where I installed it. When I try to open that VM as ANY OTHER USER, it tells me it can't find the geometry of the HDD. When I attempted to change the permissions ( on a previous VM) it totaly destroyed the disk for ALL USERS. Had to start over.

You know, I just don't have the money to install three different installs of Win XP ($900) on three VM's. If what I'm trying to do will not work, someone just say so -- but this company should say so up front, before people buy this product, because the only advantage Parallels provides over Bootcamp, which is FREE, is that you don't have to re-boot to get to Windows. If you can't use it with all users, that advantage is negated.

 

[Mike@Parallels]

This is rather easy. Just perform the following:

1. Put your VM (.pvs and .hdd files) to some place visible to other users of Mac. I usually place them to Users->Shared.
2. Change the permissions of the .pvs and .hdd files in the following way: right-click the file, choose "Get Info…". In the window opened expand the "Ownership & Permissions" group and "Details" subgroup. Set the "Read & Write" access to "Others" (see screenshot attached).

After that you'll be able to use the VM with other users of your Mac.

Best regards,
Mike

 

[tgrogan]

Orbison, I feel for you -- there's just no documentation on this at all. Can we get some senior members to weigh in on this in a straight-forward, non-criptic fashion so that we non-UNIX experts who just want to be able to use a product we paid a whopping $80 for can use it?

You know, I just don't have the money to install three different installs of Win XP ($900) on three VM's. If what I'm trying to do will not work, someone just say so -- but this company should say so up front, before people buy this product, because the only advantage Parallels provides over Bootcamp, which is FREE, is that you don't have to re-boot to get to Windows. If you can't use it with all users, that advantage is negated.

See, your rant against Parallels was really a Mac/User problem. Looks like what you need is a 'straight-forward, non-criptic' operation manual for the Mac. You should be in the mode of humbly learning a new technology, not trying to angrily project your limited knowledge onto Parallels.

 

[JoeVerde]

I disagree. I think Parallels should include an option upon installation to install the program for one user or ALL users. It should not have to be up to the user to tweak file permissions in order to get a program running on all accounts on the computer.

 

[gch14]

This is rather easy. Just perform the following:

1. Put your VM (.pvs and .hdd files) to some place visible to other users of Mac. I usually place them to Users->Shared.
2. Change the permissions of the .pvs and .hdd files in the following way: right-click the file, choose "Get Info…". In the window opened expand the "Ownership & Permissions" group and "Details" subgroup. Set the "Read & Write" access to "Others" (see screenshot attached).

After that you'll be able to use the VM with other users of your Mac.

Best regards,
Mike

Mike:

Thanks -- that was indeed easy to do, and it worked like a charm. My mistake was that I attempted to change the owner and the group on the first VM I created. I am passing this on to others I know who have been having the same problem. Thanks again.

 

[gch14]

See, your rant against Parallels was really a Mac/User problem. Looks like what you need is a 'straight-forward, non-criptic' operation manual for the Mac. You should be in the mode of humbly learning a new technology, not trying to angrily project your limited knowledge onto Parallels.

And , BTW, I have been a computer user since 1981 and a tech for 15 years -- Atari, PC, Mac, and only just in the past couple of years, UNIX. I do not make any claims at knowing it all. We all have limited knowledge, my friend. Show me the documentation, and I will humbly learn it.