Boot Camp: Installing and setting up

[ohla313]

I will be starting grad school soon for IT and planned to wait for Parallels 7 before buying a VM software. Since it seems I need the VM sooner than I thought I will most likely have to purchase Parallels 6. I have questions regarding this and was wondering if anyone could answer them?

1. If Parallels 7 comes out in October/November, is there a discount upgrade fee and how much would that be?

2. Can I use my VM image of Windows 7 to run Boot Camp as well if I wanted? Like if I want to turn my MBP into an Apple branded Windows machine, can I use my Parallels VM to run Boot Camp?

Thank you!

 

[turboultra]

Try Virtual Box

When I needed a VM I downloaded VirtualBox. Haven't tried Parallels or Fusion but VirtualBox is free and very nice to use (supports seamless mode etc.)

 

[ohla313]

When I needed a VM I downloaded VirtualBox. Haven't tried Parallels or Fusion but VirtualBox is free and very nice to use (supports seamless mode etc.)

I had my heart set on Parallels though, I really like how it just blends into OS X and is stable. My school only provides me with one license of Windows 7 so I can't get another copy so easily. I thought you could use the VM for boot camp and parallels? But wouldn't running Parallels in full screen kind of be like boot camp?

 

[tjb1]

Simple: Parallels sucks, if you ever want to get rid of it you will need to redo OS X because it installs deep. If you dont reinstall you will always have folders with the "||" symbol on it. Never used VMware or Virtual Box.

 

[ScuseMe]

I run Parallels 6 on my iMac (3.06 GHz C2D/8 GB RAM). This is using a VM without boot camp. It runs pretty well with my system ( I allocate 1 core and 4 GB RAM to Win7). However, I wouldn't run Parallels with my Boot Camp partition. Paralllels makes changes the Boot Camp partition that can cause catastrophic failures. So I decided long ago to leave Boot Camp as Boot Camp. Unfortunately, you run into activation problems if you have only 1 licensed copy of Win7.

 

[ohla313]

So what is the upgrade fee if Parallels 7 comes out? I plan to install Parallels and have the VM image on an external disc can I do that?

Also Parallels is deep integrated into Mac? Is that fine? I plan to keep Parallels...Currently I am running Snow Leopard and will upgrade to Lion later so would I be able to transfer my license to Lion?

 

[ohla313]

I just ordered Parallels 6 through NewEgg for $50. It is Lion compatible so I have that at least. I was wondering if installing it would be better on Lion or Snow Leopard. Am I able to install Parallels on two different OSs with one disc? I want to be able to boot into Windows when I am using Lion or Snow Leopard.

Also how does Parallels really integrate with Mac OS? If I exit Parallels it will be like Windows is not there and I am back to my Mac or will I see lingering aspects of Parallels in Mac?

 

[tjb1]

I warned you...

 

[ohla313]

I warned you...

Well what do you use then? Rebooting all the time is a pain. What exactly do you mean by the folders thing?

 

[tjb1]

Well what do you use then? Rebooting all the time is a pain. What exactly do you mean by the folders thing?

I use bootcamp. I have a SSD for OS X and a 500gb HDD for Windows. Parallels installs itself DEEP. I ran every uninstall code from them and still found crap there. It never removed the "compatibility" folders or icons.

 

[ohla313]

I use bootcamp. I have a SSD for OS X and a 500gb HDD for Windows. Parallels installs itself DEEP. I ran every uninstall code from them and still found crap there. It never removed the "compatibility" folders or icons.

So if I do Boot Camp it will not conflict at all with Mac OS X? The main factor for me is to keep Windows on an external drive to boot into and my internal drive dedicated to Mac OS solely. To use Boot Camp all I need is the Windows 7 .exe file and serial? No other software?

I can always return Parallels though.

 

[tjb1]

So if I do Boot Camp it will not conflict at all with Mac OS X? The main factor for me is to keep Windows on an external drive to boot into and my internal drive dedicated to Mac OS solely. To use Boot Camp all I need is the Windows 7 .exe file and serial? No other software?

I can always return Parallels though.

Bootcamp really has nothing to do with Mac. All bootcamp does is give you drivers that lets Windows work on all the hardware. You can run both on the same HDD.

 

[ohla313]

Well the deep integration with Mac is a little bothersome. If I am able to have Windows on my external hard drive solely then I'd want to utilize Boot Camp. Is there a guide on how to do that?

 

[tjb1]

Well the deep integration with Mac is a little bothersome. If I am able to have Windows on my external hard drive solely then I'd want to utilize Boot Camp. Is there a guide on how to do that?

I dont think it will work from an external...not sure on that though.

 

[ohla313]

I dont think it will work from an external...not sure on that though.

Ok I see so you have the SSD and HDD in your Mac. I guess I will have to deal with Parallels then as it will allow me to put Windows on an external drive. I have a small enough hard drive already.

Thank you!

 

[tjb1]

Ok I see so you have the SSD and HDD in your Mac. I guess I will have to deal with Parallels then as it will allow me to put Windows on an external drive. I have a small enough hard drive already.

Thank you!

They slam you with upgrade too...you get like a $10 discount. VMware and Parallels suck. You will save more money switching back and forth between the two. VMware at one time would sell for 20 if you have Parallels and were switching.

 

[ohla313]

They slam you with upgrade too...you get like a $10 discount. VMware and Parallels suck. You will save more money switching back and forth between the two. VMware at one time would sell for 20 if you have Parallels and were switching.

Yes but the ability to boot from an external drive is real important for me as I want to have ample room for Windows and I wouldn't want to split my hard drive in two partitions.

 

[ohla313]

Does anyone have any experience with Fusion and if it sticks itself as deep as parallels does?

 

[cfII]

Dude save yourself some trouble and just bootcamp. Rebooting isn't that bad. At all. How big is your harddrive?

 

[ohla313]

Dude save yourself some trouble and just bootcamp. Rebooting isn't that bad. At all. How big is your harddrive?

160GB.....I'd need at least a 500GB hard drive if I were to consider Boot Camp. Really wish there was a way to run Boot Camp and Windows from an external drive. I got a 320GB FW800 drive here waiting for it

 

[clark1]

I use bootcamp. I have a SSD for OS X and a 500gb HDD for Windows. Parallels installs itself DEEP. I ran every uninstall code from them and still found crap there. It never removed the "compatibility" folders or icons.

Image

Can you still access data in the folders? Is there some conflict or hang-up with the system with them? If not, why be so concerned?

 

[tjb1]

Can you still access data in the folders? Is there some conflict or hang-up with the system with them? If not, why be so concerned?

If it can install itself, they should include a way to remove it. When the only way to remove something is a complete reinstall of the OS, that program should be avoided.

 

[Garen]

Does anyone have any experience with Fusion and if it sticks itself as deep as parallels does?

I have been using Fusion 3.0 and Bootcamp for the past year on my MP and just love it, it is very stable and fast I had zero problems so far, as matter of fact I use Bootcamp very little since installing Fusion.

Garen

 

[ohla313]

I have been using Fusion 3.0 and Bootcamp for the past year on my MP and just love it, it is very stable and fast I had zero problems so far, as matter of fact I use Bootcamp very little since installing Fusion.

Garen

have you ever had to uninstall and did it leave any remnants deep in the OS?

 

[ohla313]

I was just thinking...Maybe I can do a fresh install of Mac OS X on the external drive and then partition 75% of it to Windows for Boot Camp. Could I do this? Meaning install OS X on an external drive, boot into it, set up Boot Camp and whenever I need to use Windows I would boot into the external drive as OS X then turn Boot Camp?

Hopefully someone followed that..

EDIT: The main question is, which is better at Boot Camp. Lion or Snow Leopard? Hopefully I can install either on the external drive and then run Boot Camp from it.