virtualbox.org

Hi Everyone:

I would like to be able to "extract" a Windows XP VM from an old Parallels 3.0 implementation. Is there any way of doing this? I suppose if I had Parallels 5.0 or 6.0 I could update my 3.0 VM and then maybe it would be accessible by VB but I do not have this software. Any way of getting VB to access and export my 3.0? I realize that this is probably a long shot but thought it was worth a try. Part of the difficulty is that I've been unable to locate the actual parallels VM file. I know it is on my hard disk somewhere but not sure where. All ideas appreciated.

Sure why not, just do a v2v conversion, nothing much different from a p2v.

As you have a Win7 VM you could try converting your Parallels VM using CloneVDI inside your Win7 VM. Once you find the Parallels VM copy it to the shared folder, install CloneVDI in your Win7 VM and try converting.

How exactly would I do this? I have no idea. Keep in mind that I do not have any working version of parallels at the moment AND I do not know where the location is of the Windows XP VM.

I found the location of my Parallels 3.0 VM. The name is winxp.hdd. I tried to convert it to a Virtual Box VM using the clone menu command but it did not work. How can I convert this to a new VM in VirtualBox?

See my instructions above. After downloading and installing CloneVDI, take the time to read the release notes.

I'm having several more fundamental problems with Windows and the connection to the cloning of my previous Parallels VM. First, I'm totally unable to copy from mac to Windows 7. I had thought this was set up automatically when implementing my VM but it isn't working.

Second issue is that I cannot access my shared folder inside my Windows VM. I set it up in shared folders config but being unfamiliar with Windows 7, I cannot locate it. Windows does not seem to have the same simple hierarchical structure as Mac OS. I already placed my winxp.hdd in the shared folder and also Clone DVI but cannot access them yet.

All help appreciated.

Shared folders require you to install the VirtualBox Guest Additions into the guest OS first. See chapter 4 of the user manual.

HOWEVER. Running CloneVDI inside an Windows VM on a Mac is not a supported configuration. Talking to shared folders on that platform is known to have problems. I suggest that Mac users run CloneVDI under Wine/WineBottler instead. Discussion of that here.

I still do not have simple copy/paste working from my mac OS to Windows 7. What do I need to do make this work?

I have also been unable to install the Guest Additions to my VBox. The manual points to chapter 4 and then chapter 4 says that it is part of the original VB download package but it is not. I installed the Extension Pack but do not know if this is the same thing. I need to have Guest Additions installed in order to have a shared folder. I've already set up a shared folder in the VB configuration but am still unable to access it inside my Windows 7.

I was successful in installing Wine and Winebottle after a long runaround to many websites. I was also able to download CloneVDI.exe and converted it using WineBottle to CloneVDI.app but when running it, it generates several errors after which it opens a window and asks for a VB file. I am not sure how to direct it to my hdd file from Parallels 3.0.

I'd like some help with the basics first like copy/paste and shared folder. I want to be able to transfer an exe file into my windows folder structure so I can run it. Thanks!

You should avoid asking questions to different topics in one thread. It makes finding answer more difficult and is not adherent to the forum rules. If you have a new question, you should post a new thread.
Here are step-by-step instructions regarding Guest Additions.

My apologies. I figured out the Guest Additions issue, along with shared folders and copy/paste. I was also able to install an important specialized program in my Windows 7 VM. Thanks for your help. I'd still like to be able to rescue my Windows XP VM so will continue working on it.

I just learned about the app called Parallels Image Tool which is part of my Parallels package. This could possibly be used to modify my 3.0 hdd had disk to a format readable by Virtual Box. Anyone here have any experience with this app? My hdd file is about 5.3 GB and starting up The Image tool app, it gave me a warning that my hdd VM is in a suspended state and that by continuing, I may damage the VM. The only option I can think of is to copy this large file to an 8 GB DVD disk as a backup, then proceed to see what the image app can do with the old VM. I appreciate any suggestions on this.

Your best bet is to get it running the old way and then dump the running system with disk2vhd or clonevdi to some external device. Using clonevdi this never failed me using "\\.\PhysicalDrive0" as source.

vbox4me2 wrote:Using clonevdi this never failed me using "\\.\PhysicalDrive0" as source.

A bit of a tip there: when I experimented with that feature I found it a lot more user friendly if you create a VMDK descriptor to describe the physical drive. You can then locate the .vmdk file inside the target folder on the backup drive. You can load that VMDK descriptor as the source disk in CloneVDI, CloneVDI will then default to <TargetFolder>Clone of <vmdkname>.vdi as the clone name. Less chance of "finger trouble" than the basic method. A VMDK descriptor can be created by hand (e.g. copy and modify another one), or you could probably use "VBoxManage internalcommands createrawvmdk".

@freedomcoach: for obvious reasons, not many of us will be familiar with Parallels tools. The image conversion tool has been mentioned in the past (e.g. in the VirtualBox release notes when Parallels hdd support was first introduced), I assume it works but have no way of knowing.

I ran Parallels Image tool on the hdd and it did its thing but I have no idea what changes were made. It may have undone the suspended state of the VM and cleaned it up somehow but the resulting file still looks the same, i.e. an hdd file, about 5.3 GB. Unfortunately, a lot of the last 2 instructions posted here are above my head. I am not clear how to implement them and would need a bit of hand holding to do it. If someone here would be willing to walk me through the steps over the phone, that would be awesome. Trading of services are possible.

Alternatively, it seems that my best bet is to find a copy of Parallels Desktop version 5 and re-load my 3.0 VM into it, launch it to see that it is intact and then see what options exist for converting it. I only need a trial version of Parallels 5 to do this but so far finding one has been illusive. Version 7 will not run on my 2006 vintage intel core duo macbook. Hope to upgrade soon but it will be a few more weeks before this happens. All help greatly appreciated.