Unable to lock out the configuration file?

Discussion in 'Installation and Configuration of Parallels Desktop' started by Don Noel, Feb 23, 2008.

  1. Don Noel

    Don Noel Bit poster

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    Here's the message I'm getting when I boot Parallels Desktop. It boots anyway == BUT -- could this be the reason I can't make either of my printers connect?

    Unable to lock out the configuration file /Users/donnoel/Documents/Parallels/Don Microsoft Windows XP/Don Microsoft Windows XP.pvs
     
  2. Xenos

    Xenos Parallels Team

    Messages:
    1,547
    Hello Don Noel,

    Please perform the following procedure:

    1. Find your .hdd file. It is usually located in the Mac HD/Users/<Your User name>/Documents/Parallels/ folder. You can use Finder to find the .hdd file.

    2. Right click the file and choose Open Package Contents from the pop-up menu.

    3. In the window that opens, you should see the lock file - .lck. Just drag it out of the package window to your desktop (don't touch anything else).

    4. Close the package window. You are supposed to be able to start Parallels with no issues now. Once you've verified Parallels starts up OK, you can trash the .lck file.

    Best regards,
    Xenos
     
  3. Don Noel

    Don Noel Bit poster

    Messages:
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    Xenon, thanks -- but: I got to the .hdd file, and couldn't get to Open Package. There's something wrong with my right-click, although I've set it to secondary. If I right-click the .hdd it tries to use Mounter. I can Ctrl-click and get View Package, and I can see the usual lock icon (but not the .lck file) and can't drag the locked icon away. Give me another clue please: Is there a keyboard shortcut to Open Package?
    Thank you
     
  4. Xenos

    Xenos Parallels Team

    Messages:
    1,547
    Hello Don,

    I think creating a new VM would be a more simple way. You can save all the data from your current VM if you create the new one in Custom mode and use the existing hard disk image.

    1. Start Parallels. In Parallels Desktop menu bar click File -> New.
    2. Choose Custom mode of installation. On the next steps leave default settings.
    3. On the fourth step choose "Use an existing hard disk image".
    4. Browse to your .hdd file.
    5. Finish installation leaving default settings.

    This will let you to get rid of this lock problem without touching system files contents (which might be not very safe).

    Best regards,
    Xenos
     
  5. Don Noel

    Don Noel Bit poster

    Messages:
    9
    Thanks for your patience. Before I do this, let me mention that I've loaded Parallelsthree times, which may be the problem. 1) I loaded it and used transporter to bring my whole Dell hard drive over. But doingit that way didn't load Tools, and I couldn't make it load. So 2) on [bad] advice from the AppleStore folks I tried to load it again -- slightly differently from what you're now prescribing -- and it couldn't find my application files. Then 3) on [better?] advice from a more experienced AppleStore guy I loaded it brand fresh, and loaded Quicken etc from disk, and that's been working fine now except for this error message (which didn't block my loading at first, but did today).
    So I have on the desktop a 31 gb WinXP1, a 56 gb WinXP, and a 4 kb winxp.prs.parallel.temp.alias.
    When I open Parallels Desktop it gives me two (but not three) VMs to open, one of which is Microsoft Windows XP Migrated, which is I think the fruit of #2.
    I suspect those are all the fruits of my earlier aborted labors, and would happily trashcan them with a little concurrence from you --and that might then make the remaining one work:
    That one is where you told me to look: Documents/Parallels/Don Microsoft Windows XP, which is the name I gave #3. In it are a 4 kb pvs file, a 1.4 mg unattended.fdd, apparently a floppy drive (that doesn't exist on my iMac); a 220 kb Windows Applications Folder that appears to have the built-in Windows apps and those I've re-loaded from disk; a Windows Disk folder that has in it only a 4 kb C file, an alias; and finally the WinXP.hdd file you had me look for. It's only 12.65 gb, which is the only thing that scares me in this analysis.
    On the other hand, my initial transporter effort transported EVERYTHING, which may account for its size, and my second effort also transported a lot too.
    (My working files are not an issue; they're probably in that huge 56 gb file, but I had meantime put them all under My Documents on the Dell and had Apple copy them to my iMac, and I've been able to access them from both the Mac and the VM XP)
    So: hold my hand, please! Tell me I can trash all three of the desktop files! Tell me how to get rid of the "migrated" file that shows up in Desktop. If you say that's safe, I'll do it, and then maybe my Don Microsoft Windows XP will boot without complaint and I can relax and enjoy my VM!
    Thanks
     
  6. Don Noel

    Don Noel Bit poster

    Messages:
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    PS to Xenox: The error message I get when booting from Desktop is' "unable to lock out user/(me)/Documents/Parallels/Don Microsoft XP. The file is used by other application."
     
  7. Xenos

    Xenos Parallels Team

    Messages:
    1,547
    Hello Don,

    Do you have only one .hdd file? If so, please create a new VM the way proposed in the post #4 and browse to your 12.65 GB WinXP.hdd file on the step 4.

    When the VM is created, launch it and check if it works properly and if there is everything you need. Remember the name of the new VM.

    If it is OK, delete the rest of VMs this way: start Parallels but do not launch Windows. On Parallels Desktop menu bar click File -> Open. Choose the VM you do not need. Click File -> Delete and follow the instructions of "Delete VM Assistant" to remove the machine with all files. Do this with every VM accept for the one you created and checked.

    If you have several .hdd files, you'd better check each of them through creating new VMs with these files.

    Best regards,
    Xenos
     
  8. Don Noel

    Don Noel Bit poster

    Messages:
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    Thanks; I did that, and the new VM works fine, accesses all the info in the only remaining .hdd file.
    BUT: in the directory, that file is in a folder under the OLD VM. The new VM is obviously finding the old .hdd file and using it; I made a few changes just to confirm size change etc.
    AND: When I go to delete the old VM (electing not to delete the .hdd file, which appears to be the only one left on the machine) I get an error message -- permission denied, Error # 13.
    My amateur instinct is to just drag the hdd file into the new VM folder -- but don't want to be rash. The new VM works fine, accesses the right stuff, appears in the directory to be the one being used along the old hdd; so I can apparently go on for some time with the old VM and its folder as unused baggage.
    Further advice please? Thanks for your patient help
     

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