Saturday, April 12, 2008

any ideas?

I wanted to install Microcharts on my MacBook, which can run Windows XP, hence Office for Windows. I am using Parallels because it allows you to copy from Windows documents to Mac documents. I had not yet installed antivirus software but thought I'd better. So I buy the Norton Dual Antivirus package for Macs which are also running Windows; there are two downloads, one for the OS X package, one for the Windows (setup.exe). Symantec does not explain whether one has to go into IE and Windows to download and run the latter, or whether, if downloaded within the Mac OS, clicking on it will automatically start up Parallels and do what's needed. I try first going into Windows IE but can't get access my account in Symantec, so I go back to Firefox and download Norton for Windows, start up Parallels again, click on the setup.exe icon.

In the past Parallels has run Windows XP and Office quite happily. What it now does is bring up a Windows desktop with no taskbar, no start menu, nothing. So not only is it not possible to install the antivirus software, it is also not possible to run Windows XP. I'm at a loss. I try uninstalling and reinstalling Parallels, which doesn't work. I wonder whether I can reinstall Windows XP, but when I put the CD in the drive and click on Setup.exe I get the same thing I was getting before:

(As you can see from the menu at the top, it is not possible to get the Windows Desktop or Taskbar; what you can't see is that if you try Start Menu nothing happens.)

I think about 35% of readers of this blog use OS X. If any of you are using Parallels and have run into this problem and found a fix, I hope you will let me know. (It shouldn't be necessary to say this, but Yes, I have checked the FAQs and Forums on Parallels and hunted around online; I won't say the answer is nowhere to be found, but I didn't find it.)

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

Anonymous said...
I posted the problem on my facebook and note-tagged all of the comsci Harvard/MIT friends I have!
So if you are able to wait before paying someone, it is likely I will get an answer by the time they all stop being hang-over and go to the library to work on their problem-sets and feel like procrastinating by helping a cute freshman girl/ feel sad they have no date for tonight or ever :)(this would happen by 3 pm maybe)
I know nothing about Macs:(
good luck!
:)
SMB

Anonymous said...

O.k,

So as I predicted, by 3 I got comments, but they were all just reffering me to things! And I know nothing of Macs! This may be because today is the second day of spring and girls are out walking half naked with their physics books, or may be because people just never dealt with this, as Harvard has great mac computer repair staff...
have u tried
http://kb.parallels.com/ ? (I bet u did)
SMB
p.s
the lack in proper response may also be indicative of how much Harvard boys dislike my new haircut. :( I thought it was good!

ghost said...

I'm no help either, but whoa, what a surreal set of comments.

Anonymous said...

People, People, do not comment on this post unless you can actually help. It has been driving me crazy already that no harvard kids took the time to find an answer, and I am dying to find out how hard it could possibly be so I can mock/resent them.
You are toying with my emotions.
Surreal?
Why?
SMB