Is it possible to import Parallels VMs?

[ChipMcK]

I'm another person with this exact issue. Anyone resolve it yet?

Check Clone existing Windows and use in VirtualBox

[socratis]

From the User Manual, Chapter 5.2. Disk image files (VDI, VMDK, VHD, HDD):

Image files of Parallels version 2 (HDD format) are also supported. For lack of documentation of the format, newer formats (3 and 4) are not supported. You can however convert such image files to version 2 format using tools provided by Parallels.

[LexLexxie]

Hi,

I switched from Parallels to VB recently and I just browsed to the Virtual HDD (which is a bit tricky), renamed it, copied it to another location and opened it in VB.

-Find the VM that you wish to import in your Parallels folder (where all the VM´s are located - mine was in the Documents folder) and right-click -> Show Package Contents
-Locate the .hdd file, right-click and choose Show Package Content
-Locate the .hds file, copy it to another location and rename extension to .hdd
-You should now be able to "use existing virtual HDD file" when creating your new VM

Regards Jimi

MacbookPro running ElCapitan before and now Sierra (successfully).
I did as you said:
a window is opened saying "Win-XP-VB (Running)" on the top, but inside the black Dos-like window ".....did not start succesfully.... and a bit down it gives the 3 modes to start and the "Start Windows Normally" (in white), I can not choose anything. The hdd is about 23GB as it was in Parallels (V10).
now what?
Lex

[kjohnson]

This method just worked flawlessly for me. Running OS X El Capitan and Windows 10 VM.

[lucianodicono]

Hi jiimi and other i got this message:

Fatal : No booteable medium found ! System Halted.

do you know what can it be?.

Regards

[socratis]

Fatal : No booteable medium found ! System Halted.

Either you haven't followed the steps precicely, or the hard drive that you attached to your VM is not bootable.

[kentsor]

This method just worked flawlessly for me. Running OS X El Capitan and Windows 10 VM.

What version of Parallels were you using ? Far more relevant than the OS X version

[kentsor]

Fatal : No booteable medium found ! System Halted.

Either you haven't followed the steps precicely, or the hard drive that you attached to your VM is not bootable.

I'm having the same issue. Using Parallels 9 under OS X 10.10, and would like to switch to VirtualBox.

I’m getting the same message, but this disk image contains XP, and has booted perfectly under Parallels for years, so how can it not be bootable?

This is what I have done:

With the XP disk image running in Parallels 9.
In Add/Remove Programs I have uninstalled Parallels Tools

In the Finder
Located the .hds file from inside the .hdd package
Copied it to another location and changed .hds to .hdd

In Virtual Box 5.1.22
Made a new VM and chose “use an existing virtual hard disk file”
When I start I get the above message.

[socratis]

From the User Manual, Chapter 5.2. Disk image files (VDI, VMDK, VHD, HDD):

Image files of Parallels version 2 (HDD format) are also supported. For lack of documentation of the format, newer formats (3 and 4) are not supported. You can however convert such image files to version 2 format using tools provided by Parallels.

[kentsor]

I don't think your information is up to date, sorry. Parallels is at version 12 now, and those tools you mention are nowhere to be found that I know. However, it puzzles me that some people are reporting success.

Does anyone know how to convert a disk image from a current parallels version to one that Virtual Box can use ?

[socratis]

It's not my information, I'm simply pointing you to the manual. I don't have Parallels, I'm simply pointing you to something that you may have missed. HDD version 2, does not mean Parallels version 2, do you realize the difference? And I bet that if you search hard enough, you're going to find the mentioned tools.

[mike81]

Old topic I know but after checking many solutions around the web the one suggested here (create new machine and use old parallels disk) worked like a charm.

Win10 VM with latest update as of this post, running on a Win10 host with latest update as of this post.
I did it all on Win10, as I no longer had access to macOS (hackintosh -> deleted partition a few days ago).
Parallels was latest version for Sierra with Parallel's auto update (NOT High Sierra).

To recap:
1. Find the big HD file on disk, mine was X:\Virtual Machines\VIRTUAL MACHINE NAME.pvm\Windows 10-0.hdd\.
2. Copy the big file (Windows 10-0.hdd.0.{LONG_ID}.hds) somewhere.
3. Rename the copied file to .hdd (or in short remove the part with LONG_ID).
4. Start VirtualBox (5.2.6, later 5.2.7 due to sound issues), create new machine, use copied file as drive when asked.
5. Configured machine to use ICH9 chipset and Intel HD audio.
6. Once booted first time, deleted Parallel Tools (hadn't before).
7. Reboot.
8. Mount and install VirtualBox guest additions (forgot the name).
9. Reboot

Done.

[mpack]

Renaming a file does not change its format, so that procedure can only work if the hdd file was already in v2 format. I guess that will not always be the case.

[mike81]

Yeah I think it's obvious renaming doesn't do anything on a file and you could rename it to MyFile.WHACK then use *.* on dialog box and still fetch it, but I guess the conclusion is more, if the machine was created on a newer version of Parallels (e.g not using ancient MacOS or ancient Parallels or an ancient VM) there are chances the HD file was created in the new format and the conversion will work.

[mpack]

I'm puzzled that you agree that renaming a file does nothing, immediately after a post in which renaming the file was pretty much the only thing you did.

No, VirtualBox does not support the new Parallels hdd format because there is no published spec for it. The user manual explains this, and the changelog would mention if this had changed (and as someone who tracks virtual hd specs myself, I'm pretty sure it can't have). Therefore a Parallels VM using the new hdd format will not work. Therefore any Parallels VM which does work must have been using the old format.

If you can demonstrate that any of this is incorrect, i.e. that you have a disk in the new format and it works in VirtualBox then that would certainly be significant news that we'd have to query the devs about.