run parallels/windows from an external hard drive?

[joevt]

The hdd name doesn't matter except for the file extension.

Macs don't come with write access to NTFS partitions. For that you need a third party NTFS file system driver for Mac. I don't know how well the performance will compare to having the hdd image on an HFS partition though.

I don't see how reinstalling Windows and Office would help you, since you don't have any hard drive space to install them too.

 

[HarleyD2014]

I am wanting to the same as several others on this thread as I am out of room on my internal HD. I am running Parallels Desktop 6 with XP, which I had installed some time ago and have tried this. The hdd is name is slightly different and i don't know if this is relevant, Windows XP-0.hdd. I have tried to copy this to a WD 750 GB external HD which, is NTFS Format. But it doesn't want to copy i.e when I copy the paste is not available. I don't want to have to reinstall windows and office can you help.

Remember that a copy paste doesn't work with NTFS via mac. THere's a process that can get you double your pleasure if you do it right. First, Download XXCOPY, the personal version is free and it runs in winxp to win8. Now it's time to format a drive... ...On the mac. You'll need to start by formatting the drive with ParaWinXp as NTFS, then look up how to copy and backup the MBR to another location in Unix (doing it on the mac). Now take that MBR and paste it to a usb drive. Now you can reformat the drive with mac, as NTFS with GUID partition table (this does not contain MBR). Now copy your backed up MBR to the drive and place it correctly (using the mac and unix). Now you can connect it to parallels, and use XXCopy the virtual drive to the external. Now you can boot the external for your mac, or use it for your parallels to run concurrent. You'll need to find and download the XP drivers for your mac. You can install them using parallels. XXCopy should also copy the boot sector and boot manager for your XP if there is one. However, XP doesn't usually use a boot manager.


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