Snow Leopard and Parallels

Not sure what you are referring to, but Parallels works with Snow Leopard. Perhaps you need to upgrade to a newer version of Snow Leopard. If you are asking about running Snow Leopard in a Parallels VM, then you may only do so using Snow Leopard Server (one instance.) Running a Lion VM requires Parallels 7.x.

Apple originally restricted Parallels being used to run any version of OS X in a VM. With the emergence of Snow Leopard they allowed the Server version in a VM. Now with Lion they have consented to running one instance of Lion in a Parallels VM. So legally, you cannot run any client version of OS X prior to Lion in a VM.

Software Update under the Apple menu to 10.6.8, then go to Parallels and upgrade to their latest version compatible for 10.6.8 (likely a paid upgrade) and then rest easy.

10.6.8+ has security updates you need so you need to apply it.

However you don't need to upgrade to Lion 10.7 if you don't wish and a older machine I don't suggest doing so since it taxes your hardware and limits your software choices at this time. (some older 10.5 programs will NOT run!) Also 10.8 is rolling out this summer and that would very highly likely not work with your older machine, so might as stay with the faster 10.6.8 until it's time to buy new hardware.

http://roaringapps.com/apps:table

rjbp wrote:

I have just upgraded my I-Mac to Snow Leopard, so am now at 10.6.3. It appears that I can no longer use my Parallels virtual machine with 10.6.3: I am told that Apple does not permit Snow Leopard to be used in that way.

What this sounds like your saying is your trying to run 10.6.3 within Parallels within 10.6.3, basically 10.6.3 #2 is a host OS in Parallels. This is not allowed.

Your current problems stem from upgrading 10.5 to 10.6.3 and now you need to

1: Software update 10.6.3 to 10.6.8

then

2: Upgrade Parallels to their latest version compatible with 10.6.8 (this is why it won't work, it's the 10.5 compatible version)

3: Now you can install any operating system you want, except OS X. (OS X 10.6 server a exception)

You cannot run another copy of OS X (client) in Parallels as a host OS.

You can run Windows XP-Vista-7, many many Linux distros and others

Here's a nice one, looks like OS X

http://www.oslike.se/

tons of others here

http://distrowatch.com/

Windows requires a full retail disk though, no OEM versions.

I know the original post regards running an OS X virtual machine in Parallels, but just to clarify:

Windows installed under Parallels (up through version 6, at least) does NOT require a full retail disk.

I've used Parallels under OS X 10.5.x and 10.6.x, beginning with Parallels Version 3 through 6 (though not Version 7, the latest release), and successfully created Windows virtual machines from OEM Windows XP, Vista, and Windows 7 versions. That does not mean you can use the OEM disks that came with another (HP for example) Windows computer. I purchased the 'vanilla' OEM system disks from a reliable source of computer system components and software, TigerDirect.com

As I understand it, the only significant difference between OEM and 'full retail' versions of Windows is that OEM disks do not include any Microsoft support. It is assumed that the Original Equipment Manufacturer/system builder provides that support to users. OEM versions are priced significantly cheaper, as a result.

OEM disk also has a "maximum install" limitation, based on some hardware-change count (such as different CPUs). Once you have exceeded that count of changes, you need to beg MS personally to register again.

rjbp wrote:

use Parallels to run a virtual machine within my Mac on which to run a couple of Windows programs.

No problem.

my attempts to start Parallels are greeted with the response 'You can't use this version of the application Parallels Desktop.app with this version of Mac OS X'.

Exactly, you need to Software update to 10.6.8, then visit Parallels and find out what version you need to upgrade that software to work with 10.6.8.

Likely it's a paid upgrade, so be prepared for that.

I have now moved up to 10.6.8 (amazingly, the Snow Leopard upgrade takes you only to 10.6.3, which is falsely described on the box as 'new'),

10.6 is "new" OS X version/upgrade, at that time it was released, pressed into disks and mass produced boxes. 🙂

Software update brings you from 10.6.3 to 10.6.8 which the .3 or .8 at the end are merely updates and not a upgrade.

upgrading 10.5 to 10.6 is a upgrade

updating 10.6.3 to 10.6.8 is a update, 🙂

It appears, then, that I have to upgrade Parallels. Please can one of you kind people tell me which version of Parallels I should be moving to,

Don't know, you have to visit Parallels site and ask, I use VMFusion for a virtual machine program.

and why I would need a new OEM Windows disk to do it?

Don't need that, he was responding to my post.

Can I not simply upgrade the existing Parallels software without reloading the Windows OEM disk?

Yes if Windows is already installed in Parallels, simply updating the Parallels program should take the pre-existing Windows virtual machine file and use that like before.

With virtual machine software, other operating systems are simply files that are opened up by the program called Parallels, so newer versions of Parallels should almost always open older files it made.

As ds store clarified, your current Parallels/Windows virtual machine file should upgrade without problems, so there is absolutely no need to purchase a new WIndows disk. I wanted to clarify with him that an OEM Windows disk worked just as well as a full retail version for an initial installation.

Regarding which version of Parallels to purchase...

If you go online to Parallels, the current version of Parallels, (optimized to work with OS X Lion) is Parallels Desktop 7 for Mac. If you're on Parallels 5 (or newer), the upgrade to Parallels 7 is about $50 and you can download it right away. If you have a version of Parallels older than 5, they charge the full retail price of about $80. Full details at: http://www.parallels.com/products/desktop/

If you can find it, a Parallels v6 upgrade on CD works reliably. Parallels 6 was optimized for OS X 10.6 Snow Leopard. But, Parallels 6 upgrades are no longer sold at Parallels.com. I entered 'Parallels 6 upgrade' into a popular search engine and found online vendors selling it for as little as $30. Once you install Parallels 6, you can still download a free update to get to the latest release of Parallels 6, build 6.0.12106

It is also possible to purchase Parallels as part of a 'bundle' from time to time with many other Mac spps at a greatly reduced price. I paid $59 for a bundle of 10 items that included a full Parallels 6 license.