Parallels Autocheck Error

[bluto00]

Hi all,

Using Mac Pro 1.1; Leopard 10.5.8 with Bootcamp 2.0 installed; Parallels v3.0 Build 5638; Windows XP Pro with SP3 installed (SP3 updated online from Microsoft, NOT from my Windows installation disk which has SP2).

I can boot up the PC side using Bootcamp with no problems but I am getting an Autocheck error trying to boot up using Parallels and an endless loop of 0xc000003a Session Manager terminating when trying to open Parallels.

The fix for this on the Parallels site says install Bootcamp 2.1, which is fine and good, except I can't install 2.1 with SP3 already installed.

First... I DON'T want to go through a reformat on the PC side installing Bootcamp 2.1 as I just spent days downloading and updating all the software in Leopard and Windows, not to mention I don't want to lose all my PC side software install updates or information which I just downloaded also since just getting DSL!!

1. Can I update Bootcamp 2.0 to 2.1 without starting from scratch with a partition reformat or complete Windows software install? If so how?

2. Once that is accomplished (if possible) how do I uninstall SP3 to the SP2 without, again, doing a complete Windows software install?

3. Will I STILL being able to boot up from my Bootcamp side error free after this mess? An error free Bootcamp to me is more important than Parallels.

4. If I can't do all this crap without major re-installation I guess I can live with using only Bootcamp for the Windows side and consider the hard cash I shelled out to Parallels as a complete waste of money. Can I then just dump the Parallels crap software by uninstalling that on the Mac side without problems or will that effect the Bootcamp side?

Please be specific as I am no wiz at figuring this stuff out between platforms. A very, very frustrating situation.

Thanks to all in advance for your help,

Clark

 

[SammySlim]

I don't understand why BootCamp 2.1 is relevant to a Parallels issue. Althought I am a VM Ware user, not a Parallels user, I believe there are known issues with XP running both as a boot camp partition and then using that to run the virtual machine, as there can be corruption issues with certain boot sector files (only in XP, not Vista or Windows 7).

If your Boot Camp installation continues to work well, my recommendation would be to delete your Parallels Windows VM and reinstall a new Windows VM from a separate copy of Windows, of whatever flavor you prefer, and not have the VM use the Boot Camp partition at all. That will likely solve your problem, although you will have to start over in the VM to load your software there.

Or, alternatively, just delete the VM and reinstall from what you have and see if that works.

Either way, I don't think you can fix the broken VM.

Good luck!