Parallels 7 - Finally booted Win7 as Bootcamp in hackintosh

[Siguros]

So after much trial and error I've finally managed to boot my Windows 7 installation from a separate drive as a bootcamp in OS X using Parallels.
The main reason for doing so is that you can't install graphics drivers on a Parallels virtual installation of Windows, which is a nightmare when trying to play new games that require Direct X to work properly with GPU drivers.

If anybody is trying to do this and is stuck getting the 'missing operating system' or 'boot mgr missing' error put a post on here and I'll help you out!

It'd take way too long to reset everything and take pictures to create a guide, maybe I could do that in the near future though.

EDIT: If you'd like to try this then I've put some basic instructions I quickly jotted down below. This may not be the fix for you though, if you get stuck after doing this then please drop me a message and I'm sure I could help you fix it.



Instructions:

1. Install virtual machine - Bootcamp if you have Windows on a separate HDD, do not run it. Shut Parallels.
2. Go to Parallels folder and right click -> show package contents on your boot camp.pvm
3. Right click the HDD name (disk#).hdd and show package contents.
4. Open up a Terminal, type "fdisk -e " (note there is a space after e) and drag the PhysicalMbr.hds file into the terminal window and press enter
5. Type "print" and you should see a list of the MBR contents, you will see your partitions of that drive. The partition with a * at the front is the active one, you should change the active partition to the smallest partition which will be your system reserved partition, if it isn't already. Do this by typing "flag #" the # being the number next to your actual system drive for Windows, in my case 1 was the reserved, 2 was the system disk (system will be largest).
6. Type "quit" to save and exit.
7. Open Parallels, check if it will now work.

 

[manodeoro]

Hello
I've tried your solution but it didnt work so perhaps you can help.

When I edit PhysicalMbf.hds in the terrminal I get this :
Disk: /Users/TOTO/Documents/Parallels/Mon Boot Camp.pvm/SAMSUNG HD252KJ (disk2).hdd/PhysicalMbr.hds geometry: 0/4/63 [1 sectors]
Offset: 0 Signature: 0xAA55
Starting Ending
#: id cyl hd sec - cyl hd sec [ start - size]
------------------------------------------------------------------------
*1: 07 0 32 33 - 12 223 19 [ 2048 - 204800] HPFS/QNX/AUX
2: 07 12 223 20 - 1023 254 63 [ 206848 - 488187904] HPFS/QNX/AUX
3: 00 0 0 0 - 0 0 0 [ 0 - 0] unused
4: 00 0 0 0 - 0 0 0 [ 0 - 0] unused
fdisk: 1>

So it seems that evrything is OK (active partition is the little one).
But when I try to run and configure my Boot Camp I get stuck on the "missing operating system" message.

So I said to myself "perhaps you didn't understood" an I tried to flag the disk 2 in terminal.
Then I got stuck on "boot mgr missing" error message.

Could you please give some help ?

I'm on a hackintosh with Mountain Lion (perfectly running) and Windows 7 64 bits (on the above SAMSUNG HD252KJ and perfectly running to when I boot on it from the Bios).

Hope you can help

See you
Manodeoro

 

[slick2000]

yep, same situation here as Manodeoro

I have two SSD, on the second there's Windows 8, with the two partitions described

a little help would be much appreciated

Nicola

 

[eddyvb]

yep, same situation here as Manodeoro
View attachment 42597
I have two SSD, on the second there's Windows 8, with the two partitions described

a little help would be much appreciated

Nicola

Hi,

Same problem here also whit Windows 8 on a second SSD.

Thanks in advance !

 

[Bimmer325Ci]

Hi,

Same problem here also whit Windows 8 on a second SSD.

Thanks in advance !

Try this, goto the configure screen for the Windows 8 VM, then chose Hardware, Harddisk 1, press edit partitions, make sure both partitions are checked. Restart Parallels, start Win8. You might have to uncheck both partitions then restart parallels, then check them again.

 

[eddyvb]

Try this, goto the configure screen for the Windows 8 VM, then chose Hardware, Harddisk 1, press edit partitions, make sure both partitions are checked. Restart Parallels, start Win8. You might have to uncheck both partitions then restart parallels, then check them again.

Hey Thanks !!

I going to check it out

 

[slick2000]

Try this, goto the configure screen for the Windows 8 VM, then chose Hardware, Harddisk 1, press edit partitions, make sure both partitions are checked. Restart Parallels, start Win8. You might have to uncheck both partitions then restart parallels, then check them again.

it worked !

 

[eddyvb]

Try this, goto the configure screen for the Windows 8 VM, then chose Hardware, Harddisk 1, press edit partitions, make sure both partitions are checked. Restart Parallels, start Win8. You might have to uncheck both partitions then restart parallels, then check them again.

It works like a charm !!

First it did not worked, could not check the right drives, then i did a fresh image on P8.
Whitout the modifications on the HDD, checked the drives in P8, they keep checked now.

And start up the Windows8 and works like a charm !!

Tested whit playing some games on it, even COD Black Ops II Multiplayer works fine on it

Many, many Thanks !!!!

 

[sirdeejay]

Thank you! oh happy days!

 

[mrchrister]

anyone figured out to boot to Windows 7 "Boot Camp" on parallels 8? the described methods didn't work (neither setting the partition active nor selecting both drives in parallels config)

UPDATE:

The described method worked with parallels 8 on my laptop where windows 7 and mac osx 10.8.2 are installed to the same partition (GUID). First I got boot0 errors but by changing the second partition to active I got it working!
It still doesn't work on my desktop though.. It might be that I have to install Win7 on a GUID Partition to make it work. Right now it is MBR partitioned which could be the issue...