64bit Windows install issues

I am evaluating between Parallels 8 and VMware 5. I have my Microsoft Volume License key for Windows 7, with almost 50 activations left.

So far, on 2010 Mac Pro with 12GB memory and 1TB drive, a 2012 Mac Mini with 8GB memory and 500GB drive, and on a mid-2012 Macbook Pro with 4GB memory and a 500GB drive Parallels has failed to successfully install Windows 7 Pro x64 and gives me an invalid key error. 5 attemps, one on the Mac Pro, 2x on both the other Macs. I am using my now-running-out-of-time 14-day trials (one each for each machine).

I am / was leaning towards Parallels; but VMware is quickly gaining the edge. If I can't install within this 14 day trial, VMware will get the nod.

After Paralles failures, I was able to succesfully install on each of the Macs using VMware Fusion 5, the first time I tried, on both the Mac Mini and the Macbook Pro. Just to check the license, I set up Windows on a clean hard drive on a PC. I even successfully installed Windows using Bootcamp on the Macbook Pro, and the Windows 7 license worked on the first attempt (i.e. the key works in EVERY situation but installing within Parallels Desktop 8). I have not tried Parallels 7; but being forced to use an older version would probably be a deal killer also.

Just FYI - I just sold my Managed Services business in January where I had hundreds of Macs and thousands of Windows PCs paying every month for my support.

The humorous side of this this, is that after successfully installing with VMware, Parallels successfully converted one of my VM's over - so I can run Windows 7 Pro x64 in Parallels, I would just have to get a trial key, install using VMware, and then convert - not a pretty long term solution.

Any help is appreciated. If I don't have success by the end of my trial period, I will buying a regular license for my
"30 day" trial for VMWare Fusion 5.

 

Hi,
thank you for feedback, we do appreciate it!
To investigate the issue we need some technical information, so could you please reproduce it, send us Problem Report as described in http://kb.parallels.com/en/9058 and give me an ID?

Thanks in advance,
Hanna

 

Sent. id number
17968121

Thank you for your help.
Kerry

 

What was the solution here? I'm also finding it impossible to load Windows 7 64 bit on Parallels 7 from the install (i.e. I just loaded Parallels 7 on my computer and need to install an OS - I have Windows 7 64 bit and it keeps rejecting it, claiming CD/DVD driver issues and then no OS).