V3 and Multiple User install

Discussion in 'Installation and Configuration of Parallels Desktop' started by ltf3, Aug 3, 2007.

  1. ltf3

    ltf3 Junior Member

    Messages:
    14
    Hi

    I have successfully installed V3 with XP sp2 which works nicely for the Mac Admin under OS 10.4.10.

    However other users can't launch the Virtual Machine.

    I have set permissions to 'Read and Write" for everyone for the files

    Microsoft Windows XP.pvs
    winxp.hdd

    which are both located in the Macintosh HD / Applications/Windows XP/Microsoft Windows XP Folder so all users can see them.

    A non admin user gets the massages:

    "Unable to lock out the configuration file /Applications/Windows XP/Microsoft Windows XP.pvs"

    followed by

    "Parallels Failed to allocate the specified amount of memory........"

    I have tried to Preallocate memory in the Preferences as advised by the above message but it didn't help.

    I have also tried to run the VM in the user when admin rights are turned on. No difference.

    Any solutions?

    Thanks

    Lee
     
  2. fbronner

    fbronner Pro

    Messages:
    384
    Starting the same VM session under different users at the same time is not a really good idea as windows does not support different users using the same HD. You might want to look instead at running the windows session under one user and having the other users connecting thru RDC (terminal services) or VNC.

    From your error messages, I'm guessing you are trying to access the same session with 2 different users at the same time.
     
  3. ltf3

    ltf3 Junior Member

    Messages:
    14
    Thanks

    Looks like I should have just checked the FAQ! doh...

    It works fine if the VM is in the Shared users folder and everyone can read/write. Guess the Applications folder aint the place....

    Lee
     
  4. ltf3

    ltf3 Junior Member

    Messages:
    14
    Spoke too soon.

    Worked a for a couple of user switches then back to only the admin working...

    I've tried everything I can find here....ie

    1. Moved Users/User1/Documents/Parallels to Users/Shared
    2. Using Get Info, I changed ownership of the folder from User1 to User2 (so User2 could
    be moved from the Shared folder to User2's Documents folder).
    3. I changed the group permissions to read and write.
    4. Another post had said they had some luck changing the "wheel" group permissions to
    read & write. I changed that, as well.
    5. Finally, I changed Others' permissions to read & write and applied these new
    permissions to everything inside the folder.
    6. Logged out as User1 and logged in as User2.
    7. Whether I try to run the virtual machine from Users/Shared or
    Users/User2/Documents, I still get the error message:
    "Virtual machine cannot be started because of the following problem:
    "Parallels Desktop is unable to access the virtual hard disk image file
    /Users/User2/Documents/Parallels/Microsoft Windows XP/winxp.hdd. The file is missing,
    corrupted, or used by other application."

    Agghhhh.... how is this working for some?

    Help please!

    Thanks

    Lee
     
  5. stevegr1102

    stevegr1102 Bit poster

    Messages:
    2
    Not quite same issue - but related questions

    2 users on Mac - self and wife - separate log ins. Latest released build of Parallels, XP Home, BRAND new 15" MacBook Pro with 2 GB RAM.

    Installed Parallels while logged in as me. Did quick install. Discovered that was a mistake and "corrected" it according to the Knowledge Base artice about moving things to the Shared folder and dealing with permissions. Seemed to work after some tinkering. it appears odd to me that some of the original files remain in my home directory folders rather than having also been moved to the Shared folders... but it does appear to work (with the exception of the elsewhere reported memory allocation error for only ONE of us!!!!).

    During the process of moving things to shared directory, a second VM apparently got created. I want to clean things up as best as possible by deleting this VM. However, it appears that when I go to delete it (it only shows up under one of the users), Parallels appears ready to wipe the "virtual hard drive". This gives me the "willies", as it appears to be the same folder set for both VMs (and if I am not mistaken, includes Windows as well!). What am I missing here? How can I delete the superflous VM without effecting the integrity of the install and the working capability (less memory problem) of the other one and its Windows environment?

    Thanks
     

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