Parallels on MBP

[jocko87]

Win XP partition quit working. Used Disk Utility to erase partition and reinstall Parallels 6 but got this error message:

"Unable to connect Hard Disk 1.

A file or device required for the operation of Hard Disk 1 does not exist or is used by another process, or you have no permission to access it. The virtual machine will continue running, but the device will be disconnected."

How do I fix it?

 

[technopimp]

Are you using a virtual hard disk or are you connecting a Parallels VM to a Bootcamp partition? Was hard to decipher from your post. If it's a VHD why are you using Disk Utility to manage it? All of that should be done through Parallels.

 

[jocko87]

Q: Are you using a virtual hard disk or are you connecting a Parallels VM to a Bootcamp partition? Was hard to decipher from your post.
A: I may not know enough to answer your question. What I did was make a partition and install Parallels. Then made a VM. Bootcamp not involved.

Q: If it's a VHD why are you using Disk Utility to manage it? All of that should be done through Parallels.
A: Didn't know that.

 

[technopimp]

Q: Are you using a virtual hard disk or are you connecting a Parallels VM to a Bootcamp partition? Was hard to decipher from your post.
A: I may not know enough to answer your question. What I did was make a partition and install Parallels. Then made a VM. Bootcamp not involved.

Q: If it's a VHD why are you using Disk Utility to manage it? All of that should be done through Parallels.
A: Didn't know that.

What do you mean by "make a partiion an install Parallels. Then I made a VM"?

So you have your OS X hard disk...you made a separate partition and installed Parallels on that partition?

I guess I'm really having trouble figuring out what you're doing. I guess you could do it that way if for some reason you wanted your Parallels VMs on a separate partition, but it shouldn't work any differently. All you need to do to make a VM is open Parallels, go through the new machine wizard, create a virtual hard disk (selecting where to put it) and then launch the new VM booting from your install media. There should at that point be no involvement with the Mac OS for the guest OS.

 

[johnnj]

Parallels/Fusion/Virtual Box are all OSX applications. The VMs themselves just look like regular OSX files. It's like Parallels is Excel and the VM is a spreadsheet.

No need to create an actual partition when the guest OS is virtual.

To confuse matters a little, you can install actual Windows in a Bootcamp partition and run it natively. But, you can't run it at the same time as OSX. However, Parallels or Fusion can run that Windows install as a Virtual machine from within OSX.

Hope this helps.

John

 

[fehhkk]

You do not need to create a partition to run a VM. A Parallels VM is just a file (with a .pvm extension or something similar) that will reside in OSX, like said before, as a regular file.

 

[technopimp]

Parallels/Fusion/Virtual Box are all OSX applications. The VMs themselves just look like regular OSX files. It's like Parallels is Excel and the VM is a spreadsheet.

No need to create an actual partition when the guest OS is virtual.

To confuse matters a little, you can install actual Windows in a Bootcamp partition and run it natively. But, you can't run it at the same time as OSX. However, Parallels or Fusion can run that Windows install as a Virtual machine from within OSX.

Hope this helps.

John

Thanks, you explained it a bit better than I did.

 

[johnnj]

Thanks, you explained it a bit better than I did.

Thanks. Doing that was my job for a while and become that yet again in the future. I kind of prefer doing that to what I'm doing now, which is managing business applications. zzzzzz......

 

[jocko87]

Parallels on MBP

Well, duuhhh!!

Thanks for the quick, expert responses.

OK:

1) I sent Parallels to trash
2) Downloaded a fresh copy of Par6
3) Started Install
4) Put winXP pro in cd drive
5) Everything looked fine and then I got the same message again:

"Unable to connect Hard Disk 1.

A file or device required for the operation of Hard Disk 1 does not exist or is used by another process, or you have no permission to access it. The virtual machine will continue running, but the device will be disconnected."

I have repaired permissions several times but still get this msg.

 

[johnnj]

I've never seen that personally. I did a little searching around and people most commonly complained about this problem when using a Bootcamp Windows as a VM in Parallels.

I also found this KB article that has a procedure to try.

http://kb.parallels.com/5734

 

[jocko87]

Parallels on MBP

Thanks for the quick reply.

I'll give it a go but this sure is getting "high-techy" for an old guy like me -- I'll be 90 next year! But I have to find a way to use Win Quicken because my whole financial life/operation is on it. Fortunately, I have backup data files (50 mb) with on-line Quicken. I guess, as a last resort, I could buy a cheap laptop PC just for Quicken but wouldn't that be a shame with me having the MP & MBP cannons sitting here?!?

Wish me luck!!

And thanks again.

 

[johnnj]

Wow, that's awesome. My in-laws are in their mid 80s and they've had a hard time adapting and I think they might have just given up on the computer.

Before you mess around with that procedure, you might just want to delete the VM file that you just created and start from scratch on a new one. I've made many VMs in both Parallels and Fusion and have never seen an error which stated that the primary drive couldn't be found.

Good luck and keep us posted!

John

 

[diamond.g]

When installing Windows, at any point did Parallels ask you about creating a hard disk for the VM?

 

[squeakr]

That is great. I don't know if it will do everything you require or have all the features you desire (as it is limited in abilitie comparatively), but their are Quicken versions for Mac. I run Quicken Essentials currently and it does what I need it to.