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andyadler

macrumors member
Original poster
Jan 19, 2007
68
40
Louisville, Ky USA
Hello all. I'm currently running Parallels 3.0 (XP Pro) off of a Boot Camp partition on my Macbook Pro. I'd like to give VMWare Fusion an audition, and am wondering if I can run it off that same BC partition that Parallels uses -- or if that will create some kind of conflict that might damage the partition. I'm not talking about having Parallels and VMWare running _simultaenously_ -- only installing them both to use the same partition.

Thanks so much in advance,

aa.
 

kkat69

macrumors 68020
Aug 30, 2007
2,013
2
Atlanta, Ga
Yes you can use them both, only issue is... (and maybe someone else can help with this) is the activation, SINCE bootcamp will register as one hardware type, VMWare with it's built in driver and hardware emulator will register and another hardware type, and Parallels will register yet another hardware type.

Now since windows does it's 'activation' based on hardware changes etc, if a significant amount of hardware id's change, it'll prompt the user to re-activate it, if done to many times you have to call them or somehow contact them (why we're so willing to do this with windows but not with any other software is beyond me... DRM complaints anyone, bah that's for another thread) I'm unsure how you will, and again, maybe someone can help out here, short of activating with one hardware token, then totally not ever connecting to the internet again, how you will get around the different hardware tokens and re-activations by utilizing VMWare and Parallels, unless you plan on using one, waiting 120 days then using the other.

I'm sure it can be done legally (and I'm 100% positive it can be done illegally) but I'm at a loss how. Even my MSDN licenses (10 versions of every OS MS put out) forces me to re-activate.

So yes it can be done, but unless someone can post how to get it to stop re-activating when you boot up each instance, I'm not sure it'll be worth it.
 

ayeying

macrumors 601
Dec 5, 2007
4,547
13
Yay Area, CA
Parallels Desktop Version 4?!?!?!?!? :confused::confused::confused:
I thought it was 3. Or are you testing a new top-secret version?

But yes, you can use both just not at the same time.

Im in the private beta, but it doesn't matter. You can use both (not at the same time nor running at the same time even with different vm)
 

jspisak

macrumors newbie
Oct 6, 2008
2
0
You can. I'm using Parallels Desktop 4 and VMWare Fusion 2 with the same boot camp partition.

if you are doing this would you mind putting up what you did? i have been looking and have not been able to find a write up. i know install boot camp first, then point parallels to it but like the other guys question wont it keep asking for activation? i am planning on using Vista...
 

ayeying

macrumors 601
Dec 5, 2007
4,547
13
Yay Area, CA
if you are doing this would you mind putting up what you did? i have been looking and have not been able to find a write up. i know install boot camp first, then point parallels to it but like the other guys question wont it keep asking for activation? i am planning on using Vista...

Install Boot Camp. Afterwards, reboot into OSX. Run VMWare Fusion or Parallels, set up with installing the tools and such. Close whatever you opened (Fusion or Parallels) and finish with installing tools for the other. You will need to re-activate 3 times (One for each method of use, boot camp, parallels, fusion)
 

pomum malum

macrumors newbie
Mar 26, 2009
1
0
Windows activations

This is exactly the scenario I would like to set up too - Bootcamp and VMware as well as Parallels all running the same partition.

But I balk at the idea of having all these activation problems on an ongoing basis when you switch routinely between them. Has anyone figured a workaround for ongoing Windows activation issues mentioned by kkat69?
 

ayeying

macrumors 601
Dec 5, 2007
4,547
13
Yay Area, CA
This is exactly the scenario I would like to set up too - Bootcamp and VMware as well as Parallels all running the same partition.

But I balk at the idea of having all these activation problems on an ongoing basis when you switch routinely between them. Has anyone figured a workaround for ongoing Windows activation issues mentioned by kkat69?

There shouldn't be any issues once you have activated them. I had them activated once, Boot Camp, Parallels, VMWare. Once the activation of the 3 times are done, I never had to reactivate regardless of which i boot up with. This was done with Vista x64
 
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