Problem with upgrade to 3.0

Hi

I'm having quite a lot of difficulty getting Parallels build 4128 to work. I am upgrading from build 3188.

My computer is an Intel iMac with 20" screen 2GB of RAM and OS 10.4.10.

With 4128 I launch Parallels, then attempt to run my only VM which has Windows XP Professional with Service Pack 2. After hearing the start up chime of Windows it sits there for about 10 seconds and then Parallels promptly quits.

When I initially installed the upgrade to Parallels 4128 I did have difficulties putting in the Parallels tools for Windows XP. I tried twice but I don't remember if this was a success.

I've searched this forum for similar problems but while I see experiences a bit like mine I don't see anything identical.

Thank you

Patrick

 

hi Partrick,

Did you remove the old Parallels icon from your dock? If you have not, remove it and make a new one. This icon will be directed to the new build.

kat

 

Hi dragonkat

I had removed the old Parallels icon from the dock. This is something I generally do when installing upgrades to applications.

Thank you

Patrick

 

Have you tried the fix in Parallels Knowledge Base?
kat

Problems When Installing or Running Parallels Desktop

 

Hi

I'm going to try this one tomorrow:

http://kb.parallels.com/entry/20/235/

I hadn't seen that. Thanks.

 

Hi

I've just gone through the whole process very carefully as described here:

http://kb.parallels.com/entry/20/235/

But it hasn't made any difference. Parallels 3.0 behaves exactly the same, when I start up my only VM, Window XP SP2 Parallels just quits after a few seconds.

 

Hi Patrick

Can you back out of this build to your last build? Then re in stall Parallels 3.0.

kat

PS What view are you in , if you are not in os window try that one.

 

Hi Patrick

This post may help you. I do have another question did you download from this site or from a UK site?
If I find anything else I will post it for you I know I read on one of the Beta test post that a fix will be released shortly for some of the install issues.

kat

06-20-2007, 06:52 PM #28
cmayaud
Junior Member


Join Date: Oct 2006
Location: New York
Posts: 12
SOLUTION: How to Install Parallels Tools after the 3.0 upgrade failed to

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The Situation:

You are upgrading an existing VM to 3.0

[in my case I was upgrading a Vista Enterprise Guest VM on a MacBook Pro Duo ... but that turns out to be irrelevant]

The Parallels Software on the Host Mac Grades fine and the VM appears to upgrade to the new format. You start up you upgraded VM. Yes you have problems starting it up (yes you have to reduce your memory to 1000 from 1500 and yes you have to unclick the MacOS resoltuion check box talked about elsewhere on these forums) but you finally get it to start up and the screen resolution problem is solved.

Now you try to install "Parallel Tools" from the ACTIONS menu ... it seems to run okay but nothing happens in the VM. so you try restarting a few times and still the Parallels Tools won't install ...

Welcome to the "VM Twilight Zone"

Nothing you can do now will install the Parallels tools because you now have a VM which no longer has the Drivers required to see either ISO Disk images (required for the automated install) nor can you just create a CD image of the Parallels Installer because your VM can't read CD's anymore ...

So the Problem to solve reduces to --


"How can I manually get a copy of the Parallels Installer into a VM which can't read ISO or real peripheral devices because it nolonger has the required drivers ....


THE SOLUTION

STEP 1: Create or Use another BOOTABLE VM

[In my case I've been using Parallels for awhile so I have learned to not only make frequent rotating VM backups but I also have "RESCUE VMs". A "Rescue VM" is another bootable VM in the same OS as your normal VM BUT it only has a virgin install of the OS plus you favorite disk repair utilities ... The "Rescue VM" is configured so that one of it's hard drives is the VM you want to rescue ... That way if your production VM suddenly doesn't boot or becomes corrupt, you just launch your rescue VM and often just the process of launching the rescue VM will repair the attached Corrupt VM, if it doesn't, you can still use your disk utilities to try to fix it, and if that doesn't work you can just grab all the files on the VM which have changed, or are new, since your last backup ... that way, even if you have to REVERT to a backup, you at least haven't lost ANY data ...]

It turns out the 3.0 upgrade CAN upgrade VMs without too much trouble IF THEY ARE simple (meaning just the OS and not much else) ... so you can try upgrading a rescue VM like I did or you can create a new bootable VM from scratch (remember to save a copy of this VM cause you don't want to have to do this every time you need a new bootable VM)


STEP 2: Configure your NEW VM to launch your OLD VM as a HARD DRIVE

STEP 3: Configure your New VM to Share the entire Mac Hard drive

(this is in "the shared folders" settings -- you have to create a share icon which refers to THE ENTIRE MAC Hard Drive -- not just a folder on your Mac)

STEP 4: Configure your NEW VM to launch an additional CD-ROM which is based on an ISO (not real CD-ROM) called vmtools.iso (the path is Library\Parallels\Tools\vmtools.iso ... if you can't find it, remember there are 2 Library directories on your mac -- it's NOT in the Users\Library\Parallels directory)

STEP 5: Launch Your new VM

Once you are booted up on y9ur new VM you should now be able to click on you old VM and open it like a peripheral Hard Drive.

You should also be able to open your new CD Rom which runs the vmtools.iso. If you can't read my note at the end of this post for another approach.

STEP 6: create a new folder on in the DESKTOP directory of your OLD VM and copy all the contents of the vmtools.iso into it ...

now you have the Parallels Tools Installer manually copied to a folder on the desktop of YOUR OLD VM.

STEP 7: shut down your new VM and startup your OLD VM

STEP 8: Now launch the Parallels Installer located in the folder you created on your desktop of your old VM...

Voila! Parallels Tools now installs both the proper drivers and all the new features of 3.0...


Whether or not this process was worth it remains to be seen .. but it works ...


NOTE: I bypassed Step 4 because, in the process of discovering the solution I had already converted the vmtools.iso into a CD-ROM so I used the CD-ROM as the source for the installer ... remember, you still need the rest of the steps because your old VM can't read CD-ROMs until you finish the upgrade so you need the New VM to effect the manual transfer of the installer to you old VM ...

Took forever ... but it works and I've been able to reproduce that it works several times ... now if only the Parallels Support People would look at this forum once in awhile we might save alot of heartache among disgruntled Upgraders

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

In my case I think it will be simpler to totally remove Parallels and the VM and then install Parallels 3.0 as if it were brand new, then install Windows XP into that newly created VM.

Fortunately I don't have anything of value at all kept in Windows XP as I use it exclusively to run Internet Explorer browsers to check web-sites.

I'm afraid I don't understand that question.

That is certainly interesting but it would probably be easier in my case to delete Parallels and VM and just reinstall it all as fortunately I don't keep anything of value in VM.

I downloaded 3.0 from this site. Is there a different version for UK? I am in the UK as you have guessed.

Thank you for your assistance.

Patrick

 

Quote:
PS What view are you in , if you are not in os window try that one.


I'm afraid I don't understand that question.

When Parallels is open along the top left check under VIEW (4th one over from the apple)
I just wanted to know what view you had elected.

I downloaded 3.0 from this site. Is there a different version for UK? I am in the UK as you have guessed.
NO its better that you downloaded from here. They have had some issues with not being able to down load from the other site. You are better off here.

Did you get my PM. If not please check your PM.

kat

 

The view is OS Window.

I have read it but I don't think it is the cause of the problem for me.

I always launch Parallels by clicking on application icon, then select VM from configuration window.

Patrick