Welcome to the MacNN Forums.

freescalpel · Mar 22, 2007, 12:06 PM

I haven't gotten any response in other forums, so I'm looking forward to the usually dependable folks here. I'm a new Mac user, so be kind with your comments.

I set up Parallels to use my Bootcamp installation, and have run into several issues. These from my experience with v3186:

1. After setting up the VM with Parallels everything seemed fine at first but when I logged back into Bootcamp, I kept getting a Windows File Protection error. Apparently Parallels Tools had changed some vital Windows settings and I got prompts to insert my XP disk, which seems to restore the windows file. Upon rebooting Windows in Bootcamp, the error was not repeated. However, every time I ran Windows in Parallels, the Bootcamp got corrupted again. Every single time.

2. Parallels prompts me for a passwords both to launch the Windows VM and to exit. I have never used a program which asked me for a password to exit! This gets really tiresome.

3. The first time I launch Windows in Parallels after starting up OS X, once I get beyond the password nag, Parallels goes through the "Parallels tool is initializing" process (which it does every single time) I hear this is a normal process for using the Bootcamp Xp installation under Parallels. It takes almost 1 minute. (this is probably when it installs files that corrupts my Bootcamp partition). Anyway, this first VM session ultimately works OK. However, if I quit Parallels, and try to launch the VM again, I get a "Unable to open disk image boot camp!" error. I have to reboot OS X in order to be able to get back into the VM again. Meanwhile when I launch Bootcamp next time, I have to go through fixing the corrupted file (see No 1 above)

I have uninstalled and reinstalled Parallels and Parallels Tools multiple times with no difference to the above. Also updating to 3188 has not made any difference.

I wonder what other people's experience has been. I'm using a brand new MBP 2.33 with 2GB RAM and 512MB for my VM. Would my Parallels experience be improved if I set up a separate VM without BootCamp (even knowing I may have to pay for another XP)?

Thanks.

Cold Warrior · Mar 22, 2007, 09:33 PM

I have also had issues with using Parallels and my boot camp partition. It somehow corrupts the Windows XP pro system, which gives me errors if I try to boot natively.

ghporter · Mar 22, 2007, 10:21 PM

The "Windows File Protection" notice is NOT an error. It's simply a reflection that one of the Windows files that are supposed to be tracked has been changed-maybe just by its date/time stamp. This is actually relatively normal performance-it happens with my PC desktop almost any time I install software.

I have no clue at all why you're getting all the password prompts. Maybe there is a real problem in you Boot Camp Windows installation, and it's only apparent when run through Parallels.

alex_kac · Mar 22, 2007, 10:29 PM

I should add that I am using Parallels with a BootCamp partition - I started from scratch with the final 3186 build of Parallels. I have had only one issue with booting back into Dual Boot caused - a black screen once. I rebooted with Safe mode on, then restarted and all was fine.

Eug · Mar 23, 2007, 02:06 AM

Just a note, the latest version of Parallels is 3188. Does updating to 3188 help you at all?

alex_kac · Mar 23, 2007, 10:17 AM

The only thing 3188 changed was Kaspersky Anti-Virus tools and a Win98 fix. So for XP users 3186 and 3188 should be identical.

freescalpel · Mar 23, 2007, 01:57 PM

I upgraded to 3188 but same issues persist. Anyway, I didn't find any fix so I uninstalled Parallels, deleted BootCamp and restored my Mac to a single partition. Then I reinstalled Parallels 3186 and created a VM using same XP disc. I have installed Kaspersky, FF, and Office 2003. Everything is working like a charm. No more password prompts I'm actually afraid of upgrading to 3188 because I've heard it could ruin the party. Actually, since I'm not into games now I wonder why I even went the BbootCamp route. It makes so much more sense to do everything inside Mac.

ibook_steve · Mar 23, 2007, 04:45 PM

The password prompt is for unmounting the Boot Camp partition from Mac OS X so it can be used with Parallels. This is perfectly normal. I've had zero problems with BC and Parallels, even through all the betas. I'm using BC because I can boot completely into Windows if the need ever arises (which it hasn't so far, but it might at some point).

Steve

Macola · 11:16 PM

I had to replace the HD in my MacBook, so I thought this would be a good time to try Parallels with my (freshly installed) Boot Camp partition. After three attempts with parallels 3188, I gave up. The first time, Parallels froze during the creation of the new VM and I had to force quit. I deleted the VM, tried again, and managed to get as far as the XP welcome screen in the new VM, when Parallels crashed. Deleted the VM again, tried again, same result.

If anyone has any suggestions, I'd be happy to give it one more shot. Fortunately, my Boot Camp partiton seems to be okay, other than an annoying error message at startup. Now I know why I avoided doing this all these months...

AC Rempt · Apr 3, 2007, 01:34 AM

I had nothing but trouble trying to get Parallels to use my Boot Camp partition, especially when I tried to boot into Windows. I finally kicked Parallels off my HD, and had to re-install Windows. A real pain in the ass all around.

I now run Parallels with its own WinXP set up, and it's great. Now, I only boot in to XP when I play games.

alex_kac · Apr 3, 2007, 10:22 AM

I know its worked for me first time. No problems at all. I setup Bootcamp first completely. It was up to date and had everything the way I wanted it. I then setup Parallels to use BootCamp. It DID take awhile and looked like it froze. But in the end it setup perfectly. Now its used daily.

Eug · Apr 3, 2007, 11:16 AM

Do you guys run into driver issues? The reason I ask is because the hardware in Parallels is emulated.

eg. I have Vista on my MacBook with full Aero Glass support. This would not be supported in Parallels, because they emulate a very low end GPU. However, obviously my Vista drivers are all for GMA 950.

Macola · Apr 3, 2007, 01:51 PM

I don't use Parallels for any serious work--quick checks of websites, SopCast, etc. When I do "real" work in Windows, I boot into my Boot Camp partition. So drivers have not been an issue in Parallels for me.

mfbernstein · Apr 3, 2007, 07:27 PM

The whole point of Parallels is the virtual installation aspect. Boot Camp support is a cute, but new and relatively undertested feature. Just like switching a regular Windows drive back and forth between different machines with different hardware (and a different boot partition setup) will cause problems for normal Windows installs, switching between Boot Camp and Parallels on the same partition is a very inexact science.

The real solution is for Parallels to implement 3D support. Then no need for Boot Camp at all. Fortunately, VMWare does have DirectX 8 support (experimental) in their current beta. Worth checking out when they reach release candidate (currently, debugging code is all enabled, making VMWare rathe slow).

Macola · Apr 4, 2007, 01:20 PM

For those who are having problems with getting Parallels to use a Boot Camp partition, do you have it formatted as FAT32 or NTFS? Mine is NTFS, and I wonder if that's part of the problem.

ghporter · Apr 4, 2007, 01:25 PM

My XP partition is NTFS, and I have zero problems with it.

Macola · Apr 4, 2007, 07:13 PM

Glenn, do you have Parallels set up to use the Boot Camp partition? What build of Parallels are you using I don't have any problems with the NTFS partition by itself.

markponcelet · Apr 10, 2007, 12:59 PM

For what it's worth, I bought Parallels the day they announced that using the BootCamp partition had emerged from beta to a release feature. I had been using my bootcamp partition regularly (Bootcamp v1.1).

Once I got my license, I downloaded Parallels build 3188 and installed it. I did run into some curious problems -- the installation of parallels tools didn't seem to be as smooth as I expected, and it took forever. But I was terrified of losing data on my bootcamp partition, so I just let it go. I'm pretty sure that parallels tools didn't install properly the first time, perhaps because I didn't have autologon enabled in Windows. I clicked on my name, and as far as I can tell, everything installed properly. Windows activation came up, but I just clicked the "register over the internet" whenever it came up, and now I never see it.

I got the windows file protection error when I upgraded Bootcamp recently, but just clicked "cancel," and neither my bootcamp partition nor Parallels is any worse for it. The only thing I haven't done yet is install Apple's newest drivers for windows. I'm still using the ones supplied with Bootcamp v1.1. My bootcamp partition is formatted as NTFS.

Other than the period of confusion I experienced during the installation of Parallels, everything is working perfectly, even when I decide to boot into the bootcamp partition natively.