First off, I'm using Windows 7 Enterprise (RTM/final/etc) 64-bit with Parallels Desktop 4.0, under Snow Leopard, 10.6.0. Prior to Snow Leopard I was running Leopard, 10.5.8, and had the same problems. I'm running on a Mac Pro with hardware RAID, 4 500GB drives set up in RAID 0+1, 8 cores, 10GB of RAM, dual GeForce 8800GT's, and both NICs active connected via gigabit.
The Parallels Windows 7 VM is setup as Windows Server 2008, 4 CPUs, 4GB (4096MB) of RAM, 256MB of VRAM, 200GB drive as an Image File, physical CD/DVD-ROM, bridged networking, sound, and no USB devices connected.
With a clean install of Windows 7 sooner or later the video locks up. For instance, if I hit ctrl+alt+delete at the login window, the cursor may sit there and blink in the username line, but I can't actually type anything. I've had it lock up on me while Windows is booting, at "Starting Windows". It loops where the Windows logo animation fades in & out, but never gets any further. I've let it sit for 10 minutes and still haven't seen it get past that point.
On another install of Windows 7 I got it installed and it was up & running. So much so that I had moved on to installing Adobe Design Premium CS4. Half-way through the install it locked up, and the progress bar animation sat there & looped, but never proceeded to go any further.
I've rebooted the machine a few times & only by disabling 3D acceleration in Parallels' settings AND booting into VGA mode have I been able to use the machine.
In a few cases, this has been without Parallels Tools installed. In the case where I was in the middle of installing CS4, I had already installed PT. So it seems that installing PT has no bearing on the outcome.
And this isn't meant to be mud in your eye here, at all, but I did try this same build of 7 Enterprise on VMWare Fusion setup as Windows Server 2008 x64 Edition, and it's worked a-ok. For what it's worth I DO notice that VMWare is a wee bit slower
, which is why I'd like to use Parallels if I can! My department @ my university just picked up 5 copies of Parallels 4.0 in hopes that we'd be able to use Win 7.
Ideas anyone?
The Parallels Windows 7 VM is setup as Windows Server 2008, 4 CPUs, 4GB (4096MB) of RAM, 256MB of VRAM, 200GB drive as an Image File, physical CD/DVD-ROM, bridged networking, sound, and no USB devices connected.
With a clean install of Windows 7 sooner or later the video locks up. For instance, if I hit ctrl+alt+delete at the login window, the cursor may sit there and blink in the username line, but I can't actually type anything. I've had it lock up on me while Windows is booting, at "Starting Windows". It loops where the Windows logo animation fades in & out, but never gets any further. I've let it sit for 10 minutes and still haven't seen it get past that point.
On another install of Windows 7 I got it installed and it was up & running. So much so that I had moved on to installing Adobe Design Premium CS4. Half-way through the install it locked up, and the progress bar animation sat there & looped, but never proceeded to go any further.
I've rebooted the machine a few times & only by disabling 3D acceleration in Parallels' settings AND booting into VGA mode have I been able to use the machine.
In a few cases, this has been without Parallels Tools installed. In the case where I was in the middle of installing CS4, I had already installed PT. So it seems that installing PT has no bearing on the outcome.
And this isn't meant to be mud in your eye here, at all, but I did try this same build of 7 Enterprise on VMWare Fusion setup as Windows Server 2008 x64 Edition, and it's worked a-ok. For what it's worth I DO notice that VMWare is a wee bit slower
, which is why I'd like to use Parallels if I can! My department @ my university just picked up 5 copies of Parallels 4.0 in hopes that we'd be able to use Win 7.Ideas anyone?