Help with Parallels install.

QuadLeo

I have a MBP running OS X 10.5.2 and Windows XP Pro (boot camp). I bought Parallels and I want to run XP Pro using this new software. I'm confident I can install XP Pro to run with Parallels but I want to remove the boot camp partition to get back some HD space. How do I do this? Will I need to re-install OS X and format my system drive? If I format the HD and re-install OS X will it remove the windows / bootcamp partition? If so I will attempt it this way and I'll do a clean install of OS X and then install Parallels and XP Pro. Is that the best way? Any advice is much appreciated as I'm anxious not to attempt anything without being certain.

I'm aware I can remove the partition using boot camp assistant. But I've been told that this will remove the partition but will not create a single OS X partition which is what I want. I want to remove windows and it's partition and then allocate the entire Hard Drive to OS X. Then I will install XP Pro using Parallels.

Breezer

For the Boot Camp beta on Tiger you used to just run Boot Camp Assistant again; it gave you the option to remove Windows and restore your drive to a single partition (without touching the existing OSX install). I assume it's the same procedure on Leopard.

Before you do that, check to see if you can use your existing Boot Camp install from within Parallels, that way you avoid the hassle and keep the best of both worlds. VMWare Fusion lets you do this and I'd be surprised if Parallels doesn't.

QuadLeo

That would be handy alright. I'll check that first.

muggyog

Think Disk Utility in Leopard allows dynamic repartitioning but Breezers method is probably better.

the evil lime

I did this about a week ago. The boot camp asst. is in utilities. There's a button in there; You just click it and it's bye-bye windows partition.

QuadLeo

If I use boot camp to remove the partition does it re-allocate the entire Hard Drive to OS X?
Also If I do remove windows XP (which I might because the partition is too big for my liking) when I re-install it with VM or Parallels will I need to install all the drivers from the OS X disk?

Breezer

QuadLeo wrote: »

If I use boot camp to remove the partition does it re-allocate the entire Hard Drive to OS X?
Also If I do remove windows XP (which I might because the partition is too big for my liking) when I re-install it with VM or Parallels will I need to install all the drivers from the OS X disk?

Yes to the first question. I don't know to the second, this used to be the procedure alright but from what I hear Leopard doesn't require you to burn a driver CD for Boot Camp, so I don't know how you'd go about that. The Parallels website should tell you.

WUSBDesign

From what I recall from my own Parallels/WinXP installation, there are no more drivers required provided you have the WinXP installation disc.