Installing Snow Leopard (and Rosetta) into Parallels on modern Intel Macs

[sonjay]

Maybe you could use Disk Utility to make an image of one of your less-sensitive CD backups and I could try it out for you.

Wow, thanks for the offer.... but it really wouldn't help, because the problem is that the SuperDrive in my Mac is not a "supported device" under Retro6. Your drive might be supported, but that wouldn't help me any, because mine's not.

Have you checked with Retrospect technical support about the issue?

I haven't personally done that, no, but there are many threads on this topic in Retrospect's forums. The recommended solution is always to "get a supported device." Device support is specific to each device based on manufacturer, model, interface, media type and platform. If Retrospect doesn't provide support (in the form of a device-specific driver) for a given device, then you're SOL and your only option is to "get a supported device."

I think that the SuperDrive in my old Mac Pro was working under Retro6. I don't want to keep that Mac around -- I'd rather sell it -- but I think I'll try hooking the SuperDrive from that one up to my current machine to see if Retro can use that one.

OTOH, under Retro8 my SuperDrive is supported, and if a device existed that I could load up with about 800 old backup CDs and DVDs, that would feed the discs one at a time into the drive, then I could use Retro8 to rebuild the catalogs from those disks, and I wouldn't have to fool with Retro6 or Snow Leopard at all. But I am not doing that by hand!

 

[dmdimon]

REPLY:
It's working from the wrong end. We had a known writable image, yet on ML it isn't. It's the mounting process, not the image that needs to change.

Definitely no. You can easily create and mount writable DMG under 10.8.
Thing happens not when mounting ANY image, but with SOME images. Mount definitely is NOT read-only for everything.
Proof:
System Version: OS X 10.8.2 (12C54)
Kernel Version: Darwin 12.2.0
Boot Volume: BootS
Boot Mode: Normal

Still have no solution...

 

[dmdimon]

if a device existed that I could load up with about 800 old backup CDs and DVDs

seen such thing for 200 CDs. Sadly can't remember name of it

 

[MichaelLAX]

Wow, thanks for the offer.... but it really wouldn't help, because the problem is that the SuperDrive in my Mac is not a "supported device" under Retro6. Your drive might be supported, but that wouldn't help me any, because mine's not.

Tell me more details about your current drive and the drive in your old Mac Pro.

 

[rstreborg]

Parallels 8 upgrade experience

Running Parallels under ML, the upgrade went smoothly. After the upgrade I launched vSL and got the expected message that Tools were out of date and I should do a manual update. I was unable to manually locate the Tools iso but clicking on the Tools gear in the lower right of the vSL window mounted the Tools dmg to the vSL desktop. I opened and installed from the dmg, restarted the vSL and received an Parallels error dialog that asked for info for an error report. Filled it out and submitted, the restarted vSL. Seems to be working fine. Cut and paste between ML and vSL is a nice improvement. I'm not noticing any other differences at this time.

I am still unable to locate the Parallels Tools iso, but can reinstall Tools using the Parallels/Virtual Machine/Reinstall Parallels Tools menu item.

 

[MichaelLAX]

I am still unable to locate the Parallels Tools iso, but can reinstall Tools using the Parallels/Virtual Machine/Reinstall Parallels Tools menu item.

BTW, for Parallels 8, the location of the CD/DVD iso is changed. All the binaries are now inside the application bundle. The new path for the iso is '/Applications/Parallels Desktop.app/Contents/Resources/Tools/prl-tools-mac.iso'. When I updated to PD8, it seemed to fix that automatically for the virtual machine.

A previous poster has pointed out where Parallel Tools is located in version 8; I am still using version 7...

Thanks for verifying your improved experience in Parallels 8!

 

[sonjay]

Tell me more details about your current drive and the drive in your old Mac Pro.

My old Mac Pro has a Pioneer DVD-RW DVR-112D -- according to Retrospect, supported for DVDs but not CDs. (I guess I never tried to use a CD in it with Retrospect, because I didn't realize it wasn't supported for CDs.)

My new Mac Pro has a Hitachi HL-DT DVD-RW GH61N with a SATA connection -- I can't even find it listed in Retrospect's device database.

So my old one, if I can get it working under vSL, would gain me access to my DVD backups but not to my older CD backups.

The good thing is, all my Retrospect backups for the past few years have been to DVD, not CD, so those are the most recent ones. I think it was around '06 that I started backing up to DVDs.

The bad thing is, it's an ATAPI interface, and I have no idea how I would go about hooking it up to my new Mac Pro, or whether the virtual machine would be able to use it. I'm not a hardware person.

I know that I've filled up the 4 internal drive bays in the Mac, and I stuck an SSD drive in the second DVD bay. And I have a PCI slot in there somewhere that I'm not using. Beyond that, I'm clueless at this point. I don't want to start spending money on CD/DVD drives or connectors or adapters if they're not going to work. That could get expensive.

 

[javapop]

Step 1...

5. Launch Terminal (/Applications/Utilities/); cut and paste or carefully type the following command into Terminal and then hit Return/Enter:

touch '/Volumes/Mac OS X Install DVD/System/Library/CoreServices/ServerVersion.plist'

6. Quit Terminal
​

Ok, starting here, I followed your instructions to the tee. I don't have the server edition, when I do the abovestep in terminal, I get the following response IN TERMINAL:

touch: /Volumes/Mac OS X Install DVD/System/Library/CoreServices/ServerVersion.plist: Read-only file system

Moving on to Step 2 everything works fine up to #8, and I 'm not getting the following:

a. Use English for the main language (click on the right arrow).

b. Install Mac OS X (click on Continue).

c. Agree to the terms of the software licensing agreement by clicking Agree.

d. Select the disk where you want to install Snow Leopard by clicking on the Macintosh HD, but DO NOT YET CLICK ON INSTALL

I tried Troubleshooting Step Two BUT still don't reach the startup screen for step 9, just the error that I need to be using SL Server.

I upgraded to ML over a month ago, had not even considered using Parallels at the time. COULD that be causing some of my issues? When I installed, it prompted me to download the newest version, and I have:
Build 7.0.15107 (Revision 796624; September 3, 2012)

Just planning to use SL to access Quicken.

Thanks for all the great information, hopefully I'm just overlooking something obvious!​

 

[MichaelLAX]

Unfortunately Mt. Lion does not allow for the Install image file to be modified. We are still researching a way to accomplish STEP ONE in Mt. Lion, but currently no success!

The only workaround is to complete STEP ONE on a Mac with Snow Leopard or Lion and then move the modified Install image file back to the Mt. Lion Mac and complete the remaining steps.

That being said, Intuit released Quicken 2007 for Lion last Spring for $15 and has upgraded it for Mt. Lion:

Download link for Quicken 2007 for Lion/Mt. Lion

I have been using this version ever since in Lion and am quite happy with it. It requires your data file already be from Quicken 2005, 2006 or 2007. If your data file is from an earlier version of Quicken, let me know and I will give you further instructions for conversion.

GOOD LUCK!

 

[javapop]

Download link for Quicken 2007 for Lion/Mt. Lion

I have been using this version ever since in Lion and am quite happy with it. It requires your data file already be from Quicken 2005, 2006 or 2007. If your data file is from an earlier version of Quicken, let me know and I will give you further instructions for conversion.

GOOD LUCK!

Thanks, I found this link this morning, and have it up and running, thank you very much!

 

[MarcZRH]

Parallels 7.0.15107/OS X 10.6.8 - MBPr - stuck, no OS

Hi all and thank you Michael for all the instructions.
Up to now I have not been able to create a much needed Snow Leopard virtual machine.
Tried step 1 on a Machine running 10.6.8 from an image file of a Snow Leopard disk (official, my university, works like a charm to install Snow Leopard), verified the needed file. Then copied SuperDrive.cdr to a USB flash drive, and copied to Desktop on my MacBook Pro Retina, runnning 10.8.2. Parallels 7 Build 7.0.15107 (Revision 796624; Mon, 03 Sep 2012).
Continued as per your instruction, gave the .cdr read and write permissions for everyone (in addition to myself), created virtual machine with the boot order correct (see below), and then pressed start. Got DOS boot screen (see below), pressed escape, verified SuperDrive is attached (see below), selected option 1 CD - return to DOS boot screen, no OS installed.
Pretty much stuck for now :-(
Need it urgently since my MacPro with SL will go away, and need 10.6 because my (Swiss) accounting programme has not yet been updated to work with 10.7 or 10.8.
Residing in Switzerland. Getting it up and running would solve a major headache!

(BTW looking at the image file, and opening it, it looks like in post 152 - I do know that there is no need to open/mount it to run the installer in Parallels.)

 

[MichaelLAX]

1) Are you sure that your Snow Leopard installation DVD is a retail version and not a machine specific one? The difference is highlighted in the photos at the end of post #1.

2) Are you sure that you are completing ALL of the sub steps of STEP ONE on the Snow Leopard machine? Once it is modified, then you can copy it on the flash drive and move it over to the Mt. Lion Mac.

Apparently Mt. Lion does not allow for read/write of this type of image file and so far those helping me have not found any way to change this in Mt. Lion.

Since you have access to a Snow Leopard machine, you should be able to successfully complete STEP ONE there and the remaining STEPs on the Mountain Lion machine.

Another option is to complete ALL of the STEPS on the Snow Leopard Machine and then move the resulting Snow Leopard.pvm file over to the Mt. Lion Mac at ~/Documents/Parallels. It will be over 16GB large!

When you have it on the Mt. Lion Mac and double click it, click on CREATE NEW when the following dialog box appears:

 

[karendesign]

Did you see the earlier post from MWalsh indicating a bug in Eudora; with his mouse pointer disappearing?

Let me know your progress and GOOD LUCK!

Install of VSL went well despite what I thought were a few stumbles along the way. But I haven't got into Eudora yet... because, unlike using a virtual Windows, I'm not able to double-click an SL app (or file) in the ML environment to get it to open in the VSL environment. Nor can I locate a folder into which I could place an alias of that app. Have I made an error in my install? Or must I re-install SL apps through the virtual interface into the SL environment itself?

Thanks!

 

[MichaelLAX]

I have no direct experience with installing Eudora:

Can you just move a copy of the application over?

If so, and I am assuming that it is on the main hard drive on the vSL Mac, just make a copy of Eudora on your Main Mac desktop. Then double click on the Shared Folders/Home/Desktop and copy it from there to your vSL Applications Folder.

Otherwise, you will have to install Eudora within vSL from your installer disk.

Even if it would work, I recommend against using an Alias across environments.

Parallels 8 will now support Copy & Paste between the environments, but I do not think they have yet supported inter-environment launching of applications.

 

[karendesign]

Michael, now that I think more about it, that makes sense.

 

[MichaelLAX]

To modify one of my earlier comments: I always keep my data files outside of the virtual environment. So if I go to the data file in the Shared Folder and double click on it, yes, it will launch the application in vSL.

 

[karendesign]

Dreaded "Invalid Version" Message

My virtual SL worked fine for a few days, then today when starting up I saw the dreaded "invalid version" message. I did notice that the VSL seemed to go to sleep frequently and I was presented with a "resume" screen from time to time to get it to wake up. Could this have created the equivalent of a "suspend", which is known to cause problems? Or must it be a true selection of "suspend" from the Parallels virtual machine menu to cause the error?

I tried the repair method from msg #68 but got only as far as step 6; when the Snow Leopard VM window appears, the "invalid version" message also appears and I can't start it up. Guess I misunderstood something... should I have launched the second HD? Must I now delete the second HD and start over?

Thanks,
K

 

[MichaelLAX]

DO NOT DELETE ANYTHING AT THIS TIME!

OK: Let's get you up and running again!

I have Sleep turned off in both environments, my main computer and the vSL environment, so actually I never run into this problem, except maybe once, when I forgot that Parallels was running on my MacBook Pro and shut the screen.

Actually, if I remember correctly, when I opened the screen back up and it came out of Sleep, vSL was still up, of course, and I just did a normal Shut Down and Quit Parallels and all was fine.

So, somehow you Quit Parallels while vSL was running without the necessary Shut Down within vSL. This would result in this failure when an attempt to Start Up without the necessary ServerVersion.plist in place.

The instructions in post #68 should work for you. A failure at Step 6 would indicate that your backup .pvm file is also corrupted, with the necessary ServerVersion.plist file missing. Is that possible? Have you previously booted up your backup .pvm file?

What version OS X are you using: Lion or Mt. Lion? I seem to remember some posts here by Mt. Lion users that complained that Mt. Lion was negatively affecting the Post #68 fix and I will look into that.

UPDATE: [Also you ask: "should I have launched the second HD?" YES: the point of this fix is to boot from the uncorrupted HD and have the corrupted one show up on the desktop as the non-booting HD, so that you can fix it.]

In the meantime, check out the fix in Post 150: "Troubleshooting "An invalid Mac OS version is installed" with NO backup .pvm file" and see if that works for you!

Good luck and let me know!

 

[Peter.Adam]

get permissions Problem with the touch command

I should have read further in the messages, my problem is solved.

Have to do the install in Snow Leopard or Lion

Mountain Lion won't permit.

 

[MichaelLAX]

Glad that you found it and it works for you!

I tried to point out the Mountain Lion problem in the Preliminary Notes right at the top of the first post.

Any suggestions for ways to make it more apparent to Mt. Lion users?

 

[Peter.Adam]

How to make the injunction more obvious

When i was looking for how to I skimmed the info because at that point I was just getting started looking for a solution to the disappearance of Rosetta. and missed the second part of your italics.

Maybe make the advice about Mt Lion bold so it catches the eye.

Then I went no further than the first page of the thread.

When I came back to look further because i did not get the screen you showed and could not do the touch I saw the resolution.

Once I got hold of a Snow Leopard machine I had little difficulty

 

[MichaelLAX]

Thanks for that tip!

 

[KevinKarney]

Parallels Version 8

Michael

I (sadly) am running Parallels version 8. I have followed your instructions to the letter - twice - including the extra step in your Troubleshooting Steps ...

cd '/Volumes/Mac OS X Install DVD/System/Library/CoreServices/'
and
ls

All OK so far

but after the OS installation, Parallels came up with the.....
Mac OS X virtual machines can have only the Mac OS X Server Leopard or Mac OS X Server Snow Leopard operating system installed. Other versions of Mac OS are not supported.

Any ideas

Best regards
Kevin

 

[MichaelLAX]

Are you attempting STEP ONE on a Mac that is running Mountain Lion? If so, as pointed out in the preliminary notes at the beginning of the post, there is a known problem with Mountain Lion.

The only current workaround is to complete STEP ONE on a Mac that is running Leopard or Snow Leopard, and then move the resulting Mac OS X Snow Leopard.pvm file over to the Mountain Lion Mac and complete the remaining STEPs.

Let me know if this helps. If not, let me know more about your situation: including which OS X, which Mac, which specific sub Step you are at, which specific Troubleshooting Step, etc.

 

[jcj2249]

Installation in Mountain Lion

Thank you so much MichaelLAX for your commitment in writing these guide lines.

I have installed Snow Leopard + Rosetta into Parallels 7 in Mountain Lion. No major problem after applying the workaround described in the Preliminary Notes.

Before this installation, I used a partition of my hard disk containing Snow Leopard and all the Lion non compatible apps. I also tried to use VirtualBox but it is far to be as convenient (especially the fixed window size).

Now I can open all the Lion non compatible apps contained in my Snow Leopard partition from within Parallels without having to restart. No need also to duplicate them : I use them after mounting the Snow Leopard partition with the Finder Go>Connect To ... menu.

I set up the installation with 4 processors + 4GB RAM. The performances are quite satisfactory :10% slower for an essentially computational process and 23% slower for an essentially graphical process.

May I suggest some corrections of your guide lines:
- an alias is created automatically on the Desktop during the installation : thus it is not necessary to create one.
- in Step Three - Updating the Snow Leopard Parallels environment
a. Double click the Snow Leopard alias to Start Parallels : THIS STARTS IN FACT SNOW LEOPARD !
b. Migrate the Open window to /Macintosh HD/ : THIS SHOULD BE ~/

Thanks again !