Getting Windows to recognise increased Parallel's Virtual Disk size

A week or two ago I increased the size of the virtual disk image that Windows XP was using - from 9 to 20 Gb - using the Parallel's image tool. Actually, I changed it from Expanding to Fixed size as well, as I found hints that it would improve performance, which is a bit slow in Windows.

Today I got Low Disk Space warnings, and found that C: was only 9Gb. I tried using these instructions to expand the NTFS partition up to the whole space available.

I also got into the Virtual Machine settings in Parallels and changed it so that it was using Shared Networking (VM and host appear on same IP), and Shared Folders for My Documents = Documents. Now My Documents is my Mac's Documents folder, which is much better than having to access a network drive (X:).

Using Parallels Transporter

I tried VMware's Converter and, after I ran it from the Windows XP install (had to swap HDD back in) it did create a virtual disk on the FAT32 partition I created at the end of the Leopard-installed HDD (now in the USB drive). But in looking around for instructions on exactly which of the three options for the VMware file type I should use I found Parallels has their own Transporter.

http://www.parallels.com/products/desktop/features/transporter/

And it's a free download, coming in Linux and Windows flavours. I downloaded and installed it. I actually had to install it twice (uninstall and reboot in between) because the first time it didn't work. Probably something to do with running the Tech Guys Recovery Backup on the same reboot (now have backup on 2Gb Memory Stick which somehow turned up once at work and nobody claimed - finally found a use for it). It was pretty straightforward to select the options and use Transporter to make an image of the Windows install. Even while writing this.

Scratch that, it has bombed out three times while around 20-30%.

I tried an import of the VMware image, back in OS X using Transport, choosing the file with the fewest characters! (I guess it's split to avoid any 2GB file size limit problems.) It progresses well, and at the end boots up and brings up a cmd window telling you what to do - cancel all the PnP New Hardware Wizards and deny the reboot request. The cmd windows says to press and key and reboot. That happens and, lo, I have my 'old' windows running!

Getting Advent 4211's original disk moved over

The original disk image has XP Home on it, and there's a COA on the base. I tried to install XP Pro and unsurprisingly it didn't like the key from the COA for XP Home (also XP Pro is SP2, whereas XP Home is for SP3, don't know if it makes any difference).

Interestingly the MSI forum is full of people having problems with the backup of the restore partition. The Advent box comes with instructions on how to back up this partition, which I'll need to do one way or another.

I copied everything from the XP partition to the HDD of the Mac, but then can't get it into a Parallels virtual disk because you don't seem to be able to just create one. Probably it wouldn't work anyway. Then I found this post:

http://www.tuaw.com/2007/06/24/parallels-virtual-disk-dance-of-pain/

You have to create a disk image using VMware's free Converter tool, then use the Parallels Transporter to 'migrate' the image. Here goes...

Oh, it's a Windows program. But maybe you can run it on itself. Looks like you can, but maybe not on XP Home. Will swap HDD tomorrow and try it out.

Installing Parallels on Mac OS X to get Windows XP Pro going

When I first started up Parallels after installing it, it seemed to find the My Boot Camp virtual machine. I'm not really sure where it came from. I tried to run it and at hung up, trying to 'start from hard drive'. Anyway, I deleted it (seems to be just a 4kB file somewhere in my Documents folder).

I ran Parallels Desktop again, and this time it did what the Quick Start guide said it would - offer to make a new VM. Good. The 'more options' section has the very useful option to Share virtual machine with other Mac users, which forces you to put the VM in /Users/Shared/Parallels - this is good I think, means other people could use Word and Excel and so on.

I was also able to tell it to install from the XP Pro image I had made as a backup on my desktop - neat.

However, it seemed to try to boot from various devices then said non-system disk or disk error. Oh. I selected Devices->CD/DVD 1 and told it to use the hardware DVD drive and it worked after that. Hmm.

Unlike the last time I had this going, I haven't had to create a separate partition. There is a file called winxp.hdd in the Parallels folder for the VM, and it keeps getting bigger as the copy/install happens. That's great - it was awful having this unnecessary partition last time. Only I made such a partition already, thinking I would need it!

Coherence doesn't work like it used to - seems to say I have to install the Parallels Tools. I do this from Parallels menu Actions -> Install Parallels tools. That works much nicer now, and has, as promised, linked up my Desktop and other folders.

Also do Actions -> Install Kapersky Internet Security which I bought as part of the Premium edition of Parallels (since I was so impressed)

Installed my favourite Firefox addons:

Ad Blocker

Gmail Manager

Download Statusbar

CookieSafe

dragdropupload

Had problems with an update error in Windows Update.

Got Office 2007 Home and Student edition installed - now I'm up and running for the project that's kicking off very soon.