Parallels Desktop and Windows Vista Service Pack 1

Activation Key - do you mean Product Key? I assume you still get asked to reactivate on a switch between Boot Camp and VM, and if so then you can use the same (single) Product Key.

Yes - it is a pain in the rumpus. Wonder if the Parallels Team will ever give us a cure for our pain.

 

Yes, I mean the Product Key. It's "Windows Activation" that complains, so I think of it is an activation key.

There is a potential cure in having Parallels emulate a dock device, which would cause Vista to create a second hardware profile.

What is even more painful is when the reactivation doesn't take and networking breaks down . . . and something goes completely wrong [about once every 2 months] and I have to completely reinstall. Or the fact that Microsoft really hates me for the amount of times I have to call and reactivate my key, yet again. Their call center hangs up on me 9 times out of 10 these days, with no explanation.

 

Uninstalled SP1

I was getting the ntoskrnl error when trying to boot up in Boot Camp since installing Vista SP1. So i just booted Vista in Parallels and uninstalled Vista SP1. Now it boots just fine in Boot Camp and Parallels. There really isn't a good reason to have SP1 at this point, so i figure i'll wait until Parallels fixes the problem before putting it back. In fact i think Vista sucks in general, but thats a different topic

 

I sympathize with you. Had similar problems and that is why I hardly ever use Boot Camp any more. Most of the time activation is done over the web, but sometimes I have to ring.

Apart from the activation issue, I have found Parallels/Vista SP1 to be very stable.

 

kevinh: I would do the same, in fact I would have it in a VM, except the law school I attend uses test taking software that is windows only (ExamSoft) and will only run under BootCamp [checks for parallels being loaded - installing Fusion is even worse because it sees the dll's even when in BootCamp and refuses to load!].

Happily, with the latest update I find Parallels/Vista SP1 to be very stable. I had a major crash with BootCamp about 40 minutes before one of my finals last week . . . which forced me to reinstall so I could use the exam software. Good think the macbook pro installs Vista fast!

Nevertheless - I was just about to give up and switch to Fusion & deal with uninstalling it every time I had to test . . . before this update came out. In fact, I had decided to make the swap the same day the update was released. I had reinstalled Windows from scratch, installed SP1, and just came to the forums to say "Goodbye & Here's why!" When the update went up! Gave it a try & it works like a charm.

 

Error Message Caused by SP1?

Is this message possibly the result of the installaton of SP1?

"Unable to lock out the configuration file /Users/jfrison/Documents/Parallels/Microsoft Windows Vista/Microsoft Windows Vista.pvs"

This is the only configuration file there. I click OK and all proceeds normally.

Julia

Parallels Desktop 3.0 Build 5582
Vista Business
MacBook Pro Core 2 Duo
10.5.2

 

There is a lock file
.Microsoft Windows Vista.pvs.lock and it is hidden

Use Terminal
cd /Users/jfrison/Documents/Parallels/Microsoft Windows Vista/
ls -la
rm .Microsoft Windows Vista.pvs.lock

 

I just want to confirm several steps.
1. Build 5600 supports Windows Vista SP1, and eliminates activation problem
2. Always install SP1, from Boot Camp
3. And as any major upgrade, make sure you did backup for Vista (Microsoft suggestions)
4. If you suspect some disk errors (for example after power off), perform chkdsk and after that install any software

 

Blue Screen /ACPI problems after moving to build 5600

So, after much anticipation, I installed Vista SP1 under boot-camp, then installed build 5600 of Parallels Desktop. All seemed to go without a hitch, until I left my machine running under Parallels Desktop, and vista when into sleep mode.

Parallels correctly told me that the os was sleeping and asked if I wanted to wake it up. I said yes, but then I ALWAYS get the blue screen with exactly the same ACPI symptoms referenced in this other thread from late last year. Is this a regression? This is not acceptable behavior as I cannot rely on Parallels as a stable option for the work I do if I constantly have to worry about losing work because Vista goes to sleep when I step away.

Any help would be greatly appreciated and welcomed.

See this thread for a complete description of what I'm seeing...

http://forum.parallels.com/showthread.php?t=18085&highlight=blue+screen+acpi

 

Build 5600 (US) is passed QA tests 2 days ago, you can download it and install

 

Hi John,
Does this somehow address my issue with build 5600? I installed 5600 yesterday afternoon, so I'm not sure if your post is relavent to my situation (e.g. are you telling me to re-install build 5600?).

Thanks!

 

Blue Screen /ACPI problems after moving to build 5600

Is there any kind of workaraound for these acpi isssues from Parallels? I'm trying to be patient, but there has been no useful information forthcoming and I have noticed that I am by no means the first Parallels Desktop user to experience these issues with ACPI under Vista. Many of the older posts state that the issue was resolved in a subsequent build (way before build 5600 was available to fix the Vista SP1 issues).

Is this really a new regression with build 5600? Is there another workaround or patch forthcoming? I know that these forums aren't monitored 24/7, but it's been more than 48hrs since my original post and there has been no useful information posted.

Although I don't like it, cross-posting to other threads where this issue is discussed or starting a new thread so this gets more attention may be the next step?

 

It does? Which activation problem? Is there another one? I assume you do not mean the "Running Bootcamp and Parallels Activation Problem" where Vista detects different hardware, decides you are on a different system, and rolls over dead when you reboot due to it not being "activated". Or is that the one fixed? If that is fixed, when am I supposed to enter my Vista Activation so that it recognizes that it is activated despite being in Bootcamp or Parallels - and thus doesn't go belly up?

Thanks for the tips!

 

Vista activation problem fixed
only once when you login either in Boot Camp or Parallels and after that reinstalled Parallels Tools

 

Vista SP1 problem

I am just writing to confirm the other posts about the problems with Vista SP 1 in Parallels /Boot Camp.

I originally installed Vista SP 1 while in Parallels and that worked fine (on the fifth try) until I started the computer in Vista via Boot Camp. Vista crashed on startup in Boot Camp, and then would not boot in Parallels either.

I then erased the Boot Camp partition and reinstalled Vista in Boot Camp and immediately ran the SP1 updater. That worked fine on the first try, and I can now run Vista in Boot Camp. However, when I try to run Vista in Parallels, it crashes part way through boot up and restarts into a DOS screen where I have to select Safe Mode (with no internet access) to boot up. I am unable to install the Parallels Tools in this mode. Nothing happens after selecting Install Parallels Tools from the Actions Menu.

I am using a Penryn MacBook Pro 2.4 Ghz with 4 GB of RAM installed. 2 GB of that is assigned to Vista.

It appears that there is some incompatibility between the Boot Camp and Parallels versions of Vista SP1. You can install SP1 while running in either Parallels or Boot Camp, but after doing so you will only be able to boot into the version you were using when you installed SP1.

I have some screenshots of Vista crashing in Parallels and the restart screen, but unfortunately I can't embed or attach them here.

Terry

 

Terry, all Service Packs and updates should be installed from Boot Camp

 

I just received my MacBook Pro last week and I loaded Parallels with no apparent problems. I then loaded Vista SP1 and have been having problems. When I attempt to start Parallels/Vista I get a pop-up that states 'The application Parallels Desktop quit unexpectedly'. I am very new to Mac (this is my first one). Hope you can help me figure out what I did wrong or what I can do right to fix it.

 

Please provide me following information:

* Parallels Desktop version and build: Parallels Desktop- -> About Parallels Desktop
* an XML file with a copy of system profile: Applications --> Utilities --> System Profiler --> File --> Savea
* Guest OS full version with SP included (if they are);
* a copy of /home/<username>/Documents/Parallels/<VM name>/<GuestVM>.pvs
* Archive of /Library/Parallels/bugreports/ (right click on folder --> Create Archive)
or ~/Library/Parallels/bugreports/

* /Library/Logs/panic.log
or ~/Library/Logs/CrashReporter/Parallels.crash.log from the Mac side;

 

The program is Parallels 3.0 (build 4128.0)
*Hardware Overview:

Model Name: MacBook Pro
Model Identifier: MacBookPro4,1
Processor Name: Intel Core 2 Duo
Processor Speed: 2.4 GHz
Number Of Processors: 1
Total Number Of Cores: 2
L2 Cache: 3 MB
Memory: 2 GB
Bus Speed: 800 MHz
Boot ROM Version: MBP41.00C1.B03
SMC Version: 1.27f1
Serial Number: *********
Sudden Motion Sensor:
State: Enabled

The Guest OS is Vista Home Basic with SP1

parallels-fault-094019.030508.272.log

2008-06-01-125215.panic:

John, I really tried to get the information you requested. I hope some of it helps. I tried to send them as a file but I'm not sure if they are a file?? Remember your dealing with a newbie here...lol.

 

What if Vista is only installed on Parallels?