Still unable to use Boot Camp

K

karlfranz

Bit poster
I have tried using Beta 2, 3 and RC1 and so far I am still unable to access my Boot Camp partition through Parallels with my Single Core Mac Mini. Every time I start the VM, the Windows HD icon disappears from the Mac Desktop for a few seconds, then re-appears and a message in Parallels says:

Unable to open disk image Boot Camp!

I have searched through the forum for a solution for this and although I have seen others post the same problem I haven't seen any replies in any of the threads. Can anyone help me?
 
Please make sure that you did all correct:
During the creation VM
1) "Select operating system installation mode" -> "Custom"
2) "Select operating system you would like to install" -> "Windows"
3) about RAM you choose what you want
4) "Select virtual hard disk option" -> "Use Boot Camp"

If this will not solve your problem, try to re-create Boot Camp partition with Boot Camp Assistant.
 
ksenks said:
Please make sure that you did all correct:
During the creation VM
1) "Select operating system installation mode" -> "Custom"
2) "Select operating system you would like to install" -> "Windows"
3) about RAM you choose what you want
4) "Select virtual hard disk option" -> "Use Boot Camp"

If this will not solve your problem, try to re-create Boot Camp partition with Boot Camp Assistant.
Click to expand...
Thanks for your reply. I did the steps for creating the VM exactly as you stated. For the RAM amount I chose the recommended value which was 604MB. I have deleted and recreated the VM a few times just to make sure I didn't miss a step and the results have always been the same.

I am not willing to delete and re-create my Boot Camp Partition in order to make this work. I spent many hours (almost a day) installing Windows XP, installing all of my Windows applications, downloading and installing all the security patches and updates, installing my anti-virus and all getting all the latest patches and virus definition files, and configuring the system to my liking. I'm not willing to throw away all that work just to try a beta.

I will tell you that my BC partition is FAT32, which is the reason I never even bothered trying Beta 1 since it said it would not work unless I used NTFS. I did not want to change the format because I need to be able to send files from Mac to Windows.
 
If sending files from Mac to Windows is the only constrain that force you use FAT32 why don't you simply drag and drop the files from Mac inside the VM? It works quite good. From Windows to Mac you have the option to use Parallels Shared Folders. Or drag and drop.

So you can convert FAT32 to NTFS without worrying.

And if you directly boot your Windows partition you can still use MediaFour's MacDrive.
 
esquilo22 said:
If sending files from Mac to Windows is the only constrain that force you use FAT32 why don't you simply drag and drop the files from Mac inside the VM? It works quite good. From Windows to Mac you have the option to use Parallels Shared Folders. Or drag and drop.

So you can convert FAT32 to NTFS without worrying.

And if you directly boot your Windows partition you can still use MediaFour's MacDrive.
Click to expand...

Thanks for your post, however:

1: Since Beta 2 Parallels has indicated that it works with FAT32 partitions., So all these "workarounds" are really just that. They are not finding and fixing the root of the problem.

2: Converting to NTFS would not guarantee that it would be a fix for this problem. NTFS conversion is a one-way street, which means that if I did the conversion and I still couldn't get it to work, I'm now stuck with an NTFS partition that I really didn't want in the first place.

3: I sometimes run my Mac Mini strictly as a Windows PC. Using MacDrive doesn't seem as secure since it would allow the Windows side to access the Mac partition directly. There is always the potential for a savvy virus from wiping out your Mac files.

4: If I wanted to copy a file to the Windows partition and then reboot into Boot Camp, with your suggestion I would first have to a) fire up Parallels, b) drag and drop the file onto the Windows VM, and c) shut down the VM prior to rebooting. This seems like more cumbersome steps that shouldn't be necessary.
 
karlfranz said:
Thanks for your post, however:

1: Since Beta 2 Parallels has indicated that it works with FAT32 partitions., So all these "workarounds" are really just that. They are not finding and fixing the root of the problem.

2: Converting to NTFS would not guarantee that it would be a fix for this problem. NTFS conversion is a one-way street, which means that if I did the conversion and I still couldn't get it to work, I'm now stuck with an NTFS partition that I really didn't want in the first place.

3: I sometimes run my Mac Mini strictly as a Windows PC. Using MacDrive doesn't seem as secure since it would allow the Windows side to access the Mac partition directly. There is always the potential for a savvy virus from wiping out your Mac files.

4: If I wanted to copy a file to the Windows partition and then reboot into Boot Camp, with your suggestion I would first have to a) fire up Parallels, b) drag and drop the file onto the Windows VM, and c) shut down the VM prior to rebooting. This seems like more cumbersome steps that shouldn't be necessary.
Click to expand...

I do not use Boot Camp but, when I did, I used NTFS. I now use Parallels exclusively - with NTFS -- and have no problems with taking files from Mac to Windows or vice versa.
 
karlfranz said:
I have tried using Beta 2, 3 and RC1 and so far I am still unable to access my Boot Camp partition through Parallels with my Single Core Mac Mini.
Click to expand...

Did Apple make a single core mac mini with an Intel processor? Have I forgotten already?
!!!
I guess I have! Dang...
 
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karlfranz,
Since you are FAT32 on your Bootcamp partition, I suggest you make a Disk Image of it in OS X's Disk Utility, then erase your bootcamp partition, make a new one, restore your Disk Image by opening it up and dragging the contents over to the Bootcamp partition to restore all your files, and then see if Parallels will open it.

You might even want to see if Parallels will use the Bootcamp partition after you re-format it, and before you drag all your files back over. As long as you keep your partition formatted in FAT32, you'll be able to restore your old system by drag and drop. (you won't be able to restore the disk image through Disk Utility's "Restore" process if your partition is larger than 4gb, but you can drag and drop the file individually from the Disk Image in the Finder with no problems.)

At least by doing this you'll know if something is wrong with file system that Parallels doesn't like.

I also have a great way to backup and restore your Bootcamp partition to NTFS, but it involves a more detail process, if you've thought about converting your current system to NTFS and keeping all your installed stuff.

Also, if you have installed Tools for Bootcamp natively, make sure that has been uninstalled natively from Bootcamp.
 
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Atomic_Fusion said:
karlfranz,
Since you are FAT32 on your Bootcamp partition, I suggest you make a Disk Image of it in OS X's Disk Utility, then erase your bootcamp partition, make a new one, restore your Disk Image by opening it up and dragging the contents over to the Bootcamp partition to restore all your files, and then see if Parallels will open it.

You might even want to see if Parallels will use the Bootcamp partition after you re-format it, and before you drag all your files back over. As long as you keep your partition formatted in FAT32, you'll be able to restore your old system by drag and drop. (you won't be able to restore the disk image through Disk Utility's "Restore" process if your partition is larger than 4gb, but you can drag and drop the file individually from the Disk Image in the Finder with no problems.)

At least by doing this you'll know if something is wrong with file system that Parallels doesn't like.

I also have a great way to backup and restore your Bootcamp partition to NTFS, but it involves a more detail process, if you've thought about converting your current system to NTFS and keeping all your installed stuff.

Also, if you have installed Tools for Bootcamp natively, make sure that has been uninstalled natively from Bootcamp.
Click to expand...
Thanks!

I never realized that you could use Disk Utility to make an image of the Boot Camp Partition. This is great. I used to do this via Norton Ghost in Windows as a way of creating a "Golden Backup" that I could always revert to. Of course, in Parallels it's as easy as copying your VM file.

I have one question though. How do I do the restore? Do I simply create the partition using the Boot Camp Utility and drag all the files over to that partition? It it really that easy? Will it know that this is a proper boot partition in Windows? Since it is a true image, I would imagine that I wouldn't have to reinstall the Apple drivers or anything else, right?

Is there anywhere else I can read up more on this as well as doing the backup/restore with NTFS?

Lastly, when you said to uninstall the Boot Camp Tools, were you refering to the Parallels tools? I never installed those natively because I never used Beta 1 and I was never able to get far enough into Boot Camp through Parallels to let it install them either.
 
karlfranz wrote: "I never realized that you could use Disk Utility to make an image of the Boot Camp Partition. "
===

Yep. I did it a number of times already before I moved to NTFS. Course, you can probably make an NTFS disk image, but you won't be able to restore it to an NTFS partiition since Mac can't write to NTFS, only read.


karlfranz wrote: "How do I do the restore? Do I simply create the partition using the Boot Camp Utility and drag all the files over to that partition? It it really that easy?"
===

Indeed. Simply open the Bootcamp partition (formatted in FAT32) in one Finder window, and then open the Disk Image you've created in another Finder window. Select all in the Disk Image, and drag it to the new Bootcamp partition.

It copies each individual file at a time to the new location, so there is no worrying about file size limitations (4gb is the limit in size for FAT32). Once restored, the new disk contains every file that was on the drive before, and so rebooting into Bootcamp will give you the exact same setup, right where you had left it before. You can resize your FAT32 partition any time you want - 32gb is FAT32's limit, though.


karlfranz wrote: "Is there anywhere else I can read up more on this as well as doing the backup/restore with NTFS?"
===

Yes indeed. Here's the thread where I learned about it: http://forum.parallels.com/showthread.php?t=6433&highlight=driveimage+xml.

Now I have a BartPE Boot Disc with the DriveImage XML "plug-in" application on it to backup and restore NTFS anytime, anywhere, without the need to have a working Windows XP system. It is extremely handy, and I have touted it several times on these forums. Just passing on the news!

There is a lot of information in the above link that isn't necessary to read, if you simply want to back up and be able to restore an NTFS partition. And what makes this all a real treat is that the software for all this is FREE!



karlfranz wrote: "Lastly, when you said to uninstall the Boot Camp Tools, were you refering to the Parallels tools?"
===

I was indeed referring to Parallels Tools, but they are officially called Parallels "Tools for Bootcamp." Your case sounds a bit perplexing. There doesn't seem to be any reason why Parallels is not able to load the Bootcamp partition on your computer. Do you have any type of permissions on your Mac that perhaps are limiting access to the Bootcamp partition? I assume you have the latest version of Bootcamp Assistant. Perhaps you should re-install the Bootcamp Assistant while you're at it.

Be sure to report back if you figure it out on your own. I think you've got everybody's curiosity up, here. And it might be able to help the next guy...
 
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I'm having the same problem as the original poster. When clicking on the desktop icon for my Win XP boot camp partition, Parallels complains that it can't load it. However, if I load Parallels directly, then press the run button for the VM, all works fine.
 
rkennis said:
I'm having the same problem as the original poster. When clicking on the desktop icon for my Win XP boot camp partition, Parallels complains that it can't load it. However, if I load Parallels directly, then press the run button for the VM, all works fine.
Click to expand...
Well, not exactly the same problem. I have never been able to run Parallels with my Boot Camp Partition regardless of the launch method.
 
Still no luck

Well, I did a backup of my FAT32 Boot Camp Partition using Disk Utility as was suggested. I then used the BC Utility to remove and later re-create a new FAT32 partition into which I re-copied the files from the dmg. Although I was able to boot this new partition with Boot Camp, I still got the "Unable to open disk image Boot Camp!" error when I try to run it with Parallels.

I then repeated the steps a second time but changed the partition size to something smaller to see if it would make a difference. Still, no dice.

Finally, I converted the Boot Camp partition to NTFS and I still got the same error.

BTW: Prior to converting the file system, my FAT32 partition was called "WINDOWS HD" on my Mac desktop. After converting to NTFS, it now appears as "Untitled". I don't understand why that changed.
 
Boot Camp and Parallels 3120

I had trouble when I first tried using Boot Camp and Parallels. Heres what I did:

Downloaded and installed latest version of Boot Camp, and created the default 30gb partition on my Core 2 Duo iMac. Completely setup windows XP, I mean completely - NTFS long format even, several reboots, several megabytes worth of MS updates and installed everything else I might need -- Java, flash player and shockwave, firefox, a complete windows setup as if I was working a real PC. Once completed I rebooted with OS X selected in startup disk, then I went to work on Parallels, setup the VM and chose boot camp, this is now the tricky part, when it grabs the untitled partition make sure you are in windowed mode and then it will hang on boot, so what you need to do is hit F8 and go into safe mode, the problem that I found was that the Parallels setup hangs on the video driver, so if you go to safe mode you can get all the drivers installed and then after a reboot, it all works, been using Parallels in coherence ever since.
 
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