Bootcamp run along OSX

Hello guys,

I am new to the forum as well as the mac world. I am really happy with my macbook pro i7 and i have 1TB hard drive which i split into two 512GB one half for the os and the other half for windows 7.

Now i realised that i prefer to run my operating systems in parallel. Is there any way i can do that? with vmware or parallel or even virtualbox? What i want to do is basically not having to restart in order to use my windows. so basically i want to access my bootcamp directly.

Also i was wondering if there is a way, will i have my HDD removed from partition or will the partition will stay until the next format?


Please let me know if you have any suggestions.
Thank you in advance

frangos said:

Now i realised that i prefer to run my operating systems in parallel. Is there any way i can do that? with vmware or parallel or even virtualbox?

Click to expand...

Yes you can do this. This is exactly what these programs are for.

frangos said:

What i want to do is basically not having to restart in order to use my windows. so basically i want to access my bootcamp directly.

Click to expand...

You don't have to restart the computer to use Windows...if Windows is installed via Parallels, VMWare Fusion, etc.

Please don't be confused between a "bootcamp" install of Windows versus a Windows install using Parallels or VMWare Fusion. With a bootcamp install of Windows...you must restart/boot into that partition.

For more info on installing Windows on a Mac...please read this:

http://www.mac-forums.com/forums/ru...4239-running-windows-mac-switchers-guide.html

- Nick

i understand that those programs allow me to run windows without a restart.

the issue is, will i be able to transfer my already existing bootcamp into lets say vmware or parallels?
What i want to do which i dont think can be done is to basically,have my osx as well as my already existing bootcamp back to one partition instead of 512 for each system.

thank you

frangos said:

i understand that those programs allow me to run windows without a restart.

Click to expand...

Great!

frangos said:

the issue is, will i be able to transfer my already existing bootcamp into lets say vmware or parallels?

Click to expand...

Here is what I found in the FAQ area of the Parallels website:

KB Parallels: How to transfer Boot Camp installation to your new Mac using Parallels Desktop for Mac

frangos said:

What i want to do which i dont think can be done is to basically,have my osx as well as my already existing bootcamp back to one partition instead of 512 for each system.

Click to expand...

Understandable.

- Nick

So now,

Basically you suggesting that there is not a way that i can run my windows in parallel and also get that partition back?

what I dont understand is that i will try download one of the softwares to try for free and then if im happy i ll purchase. but does it worth it if i lets say waste 512gb of my hard drive?

Has anyone done anything like this before?

thank you

This is a bit out of my "knowledge" zone so wiser heads may prevail but.... If I were doing this I would create a bootable USB of OS X (I will assume Yosemite or Mavericks) create a Time Machine backup or better yet, use Carbon Copy Cloner to back up my Mac partition. Then format the hard drive and reinstall the entire OS from scratch - do a clean install of OSX. Restore my files from TM (CCC is the fall back if something goes wrong.) Now install VMware or Parallels and install Windows.

That said I believe you can change the partition sizes in Disk Utility. I don't see why you can't format the old Windows partition and then extend the OS X partition to take up the new space. Actually if this would work it would be the easiest and best way.

As I said I am thinking out loud but before you try any thing - BACK UP EVERYTHING!

Lisa

thanks for the reply lisa

what u suggested is understandable, i just want to know if i can create a virtual copy of my existing bootcamp move it to the osx side of HDD and then use the CCC to reunite my HDD back to a single partition?

In other words i want to be able to access my windows without restart and also get back the half partition i given to it.

Thanks for your time

You want to boot into bootcamp, back up your windows install then get rid of bootcamp. Boot back into OS X, extend your hard drive partition to all of the drive, install an emulator and restore your windows install.

The link Nick (pigoo3) in post #4 shows how to do exactly that using Parallels.

Lisa