Snow Leopard Server install error for Parallels 7 and 8

Hello! If anyone can help with this issue, much obliged. I am happy to answer any additional questions about my setup.

I am running a June 2012 MacBook Pro Retina with Mountain Lion. I have tried this with both Parallels 7 and Parallels 8 (both have been trials), the error is exactly the same. I am trying to install either Snow Leopard or Snow Leopard Server from an image (.dmg) file since I do not have an optical disc drive on the computer, and Parallels is not recognizing my USB optical disc.

Parallels installs fine, no problem. But when I select to install an OS from an image, I get an error for Snow Leopard or SLS. I would show you an image of the error message, but this forum isn't letting me add any attachments.

The error reads: "There is no operating system installed in this virtual machine. Please insert an operating system installation CD into the optical drive of your Mac and restart the virtual machine."

So, what can I try next to get this work? Like I said, I have images of both Snow Leopard and Snow Leopard Server. I also have both discs and a USB optical drive, but as I mentioned before, Parallels does not seem to recognize the USB optical disc drive.

Please and thank you so much!!

 

Change the boot order in the Hardware VM configuration for the CD/Image to be first.

 

Specimen, thanks for the reply!

I tried what you said, however it still comes up with the same error. My boot order reads:

CD/DVD
Hard Disk 1
Network 1

When I click on CD/DVD 1 on the left hand side it's options are set as:

Connected (Checked)
Connected to: Mac OS X Server Install Disc.dmg
Location: IDE 0:1

Any thoughts?

 

Also, I was read in the user's manual that the .dmg file should be read-only, uncompressed, and unencrypted. Before I was using a read/compressed file. So, I made the read-only/uncompressed/unencrypted version and loaded that up just as listed above. The same error persists.

I must admit that I am little frustrated. I am trying to evaluate the software to see if it meets my needs (read: can it run SLS?), and I won't buy it until I know that it works (which is why we even have a trial period). But it isn't working, and I can't any support because I don't have a 'support code' from Parallels. The only way to get one, though, would be to activate (read: buy) the software. Catch 22 here.

Anyone have any thoughts?

 

Almost same here – iMac with Mountain Lion.
Bought Parallels 8 – successfully installed a second Mountain Lion,
failed installing Mac OS X Snow Leopard Server Install Disc.cdr
(No optical disc drive, remote disc drive is also an option)
after it says like in den regular OS »Mac OS X cannot be installed on this Computer«. Restart.

 

Same problem Here.

I always have the same problem.
I just received my OS X Snowleopard Server disk.
Since I don't have a DVD drive on my new iMac, I used an old PC DVD Drive to mount via USB using my Universal Drive Adapter.
I can see the drive so I tried to install directly from the Drive.
For some unknown reason, I can't install the DVD directly from the drive over USB.
Then I made a .dmg image of the install disk on Mountain Lion.
I can't install it.
Then I made a .dmg using my snow leopard machine upstairs. I couldn't install it on parallels in either the mountain Lion machine or the Snow Leopard machine.
Then I made a .cdr image.
I couldn't install it on either computer.

I never get to the part asking me if I want to install Snow Leopard. It just kicks over and says nothing is installed on my Snow Leopard VM.
I am just baffled.

 

This is as far as I get –
not getting any further to install Snow Leopard Server on Parallels 8 at all.
Any help would be very much appreciated.

 

paikinho, you have to select a different boot order and put the image first.

JumJum, the message is in the German if you could translate it.

 

Hi Specimen,
Sorry for that, here’s the translation. This standard message says:

Mac OS X (Snow Leopard Server) can not be installed on this computer.

If you would like to recover your System from a Time Machine-Backup please click on “Recover from Backup.
(Buttons below) “Recover from Backup” and “Restart”

Please note that a Mountain Lion was previously installed successfully.

 

It looks like you are trying to install it inside the OSX ML VM!?

You should be doing it via Parallels Desktop > File > New...

 

Hello,

please try to change .dmg image to .iso image (simply rename the last three digits to "iso" after dot and apply these changes when its prompted to)

Then in Parallels Desktop -> File -> New... point to that new .iso image and proceed with installation

 

Thanks for your reply, but that’s also not working:
Parallels Desktop > File > New...
Installation from: Selecting disc image Mac OS X Server Install Disc.cdr
(maybe here’s a possible mistake)



Black screen says after a while: BSD process name corresponding to current thread: Unknown

 

Count me in...

I am attempting to install Snow Leopard Server 10.6.3 under Parallels 8 on MAC 10.8.3 Mountain Lion with no luck. I have tried to install SLS by converting the .dmg to a .iso file; however, getting the install crashes with a brief error message as others have experienced.

Looking forward to hearing about a solution!

 

We need to isolate these problems:

First of all they all have in common that they are newer Macs that do NOT include internal optical drives.

However, I have the 2011 Mac Mini with no internal optical drive and a Buffalo USB external DVD-DL drive. On this drive I have had no problem installing SLS on my Mac Mini. So I cannot be helpful to this problem, but I will be watching with interest for a solution.

Additionally, I am available to provide a Mac OS X Snow Leopard Server.pvm.zip file of about 13GB on a 16GB flashdrive (with a sheet of simple installation instructions) to any of you who can provide proof of recent purchase of SLS to me and a 16GB flashdrive and return postage (or alternatively an "honorarium" to cover my time, the flashdrive and postage for a quicker "one-way" transaction).

I can be reached at my screenname at AOL.

 

I'm having exactly the same issues, attempting to install Snow Leopard Server on a 2012 Mac Mini 2.6 i7, I even went out and purchased an external USB Superdrive so as to (hopefully) bypass the issues with disc images but sadly they persist.

Parallels installs fine - fails when installing via Snow Leopard Sever DVD - gives me this error:-



Michael, I will email you directly as I need a quick solution - I'm a professional designer with literally tens of thousands of files in FreeHand that I need to be able to work on via my new Mac Mini, as it is I have to keep switching from that to my venerable PowerMac G5.

 

.......... I cannot get Manage Attachments to work on this forum anymore (in 3 browsers: Safari, Chrome, Firefox) to show you Freehand MX running in Snow Leopard Server in Parallels 8 on my 2011 Mac Mini in Lion.

 

No worries, I've seen you're working shots already on another forum, so know it can be done - just don't seem to be able to fathom where this is going wrong.
My only difference to yours appears to be I'm running Mountain Lion and you're running Lion...?

I've sent you a direct email earlier so perhaps we can pick-up at your convenience.

 

A quick update and a ray of hope for frustrated Mountain Lion users attempting to install Snow Leopard Server into Parallels 8, it can and does work, only with a huge amount of thanks to MichaelLAX from myself.

As detailed in my previous posts I was stuck also, with his help after I purchased a copy of SLS server (via the dreaded eBay as I'm in the UK so no $19.99 offer for me - US & Canada only I believe) I now have a fully functioning Snow Leopard Sever virtualised in Parallels 8 - running very sweetly on my 2012 MacMini 2.6GHZ quad i7 - updated to 10.6.8 and now rocking the day to day designers staple FreeHand MX.



All this whilst being able to have Abode CS6 running in 10.8.3 on the same machine - bliss that cannot be counting on ones fingers and I'm as happy as a pig in proverbial you know what...

Massive thanks to MichaelLAX for his help, without whom I'd be stuck in a loop of failed installs as detailed by many others.

 

Previously I had installed Snow Leopard Server into Parallels 7 and then upgraded Parallels to version 8.

So based upon the problems posted in this thread, I attempted to install SLS freshly into Parallels 8. The steps taken are now listed on my MacRumors post about installing Snow Leopard into Parallels, specifically here.

After Step 6, P: I was faced with a dialog box, saying: "An error occurred on the server while processing a command. The error occurred while processing a command of type 'TaiFile' in plug-in 'servermgr_info'."

The virtual SLS would only boot virtually from its Install DVD and not from its virtual Macintosh HD.

I then upgraded my copy of Parallels 8 from Build 8.0.18354 (Revision 823166; December 4, 2012) to Build 8.0.18483 (Revision 860857; March 30, 2013).

Now when I again attempted a fresh new install of Snow Leopard Server, it installed properly, Parallels Tools also installed and all seems to be working properly.

 

I found on another site that the CD/DVD Master Disc Image (.cdr) had to be created from the physical drive rather than the disc in Disk Utility. I have a retina, so no CD drive, making the image on another machine. Insert the CD, bring up Disk Utility, select the drive mechanism from the list (the one called "HL-..." or something like that, NOT the "Mac OSX Server Install..."), click the new image icon in the tool bar, and make an unencrypted CD/DVD Master image. Then the error "No operating system..." didn't occur and the installer launched. YMMV, but worked for me!