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Running Windows 7 with Boot Camp and Parallels 5.0

bartenderonduty

bartenderonduty

macrumors member
Original poster
Apr 21, 2010
31
0
I finally made the switch from PC to Mac buy selling my HP laptop and desktop computers and buying the new MacBook Pro. However, I have licenses for Creative Suite 4 for Windows and still need to run it on my Mac using Boot Camp and/or Parallels until I can afford to jump to CS5 for Mac (this MBP took a big chunk of my cash).

I'd like to run Windows using Boot Camp AND Parallels - Boot Camp when I need all system resources and Parallels when I need to hop over to Windows to type a Word document or something quick (got Office 2007 for Windows too).

My questions...

Can I use both Boot Camp and Parallels with one serial number for Windows 7?
If so, how do I install? Would I install Windows on Boot Camp or Parallels first?

If anyone has some guidance for installing one copy of Windows 7 on both applications, I would greatly appreciate it.

Thanks!
 
plinden said:
See here - http://graphicssoft.about.com/od/adobe/f/crossgrade.htm

If you decide to try to get a crossgrade license, let us know how it goes. I've heard both good and bad comments on the process.
Click to expand...

The problem is that I can't do a cross platform swap because I'm using an "older version" of Creative Suite. Adobe will only do a cross platform if I have the current version - CS5. And to move to CS5 it'll cost me about $900 right now.

I've done an upgrade from CS3 to CS4 (both Windows) and it was an OK process. I say "OK" because I had to do it over the phone and Adobe tech support is based in India, so there was a significant language barrier, if you know what I mean.

They did say, however, that the process to do a cross platform is relatively easy. You have to sign a document that says you promise to destroy the Creative Suite for Windows discs before they send you the CS for Mac discs. And there is also a minimal charge for shipping.
 
bartenderonduty said:
I finally made the switch from PC to Mac buy selling my HP laptop and desktop computers and buying the new MacBook Pro. However, I have licenses for Creative Suite 4 for Windows and still need to run it on my Mac using Boot Camp and/or Parallels until I can afford to jump to CS5 for Mac (this MBP took a big chunk of my cash).

I'd like to run Windows using Boot Camp AND Parallels - Boot Camp when I need all system resources and Parallels when I need to hop over to Windows to type a Word document or something quick (got Office 2007 for Windows too).

My questions...

Can I use both Boot Camp and Parallels with one serial number for Windows 7?
If so, how do I install? Would I install Windows on Boot Camp or Parallels first?

If anyone has some guidance for installing one copy of Windows 7 on both applications, I would greatly appreciate it.

Thanks!
Click to expand...
I'm running Windows 7 in Bootcamp as well as in Parallels with the same serial number.

You need to install Win 7 using Bootcamp first then install Parallels and chose the Bootcamp partition where Win 7 is installed. This way you can launch the same Win 7 instance by either booting into Win 7 (best for performance) or just loading it with Parallels while in the Mac OS (good for apps that don't require a lot of resources like web, MS Office, etc).
 
The way it works is that you do your normal Win 7 install in bootcamp and then in Parallels you set up a new VM and choose to run it off Bootcamp. The option to use bootcamp should be there when you setup your new virtual machine in Parallels.

Sounds all good?

For me, I did encounter a problem with it. With Win XP, under parallels it kept asking me for the xp validation key. My XP install was already validated under bootcamp but under parallels it kept asking me for validation and my validation key wouldn't work in parallels. There is a work around for it and the Parallels support forum has plenty of cases like it.

Win 7 might be different. Hopefully.
 
irpete said:
I'm running Windows 7 in Bootcamp as well as in Parallels with the same serial number.

You need to install Win 7 using Bootcamp first then install Parallels and chose the Bootcamp partition where Win 7 is installed. This way you can launch the same Win 7 instance by either booting into Win 7 (best for performance) or just loading it with Parallels while in the Mac OS (good for apps that don't require a lot of resources like web, MS Office, etc).
Click to expand...

I agree. Partitioning/installing using bootcamp and then using Parallels on top is the best way to go. Then windows takes up only one physical location on the HD. Just follow the steps for a bootcamp install, then install Parallels and you can tell it to boot windows right from the bootcamp image. Just one serial number needed. If it helps, students can purchase the full version for $39.99. Here's the link: http://www.parallels.com/landingpage/studentpack/
Remember that if you run Parallels off the bootcamp partition, you won't be able to pause, stop, or resume Windows. Not a big deal, but good to know.
 
irpete said:
I'm running Windows 7 in Bootcamp as well as in Parallels with the same serial number.

You need to install Win 7 using Bootcamp first then install Parallels and chose the Bootcamp partition where Win 7 is installed. This way you can launch the same Win 7 instance by either booting into Win 7 (best for performance) or just loading it with Parallels while in the Mac OS (good for apps that don't require a lot of resources like web, MS Office, etc).
Click to expand...

THANKS!
 
skunnykart said:
The way it works is that you do your normal Win 7 install in bootcamp and then in Parallels you set up a new VM and choose to run it off Bootcamp. The option to use bootcamp should be there when you setup your new virtual machine in Parallels.

Sounds all good?

For me, I did encounter a problem with it. With Win XP, under parallels it kept asking me for the xp validation key. My XP install was already validated under bootcamp but under parallels it kept asking me for validation and my validation key wouldn't work in parallels. There is a work around for it and the Parallels support forum has plenty of cases like it.

Win 7 might be different. Hopefully.
Click to expand...

Sounds good... Thanks buddy!
 
HappyCheese said:
I agree. Partitioning/installing using bootcamp and then using Parallels on top is the best way to go. Then windows takes up only one physical location on the HD. Just follow the steps for a bootcamp install, then install Parallels and you can tell it to boot windows right from the bootcamp image. Just one serial number needed. If it helps, students can purchase the full version for $39.99. Here's the link: http://www.parallels.com/landingpage/studentpack/
Remember that if you run Parallels off the bootcamp partition, you won't be able to pause, stop, or resume Windows. Not a big deal, but good to know.
Click to expand...

Thank you!
 
I tried this ... still asks for another activation .. help please

irpete said:
I'm running Windows 7 in Bootcamp as well as in Parallels with the same serial number.

You need to install Win 7 using Bootcamp first then install Parallels and chose the Bootcamp partition where Win 7 is installed. This way you can launch the same Win 7 instance by either booting into Win 7 (best for performance) or just loading it with Parallels while in the Mac OS (good for apps that don't require a lot of resources like web, MS Office, etc).
Click to expand...


I'd like to understand how to do this. I have done exactly what you say here:
installed windows 7 in bootcamp partition and this works fine.
Then I installed parallels 5.0 with updates (did not reinstall windows or use the windows disk at all again). I am launching the bootcamp installation under parallels.

But while running windows 7 in parallels, it tells me it needs to activate, and of course it will not because the hardware is different and it thinks it's another computer.
I have been dealing with Parallels support and they are some of the worst support I have ever dealt with. They keep on telling me i need to buy another license because it's installed twice. I keep on telling them I only installed windows in the bootcamp partition and their advertising says this should work. But since they seem like they're from Bangalore (or similar locale) they seem to only be able to read from a script. In the end, am getting zero help from them.


Regards,
Theresa
 
theresamarie11 said:
I'd like to understand how to do this.
Click to expand...

Theresa, you may have to contact Microsoft to resolve this issue, since each copy of Windows is attached to the hardware it is installed on.

I haven't had a chance to activate my copy of Windows 7 Ultimate because I'm still tweaking my partition sizes. I want to make sure I have the size I need before activating to avoid similar issues you are experiencing.

However, I did install Windows 7 on Boot Camp, bypassing the request for the product key and auto activate, and then installed Parallels by attaching the installation to the Boot Camp partition.

I think you either need to wait to activate the product until you have both Boot Camp and Parallels up and running, or make sure you install Parallels with the Boot Camp partition selected prior to install.

Hope this helps.
 
theresamarie11 said:
But while running windows 7 in parallels, it tells me it needs to activate, and of course it will not because the hardware is different and it thinks it's another computer.
Click to expand...

You need to call the automated activation center for Microsoft and run through the activation procedure. Just be very careful to reply to "how many computers are you installing Windows 7 to?" with ONE.

Once activated in Parallels it will not need reactivation again and will not affect the activation in native Boot Camp either. They are both working fine for me.

The automated telephone activation center procedure is a little time consuming but a piece of cake to run through.
 
HappyCheese said:
I agree. Partitioning/installing using bootcamp and then using Parallels on top is the best way to go. Then windows takes up only one physical location on the HD. Just follow the steps for a bootcamp install, then install Parallels and you can tell it to boot windows right from the bootcamp image.
Click to expand...

And poster skunnykart wrote: "The way it works is that you do your normal Win 7 install in bootcamp and then in Parallels you set up a new VM and choose to run it off Bootcamp. The option to use bootcamp should be there when you setup your new virtual machine in Parallels."

I've set up Bootcamp and installed W7 (with Office*) on the "BOOTCAMP" drive that was created. I go to set up a new vm with Parallels and boot off the BOOTCAMP drive, but Parallels want me to either choose a physical CD/DVD or a choose a particular file path.

Do I now need to create a ISO disk image of my entire "BOOTCAMP" drive so I can select that ISO to boot from?

* Beside the fact that booting a vm right from the BOOTCAMP drive sounds most efficient, I also no longer have access to the Office product key, so this seems to be my only option if I want to use Office via Parallels running OS X.
 
Answering my own question

Hey Darrell*: Try clicking 'Skip Detection'; 'Continue'; then 'Custom'; then 'Continue' again and voila - "Boot Camp Partition" shows up as an option when creating a new vm. That'll solve your problem.
 
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