[X4U] Set up Parallels or Boot Camp

[Jim Scott]

On Apr 26, 2008, at 8:02 PM, David R. Boag, DDS wrote:

> I just purchased a 2.5GHz MBP 15" w/ 512MB VRAM and 250MB HD on ebay  
> new for a really nice price. WOOHOO!! I'm a dentist, and plan on  
> using it at the office, which is unfortunately all PC. ;-( However,  
> I am a registered Parallels 3.0 user, and so I will be setting up  
> Parallels on it so that I can use my dental software on it, since my  
> office is all digital--no paper charts, no x-ray films...SO nice.
>
> As I wait for this thing with baited breath, I need to figure out  
> how I'm going to set up my PC partition. When I bought Parallels, it  
> didn't support the use of Boot Camp partitions, but I have been  
> informed that it does now. So, what's the best way to set up the PC  
> side? Do I just do the normal Parallels install or should I set up  
> the PC partition in Boot Camp and then install Parallels and point  
> it to the Boot Camp partition?
>
> Any advice is welcome.
>
> Did I say WOOHOO?!!!!!
>
> David R. Boag, DDS

I'm running Windows Vista Business Edition (32-bit) on a Boot Camp  
partition on an Intel 2.4 GHz 20" iMac with Leopard 10.5.2 and 2 GB  
RAM. Windows booted and ran sluggishly until I installed the latest  
Boot Camp 2.1 update. Now it runs acceptably fast. So make sure you do  
the appropriate Boot Camp 2.1 update for the version of XP or Vista  
you plan to run.

I tried running the latest Parallels 3.0 in a trial version. I  
installed it and pointed it at the Boot Camp partition. I was able to  
use Vista either in Parallels while booted into Leopard, or by  
rebooting into the Boot Camp Windows partition. Windows seemed to run  
faster and smoother while booted into the Boot Camp version rather  
than Parallels. YMMV.

But I had major problems with getting Parallels to see and activate my  
iMac's ethernet controller so I could access my AT&T DSL modem. Once  
that was sorted out, I had great difficulty installing the Norton  
Security Suite provided to AT&T's DSL customers. After several  
attempts (install Norton Security, uninstall Norton Security; install  
Parallels, uninstall Parallels; etc.) I finally got  Norton to  
install. But I never was able to get it to scan my system or even run  
updates, whether I tried the install and setup in Parallels or while  
booted into Vista via Boot Camp. The Norton Security Suite had been  
running just fine on my pre-Parallels Boot Camp Vista installation, so  
draw your own conclusions as to Parallels' role in messing things up.  
If you use a different Internet security software package, you well  
may have no problems. All I can say with certainty is that Parallels  
and AT&T Yahoo's Norton/Symantec security software are incompatible.

Woo Hoo? Caveat Emptor is more like it.

Jim Scott