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

[rorschachm]

Hello,

some here, including myself, have the problem, that Parallels does not let you choose Boot Camp in the settings.

On my MacBook this happens, when my external FireWire hard disk is turned on.
I have one mac and one FAT32 partition on it. That obviously confuses Parallels.

If I turn it off, Parallels lets me choose the boot camp partition.

I hope, this get's fixed in the final release.


Greetings from Germany,
Sebastian

Is your main hard drive just a Mac partition and a Boot camp partition?

I've been trying mine with no external drives attached, but my main drive has Mac, FAT32, and NTFS (Windows XP). So I can't just unplug one.

Is there some way I can "hide" my FAT32 drive from Parallels? Would that even work, or does it really just want a BootCamp Assistant-made partition table?

 

[sebid]

Is your main hard drive just a Mac partition and a Boot camp partition?

I've been trying mine with no external drives attached, but my main drive has Mac, FAT32, and NTFS (Windows XP). So I can't just unplug one.

Is there some way I can "hide" my FAT32 drive from Parallels? Would that even work, or does it really just want a BootCamp Assistant-made partition table?

Yes, it's just HFS and NTFS, like the Boot Camp assistant created.
I tried to eject my external windows partition, but my mac partition got ejected, too.
Probably you should try in disk utility, there's eject and deactivate. Don't know if that helps, but just try.

 

[Scott Willsey]

Great feature set! I love it. Just some bugs to squash:

(note -- I'm on iMac 24")

Hey, another Gaijin!

I have a mac mini with a 24" Dell widescreen and see the same following issues:

2. Coherence mode displays strange fonts, as other 24" users reported. It's unusable, and hurts my eyes.

Also, in switching to full screen mode, color scheme reverts to 8 colors, so I have to readjust screen properties every time I switch modes. Also, resizing the Parallels window doesn't resize the XP itself: the XP continues to run in the same size, surrounded with black space.

Yeah coherence is not usable and full screen is broken now. It's a hassle because used to be when you shutdown windows it would exit fullscreen mode to your "normal" resolution and then when you'd boot and switch to fullscreen you'd get everything at the same color depth but with the resolution adjusted. Now it's just messed up.

So not only can I not use coherence, it takes longer to get set up how I work with Parallels as well.

 

[itsdapead]

Ok "buddy" - I am using Parallels, with Bootcamp, on my MacBook Pro, and so far I have had no problems other than the activation issue, so I have nothing to add - but I will certainly not be rude to a company that has ben very patient with people who are testing BETA software on top of BETA software...

Agreed - there's no need to start flaming.

However, it is starting to look distinctly as though the "Boot camp" feature does nothing to prevent the need for re-activation every time you switch between VM and Boot Camp mode. You do not need a beta test to establish that this makes it unusable (as anything other than a one-way "migration" tool) for anybody without a "corporate", non-activation version of windows. I was one of several people who mentioned this months ago (on the wishlist forum) as a major stumbling block for "boot camp" support.

I think it is fair criticism to say that Parallels' enthusiastic announcement should not have glossed over this important caveat. Even the current warning (which I believe has been added recently?) doesn't make it clear whether you will have to activate every time you switch between bootcamp and parallels - which may end up with you needing to 'phone Microsoft at regular intervals (and, possibly, being refused if you have an OEM copy and make the mistake of mentioning Macs or virtual machines).

 

[thetravellor]

hotsync not working with USB palm os device

I have exactly the same behavior. Palm HotSync worked in previous builds, but not 3036,

Actually I have a Garmin iQue 3600, which is a Palm Pilot USB device.

It is possible to connect the USB device, have windows recognise it and install the driver.

Following that, hotsync does not work however.

The Palm device is connected in the parallels GUI.

 

[thetravellor]

Hey, another Gaijin!

I have a mac mini with a 24" Dell widescreen and see the same following issues:



Yeah coherence is not usable and full screen is broken now. It's a hassle because used to be when you shutdown windows it would exit fullscreen mode to your "normal" resolution and then when you'd boot and switch to fullscreen you'd get everything at the same color depth but with the resolution adjusted. Now it's just messed up.

So not only can I not use coherence, it takes longer to get set up how I work with Parallels as well.

I have a Samsung syncmaster 24" screen and coherence mode works pretty well.

Swicthing between windowed mode and coherence mode does unpredictable things to the window shape, mainly because coherence mode uses the entire screen width for the "task bar / start bar thing"

 

[mark.burton]

We are working on reactivation issue. I apologize for inconvinience.

Thank you Andrew.

 

[don montalvo]

Agreed - there's no need to start flaming.

However, it is starting to look distinctly as though the "Boot camp" feature does nothing to prevent the need for re-activation every time you switch between VM and Boot Camp mode. You do not need a beta test to establish that this makes it unusable (as anything other than a one-way "migration" tool) for anybody without a "corporate", non-activation version of windows. I was one of several people who mentioned this months ago (on the wishlist forum) as a major stumbling block for "boot camp" support.

I think it is fair criticism to say that Parallels' enthusiastic announcement should not have glossed over this important caveat. Even the current warning (which I believe has been added recently?) doesn't make it clear whether you will have to activate every time you switch between bootcamp and parallels - which may end up with you needing to 'phone Microsoft at regular intervals (and, possibly, being refused if you have an OEM copy and make the mistake of mentioning Macs or virtual machines).

if you have an oem copy, it's probably not a good idea to try to use it in parallels. piracy concerns aside, don't oem versions of windows come with specific added/removed drivers for the hardware it's bundled with?

don

 

[mavrinan]

I add my vote to the request to make Fat32 Boot Camp support work. I'm having the same problem others have reported, I install Parallels Tools for Boot Camp, then configure a new VM, and it says it cannot open Bootcamp disk.

My console log shows this:

Console log
QCoreApplication:ostEvent: Unexpected null receiver
Dec 5 17:45:53 mains-computer authexec: executing /Applications/Parallels/Parallels Desktop.app/Contents/Resources/pvsso

 

[jeph4e]

Can't open VM

Love the release and am greatly impressed but I now can't select my VM - gives me this error:

Virtual machine Microsoft Windows XP cannot be opened since it is already used in another Parallels Desktop window.

Anyone else get this?

 

[Moondougie]

yes, that's exactly the error I get and now I'm at work and not able to work because I can't launch my old virtual machine (from before upgrading to the beta)

I also cannot get it to use my Boot Camp partition - it tells me (after asking for my admin password) that it's Unable to open disk image Boot Camp! so I can't use either version of XP I currently have installed on my Mac - without completely switching over to Windows via Boot Camp and not using OS X (which will make my work day extremely long…)

 

[mlandel]

miker51,

Thanks for report! We will fix it soon.

I have the same freeze-and-must-reboot problem. I have to manually set memory above 1280 (1540 works, 1280 did not) to tun a windows xp vm.

Mac Pro 2x3Ghz, 3GB memory

 

[forty2]

With Coherence enabled, if the VM is in the foreground and I press cmd+tab to switch apps, I can't see the row of icons and the Windows start menu appears. previously hitting cmd+tab would work even though the Start menu would pop up and stay there til I switched back to the VM.

a minor problem compared to the new features. nice job!

 

[gkantz]

Rude???

Ok "buddy" - I am using Parallels, with Bootcamp, on my MacBook Pro, and so far I have had no problems other than the activation issue, so I have nothing to add - but I will certainly not be rude to a company that has ben very patient with people who are testing BETA software on top of BETA software...
You want to file a bug report, fine, but to be so rude to engineers doing a mighty fine job is just uncalled for...
and yes, i AM an engineer and I do NOT work for Parallels.
Eytan

Ebernet,

I don't know what your major malfunction is, but I have not been "rude" to the developers and the engineers. I am submitting a bug report. I am a software consultant so I too know a few things about beta testing. No doubt the Parallels team has been the fastest, most comprehensive group in terms of getting on top of issues than any other company I have ever seen.

That said, all I am looking to do is submit this bug. I don't know why you are not having a keyboard/mouse issue and others are. I have a new MBP with Core 2 Duo - maybe the ones NOT having the problem have the Core Duo (older version). This has been reported by several others, so hopefully this will be looked into.

In the meantime, don't waste my time with your replies. You add nothing to what I and others are trying to accomplish, and I don't know what the heck your definition of "rude" is.

 

[jeph4e]

fixed

yes, that's exactly the error I get and now I'm at work and not able to work because I can't launch my old virtual machine (from before upgrading to the beta)

I also cannot get it to use my Boot Camp partition - it tells me (after asking for my admin password) that it's Unable to open disk image Boot Camp! so I can't use either version of XP I currently have installed on my Mac - without completely switching over to Windows via Boot Camp and not using OS X (which will make my work day extremely long…)

Moved both pvs & hhd to desktop (after playing around) and double clicked - started up...

Hope this helps

 

[spblat]

This worked for me too! Thanks for the tipp, Sebastian!

Aw bummer. You had me excited for a minute. Though my firewire drive is pure HFS+, I disconnected it and my USB drive(s) too but got the same BSOD. But afterwards I got an error that I hadn't seen before that Parallels was unable to mount the Boot Camp Partition.

 

[don montalvo]

I think it is fair criticism to say that Parallels' enthusiastic announcement should not have glossed over this important caveat.

it's a beta. you found a bug and reported it. you have a choice...you can stay and find/report more issues...or you can leave and come back when release candidate is posted. as i told another list member, venting just leads to people disregarding your posts.

don

 

[pcalver]

it's a beta. you found a bug and reported it. you have a choice...you can stay and find/report more issues...or you can leave and come back when release candidate is posted. as i told another list member, venting just leads to people disregarding your posts.

don

You are such a pleasant fellow to deal with, I'm sure. I have only seen the apparent Parallels suck-ups on this thread acting rude to those who pointed out the prematurity of this much ballyhooed beta release. Those folks have not been rude, just honest.

 

[Moondougie]

ok, I can get my old Parallels virtual machine to work now - not sure why this had any effect but what I did was move the new Parallels folder to another location, reinstalled Parallels from older version, ran it, then quit and deleted the old install, ran the new (beta) and it said the drivers were wrong, so I moved the new Parallels folder back to Applications and and reinstalled and now it lets me use the old virtual machine

 

[BladeRunner]

Very Impressed!

I must admit, I am a new Parallels user. When I needed a VM solution I first turned to VmWare but was not satisfied with the results. Then I learned about Parallels and tried the "1970" trial version. I was still on the fence - not sure it was worth the price - until I found the 3036 Beta release.

I have installed Linux - SuSE 10.1 and upgraded to latest fixes over the net

I have installed Solaris 10 - that took FOREVER! But, it runs

I am most impressed with the WinXP installation. I installed an SP1 version of WinXP-Home. I then activated it and upgraded to the latest security fixes and SP2 over the net. It ran at a very reasonable pace. I have since added virus & malware protection - WebRoot SpySweeper - and some other utilities. What sold me was the cut & paste from my OS X e-mail to the product activation screen on one of the WinXP apps I was installing.

I just a few minutes ago purchased my full license for Parallels.

That said, the experience has not been trouble free. When I run the Linux system I can see and access the SMB/CIFS shares from the other systems on my home office LAN. When I run the WinXP system I am not able to see them in network places. However, I can access them using my file manager and mapping a network drive using \\hostanme\sharename. I know there must be a WinXP network setting that is wrong. I just can't find it.

I have a suggestion - the way I would like Parallels to function:

Don't lock Parallels into BootCamp. Just let the user identify a partition on any accessible real drive - internal or external - and use it as either the boot drive or an additional drive within the VM. Provide a warning about possible conflicts with the host system, but let the user decide. This would allow me to pull the WinXP drive from my old PC, place it in an external FireWire enclosure and run it under Parallels. Sure, it would need some driver updates, but I would not need to start from scratch.

It would also solve the concerns of several other previous posters.

Well, thanks for listening and thanks for a GREAT product.