Is Windows XP recommended with Parallels?

I am awaiting delivery of my new Mac Pro. I want to configure it with Parallels. I have a 2002 version of Windows XP Home Edition. Will this work with Parallels? At this point there is only 1 program that I want to run in Windows. If this version of Windows works, I would rather use it than purchase a new, later version of Windows. Thanks in advance --

 

Windows XP Home Edition is a compatible guest OS.
http://www.parallels.com/products/desktop/resources/sr/

Someone just posted that they are having problems with Parallels Desktop and the new Mac Pro (Mid 2010).
http://forum.parallels.com/showthread.php?t=103727

 

Thank you joe-- It looks like my older XP Home edition will work. The system requirements did raise a question, though. It reads,

Virtual Machine Installation — Hard drive space allocation for virtual machines is dependent upon the guest operating system. 15 GB of available hard drive space is recommended per virtual machine for Windows and Linux.

15 GB of hd per VM; what does this mean? How many virtual machines do I need to account for? What is a virtual machine, anyway?

Regarding the other link about mid 2010 Mac Pro problems, it appears those difficulties are limited to the new 12 core Mac Pro. I am awaiting a quad core, so hopefully it will not pertain to me.

 

A virtual machine is like a computer that exists only as files on your Mac. The files tell what kind of virtual hardware the virtual machine has (graphics, network adapter, CPUs, memory, etc.). The virtual machine includes a virtual hard drive that you'll install Windows or any other OS on.

You can have as many virtual machines as you want (I have about 10 for 10 different OS's). Each virtual machine can have as many virtual hard drive as you want (usually just one for the OS but you could have data drives or multiple OS's on the same virtual machine - and the virtual hard drives can be partitioned like real hard drives). Basically you can have any drive setup in a virtual machine that you can have on a real machine.

You will probably have only 1 virtual machine with 1 virtual hard drive that contains 1 OS (Windows XP Home). The virtual hard drive will be something like 60 GB (whatever you choose) expanding disk type. An expanding disk type means only used information is saved to your real hard drive. When you install the OS the virtual hard drive might take 10 GB on your real hard drive. As you install more software it will grow but all this time the virtual machine will think it's a 60 GB hard drive.

 

Hi,
1-step to actually installing an OS is to insert the Windows install CD (DVD, actually) into your computer,
2-then push the "play" button (rightward-facing triangle) in Parallels to start up the program with the new VM system. 3-The system will prompt for a Parallels Desktop license code (which you did remember to request, right?).
4-Enter that, and after a minute or two, your screen will look like this as you're welcomed to the Windows XP Setup program:
Thank you



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Steve, Joe, thanks for your replies. I ordered Parallels Desktop 5 for Mac and am hoping that your explanations/instructions become more easily understood upon installing. Right now it seems somewhat confusing. Is there information that I can read or a tutorial that I can take that will explain and demonstrate how this works? My Mac Pro is expected to arrive today or tomorrow.

Thanks again!

 

Hi,
there is a link given below where you can get the information and help about parellel desktop for windows and mac. I hope it will help you. Thank you.

http://download.parallels.net/doc/Windows_Express_Installation.pdf



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The latest documentation is at:
http://www.parallels.com/products/desktop/resources/documentation/

The Parallels Desktop help menu includes most of the above in html format.