Restore Windows disk (used Redo Backup - similar to Norton Ghost) to Parallels

Redo Backup creates its own operating system on a CD. Once created I booted from the CD and backed up my BootCamp Windows partition. I reformatted my entire hard drive and installed Mac OS X Lion. Rather than use BootCamp, I would like to use Parallels; I installed the most recent version. Is there a way to boot from my CD within Parallels to restore my Windows OS? It does not seem to be possible, but I thought I would still ask. If not possible, I will go ahead and re-install Windows and related software, and restore my data (backed up traditionally).

 

It wouldn't have been simpler to use the migrate Bootcamp partition to VM function in Parallels prior to the upgrade (it does exactly what you want). You can still do it, but now you have to create the bootcamp partition first, restore backup, the open Parallels and Migrate it to a VM (this is different from importing, where you still use the Bootcamp partition in Parallels, this in turn copies Bootcamp to a virtual disk).

You can also try to run the restore backup on a new VM, create a new VM, Windows based but specify the Redo Backup disk as the source for the OS.

 

Thank you for your suggestions. Unfortunately, I did not fully understand the ramifications of the limitations of the two versions of Bootcamp prior to beginning my transition to Windows 7 project. I knew that Snow Leopard with Bootcamp 3 does not support Windows 7. So I purchased Lion with Bootcamp 5 that does support Windows 7. I did not know that Bootcamp 5 does not support Windows XP. So now I cannot use Bootcamp 5 to run XP, over which I was going to install Windows 7.

So I took another look at Parallels for a solution. I tried your suggestions of two VMs. I was able to install the Redo Backup OS in one partition. but the Redo Backup program did not find the external hard drive, to which XP, programs and data were backed up.

So I have decided to install Windows 7 directly to a Parallels partition, re-install my third party software, and restore my data (also backed up traditionally). My not so bright idea did not result in a short cut after all.

Don

 

Did not find your external drive? That was your only problem?

That really has a very simple solution in Parallels 9, if the drive is connected via USB/Firewire/Thunderbolt (or USB in versions prior to 9) you just go to the devices menu in Parallels in the top bar and connect the device to the virtual machine.

 

Hmm, my external USB drive is connected and appears on the desktop. However, the choices under the Parallels Device tab are as follows:
CD/DVD 1
Network 1
Floppy Disk
Sound
Sharing
Keyboard

Could this be a limitation of the trial version?

 

There are no limitations in the trial except the duration.

I'm referring to this menu:


The USB should appear there whilst the VM is running.

 

My menu does not indicate the USB menu. I wonder if the problem is the way it is formatted. When I look at the files in Mac, I do see the files, so it is not empty. I have tried physically attaching it two or three times. I also tried each of the USB ports. I will install the free Chrome OS and see if the device is recognized. If recognized in Chrome, I will know it is a problem with the OS used by Redo Backup.

 

Using Chrome OS I do get the menu External Devices > ATI/ATIPI bridge. So it must be the Redo Backup OS. I will contact them to see if there is a solution. In any case, I have learned a lot from you all. Thank you for everything.