Trying to boot from SATA Drive 1...

I have now spent at least 18 hours trying to resolve this issue, and I am now going around in circles reading the same forums posts to resolve the issue and getting nowhere fast.

Trying to install new Windows 10 VM (I already have another Windows 10 VM which works fine).

I have done the various 'fixes' to resolve the issue including the vm.bios.efi=1 solution (didn't work); tried using vm.bios.efi=0 (didn't work ether), even tried vm.bios.efi=2, vm.bios.efi=3, vm.bios.efi=etc, etc (didn't work) rebuilding the MBR, fixboot, etc, etc (didn't work). I have created the Windows VM on USB HDD with Windows Firewall off, Windows Firewall on (no difference). Seen posts about playing around with HDD location in Hardware from SATA 0:1 to 0:2, 0:3, 0:4 etc. No difference. Run SFC /scannow - no issues.

I've gone thru' the guidance on trying to get into 'Repair you computer'. Can't get into Advanced Boot Options (F8) no matter how many times I repeatedly press F8.

I am on Parallel 15, and macOS Mojave. Windows 10 is completely up to date. The laptop I am transferring from was originally Windows 7 and updated to Windows 10 when it was given out free.

I don't know if this is important but when I run DISKPART and list disk, Disk 0 comes up and when I do list vol, I get Volume 0 (Ltr D) DVD-Rom; Volume 1 (No Ltr) System Reserved and Volume 2 (Ltr 2) Acer (which is the Windows and Files are stored). I don't have any other disks installed. However, when I run Disk Management, I also have a 14GB Recovery Partition showing on Disk 0 Partition 1, which doesn't appear when I run List Vol in DISKPART.

Anybody offer any advice or a solution which works for them.

 

Hi are you using Parallels transfer agent? That would be the best way to transfer your entire laptop and create a vm out of it.
Instructions:
https://kb.parallels.com/en/123929?_ga=2.20425339.212709051.1582026590-2064728048.1581074788

 

Yes, I am using the transfer agent. Tried it around 4 times after doing various 'fixes' with laptop around boot manager, etc, believing it could be corrupted boot drive and also running sfc /scannow. I have found all the various historic posts in this forum suggesting solutions and nothing has worked.

I am now looking at VirtualBox.

 

The one thing you should check is if your original windows 7 laptop was an OEM copy. If it was this is why you cannot transfer it and create a working vm.
IMPORTANT: OEM Windows operating systems may not work with Parallels Desktop after you migrate them to virtual machines. OEM operating systems are only distributed when they are sold with computers. The best example of an OEM operating system is the copy of Windows that comes pre-installed when you buy a new PC.

 

Thanks - which is a curious thing because I already have an existing VM from another Windows 10 laptop that originally came with Windows 7 and was upgraded to W10 when Microsoft were giving it out free a few years ago, and setting up that laptop worked seamlessly when I moved it to Parallels. That was also an OEM copy of Windows.

To be honest, I really don't think Windows has anything to do with it. I can't even get that far for it to boot into Windows as it can't get passed the 'Trying to boot from SATA 1' issues,, and no matter how many times and I try the several different so called fixes that are spread over these forums, none have worked for me. I've therefore downloaded and installed VirtualBox on to my Mac and that is now quote happily running the VM. I have even re-activated Windows 10 OS which I had to do because the VM said I was installing the OS onto a new PC, which is probably technically correct.

In some ways, wished I'd known about Virtual Box sooner as I probably would not have spent my money on Parallel 14 and then paying out to upgrade to 15. I suppose we live and learn.