Lost Virtual Machine after Reboot?

I have run into an issue where after some patches were installed, and I rebooted both my computer and virtual machine I am greeted with the initial setup and install window?

I am using Parallels for Mac 3.0, Build 5608 on a MacBook Pro, with 2GB of RAM, and a 160GB HD. I run Parallels simultaneously with Mac side, particularly with 2 or 3 pieces of Adobe CS3 running.

The problem happened after a couple of Service Pack updates pushed to my VM from my company's IT deployment over my VPN. The updates ran, updated and rebooted the system. After the second patch ran the VM was running incredibly slow, so I quit Parallels, and rebooted the MacBook Pro. When I was rebooted and up and running again, I launched Parallels only to be greeted with the installation / startup screen, as though I'd never installed.

Roughly the same thing happened about 4 weeks ago, when I wasted 4 days doing clean reinstalls about 3 times in a row before I got something to work. Since then, while slow it has been working fine.

The XP I am running is a custom VM that is deployed by the EDS for my company.

Admittedly my knowledge and strength is on the Mac side and I am at a loss what to do. And I absolutely do not want to waste another couple of days re-installing from scratch again, if this is only going to happen again down the road.

This is getting so frustrating that I am considering uninstalling Parallels, and just using the corporate Webmail. As all I use it for is the VPN connection to the corporate Outlook Mail.

 

But why you believe that problem is on Parallels Side?
I believe that force quit Mac OS,caused File system corruption, and thus virtual disk deletion

 

Is it common practice in your technical support to wash your hands of the problem and point at something outside your realm of control as the problem? If you re-read my post, you will see why I think it is Parallels…

It would be fine and dandy if I HAD force quit, but if you read my post, you'll see, I said "VM was running incredibly slow, so I quit Parallels". As in, the program was running slow, so I went to the Parallels, Menu, and selected "Quit". Then I shut down my computer and rebooted. All in the proper manner.

Furthermore, when I reboot, every other piece of software on the MacBook Pro is running fine. However when I launch Parallels, it thinks I've never run it before and wants me to start from square one and install the VM.

When everything else is running fine and your software is the only piece not working, I am not sure I am that erroneous to assume it is the culprit. But certainly I am open to suggestions.

Am I to assume the only solution right now is to reinstall everything again, fresh and wait for the next time it does this again?

I have a folder of snapshots and a winxp.hdd that are remnants of the previously working system. However all I can do when I launch Parallels as I mention is run through the steps in the Installation Assistant.

 

"After the second patch ran the VM was running incredibly slow, so I quit Parallels, and rebooted the MacBook Pro"
This string pointed me to fact that you force rebooted Mac
There is no technical support over here, only willingness to help each others, we to users, users to Parallels Team to point to bugs, problems, features users wants to see in our product
You can create ticket in support and let me know id, you will be asked additional information, and I suppose support will be able to find cause of problem

 

Are there any known issues with Service Pack updates that basically kill a VM?

As well, what would cause the program to think it is starting from install? s there some preference file that could have corrupted that I can simply delete and then be back up and running?

 

Only with SP3 if it is installed from Parallels , and only in case it is Boot Camp based VM

 

So... am I following you right, the SP3 (I think) was the update that was being installed just prior to this going squirrelly. I had Parallels running and the auto update feature kicked in and ran its course. After that, was when I was left with an inoperable VM on reboot.

If this is improper way to to do the SP3 update, how do I prevent it, and how do I do that update properly?

 

Just to clarify, only in case if you Boot Camp installed and use it as VM
and we have article how to repair this problem http://kb.parallels.com/en/5447
Please note, this is answer to question
Is there any problem with Windows updates

 

Boot Camp installed? Nope.

Wouldn't using Boot Camp remove the need for Parallels? It was my understanding that in order to use Boot Camp I have to boot out of Mac OSX and launch XP as a stand alone. I need to be able to use both platforms simultaneously, which was why we chose Parallels.

I have never used this VM in the context of Boot Camp. I don't even think Boot Camp is installed, unless it resides somewhere hidden in the system and installed by default.

 

In this case there is no restrictions for installing updates in Parallels VM