Can I run Windows from a bootable drive pulled from a PC, on a mac?

[Blynlon]

Hi, new member here. Longtime Mac user.

What I was hoping to do, is boot Parallels Desktop 9 on a Mac Pro 2,1 with a SATA hard drive that has Windows XP and Windows 7 installed, on two partitions. This drive was removed from a Dell PC and is mounted internally in the Mac Pro. [Snow Leopard.]

Is this possible? I thought it would work, but.... Can't figure it out.

[The reason I want to do this is, the Dell PC has some issues that I am trying to fix. So it is not usable at the moment. I have some programs I need to run, and was hoping to do so using the Mac Pro via Parallels.]

 

[lclev]

If I am understanding you correctly you want to boot in Parallels a hard drive that you have installed in the former DVD slot of a mac pro and that hard drive was formerly installed in a Dell computer. Can't do that. The hard drive from the dell will not boot on the mac pc even using Parallels. The first thing any of the windows installations will do is hunt for the CPU id - which will be different, then there is the drivers that will try to load for the PC motherboard that will in no way be correct for the Mac Pro's logic board.

There are ways to move a Windows drive to a new PC but you have a dual boot installation on the drive. I would not even know where to begin with that.

Best bet is installing Windows to the Parallel installation, install the programs you need, and move your data.

Lisa

 

[Blynlon]

I had hoped it would be doable. Oh well. The drive is just inserted in one of the regular sata HD bays on the Mac Pro. Thanks!

 

[lclev]

I miss read - thought it was a macbook pro but regardless it won't work. Sorry.

Lisa

 

[harryb2448]

Still got the Windows discs and activation codes? If so you can erase the drive and format NTFS and simply install. Drivers etc should be on the discs.

 

[Blynlon]

I've been using Macs & PC's both for many years. Which system is more annoying? Not sure....