Parallel Tools for Boot Camp - can't boot in Windows XP

S

sowrider

Bit poster
Today when I start up my computer in Windows the machine freezes at the point where it prompts

Please select the operating system to start:
Microsoft Windows XP Home Edition
Parallels Configuration

The cursor keys, the ENTER key and the F8 key are all frozen. The only thing I have been able to do is power off and restart in Mac OS X.

I installed Apple's Boot Camp and have had Windows XP working for a few weeks without a problem. Yesterday I started to setup Parallels by first installing Parallel Tools for Boot Camp in Windows XP. It seemed to have no ill effects yesterday. I rebooted a number of times without any problem - always selecting the MS Windows XP Home Edition as the operating system. I have not installed Parallels 3036 (downloaded) yet as I did not have my Windows XP disc with me yesterday.

I don't have the confidence now to continue with the Parallels install and I need access to my Windows data.

Please help. Thank you.

MacBook Pro 2.2, 2.33 GHz, 2 GB, Mac OS X 10.4.8
 
Problem gone but not solved

When trouble starts and there appears to be nothing logical to try then try some things that have no logic to them. I powered up my system while tapping the F1 key and there appeared a 2" monochrome earth image in the center that flashed slowly. No other keys responded so I powered off. I powered on again while tapping the F10 key this time and like magic the system worked properly. I have no idea why this worked but it allows me to get my data off before shutting down.

I am happy for now.... :)
 
Sowrider, I am having exactly the same problem. I tried beta 3036 yesterday with no problems (and immediately registered and paid for it when I saw how cool it was!).

Boot Camp partition working fantastic within parallels but I tried to boot from the Windows partition today just like you and indeed all keys frozen.

I will try your F1 and F10 thing!

Parallels team - you have done a fantastic job on this software, but please look into fixing whatever this problem is!

My HW is MacBook Pro 2.33GHz Core2Duo, 2GB RAM, 160 GB HDD
 
You guys are lucky. After installing the parallels tools for bootcamp i couldn't boot windows in Bootcamp or select it in parallels (bootcamp partition greyed out). I had to boot knoppix and copy over boot.bak to boot.ini. This fixed the problem with booting into bootcamp xp, still can't boot the partition in Parallels. My bootcamp partition was setup using bootcamp several months ago and has not been modified by partition editing software or the like.

So far, I'm not too happy with this parallels build. Not only did I have the problem mentioned above buy my parallels xp disk ended up trashed to the point of no recovery. So, I was without XP at all until I fixed the bootcamp problem. I still don't have a working Xp in Parallels.

If I were a long time Mac user I probably wouldn't care but I've used windows forever and am most comfortable with it in times of panic at work.
 
Possible workaround for freeze problem (3036)

Found a workaround for the freeze problem when booting XP with BootCamp. If you set a timeout for the boot.ini and for the hardware profile, XP will boot automatically, and the keyboard will work again when XP is done booting.
 
Are you guys using a MacBook? Cause I am too, and I have the same problem, except, it's not actually frozen. The keyboard just doesn't work till you get into windows. Plugging in an external keyboard will work.

I will also try the solution mentioned in the previous post.
 
I'm using a 20" iMac. It's got the same problem.
I supose I could try plugging and un plugging the keyboard.
 
hprimdahl said:
Found a workaround for the freeze problem when booting XP with BootCamp. If you set a timeout for the boot.ini and for the hardware profile, XP will boot automatically, and the keyboard will work again when XP is done booting.
Click to expand...


How do you do this?
 
timeout workaround in boot.ini and hardware profile

First I wanted to say that I have run into this problem as well with a MacBook Pro 15.4" Core 2 Duo, and I hope it is fixed before this is released non-beta!

5150Joker said:
How do you do this?
Click to expand...

Start Windows as a virtual machine using Parallels. Two things to do once Windows boots.

First, edit the C:\boot.ini file using notepad or the like. One of the lines will be "timeout=-1". Change this to "timeout=X", where X is the number of seconds you want to use for the timeout. This should be slow enough that you have a chance to select 'Parallels configuration' when booting inside Parallels, but fast enough that you don't mind waiting for it when dual-booting via Boot Camp. I use "timeout=10". This gets you past the first menu.

Second, go to the System Properties - right click on "My Computer" and select Properties, or open the System icon in the Control Panel. Select the Hardware tab and click on the Hardware Profiles button. At the bottom, change the radio to "Select the first profile listed if I don't select a profile in X seconds", and modify the timeout to your liking. Same as above - slow enough that you have a chance to select 'Parallels configuration' when booting inside Parallels, but fast enough that you don't mind waiting for it when dual-booting via Boot Camp. Click OK a few times to close all the windows. This gets you past the second menu.

That should do it!

cheers,
-andy
 
andyberkheimer said:
First I wanted to say that I have run into this problem as well with a MacBook Pro 15.4" Core 2 Duo, and I hope it is fixed before this is released non-beta!



Start Windows as a virtual machine using Parallels. Two things to do once Windows boots.

First, edit the C:\boot.ini file using notepad or the like. One of the lines will be "timeout=-1". Change this to "timeout=X", where X is the number of seconds you want to use for the timeout. This should be slow enough that you have a chance to select 'Parallels configuration' when booting inside Parallels, but fast enough that you don't mind waiting for it when dual-booting via Boot Camp. I use "timeout=10". This gets you past the first menu.

Second, go to the System Properties - right click on "My Computer" and select Properties, or open the System icon in the Control Panel. Select the Hardware tab and click on the Hardware Profiles button. At the bottom, change the radio to "Select the first profile listed if I don't select a profile in X seconds", and modify the timeout to your liking. Same as above - slow enough that you have a chance to select 'Parallels configuration' when booting inside Parallels, but fast enough that you don't mind waiting for it when dual-booting via Boot Camp. Click OK a few times to close all the windows. This gets you past the second menu.

That should do it!

cheers,
-andy
Click to expand...


Thanks for the detailed explanation! I did just that and it worked but now I have a new problem, when XP boots my keyboard and mouse do not work at all nor is the video card detected. Essentially I have to shut down the laptop since XP is unusable and it doesnt even detect external USB devices like a kb/mouse. Any ideas of what might be wrong? Also could you post your boot.ini so I could take a look at it? Thanks.
 
Hi, I've the same problem on a new MacBook Core 2 Duo. When I startup with Boot Camp I can't select one of the two options that are listed....return and F8 buttons doesn't work.

What's the solution?

If I connect an external keyboard and startup with Win XP, can I uninstall the Parallels Tools for Boot Camp and make my XP works with Boot Camp? Anyone have tried this?


Thanks
 
Last edited:
5150Joker said:
Thanks for the detailed explanation! I did just that and it worked but now I have a new problem, when XP boots my keyboard and mouse do not work at all nor is the video card detected. Essentially I have to shut down the laptop since XP is unusable and it doesnt even detect external USB devices like a kb/mouse. Any ideas of what might be wrong? Also could you post your boot.ini so I could take a look at it? Thanks.
Click to expand...

No ideas about that problem, I haven't run into it.

Here's my boot.ini for you. This was automatically generated by the parallels tools for boot camp, the only change I made was the value for timeout.

Code: 
[boot loader]
timeout=10
default=multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(3)\WINDOWS
[operating systems]
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(3)\WINDOWS="Microsoft Windows XP Professional" /noexecute=optin /fastdetect /kernel=ntkopvs_.exe /hal=halopvs_.dll  
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS="Parallels configuration" /noexecute=optin /fastdetect /kernel=ntkppvs_.exe /hal=halppvs_.dll
 
andyberkheimer said:
First I wanted to say that I have run into this problem as well with a MacBook Pro 15.4" Core 2 Duo, and I hope it is fixed before this is released non-beta!



Start Windows as a virtual machine using Parallels. Two things to do once Windows boots.

First, edit the C:\boot.ini file using notepad or the like. One of the lines will be "timeout=-1". Change this to "timeout=X", where X is the number of seconds you want to use for the timeout. This should be slow enough that you have a chance to select 'Parallels configuration' when booting inside Parallels, but fast enough that you don't mind waiting for it when dual-booting via Boot Camp. I use "timeout=10". This gets you past the first menu.

Second, go to the System Properties - right click on "My Computer" and select Properties, or open the System icon in the Control Panel. Select the Hardware tab and click on the Hardware Profiles button. At the bottom, change the radio to "Select the first profile listed if I don't select a profile in X seconds", and modify the timeout to your liking. Same as above - slow enough that you have a chance to select 'Parallels configuration' when booting inside Parallels, but fast enough that you don't mind waiting for it when dual-booting via Boot Camp. Click OK a few times to close all the windows. This gets you past the second menu.

That should do it!

cheers,
-andy
Click to expand...


Great!!! Worked for me and Boot Camp works perfectly now!

Thanks
 
Worked for me too. I didn't have any issue like 5150Joker, kb and mouse work fine. Does the parallels guys not have some kind of bug report section besides leaving it to chance that they read this thread?
 
usb keyboard

the solution above works.

it seems to be a notebook-related problem, with a usb keyboard on the mbp the input is not frozen.
 
In addition to changing the boot.ini, what seems to work for me is using the *keyboard* to select which OS to boot with (Mac or Windows) instead of the mouse. Then, after selecting Windows, I can use the keyboard to select the profile. This is only based on a couple of tests, though, so I can't say that it always works.
 
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