Re-installing Parallels from disk image file (.dmg) after new Mac HDD installed.

T

trignflo

Bit poster
Hi

I did have Parallels 8 running Windows 7 on a 100GB partition on my Mac 1TB HDD. I received the HDD failure warning on MAC, so I burnt an image file of this entire partition (which runs at 42GB) using Disk Utility and saved to external HDD. The rest of my MAC was under Time Machine (my windows vm was not backed up using Time Machine, there must of been a reason for this, but right now I don't know what it was).

With a new HDD on the MAC, Time Machine has seamlessly put everything back, except my Windows VM.

I have searched the forum and tried using the "New" method from Parallels Wizard to boot from image file, I entered the product key for Windows and all seemed to be going well, but alas, it was unsuccessful stating it could boot from Hard Drive.

I have tried creating a 'boot camp' 100GB partition on the Mac and restoring the image file back onto partition, but that didn't seem to want to do it, so I have removed the partition at the moment and seek advice and guidance, before I do something stupid...

So I have a 42GB .dmg image file of my Windows Partition which is on am external drive.
I currently have an unpartitioned Mac 1TB HDD
Parallels has been re-installed by Time Machine
If I try and start Windows currently I get (obviously) Unable to Connect to Hard Disk 1.

I do have some files on the image drive that I would like, I am assuming that somehow I could retrieve those files, however at the moment the priority is trying to get parallels to work.

Do I have to partition the hard drive? will the parallels process do this for me? It so long ago that I installed it I cannot remember. I'm hoping that somehow I can use the .dmg file to start the process off, but fear that I may have a useless .dmg file and have lost the data that is on that drive?

Many thanks for any guidance to help solve this issue.

Graham
 
I'm sorry, but a bootcamp partition cannot be restored from a disk image created using disk utility, the files are there, but you see, a bootcamp partition is a NTFS file system and those disk images do not support NTFS, basically you copied your files to an HFS (Mac) image, it cannot be restored as NTFS. NTFS specific attributes like permissions are lost also.

The good thing is that you can copy your files from that image to the new Bootcamp installation you will have to start from scratch, next time use something like Winclone (google it).

If you want to make a Bootcamp installation again you'll have to use bootcamp assistant.app, however that's not the only way, and unless you need to boot windows natively, I recommend you, you make a virtual hdd instead, it can be backed up with Time Machine.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Thank you for taking the time to reply. It was getting very late last night, but your reply has pointed me in the right direction! I have located all the important files of the disc image and will be doing a clean install of a VM (not boot camp). I think parallels on the HDD from time machine, but not having the partition threw me somewhat.

Never mind, will do a clean install - probably best way anyway!

Graham
 
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