Boot Camp / Parallels Problem

Hello,

i installed parallels on my iMac and decided to use my boot camp installation instead of a new virtual machine.

Parallels configured it just fine but when windows loaded, it gave me this message saying "the hardware on this machine has changed significantly since the last time you activated" and told me i needed to enter a new serial within 3 days.

Should this be happening? when i go back to boot camp i don't get the message, only when i go through parallels

I have a win XP 32bit OEM cd. Thanks.

Try this link:

http://forum.parallels.com/showthread.php?t=21842

it will help you.

Rgds Brian

deathcab1,

Windows can only be used on one machine at a time. If you move to another with the same copy, MS requires re-activation. As long as you activated in Boot Camp and want to stay in Boot Camp, you're OK, but you can't also use it in Parallels.

So I'd say uninstall Parallels and you'll be OK. If you'd rather use Parallels with Windows, activate Windows there and forget about using it in Boot Camp.

One or the other, but not both unless you have 2 copies of Windows and each separately activated.

Noel

Thanks brian, i'm trying that solution as im typing this.

Do i really need two keys? Im trying to use my actual boot camp installation in parallels and not a new virtual machine.

Surely this can be done otherwise why would parallels let me use my boot camp installation in it?

Nope, nothing, still wants me to reactivate windows. i can get a new licence through work for £15 so i might just buy a new key. im going to post on that thread you posted as well just to see if they have any solutions.

thanks.

You updated to the latest version and installed Parallels Tools and are still getting the activation thing?

hmm, pardon my stupidity...

i installed the parallels desktop and chose my boot camp installation as the virtual machine to run.

is parallels tools separate to parallels desktop?

deathcab1 said:

hmm, pardon my stupidity...

i installed the parallels desktop and chose my boot camp installation as the virtual machine to run.

is parallels tools separate to parallels desktop?

Click to expand...

Parallels tools is a suite of drivers and other software to make a copy of Windows function more smoothly within a VM. It *should* install itself automatically (in that case you should have seen a notification that it was installing), but if it did not, you can initiate it from the Tools menu => Install Parallels Tools.

I see. Thanks for all the help. I have several options now on how to get it to work so hopefully one should at least. i'll give it a go after work!

deathcab1 said:

Hello,

i installed parallels on my iMac and decided to use my boot camp installation instead of a new virtual machine.

Parallels configured it just fine but when windows loaded, it gave me this message saying "the hardware on this machine has changed significantly since the last time you activated" and told me i needed to enter a new serial within 3 days.

Should this be happening? when i go back to boot camp i don't get the message, only when i go through parallels

I have a win XP 32bit OEM cd. Thanks.

Click to expand...

deathcab1,

Just a rehash of the situation, hopefully to help you out...

The reason this happened is likely because you activated Windows after you installed it in Boot Camp; now when you are trying to use it in Parallels, MS wants you to activate it in Parallels.... So if you want to use it in Parallels, just re-activate Windows, that's relatively easy to do.

If you'd rather use it in Boot Camp, you're already activated there, so use it there.

If you want to use Windows in both places, you'll need two copies of Windows (two keys), one activated in each place.

Noel

I'm not a gamer. Initially I had Boot Camp and then tried to install Parallels - which came easily. My problem was Windows activiation - just like yours.

Basically, I just binned Boot Camp and ran my WinXP Pro in Parallels. I had to telephone Microsoft and explained what happened and they were really helpful.

I've not looked back since. I've copied the original XPPro.hdd and can swap it backwards and forwards off a back up hard drive - each with different software on depending on what I want to use (this keeps the Parallels hdd file smaller too).

Or you can use VMWare Fusion and still only have to activate it once. Not sure if you purchase Parallels or just were trying the demo, but if you didn't purchase it I'd suggest you try Fusion out first. I like it much more than Parallels.