Cannot create VM from or Import Boot Camp. Period.

I have Catalina 10.15.3, latest Parallels version on a 1 TB OWC Aura drive in a mid 2014 15" rMBP.

I've got Boot Camp running, having imported its clone from my previous Apple 500 GB HD, via Winclone, on a 200 GB partition.

Boot Camp itself runs in active mode perfectly. I can toggle from Legacy to EFI boot mode and back in Boot Camp, and both will boot up on my MBP in either mode. I have used Winclone clones of Boot Camp in the past with no difficulty when I had Mojave and earlier, and have always been able to create a Parallels VM or import Boot Camp into a standalone VM without difficulty.

IOW, there are two new variables: Catalina and the OWC Aura drive.

The Winclone people say that this is no problem with their Boot Camp clones, or at least nothing they can figure out with respect to the VMs. And again, the native Boot Camp itself from their clone works perfectly, just like Boot Camp installed from Apple does.

I've tried all sorts of hardware configurations in Parallels, like EFI and various options in the Windows error screens, all to no avail. All I get is one of these two screens.


So--does anyone have any idea as to the cause of this? Or how to get around it?

If Parallels says it is a Winclone problem, and Winclone says it is a Parallels problem, isn't there some way the two developers could get together and figure it out? Or maybe someone in this forum can do it.

 

I don't think Catalina supports 32 bit systems...

 

I didn't notice that it said system32, or at least I didn't think about it. Maybe that's a clue. But so far as I know, everything I have is 64 bit. Parallels is 64 bit, and my Windows is supposed to be 64 bit Windows 10. How do I figure that out in the native Windows in my Boot Camp (which is working fine)?

 

I am not sure if this is your issue it is just something I notice in your photo: in your windows boot camp you want to go to control panel > system and security > system in the middle of the page it will tell you if your system is 32 bit or 64 bit

 

I checked. In Settings, it says it is 64 bit.

I just created a new Boot Camp via Catalina, de novo, and it works fine with Parallels. So, there is obviously something wrong with the Boot Camp file that I have in an image from Winclone, and not an inherent problem with Parallels.

I also have a saved, imported, freestanding Parallels VM that I had created earlier under Mojave, and it has all the data, apps, etc from my previous Boot Camp, so I'll probably just use that instead of my new, bare bones, Windows 10 Boot Camp. There doesn't appear to be any way to backup the applications and data from the freestanding VM and restore them to the Boot Camp partition.

Or do you know a way to do that? I have a Windows backup program, Aonis Pro, and a USB drive formatted with MSDOS32, but there's no obvious way for the VM to communicate with that external drive.

 

Interesting stuff to read. Keep it up.

 

It sounds like you're running into issues with Parallels recognizing or booting your Boot Camp partition in Catalina, particularly on the OWC Aura drive. Here are some considerations and troubleshooting steps to help resolve the issue:

Key Issues:

1. Catalina's APFS Updates: Catalina introduced new changes, including read-only system partitions and updates to APFS. These can affect how Boot Camp and VMs interact with your setup.
2. Parallels Compatibility: While Parallels supports Boot Camp, compatibility issues might arise with Catalina or third-party drives like the OWC Aura.
3. Winclone Cloning Issues: While Winclone claims their clones work well, differences in the hardware or drive configuration might introduce issues.

Troubleshooting Steps:
1. Check Drive Configuration

• Ensure your Boot Camp partition is properly formatted and located where Parallels expects it. Catalina's changes might make the Boot Camp partition harder for Parallels to detect.
• Use Disk Utility to verify the Boot Camp partition and ensure there are no errors.

2. Recreate the Parallels VM from Boot Camp

• Instead of using a Winclone clone, try directly importing your current Boot Camp partition into Parallels.
• Open Parallels and choose File > New > Use Boot Camp.
• If this option isn't available or doesn't work, ensure the Boot Camp partition is mounted and visible.

3. Check Parallels Configuration

• EFI Mode: Ensure Parallels is set to use EFI mode when creating the VM.
• RAM and CPU Allocation: Assign adequate resources (at least 2 CPUs and 4 GB RAM).
• Hard Drive Configuration: Confirm the hard drive in the VM settings points to the Boot Camp partition.

4. Update Software

• Ensure you're running the latest version of:
  • Parallels Desktop
  • macOS Catalina (10.15.3 is somewhat outdated; consider updating to the latest patch if possible)
  • Winclone (if used in the cloning process).

5. Use Safe Mode in the VM

• Boot the VM in Safe Mode:
  • Hold Shift while starting the Windows VM.
• If this works, the issue might be related to drivers or system configurations.

6. Test Without OWC Aura Drive

• If possible, test Boot Camp and Parallels with the original Apple SSD to determine if the OWC Aura drive is introducing incompatibilities.

If All Else Fails:
1. Recreate Boot Camp Without Winclone

• If the issue seems related to Winclone, consider reinstalling Windows directly on your Boot Camp partition and then importing it into Parallels.

2. Reach Out to Parallels and Winclone Support

• Provide detailed logs from Parallels (Help > Send Technical Data) and describe the issue.
• Contact Winclone and request assistance verifying the integrity of your Boot Camp partition and its compatibility.

3. Use Virtualization-Only Windows

• If running Boot Camp in Parallels proves too complicated, consider creating a standalone Windows VM without relying on Boot Camp.

The issue seems to stem from a combination of Catalina's changes, the OWC Aura drive, and potential conflicts between Parallels and the cloned Boot Camp partition. Systematically working through the steps above should help narrow down the problem and find a solution. If the issue persists, collaborating with both Parallels and Winclone support teams is likely the best course of action.