Converting Parallels image to Boot Camp - Guide

Original archived here. One tip, try using Macrium Reflect instead of DriveImage XML. The steps 2 to 13 will be much simpler and faster (see below).

Moved from "Parallels Desktop for Mac"

V to P BootCamp Guide. How to Migrate a Parallels VM to a Boot Camp Partition.

Since the release of the new Parallels Beta build 3036, I have been anxious to move towards using Parallels with a Boot Camp Windows install. My work requires I use Windows on my MacBook every day, and Parallels has been a fine solution up to now. Occasionally, there are times, booting natively would assist with some of the more processor intensive tasks, such as editing large Photoshop images. Because my parallels VM had been finely customized over the last few months, I needed a way to migrate my Parallels VM onto a Boot Camp partition. Little did I realize how difficult a task this could be. After trying unsuccessfully for 4 days, I finally hit on a method that allowed me to do what I needed. Below is a guide to assist those of you who might need to do the same. Here are some notes to keep in mind about my setup. If your environment is different at all, your mileage may vary.

* Machine: White MacBook Core Duo 2 Ghz with 2 GB RAM
* VM: Windows XP Professional (volume license) on a 30 GB virtual HD. 12 GB of data used.

Tools needed:

* WindowsXP SP2 installation CD (Volume License)
* DriveImage XML (http://www.runtime.org/dixml.htm)
* Bart PE Boot Disk (http://www.nu2.nu/pebuilder/) built from the XP SP2 disk
AND including the DriveImage XML Plugin (http://www.runtime.org/peb.htm)
* Macrium Reflect Complete Edition (http://www.macrium.com/default.asp)
* External USB2 HD formatted NTFS (or FAT32) that is large enough to contain your disk image.
* Intel Mac (1st Gen MacBook used here)
* 2nd networked Windows computer with a share to dump your image to.
* Parallels VM containing an install of Windows XP SP2
* Home network running DHCP.

The steps:

1. Make a copy or clone of your original Parallels VM. Work from this copy.

2. Build and burn a Bart PE Boot disk on a PC using your Windows XP SP2 Installation disk and adding the DriveImage XML plugin and whatever network driver is required for your Intel Mac. (I copied the following directory from a previous clean Boot Camp install “c:\Program Files\Macintosh Drivers for Windows XP\yk51x86” to the PE Builder network driver directory “C:\pebuilder\drivers\net” BEFORE creating the Bart PE Disk. You may find a better way to get the driver out for your use.)

3. Attach your external USB2 NTFS formatted HD to the 2nd networked PC, and create a share on it to dump your image to. Remember to give the EVERYONE group full write access to the share. For this example, I will call this share \\PC2\IMAGE.

4. Boot up the copy of your Parallels VM.

5. Uninstall Parallels Tools from the VM.

6. Turn off the VM, and insert the BartPE boot disk. Make sure to choose it as the boot source for your VM.

7. Boot your VM off of the BartPE disk. When prompted, start network services. If the driver was installed correctly, they will load. Accept the default DHCP configuration to get an IP address.

8. Use the BartPE GO Menu to map a network drive (GO>SYSTEM>NETWORK>MAP NETWORK DRIVE). Remember to use the Connect as a Different User Name option to pass on the credentials for an authorized account on the PC2 computer. The username will be entered in the following format: PC2\username.

9. Once the drive is mapped, start DiveImage XML (GO>PROGRAMS>DRIVE IMAGE XML). Create an image of your VM’s C: drive and save it to the \\PC2\IMAGE share.

10. Shut down your VM after the image completes.

11. Remove the USB2 hard drive containing the new image from your VM from the 2nd PC.

12. Use Apple’s Boot Camp Assistant to create a Windows partition. Do not forget to burn a drivers CD.

13. Attach the USB2 Hard Drive to your Intel Mac.

2. Install Macrium Reflect on the VM.

3. Attach the USB2 Hard Drive to your VM (through the Intel Mac).

4. Uninstall any Parallels Tools and related software.

5-13. Follow How to transfer Windows XP to different hardware and back up the entire VM to the USB2 Hard Drive. Use a BartPE Rescue CD (see How to create a BartPE Rescue CD for Macrium Reflect)

14. Insert the BartPE Boot Disk into the Mac and begin the windows install using the Boot Camp Assistant. IMPORTANT: Hold down the Option Key as your Mac is rebooting. If you do not, the Bart CD may spit out.

15. Select the Bart PE CD as the boot source and continue to boot off the disk.

16. Once Bart PE loads you do NOT need to start the network services. Your image is already on the attached external hard drive.

17. Use DriveImage XML to restore the VM image to your Boot Camp c: drive. DO NOT RETORE ANY WHERE ELSE.

18. When DriveImage XML finishes, turn off your Mac.

19. Reboot, holding down the Option key. When you are at the Boot Camp boot source window, eject the Bart PE Disk, insert your Windows XP SP2 disk.

20. You will now need to use the Windows Recovery console to fix your XP installation. I found this information on the following web page: http://www.short-media.com/review.php?r=313 . (Thank you Thrax!!) If you try to boot directly into Windows, the boot will fail because the NTOSKRNL.EXE file is missing or corrupted.

21. When the Windows Installer gets to the Welcome to Setup screen, press R to repair your XP install.

22. Your previous install should be found. You will choose it by pressing the appropriate number (usually 1) and ENTER.

23. Enter the Local Administrator password the VM you just restored then press ENTER.

ENTER THE FOLLOWING COMANDS SEPERATELY, EXACTLY AS THEY ARE BELOW ON THE C:> PROMPT, AND PRESSING ENTER AFTER EACH.

24. CD ..

25. ATTRIB –H C:\boot.ini

26. ATTRIB –S C:\boot.ini

27. ATTRIB –R C:\boot.ini

28. del boot.ini

29. BOOTCFG /Rebuild

30. Select your Windows install (1) and press ENTER

31. Press Y and ENTER to add it to your boot list.

32. Enter Microsoft Windows XP Professional as the Load Identifier and press ENTER.

33. add the following OS load options:
/fastdetect /noexecute=optin
then press ENTER.

34. Run a checkdisk on the drive by entering the following:
CHKDSK /R

35. Run this final command to ensure the boot record is repaired:
FIXBOOT

36. type EXIT and press ENTER.

37. Once again, press the Option key while the Mac boots. Make sure the XP Install Disk Stays in and it is selected as the boot option.

THE FOLLOWING INSTRUCTIONS ARE FROM http://www.michaelstevenstech.com/XPrepairinstall.htm

38. When you see the "Welcome To Setup" screen, press ENTER to start the Windows Setup.

39. To setup Windows XP now and Repair Install , press ENTER. do not choose "To repair a Windows XP installation using the Recovery Console, press R", (you Do Not want to load Recovery Console again).

40. Accept the License Agreement and Windows will search for existing Windows installations.

41. Select the XP installation you want to repair from the list and press R to start the repair. (If Repair is not one of the options, END setup. (You have other problems and may just need to do a new install for Boot Camp.)

42. Setup will copy the necessary files to the hard drive and reboot. Do not press any key to boot from CD when the message appears. You may be asked to insert the disk if your Mac spits it out.

43. Setup will continue as if it were doing a clean install, but your applications and settings will remain intact. You will need to reenter your XP Install Key after the reboot.

44. After the installation finishes and your Mac reboots you should be able to log into the windows install that was previously on your Parallels VM.

45. Use the Macintosh Drivers for Windows XP CD to install the Apple drivers for your Intel Mac.

46. Reapply updates or service packs applied since initial Windows XP installation using Windows Update.

47. You should now have a fully functioning Boot Camp install migrated from your old Parallels VM.

48. If you wish to use this install as a Parallels VM with the new 3036 beta build, you need to boot into your Windows XP natively through Boot Camp and install Parallels Tools for Boot Camp package in it before your first boot in Parallels Desktop for Mac.

Good luck. I hope I save someone all the time I spent trying to get this working. Feel free to share this information and correct any mistakes you see. I put this together in a mad rush because I was so excited to get it working. :)