XP and Windows 8 simultaniously?

C

Chris Andersen

Junior Member
Is it possible to run Windows XP and Windows 8 simultaniously on Parallels 8?
Windows 8 is slowlier than Windows XP, still I'd like to keep it to get used to it and for testing purposes.

How do I have to install the programs, that XP and 8 are running simultaniously... meaning, that I can choose which one I want to start?
 
Hi ChrisJA,

You can have as many virtual machines as you want, it only depends on how powerful your Mac is.
In your particular case, if you want to run two virtual machine seamlessly, I'd recommend to have 8 GB of RAM on your Mac and dedicate 1 GB to XP and 2 GB to Win8.

Once you start both VMs, you can switch them to window modes and you will basically see two separate windows with XP and 8.
 
Thank so much for your answer.
I don't want to run 2 VMs really simultaniously. Perhaps later with a new laptop and the same harddisk.

Just want to use it to build up Windows8 without having to delete the well running XP (Never change a running system). Finally, I'd like to have 2 different Windows versions (XP and Windows 8) under Parallels. Meaning I can switch between them as soon as I want to.
Like that, I can test websites and browsers under different systems.

It should look like this:
Mac
-Parallels
--Windows XP SP3 (VM1)
--Windows 8 (VM2)

So how do I install a second VM?
 
Two Separate Virtual Machines for Windows 7 and 8?

I now have Windows 7 on my Mac running through Parallels 8. I have purchased and downloaded an upgrade to Windows 8 from Microsoft, but I am leery of installing it over Windows 7. Is it possible to have two virtual machines, one running Windows 7 and the other running Windows 8, but with both able to run the same programs and access the same data and users?

I do not want to run them at the same time. I just want to be able to choose between them in case Windows 8 gives me trouble.

I am hoping that I will not have to create an additional Windows partition. I have a limited amount of hard-drive space and would prefer to avoid installing each Windows application twice and to avoid having two sets of the same photos, music, and other data.

I am unsure, however, how to go about installing Windows 8 through Parallels. The Windows 8 upgrade installer seems to give me a couple of choices: (1) clean installation or (2) upgrade Windows 7 to Windows 8. If I do the clean installation, won't it overwrite everything (including my programs and data) on the Windows partition? Or, if I do the upgrade, won't it install Windows 8 over Windows 7, causing me to lose Windows 7?

Thanks.
 
Andrew@Parallels said:
Hi ChrisJA,

You can have as many virtual machines as you want, it only depends on how powerful your Mac is.
In your particular case, if you want to run two virtual machine seamlessly, I'd recommend to have 8 GB of RAM on your Mac and dedicate 1 GB to XP and 2 GB to Win8.

Once you start both VMs, you can switch them to window modes and you will basically see two separate windows with XP and 8.
Click to expand...

Thanks for the help mate.
 
Sorry, but I'm a totally beginner with Parallels and don't want to destroy my running system (Parallels 8 with Windows XP).
I'm actually scared just to click the File/New/Windows/continue buttons, because last time I did it, I spent really a long time with it.
Just want to have a 2nd virtual machine.

So... can I do it like Parallels/File/New/Windows/continue...
to have a 2nd virtual machine (running XP and Windows 8 after another on the same laptop) or not?

Please answer me directly... not with quotes.
Thanks so much.
 
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