Recognition of External disks

As I have had some difficulty in installing Parallels in order to use Windows XP, so on the advise of AppleCare I tried Boot Camp in place of Parallels.

Using Boot Camp all works well except for the long drawn out booting procedure and the even longer process of moving back to the Mac system. With the success with Boot Camp I thought I'd have another go at installing Parallels. This I managed with a few snags here and there this time around.
Then after the re-instalation of Parallels I noticed a Parallels icon on the iMac desktop for Boot Camp, as well as the one for the Parallels VM XP and I found that I could access the Boot Camp partioned version of XP much easier and quicker than via the normal slow boot.

However, the external hard drive and USB flashdrives that I use were NOT recognised when using the Parallels path to the Boot Camp version of XP.

If though, I choose the long slow normal Boot Camp booting method to XP, without any connection with Parallels then the external disks are all recognised.

Why ?

Also how can I get the Parallels method of booting the Boot Camp XP to recognise the external disks ? The Parallels access is much more convenient than the normal slow boot to Boot Camp's XP.

At this stage of my understanding of the Mac and Parallels system I prefer NOT to use the Parallels VM version of Windows XP as there are still probems when using my wireless keyboard and mouse that I don't understand yet. That can wait for the time being as I am currently using a plugged in keyboard etc.

I only migrated to the Mac world about a month ago, so I am very much a novice here. I like it though, much more than the Microsoft approach.

Any advise please on this "recognition" issue ?

 

To recognize external drives , use Shard Folders feature

 

Thanks for being so prompt, BUT............you are not very detailed for a novice at this.

"Use Shared files", how ? where ?

Hoping for more detailed instructions.

 

Subsequent to your reply, I've discovered by "exploring" that under "shared Folders" in "Parallels", "Devices", "all Mac Disks" & "All Windows disks" have been ticked automatically without my help. However, the various disks concerned are still not recognised.

Further "exploring" has enabled me to cause these disks to be recognised by ticking the appropriate item under "USB". also under "Devices".

However, they are only recognised for that session ONLY. The next time "Parallels" is opened the appropiriate disk in "USB" has to be ticked again for them to be recognised.

On checking in Shared Folders" each time, "ALL MAC disks" & "ALL WINDOWS Disks" have been automatically ticked without my intervention again & being ticked does not appear to have anything to do with being recognised.

Your DETAILED help and advise on howto get this recognition done automatically would be welcome.

I am using Parallels 3.0 build 5608 and MAC OS X 10.5.5 on an iMac.

 

Let us see
1. Shared Folders details - Parallels Desktop for Mac user guide from http://www.parallels.com/en/download/file/doc/Parallels_Desktop_for_Mac_User_Guide.pdf page 168
2. You need to specify it from COnfiguration Editor,- Start Parallels DEsktop holding Command key and yo get access to it

 

Thx for the more detailed info, BUT............ the USB devices are still not recognised until I tick each one in the "Devices" section of Parallels. OK for that session, but each time I open the virtual machine they have to be ticked, they are NOT recognised automatically. It is a "manual" job at each session.

At least though we have progressed a little, they are at least recognised now but still*not automatically.

Any further suggestions ?

 

In Parallels Desktop version 3, this is default behavior , you need either attach them manually, or re- attach to Mac

 

What do you mean by "re- attach to Mac " ?

 

Unplug device and plug it back