how to boot with boot camp and parallels?

Question

how to boot with boot camp and parallels?

I am a mac newbie and I need to have a windows side to my machine because I use some software that doesn't exist for mac. I partitioned the drive using boot camp giving 32 GB to the windows side. I then installed parallels. The systems run in coherence mode. I am not sure, and can't find the appropriate information on exactly how and in what order these systems should be booted and shut down. The computer boots to the mac side by default. I then launch Parallels Desktop 4x. At this point I get what seems to be an error message about booting the virtual machine from inside boot camp and that reactivating Windows and MS Office is necessary. I'm assuming I'm doing something wrong, and would appreciate any help.

MacBook Pro 15", Mac OS X (10.5.6), Bootcamp and Parallels with Vista

Posted on Jan 14, 2009 5:22 PM

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Answer 1

capaho

Level 4

3,677 points

Jan 14, 2009 5:30 PM in response to meredithpayne

Boot Camp is a boot loader, it allows you to run your computer using Windows rather than OS X. To use it to boot into Windows, hold down the "option" key as the computer starts (or restarts) and wait for the boot menu to come up, then select the Windows partition.

Parallels is a virtual machine, essentially a software computer running as an application in OS X. To start Windows in Parallels, open Parallels and then select the Windows virtual machine.

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Answer 2

Jan 14, 2009 10:14 PM in response to meredithpayne

I suggest you post in the Boot Camp forum:

http://discussions.apple.com/category.jspa?categoryID=237

It sounds like Windows thinks it is installed on two different computers. I believe both Parallels and VMWare Fusion (which I have) allow virtualized access to a Boot Camp installation, but I don't know the details. It's probably more of a Parallels question, but surely someone in the Boot Camp forum will be able to answer you.

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Answer 3

capaho

Level 4

3,677 points

Jan 15, 2009 12:33 AM in response to meredithpayne

At this point I get what seems to be an error message about booting the virtual machine from inside boot camp and that reactivating Windows and MS Office is necessary. I'm assuming I'm doing something wrong, and would appreciate any help.

That's normal. When you install Windows, it creates an installation ID that is derived from the product key and the hardware signature of the computer upon which it is installed. The hardware signature is different between Boot Camp, which is a native install, and Parallels, which is a virtual machine. You will need an additional installation ID for the Parallels installation, which you will have to get by calling Microsoft.

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Answer 4

Jan 19, 2009 12:27 PM in response to capaho

Thank you. I have migrated my question to the boot camp discussion board.

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