Quote:
Originally Posted by Paulix
Hi, I'm hoping someone can help me with this. I'm pretty much a novice with Mac but I would like to install Parallels Desktop 4.0. My question is this; I currently have a p.c on which I run Windows XP. Can I transfer this somehow into Parallels Desktop or do I need a separate XP installation disc? Thanks!
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Well, it depends. There are some legal issues surrounding this as well as technical ones. If your current PC came with Windows preinstalled, then you are not legally allowed to port it over to another machine. If, however, you have a retail version of XP (i.e. you bought it in a shrink-wrapped package), you may then run it on another machine, providing that you retire the old machine. Parallels comes with a program called Transporter that will help you package your existing Windows machine into a virtual hard disk file and then bring it over wholesale to your Mac to run it on a virtual machine.
If all that sounds a little bit complicated, that's because it is. Your best bet would be to just pick up Parallels and an OEM copy of XP, which will run you around $100 and do a fresh install. This will also keep you from bringing any problems from your old PC over to your new Mac.