How can I run parallels without Boot Camp?

[erkanasu]

I can't get boot camp to work with leopard. I keep getting a disk error when I start the windows partition. **** it.

How can I run my windows xp with parallels without boot camp. Is'nt there a virtual disk option? I am very new to parallels.

 

[webgoat]

I can't get boot camp to work with leopard. I keep getting a disk error when I start the windows partition. **** it.

How can I run my windows xp with parallels without boot camp. Is'nt there a virtual disk option? I am very new to parallels.

boot camp is in no way necessary for running windows via parallels... open parallels and follow the instructions for installing windows... personally i use and prefer vmware fusion

just out of curiosity can you explain the disc error with boot camp? are you formatting fat32 or ntfs and how large?

 

[erkanasu]

boot camp is in no way necessary for running windows via parallels... open parallels and follow the instructions for installing windows... personally i use and prefer vmware fusion

just out of curiosity can you explain the disc error with boot camp? are you formatting fat32 or ntfs and how large?

It has happened twice to me. Tried 2 different XP disks (i have a valid serial). I format the drive with boot camp(which automatically makes it FAT32), it installs fine, then after the first reboot in the installation I get a disk error message.

I have to restart the machine and go into OS X via option button.

 

[webgoat]

Did you try and create a partition larger than 32 GB because a partition larger than 32 GB cannot be formatted as a FAT volume.

 

[erkanasu]

Did you try and create a partition larger than 32 GB because a partition larger than 32 GB cannot be formatted as a FAT volume.

7GB

 

[Hmac]

It has happened twice to me. Tried 2 different XP disks (i have a valid serial). I format the drive with boot camp(which automatically makes it FAT32), it installs fine, then after the first reboot in the installation I get a disk error message.

I have to restart the machine and go into OS X via option button.

How big is your Windows partition? FAT32 will only address a disk less than 32 gigabytes in size. Also make sure you're using a Windows disk that includes Service Pack 2...you can't add it later.

I installed Windows XP onto a 50 gig partition formatted in NTFS - not a problem. I also installed Windows using Parallels - used only the standard Parallels defaults - I can thus run Windows XP by either starting up the virtual machine from Parallels, or I can boot into Windows. Parallels is nice because I can instantly open up Windows. The problem is that it won't run games and stuff that require Direct X, so I use Boot Camp to boot the machine into Windows so I can play PC only games

 

[webgoat]

only thing else i can think of recommending is making sure you have all firmware updates on your mac.... and that you have a full-install windows xp pro sp2 disc, although more than likely you have both... what do you intend on using windows for because parallels may or may not be able to do everything you want

 

[erkanasu]

i'm mainly using parallels to run some cheepo GRE software to practice taking the Test. I gave up gaming on the macbook a long time ago. heh.

i'll prob also use it to run some biochem software that I use in the lab. Very simple software, i'm sure parallels will suffice

 

[jeremy.king]

Did you try and create a partition larger than 32 GB because a partition larger than 32 GB cannot be formatted as a FAT volume.

Sorry, this is just not true. The 32GB is an artificial limit MS put in their own Disk Management software. You can in fact create/format a FAT32 partition using other means such as third party softer or Disk Utility in Mac OS X (known MS-DOS format).

FAT32 will only address a disk less than 32 gigabytes in size.

Wrong. FAT32 can address a disk up to approx 2 TB.

 

[webgoat]

yes it is possible but not in the circumstances the OP was trying

 

[Eidorian]

Sorry, this is just not true. The 32GB is an artificial limit MS put in their own Disk Management software. You can in fact create/format a FAT32 partition using other means such as third party softer or Disk Utility in Mac OS X (known MS-DOS format).

Wrong. FAT32 can address a disk up to approx 2 TB.

I remember from somewhere that Microsoft allowed FAT32 for partitions under 32 GB since it was efficient enough but once you went beyond that it was NTFS all the way.

It's an annoying artificial limit when it comes to formatting an external drive in Windows though.