Parallels Desktop for Mac build 3036 Beta is available for download.

German licence key will not work with this beta?

I purchased Parallels (German) for Mac today, because I wanted to test and present the new features of this version of Parallels (I am a consultant). And I've got this beta of the next Parallels today too. But after installing this beta version Parallels ask me for my activation key. After typing it parallels sais: "The activation key cannot be used with the current version of the Parallels Desktop!"

What is the problem? Where can I get a key for this beta?

www.uhlhorn-agentur.de

 

Finally got it working.

Really interesting to me. I have a copy of Windows XP Professional sp2 (Quite customized) that I have been using for months. I tried to install Parallels Bootcamp Tools and run the new Parallels 3036 but got only good the BSOD (STOP ERROR). Bootcamp tools DID install and I have the proper boot menus. I tried and tried with no luck to get Windows to boot correctly.. The best I could do is boot in SAFE MODE.

I finally deleted that Bootcamp partition and started over. This time, I used Windows XP Professional SP2 (Student). I'm assuming this is like corporate since activation is not required. It works like a dream! No activation problems, no bootup issues, no anything!

I still can't figure out why my ond installation wouldn't work, but my fresh install works like a dream. I know this doesn't help most people, but it does confirm to me that some Windows installations are different or are missing something.

 

is there any way to get parallels to recognize a dedicated hard disk with windows installed on it but no boot camp? i have a separate hard disk installed that I can boot windows with, but would like to be able to run parallels from that as well, but the wizard looks like it looks for a specific boot camp partition or signature so that option is greyed out. can this be done? or consider it a feature request.

thanks.

 

It's probably not a good idea to mention illegal copies of XP on the forum. Glad it works for you too. I had similar luck w/ a volume license key as well. Once all the kinks get worked, this is gonna be great.

 

is /dev/disk0s3 really that hard?

I've been waiting many months for the ability to boot parallels vms from hard drive partitions, and now I found that it's limited to specifically bootcamp'd partitions.
It won't even recognize my current xp bootcamp'd parttion because I have a 3rd partition on the hard drive (4th really, counting the efi partition).

I guess my question is:
Is it _really_ _that_ hard to get from where you are now with the hard drive partition booting to just being able to specify '/dev/disk0s3' or some such in the vm config? Why must you guys always force these silly pointless limitations? I can understand you're trying to cater for a fairly un-tech savvy crowd migrating from a braindead OS, but is that really any excuse to be lax on your implementation? Surely manually specifying a partition somewhere under some advanced config option wouldn't hinder the experience for those who need a bouncing ball to follow, and would be practically 0 new lines of code (I assume you access the bootcamp partition using the standard devices already? I would hope you do anyway..)

Everytime I get excited by some progress with your product, I'm instantly dismayed once I see how the progress has been implemented. This update is no different.

So close too.. and yet still so frustrated.

-Edit-

Don't get me wrong, I've watched parallels come a long way and I'm sure it was alot of hard work and I can see much potential for it. I just really hope you don't fall into these stupid mindsets regarding the interface that end up needlessly crippling the product like sooo many almost-greats have.

 

I have not read every message in this thread to see if this has been reported, so if it has, forgive the repeat. It appears that when booting XP SP2 from your bootcamp partition, the Apple Keyboard manager will cause windows to use a lot of CPU. Using XP's task manager to kill the kbdmgr.exe process stopped the problem for me. Thought I would toss this out there in case someone else has issues with high cpu utilization when booting from their bootcamp partition.

 

Coherence problems

The product is coming along. The coherence feature will be great once it works properly.

Few issues:

- In beta form, it is choppy and flickers the windows desktop in the background -- hope this gets fixed soon.

- I use a free windows theme modiying program called FlyakiteOSX to make it look likeOSX, but the windows box/menu on the outside comes accross with an ugly blue seam

- I cannot get the Win Start meu to disappear when enabling the coherence feature. Autohide works better, but leaves a thin segment of the task bar on the bottom.

- would like to see a way to launch Win programs from the running paralles vm from the OSX dock window

Keep working at it folks, and you will have a nice product.

 

So what are the chances that the display problems we are seeing in Access and other programs will be fixed in the next beta release? It's getting really hard to work with Parallels until this gets fixed.

 

Impressed so far, one DnD suggestion

Just updated to the new beta, and no problems so far. Very impressive - the Coherence feature (despite a bit of video choppiness in this beta) is great, and drag-and-drop between OS is a long-awaited addition.

It would be nice if the drag-and-drop could pick up the local context of the target - when I have Coherence turned on (not sure if this is also true without), and I drag something from Mac to Win XP, the drop event is just at the main window level of the target app. So, for example, if I want to drop a file into a specific folder in a Windows explorer window, I have to make sure the folder is open first. If the folder is just displayed in a list, there's no way to drag over it and highlight it as the target. Seems that Parallels itself is taking the drag event, and then just passing it along to the target Windows app at the top level once the drop is started.

I'm not sure why, but I'm immune to the display issues people have been reporting (except for the slight choppiness when using Coherence). I'm using a MacBook Pro, if that helps diagnose it.

 

Can someone please post the .pvs for a working bootcamp type vm?
I'd like to see if I can manually get it to boot my bootcamp partition which it seems to not recognize for some reason. Thanks

 

Same here :0(

I tried the beta but my Mac Pro locks up EVERY time!

Think I'll wait for the full release.


D

 

I do not currently have boot camp installed
There are no partitions on my HDD
I am running XP32 VM

Are there any advantage to installing boot camp?

 

I've the same problem with Ubuntu 6.10 & 6.0.1 and also with CentOS 4.4. All OK with OpenSUSE 10.2 and Debian testing.

 

http://forums.parallels.com/thread6304.html

 

I'm running Win 2000 under the beta build but I had to bump the memory allocation up to 748 meg in order to run MS Messenger 9. It booted and ran just fine at 512. This is on a 2.33 GHz iMac with 2 GB memory

 

Y´z Shadow

This problem comes from "Y´z Shadow", which produces a shadow around the windows (like on Mac OS X) and using the windows background! Stop this program and remove it from autostart!
Not a problem of Parallels!

 

Look here: http://www.verysimple.com/blog/?p=67

 

Hi, HolyJaw here. The download link for parallels tools (so I can run using boot camp partition) doesn't work in the first post. The download won't initiate and the server stops responding.

Some people will tell me to run the VM through Parallels and select "Download Parallels Tools" but I can't. I can't start the VM. I'm running boot camp.

A download link that works would be dandy, thanks.

 

mac crash on startup menu (choose OSX or XP/Bootcamp)

I walked my brother through installing Bootcamp (over the phone... long call), then parallels on bootcamp and parallels.

It's working but for 1 main problem - the menu that comes up on bootup, when he holds down "option", hangs. Sometimes he can choose quick enough and it loads up (after which it's fine).

Anyone experiencing this? Any fix? (even a way of choosing between XP and OSX without using the menu would be helpful. Can I hold down a certain key to automatically use the bootcamp partition?

Other issues are more minor - like parallels complains at not finding the Mac video card on each startup. I've asked him to email me the errors he gets in general use, I'll put them here.

Nice work parallels guys.

ps. I haven't turned on coherence yet. I decided not to tell him it's there, and turn it on when I next see him. Sounds excellent.

 

Bootcamp/XP Profile Selection screen, dead keyboard MacBookPro

As has been mentioned in posts......
361 563 580 582 631 679, I have found that after using my XP bootcamp partition in Parallels, if I try and use XP through bootcamp, the first profile selection screen comes up but you cant select a profile as the keyboard no longer works at this point.. that includes capslock key.

The solution of plugging in a USB keyboard to press Enter does work for me. The solution of holding down the alt key til this point does not.

I did some tests, and the problem only occurs for me after I have installed the Parallel Tools in the Virtual Running copy of Bootcamp. It's fine until that point so it does seem to be a problem with something parallels its changing.

Obviously this is a critical problem until fixed, as you/I cant boot xp through bootcamp without an external keyboard to hand. The keyboard works fine after this point.

Apart from this its great. My father has bought a macbook but is anxious about having to use his windows apps at 'work'. I'd prefer to see him using Parallels for all his windows needs so he discovers how much nicer the mac apps are that are analogues of what he already has. Bootcamp will mean he can take the machine into work and hopefully avoid the 'its a mac, its not compatible' stuff he's been facing already by booting straight into windows in that location.

Great stuff parallels, looking forward to seeing this one fixed. the rest has been great for me.