Bootcamp and Parallels

I tried doing a search in the forums but couldn't quite what I was looking for, so I apologize if this has already been covered.

What is the proper way to use a bootcamp drive as both a bootable drive and a Parallels VM? Am I doing something wrong? Whenever I boot into my drive, I get a very different experience than when I boot into my Virtual Machine. Hardware differences, driver differences, ect... I understand the reasonings behind using my full system when I boot in natively, but even changes I make in a boot session don't translate back to my Parallels experience.

Example: When I shut down my natively booted (hold option, choose Windows) session and OSX comes up and I open my VM through Parallels, it freaks out and says it wasn't used correctly and demands to reset to last known working settings and all my work from the previous session is lost.

Is there a way to streamline the two experiences? DO I maybe have to install them differently to tell Parallels I want to use Windows in both ways? Maybe I need to understand more of how these two types of usages are setup... Can someone help me out please?

 

Hi,
I have done this a few times and it is EXTREMELY simply with the new Parallels Desktop 8. It runs really smooth both virtualized and native.

I'll just run over my setup fast, so we are on the same page.

I have a MBP 13" (late 2011) with Intel Mobile 3000 GPU, and i7 2.8GHz (4 cores) CPU.
I also dug into my laptop to give it 16GB of RAM, and a dual harddrive setup of 128GB Agility 4 SSD, and the standard 750GB Harddrive. To achieve this I removed the DVD Super Drive and moved the slower HDD there.
My partition setup is one partition on the 128GB SSD which contains OS X and Applications (no user folders). A partition on the HDD that is 650GB that contains only the User folders, and one 100GB parition on my HDD that contains a bootable Windows 8 that can boot native or with Parallels.

I am sure less powerful setups will also be able to run this smooth, but I suggest 8GB of RAM, and that windows gets at least 100GB parition for good measures (It is really picky and bug you when It run out of space).


So here is a walkthorugh, but remember I am sitting without access to my own computer writing this, so improvements may be made later to make this fool proof.

1. Partition setup
Run the Boot Camp Assistant (run it from spotlight or find it in Applications/Utility). This is the easiest way to setup an extra partition with Windows in mind. I also think this wizard flags the partition as bootable and it does give you the ability to download the drivers "to an external drive" but we are going to misuse this feature.


Things to note, You want to give Windows at least 100GB of space. It is really picky when it runs out. And Windows 7 uses a lot of space just by it self. For instance if you give it 50GB it will start nagging you for free space very fast (depending on what you install). Also if you have problems re-sizing the disk, try to do it with the Disk Utility first, and Google around for solutions to fixing this with Disk Utility. I might elaborate on this more in an updated instruction.

You want to check the box that says you want to download drivers. Also select that you want to download them to en external drive. Don't care to find an external drive, we are taking an easier solution! When it asks you to select an external drive, select your home folder. It will not ruin your home folder or your partition. We need the files for later. Don't chose another place to save these, as some other places will give you an error, in case you do try and it gives you this error you can re run the Boot Camp Assistant and only download the drivers.

Also don't restart if it asks you for this We are installing the OS with Parallels so we can watch YouTube and stream videos to our TV while that boring install runs.

2. Making the Virtual Machine
This is the part where you usually get a cup of coffee, but now you can do Mac stuff while you install

Open up Parallels Desktop 8 for Mac, if you are not prompted to make a new machine, do so by pressing the "+" button or File->New.

Select the "Use Windows from Boot Camp"

I know this might not be an available option, but I can't run this trough my head without access to my mac. But It should be available if you do not have a virtual machine already that you made using this. So you might want to try to uninstall this machine if you don't get this option.

So from what I remember, this is no hocus pocus, just press here, maybe next a few times and you have your machine. I do not know if it asks you for an install DVD I don't think so, any case, no problem.
When your Boot Camp is in your Parallels Virtual Machines list you can right click it and Configure"

In the General Tab, you can rename it. I call mine "My Boot Camp" for some reason.
I have selected that my machine can use all of my 4 cores, since I might want to game without rebooting.
I gave my machine access to 8 of my 16 GB of RAM, this will give a warning you can ignore this warning if you have 16 or 12GB of RAM and allocate 8GB for the Virtual Machine.

The options tab has more options. Ill run trough the once I can remember and think is important.

Startup and Shutdown, you can do anything here, select what you want. I like the Full Screen view btw, long story but then its fast to switch between windows and mac

Optimization has a few tricks, I have Faster Virtual Machine, and all options for this checked, and better performance for battery, and no compression on the disk.

Security, don't remember whats here, don't think it is important. Probably do what you want.

Backup, I don't use a Time Machine, so I have this disabled.

Sharing, I have home folder only, does not matter really but I prefer this. Don't remember the rest here.

Applications, I don't like this feature, and it leaves traces when you boot native to this partition so I have everything disabled here. If you want you can change this

Coherence, I like fullscreen so I have all options off here except the one that allows windows apps to opp into full screen.

Full Screen, Here I have selected that I want to use OS X Lion or Mountain Lion's full screen feature (its awesome) and no active screen corners.

Modality, don't remember.

Advance, I have SmartMouse of because it bugs some 3D games, I suggest you have it on if you don't want to play games. And Copy Paste things are enabled.

The hard ware tab is much less work to do.
Make sure CD/DVD is first in Boot Order
Select your Windows 7 or 8 install DVD image (if you have a physical DVD put it into your Mac and select it).


3. Installing the OS
This is for Windows 7 or 8. I suggest 8 here, there are multiple horrible changes to its predecessor, but I'll go trough workarounds with the drivers. And for Thor Odinsons sake, please install the 64bit edition (not the 32bit also called x86). We want to move away from 32bit, and do your bit (bit get it?) by shunning people who run 32bit and never use it your self. I was so sad when Windows 7 actually had a 32bit option at all.

So in the last step you selected the install image as in the DVD drive. Thus boot the machine and it will start with and I am paraphrasing "Press any key to boot from DVD". So click on the machine screen with the mouse, you will see that the computer has grabbed your mouse and keyboard since the cursor vanished. Troughtout the setup before driver install Parallels will hook your keyboard and mouse when using the virtual machine, to temporarily jump back to being able to interact with OS X, press Ctrl+Alt on your keyboard. Click the virtual machine to jump back to that again.

Now press a key on your keyboard before "Press any key to boot from DVD" is finished.

Go trough the setup, I am guessing you are able to install windows, I will just point out the options I can remember specifically for now. Might update this guide later.

Please select 64 bit if you have the option here, it will increase performance in the virtual machine and when running native. If you do not have a combined disc, you will have to chose the right disc, reboot the machine with the right disc if you have to.

When you get to disc setup, select manual. I think the bootcamp part was set up as "Unnalocated space", if not it will come up as NTFS or FAT drive. If you have more than 1 of such drives, check the size of them to see which one is yours for the taking. Create new if it was not allocated, or format the already made one if it was already made. If it gives you the option select NTFS, personally I hate this partition format, but it is better than FAT, and Windows wont install on EXT4, or HFS volumes like Linux or Mac respectively.

It will do its part and it will reboot, hallelujah they fixed the progress bug in Windows 8 that has plagued me since Vista and also in Win7.

You might be prompted to reboot the machine, select yes if it does not do it automagically.

Don't remove the DVD yet, but ignore the boot from DVD this time over. ( I know its so unnintuetive to install Windows)

It will get you to a second setup, which you have to complete, since the last time was actually just the setup for the setup, so idiotic.

Now just select what ever here. Of course if you borrowed this disc from a pirate you don't want to have automatic updates.



So when your making an account for your Windows 8, I think the best way to do this is to make an online account which requires you to type your email address, this unlocks a few extra features in Windows 8, which includes the Windows App Store.

The only problem part I can remember is that I could not make an @ before I installed the drivers. This may be due to I'm using a Norwegian Keyboard, or not. If you have this problem there is a quick fix. Press Ctrl+Alt to go to OS X again, and press "Parallels Desktop" in the top bar and "Preferences..." Select the Shortcuts tab and the + button. Now make a shortcut for @. I used Ctrl+Alt+2 as a shortcut for @. I deleted it later as it was only needed till the drivers was installed.

After a few questions later (and a reboot?) and you are inside Windows.

4. Next post!

 

4. Drivers and other setup
This part will contain some essential and some unnesential parts.

Essential1: installing Parallels drivers.
This is easy, with windows running in a window, enter the desktop by pressing the desktop tile. now press Ctrl+Alt again to go to Mac, and in the top bar, select "Virtual Machine" and Install Parallels Tools (it might be called Reinstall Parallels tools". With Windows default settings you should get a poppup that asks you what you want to do. Select you want to run the setup. Go trough the setup and reboot the machine. When it has been Rebooted it is ready to run as a virtual machine, before you turn it off to go to the next step, go to your Home Folder on your mac, and drag and drop a folder called "WindowsSupport" over to your Windows destop (press the windows desktop tile if necessary first). When it has finished copying power down your Virtual machine.

Essential2: Reboot your mac, and hold the Alt button while you do so. You will now be given the option to select your Windows partition. When it has finished booting click on your desktop tile and the WindowsSupport folder. Then run the setup.exe Now you are essentially done, but there are more. Reboot also required here, and you need to remember that you must enter your wireless network password for internet in native boot. Note one thing also, the Boot Camp drivers you just installed are not updated for Windows 8, but you need them anyway. They will probably be updated for Win8 within a few months. You need them any way still

Unnessential!!:
The Windows Start button is missing and the even though the Metro desktop is pretty its unbearable to use as the main menu without touch. And also Apples trackpad drivers for windows sucks sideways footballs.

I tried multiple start menu alternative, and there was pretty once and amazing once, but only one was stable, so I use that one. http://classicshell.sourceforge.net/ Install it, feel free to select all other or none other of the features you can get from the Classic Shell installation. You can get into settings for classic shell and do lots of stuff or change theme by right clicking on it and press settings.

Boot right to desktop, I tried lots of different methods here too. Lots of them did not work, and those who did booted first to Metro, then took a while to automatic opp into the desktop (UGLY)... But I found one way that was good
In Classic Shell settings (see above), you can select boot to desktop If you don't want Classic shell, but want boot to desktop, you can get it as I said with lag. The best way of these was to add a shortcut to file to the startup folder. You can google around to find instructions

The trackpad drivers apple supply are horrible, so you can get TrackPad++ from http://trackpad.powerplan7.com/ Be sure to double check if your Mac is supported.

Other 3rd party drivers: Depending on your setup and your needs you might gain from installing other third party drivers or hacks. Need to update this section later.