Use Windows 7 system image to convert Virtual Machine to Bootcamp

[killerbee79]

Hi all,

I'm taking an opportunity that just came up to upgrade to a 15" i7 Macbook Pro and wanted to run something by the community here.

I currently run Windows 7 under Parallels 5 only and would love to convert to a bootcamp so I can run Windows 7 under both Bootcamp and Parallels. I know from my research some say this is impossible.

But I just thought of something and thought maybe someone else tried this.

Windows 7 has a backup/restore feature that can make a system disk image. So I was thinking of trying that. Uninstalling the Parallels tools then creating a disk image. Then making my Bootcamp partition and copying my disk image created earlier onto that partition.

What do you think? Will it work? I'm not exactly knowledgeable about such things with Windows.

I would love to forgo the hassle of starting from scratch on Windows 7.

 

[bward24601]

Boot Camp

I think it might be possible but you would have to install the Boot Camp instance first. You might also have to fool around and manually partition your hard drive.

I hope you have a huge hard drive because that's going to eat up a ton of space. I wouldn't even attempt it if you have less than 500gb.

 

[stillageek]

I plan on doing something similar. I have Windows 7 via Bootcamp on one Macbook Pro. I have a Windows Home Server that can fully restore an entire Windows installation over the network. I'm hoping to restore my Windows 7 install to my new Macbook Pro I5.

 

[killerbee79]

my only worry about my described technique is that the hardware is going to be different than what Windows 7 currently knows. Right now since it is only a Parallels VM it sees my 2.0 Ghz C2D and a virtual disk using Parallels drivers. Same for video too.

When I attempt my technique all the hardware will change and I'm unsure in Windows will like that.

One caveat I found in my research. The Windows 7 Backup/Restore feature that can make the system image and restore will bring the HD it is restoring to look exactly the same as the one it backed up from. So it might change my partition?

Who knows. Better to have experimented than not have tried at all.

 

[xi mezmerize ix]

I have no idea how to do this. I just use my bootcamp partition in vmware and it runs fine. Your idea seems to be the easiest way to do it...if itll work.

 

[Darth.Titan]

my only worry about my described technique is that the hardware is going to be different than what Windows 7 currently knows. Right now since it is only a Parallels VM it sees my 2.0 Ghz C2D and a virtual disk using Parallels drivers. Same for video too.

When I attempt my technique all the hardware will change and I'm unsure in Windows will like that.

I can guarantee Windows will not like that. It would be akin to removing the boot drive from one computer and trying to use it on a completely different computer. You can expect driver issues as well as your Windows activation failing due to the perceived hardware changes.