Convert Win 7 Bootcamp install to VM?

fbx · Nov 15, 2009

I've upgraded from Parallels 4 to Parallels 5. Seems good, much quicker, unless I'm mistaken.

I have a Bootcamp install of Windows 7 that I've been using, and I would like to convert that to a virtual machine to run in Parallels 5 only, on Mac OSX. I do NOT want to run it off the Bootcamp partition.

Is there an EASY way to convert the Bootcamp installation of Windows 7 to a virtual machine?

If Parallels does not have an easy way, I believe WMWare Fusion has an easy converter, so that I could convert the Win 7 Bootcamp install to a VMWare Fusion virtual machine, then convert THAT VM to a Parallels VM?

Any help would be appreciated. I am NOT interested in the kind of 26-step conversion that used to be the standard for doing this with previous versions of Parallels. If there is no EASY way to do it, it's easier to rebuild my install from scratch as a Parallels VM.

Thanks to all--

fbx · Nov 15, 2009

Any takers?

Anyone converted a Bootcamp partition to a Parallels 5 freestanding virtual machine?

fbx · Nov 16, 2009

Anybody done this?

Anyone know how to accomplish this? Is it possible? And, if not, how do I convert a VMWare Fusion 3 virtual machine to a Parallels 4 virtual machine?

Thanks again--

Mike Boreham · Jan 16, 2010

Hoping for an answer to this as well please.

Tried Transporter, but none of the options are applicable.

ManyueC · Jan 16, 2010

http://www.askdavetaylor.com/use_winxp_boot_camp_partition_in_parallels.html

Not quite converting but you can access your Boot Camp partition via Parallels which is better than a complete conversion anyway. Now you can dual-boot or access the same copy of Windows from within the Mac OS this way if you want. Good luck!

Mike Boreham · Jan 18, 2010

Thanks I understand that option and it's advantages.

I want to save the space on my laptop internal drive by having a small parallels VM, and deleting the Bootcamp partition.

I have seen two references to people who have achieved it with Transporter, although everything else about Transporter implies it is not the tool for this job. I may try it.

Mike Boreham · Jan 18, 2010

OOOPS! ........RTFM

It's all on page 32 of the Parallels Transporter Manual.

Happening as I type. Pretty easy to do but don't know if it works yet!

Jeffrey Kamis · May 16, 2010

well, how'd it go?

I hate when people abandon a thread like this, so close to the answer but no joy.

Mike Boreham · May 17, 2010

Jeffrey Kamis said:
I hate when people abandon a thread like this, so close to the answer but no joy.

Yes, it all worked!

Can't remember much detail now, but p32 of the Transporter Manual was the key.

WesleyN · Jul 14, 2010

Volume Selection

Did you select all volumes when you migrated your Bootcamp partition, or just the Windows volume? I have tried it twice now using the transporter agent, it completes just fine, but then when it tries to start up it goes through a configuration (step 1 of 4) process and after about 10 minutes tells me there is no operating system available. I even tried booting to the Windows 7 CD to see if I could repair the O/S but no love there either. I wonder if the master boot record is jacked because I only chose 1 volume instead of the other.

I have a 256GB solid state drive, half is allocated to win7 and the other half to osX. I only want the win7 volume transferred into a VM so I can delete the other partition and reclaim space.

The conversion process over the network takes about 2.5 hours -- so I really don't want to have to do this 4 more times. ;-)

Thoughts?