Windows XP Installation Not Working - HELP!!!

So, after successfully installing Parallels Desktop 3.0 build 4128 on a new MacBook Pro I went to install windows XP from and old CD that I had. This is my first time using a Mac or Parallels, so I used the express install and it when it goes into its Dos type boot up, it fails to boot up from the CD. I keep getting

Non-system disk or disk error
replace and press any key when ready
Boot from hard drive.....failed
Boot from CD/DVD drive....failed
Boot from floppy disk....

The windows CD is not scratched and I can see all the files on the CD when I open finder. Any ideas?

 

I spent many hours with this problem too and finally found this post from smelvis on this board:

1) Found Knowledge base article http://kb.parallels.com/entry/30/458/

2) Before, I tried installing from Disk Image using "Express" install. Article suggested using "Typical" install. That seemed to do the trick. XP is now up and (mostly) running.

 

The keys for me: current Parallels build and Windows image, rather than CD

FWIW, my experience was very similar. A half dozen unsuccessful attempts to install Windows XP on a new MacBook Pro running Leopard. In my case, they all failed quickly, after only about five minutes, as soon as I saw the message "Setup is starting Windows," followed by absolutely nothing happening.

Using this forum, I finally found and implemented what worked for me.

The keys:

1. Updating my Parallels 3.0 software to the current build (5600). Though just recently purchased, my copy of the software was apparently not current.

2. Creating an image of the Windows XP disk, following the instructions in the Knowledge Base article referenced earlier, and installing Windows from that image, rather than from the CD.

One thing different for me: the Knowledge Base instructions call for using the image, once created, in a "Typical" rather than "Express" install process in Parallels. For me, that did not work. As soon as the Windows installation began, there was a screen requiring acceptance of a license agreement by pressing F8; F8 on my laptop did not work, nor did any of the modifier key combinations I tried with it (perhaps just my ignorance of laptop key combinations), so I was stuck.

So I tried one more time, again using the XP disk image, but this time as an "Express" installation and -- finally! -- it worked.

Initially a very frustrating experience, especially for those of us accustomed to uneventful Mac software installs. Hope everyone else will eventually find what they need for this to work for them, too...

 

Worked - thanks Tom

I bashed on this for a week using two different WinXP disks before I found your post. Worked like a charm. I just used all default settings in Express install mode, so it was making the disk image that did it for me.

Thanks!
Tom

 

This post was extremely helpful for me also. I, too, couldn't get the F8 key to work and found that the "Express" method worked just fine. What's odd is that I was able to install Windows from the CD originally on my Macbook Pro, but after uninstalling it and reinstalling it on a shared user desktop, I had to go the disk image route.