Frustrated...

what now

so i still have the black screen in the windows XP/parallels window. should i stop the vm machine and reboot it?

 

The only way I see for now, is to perform Windows repair using integrated SP3.
http://www.helpwithwindows.com/WindowsXP/Slipstreaming_Windows_XP_Service_Pack_3.html

However, if you have some kind of software installed in Windows, which make affect Windows at kernel level you may try to boot in Safe Mode, and disable corresponding service.

Actually, it is very hard to detect what is causing this , without knowing what is on WIndows side

 

Machine crash - what to do

OK - i have been using my VM infrequently since re-installing and it has been fine on the whole. i now have a situation where it has crashed. norton was doing a scan (scheduled) in my mac environment, and windows xp was installing updates... now that its crashed. norton has hung and i cant close or force quit it. and i cannot restart or shut down windows. so now i am concerned. i also have the spinning wheel on the mac, so i cant click shutdown in mac os x

in the past. i normally have to hold down the power button to shut the machine down, and then when i reboot the mac and try parallels - normally windows doesnt run. the profile is corrupted etc.

what do you advise i do in this case? i have saved snapshots of my machine until now. so if i power down and windows wont run, i should have a snapshot that i can reload...

 

Actually there is some misunderstanding about snapshots
Snapshots are for keeping some state of VM, not for backup
You can use one of the backup methods as describe din Parallels Desktop for Mac user guide from http://www.parallels.com/en/download/file/doc/Parallels_Desktop_for_Mac_User_Guide.pdf on page 243

 

The problem with snapshots, John, is the name itself for a start, it's not the first time people use snapshots as a form of backup. Parallels should reformulate how this functionality appears to the user.

Why is the name a problem? Because people associate it with a still image, a quick photograph, of a certain state.

 

Parallels Desktop for Mac user guide from http://www.parallels.com/en/download/file/doc/Parallels_Desktop_for_Mac_User_Guide.pdf on page 147
Snapshot is a state of the virtual machine saved at a certain moment. Snapshots can be created
when the virtual machine is running as well as when it is stopped, paused or suspended.

You may need to make snapshots in the following cases:
Make successive backups as snapshots and thus save space on the hard disk of your
Macintosh computer.
Configure software that requires a lot of configuring stages. Since at each stage you can
select alternative settings, you may want to explore which settings to select. Create
snapshots at branching points.
In development process, mark milestones as snapshots. If something goes wrong, you can
always revert to the previous state or create a branch of snapshots starting with the particular
milestone snapshot.

 

"Snapshots are for keeping some state of VM, not for backup"
vs.
"Make successive backups as snapshots and thus save space on the hard disk of your Macintosh computer."

So, Parallels actually recommends snapshots as a backup method.
Personally, I couldn't disagree more, snapshots reduce redundancy, one bad snapshot in a succession of various snapshots can ruin all snapshots from that point forward.

 

Specimen , you mentioned phrase meaning is actually
"Instead of keeping several instances of VM"

 

Sorry, I'm not following your logic or your english here.
And page 147 of the User Guide (the one I have) doesn't refer anything about snapshots, that information is on page 150.

"Instead of keeping several instances of VM"
Where does this phrase come from? What are you trying to say? That Parallels recommends snapshots as a backup method instead of keeping several instances of a VM?

I reiterate my disagreement at Parallels recommending Snapshots as a backup method, as it does in the User Guide.

 

Specimen I understand what you are saying, and going to submit this issue to documentation team.
Snapshots are using to keep stage of VM, not for backup purpose