Using an Windows 7 Upgrade CD in Parallels

Hi,

I am thinking about buying a Macbook Pro Retina and I was wondering whether it is possible to install Windows 7 using an upgrade CD on Parallels rather than using the full version? I have read on some sites that it is possible (and legal) provided you have purchased Windows 7/Vista and hold a licence for it (which I do) and some places say it is not possible to do so through parallels as it will search for a previous install of Windows. I read somewhere that this can be bypassed by selecting custom install and doing a clean install of Windows?

Also, if I buy the 64-bit version, I won't have problems running 32-bit programs and games right?

Thank you!

Yes, you can install Windows 7 to your Mac using Parallels; however, that means it will be installed only as a virtual machine and not as a native OS using Boot Camp. If you want to play games or use heavy applications, you definitely have to install it using Boot Camp. What's also great about Boot Camp is that after you install Windows 7 using it, you can actually use that OS in Parallels as well.

In regards to 64-bit or 32-bit, both will work fine. Apple provides you with drivers for both versions so you're good to go either way.

Installing Windows 7 through Boot Camp is fairly easy and I'm sure you'll find plenty of guides here on the forum, while using Parallels Desktop is just fool proof since you just follow the guide-screen.

I'm not absolutely sure what a Windows 7 Upgrade CD is, though.

Tarek - Thank you for your reply.

By upgrade CD I meant a disk that is for people upgrading from Vista to Windows 7 rather than a full version of Windows 7.

Fall91 said:

Tarek - Thank you for your reply.

By upgrade CD I meant a disk that is for people upgrading from Vista to Windows 7 rather than a full version of Windows 7.

Click to expand...

While it's a violation of the End User License Agreement, it is technically possible to use an upgrade edition for a clean install providing that the upgrade hasn't been used elsewhere.

You would install the OS in the VM, but do not register/activate it when prompted. Once you've got it fully installed and ready to go, manually activate it. If that doesn't work, you simply need to reinstall it over itself.

In regard to Tarek's comments about Boot Camp, while it's true that VMs don't excel at gaming, they do operate at near native speeds in all other areas, given adequate hardware allocation. You can also run some games and applications that require 3D acceleration, but don't expect to run anything that requires heavy-duty 3D acceleration. Older games or casual games are examples of the kinds of software that tends to run acceptably in a VM.

Thank you for your detailed reply! I'll probably just buy the full version to be safe and install that.

There is no need to buy the full version. Do as cwa107 pointed out and it will work. You will not be in violation of the MS EULA if you own a legal license for Vista or XP, both of which are eligible upgrades to Windows 7.

The only reason Boot Camp says to use a full version is because Macs use slot loading optical drives which means the Windows 7 DVD can not be ejected in order to insert a Vista or XP disk to show eligibility. Windows PCs do not have that problem because the optical drives are tray loaders.

I just didn't want to spend £40 to find out it I needed a full version which is another £70. I'll just follow cwa107's instructions.

By the way, I am thinking of getting the MBP Retina with 256gb SSD so how much space should I dedicate to Windows as a rule of thumb? I know its probably down to personal preference but I was thinking around 90gb for Windows and the remaining for Mac or is that too much?

Thanks.

You're going to have to make that determination based on what you intend to run in Windows. Parallels and VMWare Fusion both will expand the VM if needed. With a 256 GB SSD installed, 90 GB for Windows may be a bit too much, but that's up to you.

What do you mean by expand the VM? As in I can assign say 50gb and adjust as I go along?

Fall91 said:

What do you mean by expand the VM? As in I can assign say 50gb and adjust as I go along?

Click to expand...

If Parallels works in the same way as VMWare Fusion (which is the better product, IMO), then it will pre-define a starting size based on what it believes is optimal given the OS type. I think that's 30GB. As the need for storage grows, VMWare will automatically expand the virtual HDD to suit your needs. In this way, it only uses the amount of space it absolutely needs.

This is quite different from the Boot Camp approach, where the disk size is static and you have to jump through hoops to expand it.

Ah, I see. Thank you very much for all your help guys, it is much appreciated.

Reinstall Over Itself?

If that doesn't work, you simply need to reinstall it over itself.

How do you "reinstall over itself?

You're posting to an old thread, however, the answer to your question is still available at several sites on the web. Just do a google search for the topic. The method of installing an upgrade version of Windows 7 over itself works as I have done it before.