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#1 2009-07-09 5:23 pm
- Washbush
- Member
- Registered: 2009-07-09
- Posts: 1
Windows on a second hard drive ...
Hi All ...
I am John, the new guy. I am pleased to say also that I am relatively new to Mac. After 25 years of struggles with my PC, I bought a MacPro last Christmas. I love it and wish that I had done that years ago. However, I have a LOT of Windows stuff that I would like to carry over to the Mac. I have purchased a second hard drive. It is presently in its birth in the Mac, but it is not installed. I also purchased Parallels. It is still in the box and not installed. I am reading the bible that comes along with it and I am just totally lost.
So ... is there anyone out there who would like to coach me before I take the big step? What I want to do simply is to have Windows running on one HD and OSX on the other. I want to be able to move files from one to the other.
Any advice for me?
John
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#3 2009-07-10 9:13 am
- sturner
- Royal High Poobah
- Moderator
- From: Carrollton, TX USA
- Registered: 2000-01-31
- Posts: 13828
Re: Windows on a second hard drive ...
Actually, Parallels can exist on the same harddrive as the Mac OS. If you are intending on playing games, then Boot Camp is the preferred way to go.
Question: Is the 2nd harddrive an internal or external?
Question: How much space do you require for Windows?
Question: What kind of programs do you want to install?
Question: Do you know how to transfer the files from your PC to your Mac?
I'm not dead yet.
There are 3 types of people, those who can count and those who can't.
"There are few things graven in stone, excepting your date of death."
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#4 2009-07-10 12:28 pm
- dv
- Negusa Negest
- Moderator
- From: Minneapolis, MN
- Registered: 1999-08-30
- Posts: 18100
Re: Windows on a second hard drive ...
You do realize, however, that most of the "problems" Windows users have are, at their root, due to Windows? Running Windows on your Mac will simply reintroduce you to the joys of everything you so happily left behind.
But at least you can boot back into OS X when you need to do real work. 
"Now commences the process of cutting off the head, which generally takes from an hour to an hour and a half by an expert workman with a sharp blade." -Reuben Delano, Wanderings and Adventures
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#5 2009-07-10 12:51 pm
- Robert B.
- Reality Deficient
- From: The pit of despair
- Registered: 1999-03-09
- Posts: 10275
Re: Windows on a second hard drive ...
Is your Parallels box still unopened? If so, return it to the store and purchase VM ware instead.
"Evil will always triumph because Good is dumb."
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#6 2009-07-10 12:53 pm
- sturner
- Royal High Poobah
- Moderator
- From: Carrollton, TX USA
- Registered: 2000-01-31
- Posts: 13828
Re: Windows on a second hard drive ...
Parallels is a virtual machine environment. Your files and programs are inside of a file (VM) which isn't accessible without Parallels running. It will exist where you tell it to be created. However, it's sometimes better to use the programs ability to share the Mac desktop, so that you can access them even without Parallels running.
I'm not dead yet.
There are 3 types of people, those who can count and those who can't.
"There are few things graven in stone, excepting your date of death."
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