First in a mini series, I’ll show you how to set-up and install a Windows 7 virtual machine on Parallels for Mac. Most of the information applies to other OS’s as well like Linux.
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- kotemanis: thanks man... i will try this.... :D...
- hoyaamusic: Yeeeahh!!! Cool Coool...It works . ..Awsome job ;)...
- SylphViper: @david02099 The reason it's not appearing is becau...
- dilwalaforyou: Great work man!! Thanks a lot!!...
- libyanspartan: YOU ARE AWESOME!!!!!!!!!!!!...
- Windows7 What’s different
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- Microsoft issues first Windows 7 patches – Computerworld New Zealand
- The Week in Geek: 10.25.09 – GeekSmack
- Kindle software coming to Mac OS X – tuaw.com (blog)
- Six free antivirus programs made for your Windows 7 system – Downloadsquad (blog)
- Windows 7 Japan burp-a-thon – p2pnet.net
- Podcast: Windows 7, Droid, Acer Aspire One, Net Neutrality – Reuters
- Raindrop is Mozilla’s diet version of Google Wave – India Today
- PC World Podcast Episode 50: Windows 7, Droid, Acer Aspire One, and Net Neutrality – PC World
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Asides 
The curtain has been raised (slightly) on the next installment of Microsoft’s Windows operating system – Windows 7.
Microsoft hope it will bring the internet, mobile phone and PC closer together. But reviews have so far been mixed, although reviewers have been limited to trying the (pre-beta version).
The full version is expected to be capable of working with a touchscreen screen, navigating documents and the Web similar to Apple’s iPhone. It is officially released at the end of 2009.
“I have seen the future, and it is bleak. Windows 7, the next big version, the one that was supposed to fix everything that was wrong with Vista, is here (at least in pre-beta form), and I can now say – with some confidence – that Microsoft has once again dropped the ball.
“Overall, I’m extremely disappointed with Windows 7. Far from atoning for Vista’s sins, Windows 7 simply carries them forward, visiting them upon yet another generation. Windows 7 is no panacea. Rather, it’s just more of the same: slow, bloated, and frustrating as hell.”
“When it comes to Windows 7, Microsoft hasn’t just learned from the mistakes of Windows Vista. It has picked up a thing or two from Apple’s OS X, judging by first impressions.
“It’s not clear how big the changes are so far. If you put the beta-build of Windows 7 side-by-side with Windows Vista, you’d be hard-pressed to spot the differences. Yes, some of the icons look slightly different and there’s no sidebar, but it’s essentially still the Vista look and feel. But that changes when you start to use Windows 7.
“For a start the OS won’t nag you as much; many notifications are banished to a control panel, you get to approve icons before they show up in the system tray and Microsoft has reined in Vista’s useful but annoying UAC prompts; you can choose which ones you want to see or turn them off altogether.”
“Initially Windows 7 looks similar to Vista, but there a lot of new features that have been added. Under the skin, Microsoft has been working hard. Boot times have been reduced, and certainly the review laptop Microsoft provided has a fairly snappy boot time.
“Microsoft has been working with OEMs to improve battery life – simple things such as reducing the timer frequency can improve battery life by up to 10 per cent. The networking stack has had new diagnostics added to help users figure out exactly where the problem lies.
“So, is this all a big deal? It’s not a change to the fundamental core of Windows, and most of the improvements sound relatively small. But taken together, they seem to address many of the issues people have had for Windows. I’m looking forward to trying it out, starting this afternoon.”
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at 6:02 am
once you get this can you play games for microsoft on the mac?
at 6:02 am
@alaucirica Actually that is a great question. It is Windows thru and thru, I have yet to find a program that will not run. However I have not used Quicken, I can vouch that office for windows is working great for me.
at 6:02 am
I just bought my first Mac, and I’m worry about all those comments about Office for Mac or Quicken for Mac don’t work so good like in Windows. If I use Parallels, Am I going to be able to install Office and Quicken on Windows as in a regular PC..? maybe its much better to buy Parallel Desktop for $80 than Office and Quicken for Mac for $ 149 and $ 49…? Maybe I sound to ignorant for a lot of people… but I prefer to ask than remain on my gray zone… thanks for the answers or comments…!!
at 6:02 am
@timjohns Hi they install a preference pane in the system preferences called MacFuse and this helps take care of the read/write access. Check and see if you have it installed, I am not sure but I believe it should enable access for other programs like Finder as well.
Hope this helps,
Peter.
at 6:02 am
Thanks for the excellent video.
One thing that I wasn’t clear on, at one stage you explained about letting Parallels re-direct/point the Windows “documents” folders to the Mac OS.X native folders…
How then do Windows applications running in Parallels gain read/write access to those folders which are on the Mac HFS+ formatted drive ?
I ask because it’s a problem I’ve been thinking of solving by purchasing Macdrive 8 to let my Windows have read/write access my HFS+ formatted Drobo
Thanks again
at 6:02 am
You gave me courage to hit “custom” install! Worked great, but now my Windows product key says its not right???!!!
at 6:02 am
@GrfxG windows is installed!! but now internet explorer won’t open. does it have to do with driver compatibility? apple support on their website has downloads for drivers on imacs, but not macbooks. my saga continues…
at 6:02 am
@sonalpatel628 You can re-enter the serial via the control panel and my computer to see if that corrects your problem.
Glad you got it installed, well done
at 6:02 am
@sonalpatel628 Well in the case of installing Windows it will automatically restart as needed, think of it as a PC rebooting. So when you are in Windows restart would be the same as normal.
An important concept to think of is that the VM is an entire machine, so rebooting it goes through a BIOS type screen just like a normal PC.
at 6:02 am
@GrfxG hmmm is right. how on earth do i just restart the vm? i didn’t see anything like that on the buttons on vm–just stop, and suspend….
at 6:02 am
@sonalpatel628 Hmmm be careful that you are not confusing restarting the VM with restarting your Mac. When installing Windows on the VM you will be restarting the VM not your Mac and OS-X.
at 6:02 am
@GrfxG i am SO glad you told me that. i was thinking crazy thoughts of mac os itself would wipe out completely. i have 2 gb on my macbook so that is not the problem. i will try the custom install now. but hope i have no problems with inserting cd, then taking out and restarting macbook per directions, then putting cd back in and windows not taking over again. fingers crossed. (i just need internet explorer for a couple classes!!!!!!!!)
at 6:02 am
@sonalpatel628 No problem, remember anything you do will only happen inside the VM so wiping the existing OS is only wiping the OS inside the VM not the Mac or OS-X
VM’s are great for playing around with the safe knowledge that you are doing anything to your host system.
at 6:02 am
@GrfxG thanks! i guess i’m just confused since macs shouldn’t have windows programs on them anyways (until recently!!), but their “custom” button says it will wipe existing system out. i’ll try parallels again.
at 6:02 am
@sonalpatel628 I’d say run over to the parallels forums and see. Never done an upgrade vm with Windows. I just do fresh installs every time to clean out the junk, sorry.
at 6:02 am
great tutorial! but i still cannot install. i selected upgrade install (not custom) and it wants me to remove cd and restart mac. i suspend parallels and come back to it, but am allowed no further. windows has no “restart” button for uploading when i put cd back in. would love your help!
at 6:02 am
@illstateofmind No since it is now inside a VM not via machine boot…as I understand it.
at 6:02 am
If I do it like this, will the Windows 7 install be available through Bootcamp as well?
at 6:02 am
your best of bests
at 6:02 am
Everyone stop asking me where to get the iso file. if you are an MSDN member it’s there if not buy the CD/DVD from a store. I just used an ISO rather than making a disc from it.
Any requests will be ignored.
at 6:02 am
@GrfxG I see. I guess it was only wishful thinking lol. Thanks.
at 6:02 am
@punkxr0ck3r I would guess the VM will only be allowed to use the amount of ram partitioned for it ( or not ). since Coherence mode seems to me to be just a visual change. You would still have to provision resources for Parallels regardless of the mode you are viewing it in….as I understand it.
at 6:02 am
good tutorial.
one question though… let’s say your macbook has 4GB of RAM. if you run it in Coherence mode, instead of partitioning the RAM does it use all 4 gigs of ram along with the mac OS?
at 6:02 am
@tiGGrteik Not sure I understand the question ‘what is the loader 7 for?’ ?
at 6:02 am
good tutorial man
what is the loader 7 for ?
i am trying to install the win7 on parallel on my mac
win7 iso oem