Parallel 5 and file strategy

A

AkiraM

Bit poster
I am completely new to Mac (I just purchased an iMac 21.5) and to Parallel 5. Before I start using it with Windows 7 installed as a virtual machine I would like to receive some suggestions on how to organize the files that both the Mac and Windows will use and share. Here are my questions:

1) Since for the time being I will mainly use my old Windows programs and only gradually I will replace them with similar Mac applications, does it make sense to create in the Mac side an own partition only for the files or is it just better to create the same partition in the Windows side? What is the most rational approach considering data safety and ease of use?

2) Mac Snow Leopard and Parallel 5 are already installed in the host machine (iMac). Although I spent many hours on the Internet trying to find a definitive answer, I am still unsure whether I can add a new partition to the HD using Disk Utility without destroying everything (and then having to reinstall everything).

Any other suggestions would be very much appreciated indeed to make my inroad into the Mac world easier.

Thanks

Akira Mishima
 
To be more precise...

... what I would like to achieve is having a data partition to store all MAC and WIN files (and to be able to backup this partition only on an external HD drive, which is different from the one that I would dedicate to OS X backup only).

In other words, having to work on the same iMac with both the OS X (Snow Leopard) and Windows 7 I am thinking of setting up a common partition on the Mac side in view of the gradual replacement of all Win software with Mac application.

Thanks everybody for any help
 
AkiraM said:
1) Since for the time being I will mainly use my old Windows programs and only gradually I will replace them with similar Mac applications, does it make sense to create in the Mac side an own partition only for the files or is it just better to create the same partition in the Windows side? What is the most rational approach considering data safety and ease of use?
Click to expand...

The better choice is to save all your data on Mac side, because then it can be available from any VM. And you can always set your Mac folder accessible from Windows Virtual Machine using so-called Shared Folders:

PD5 Top menu -> Virtual Machine -> Configure -> Options -> Shared Folders -> [+] add folder

After that you'll find your Mac folder in Network Location in My Computer (in Windows)

AkiraM said:
2) Mac Snow Leopard and Parallel 5 are already installed in the host machine (iMac). Although I spent many hours on the Internet trying to find a definitive answer, I am still unsure whether I can add a new partition to the HD using Disk Utility without destroying everything (and then having to reinstall everything).
Click to expand...

AFAIK you can add new partition safely, at least it will not brake PD5 Virtual Machines. Then you can add this partition to Shared Folders and access it from Windows.
 
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