New User Questions

After one corrupt install, I started over and all seems to be well. A couple of questions though...

1) Windows (XP) seems to always come up in the administrator account, without the need for a password, even though I've assigned one. Actually, I would like for it to come up in a second account, that is needed for log in to the company server. The administrator account usually disappears in XP, at least after another specific account is created with admin privileges. Any ides?

2) To back up my XP machine, I simply copy that folder somewhere else? It seems that is the case. Which leads to another question - can I copy that folder to a second machine without installing the OS again? How does this impact activation - I can use a different, valid number.

Thanks in advance...

 

1) That is a Windows question, not a Parallels question. You would be best off researching at MS or elsewhere on the internet for Windows help

2) I frequently copy my XP VM folder to an external drive for backup purposes. Actually whenever I make a significant change in the VM. If your normal VM gets corrupted or infected, just trash it and restore from the external drive. It is the equvalent of a clean install of Windows on a real PC. The XP VM folder is found in ~/Library/Parallels/

If you run a VM created on one Mac, on another, I think XP may recognize the hardware change and demand an activation. (Similar to installing the XP on 2 PCs using the same serial number). If the "different, valid number" you are referring to is another XP serial number, I have no idea how you would enter it in the copied VM. Not sure if the XP serial number can be entered other than during an install.

 

You can copy your VM to any system that is running Parallels or VMWare and it will run. The host does not have to be a Mac.