RE: Parallels with Win license question

Posted by AbeCollins (A) on April 11, 2024 at 13:19:29

In Reply to: Parallels with Win license question posted by tlea on April 11, 2024 at 11:05:33:

None of the virtualization environments is a way to get Windows for "free". You still need a legit Windows license.

Parallels Desktop (like VMware Fusion or VirtualBox) is the software that provides the virtualization environment for running various operating system 'virtual machines' like Windows on Mac. You will still need to download Windows and purchase a Windows license.

"I'm curious - how/where did you acquire the Windows OS to run in the Parallels VM?"

I think I bought Windows 8.1 many years ago and then MS provided free upgrades up to Windows 10. So I can currently run up to Windows 10 on my Mac.

If I were starting from scratch (which I will do soon on a new-ish MacBook Air M2 laptop), I would just download Windows 11 and buy the Windows 11 Home license directly from M.S., Amazon, or other retailer. I believe it's about $125 - $140. I don't know if MS still sells PC Builder licenses or whatever they were called. Those were less expensive.

Parallels makes it real easy. You can download a Windows image directly from within Parallels. Or if you have an image that you already downloaded you can use it to install. Here are some Parallels screen shots

Parallels Control Center:

I clicked on "Get Windows 11" and it started downloading.

I stopped the download because I don't know what license and how much it will want to charge me. I'll just
download the Windows 11 image on my own and pay for the license I want outside of Parallels, then install
the image.

Parallels will create the Windows 11 virtual machine using defaults it chooses - like number of CPU cores to dedicate to the VM, amount of RAM to dedicate to the VM OS, and amount of RAM to dedicate for graphics memory. It will also create a disk file for Virtual Machine HDD space. All of these settings can be altered by the user but Parallels gives you a good starting point.

A virtual machine contains your OS and all the Applications and files you create and put into that VM. The size of the VM can grow over time. You can make backups and snapshots of your VMs. In case a VM gets corrupted you can roll-back to an earlier snapshot. You can move a VM from one computer to another [assuming the Microsoft license is legit and compatible with the 'other' computer].

Windows 11 from Microsoft (Open in New Window)

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Follow Ups Full Thread

Topic - Today celebrates five years with MacMini ! - E-Stat 07:58:47 04/08/24 (41)

RE: Today celebrates five years with MacMini ! - Dawnrazor 11:05:00 04/10/24 (20)

RE: Today celebrates five years with MacMini ! - voolston 18:42:23 04/17/24 (1)

RE: Today celebrates five years with MacMini ! - Dawnrazor 20:50:40 04/18/24 (0)

Some people have all the luck ;-) - AbeCollins 14:49:51 04/10/24 (16)

RE: Some people have all the luck ;-) - Dawnrazor 20:37:48 04/18/24 (8)

RE: Some people have all the luck ;-) - AbeCollins 13:03:24 04/22/24 (2)

RE: Some people have all the luck ;-) - Dawnrazor 18:18:46 04/22/24 (1)

RE: Some people have all the luck ;-) - AbeCollins 10:58:49 04/24/24 (0)

Crackin' up - tlea 19:42:51 04/20/24 (4)

RE: Crackin' up - Dawnrazor 20:25:45 04/20/24 (3)

Picking nits - tlea 21:15:43 04/20/24 (2)

RE: Picking nits - Dawnrazor 21:30:11 04/20/24 (1)

More nits - tlea 22:11:38 04/20/24 (0)

Wow, quite a choice in Logitech keyboards these days - Feanor 04:56:13 04/11/24 (5)

I have these two Logitech keyboard models - AbeCollins 07:59:50 04/11/24 (4)

A mechanical of fund memory ... - Feanor 14:00:43 04/12/24 (1)

RE: A mechanical of fund memory ... - AbeCollins 14:07:13 04/12/24 (0)

I have a knack for spilling coffee on keyboards..... - Rod M 12:48:19 04/11/24 (1)

RE: I have a knack for spilling coffee on keyboards..... - AbeCollins 13:27:48 04/11/24 (0)

Yeah - E-Stat 19:24:49 04/10/24 (0)

Different environments altogether - E-Stat 11:26:38 04/10/24 (0)

Congrats! I dumped Windoze around 2007 - AbeCollins 08:51:39 04/08/24 (19)

Wifey took the lead - E-Stat 09:01:18 04/08/24 (18)

Nice office.... - AbeCollins 09:18:55 04/08/24 (17)

Apple is nice if you're all Apple.... - Rod M 18:16:18 04/09/24 (13)

The fastest way to transfer photos/videos - E-Stat 06:43:59 04/10/24 (0)

RE: Apple is nice if you're all Apple.... - AbeCollins 18:58:04 04/09/24 (11)

When does paying more stop paying off? - Feanor 04:25:54 04/10/24 (10)

When perceived value no longer exists - E-Stat 06:35:06 04/10/24 (9)

I'm doing my Windows 10 update now - AbeCollins 10:39:46 04/10/24 (8)

It's interesting that MacOS will run Windows emulators - Feanor 04:44:43 04/11/24 (6)

Windows can run 'on top' of macOS - AbeCollins 08:39:18 04/11/24 (5)

Parallels with Win license question - tlea 11:05:33 04/11/24 (3)

RE: Parallels with Win license question - AbeCollins 13:19:29 04/11/24 (2)

Thanks. Interesting about Parallels - Feanor 13:50:34 04/12/24 (1)

RE: Thanks. Interesting about Parallels - AbeCollins 14:13:56 04/12/24 (0)

The first time I used virtual software - E-Stat 09:20:51 04/11/24 (0)

Now that I'm retired - E-Stat 11:33:13 04/10/24 (0)

RE: Nice office.... - E-Stat 09:55:26 04/08/24 (2)

Listen for crickets and other critters... - AbeCollins 10:43:54 04/08/24 (1)

Not much change with the critters, but... - E-Stat 12:44:49 04/08/24 (0)

Follow Ups

RE: Parallels with Win license question - AbeCollins 13:19:29 04/11/24 (2)

Thanks. Interesting about Parallels - Feanor 13:50:34 04/12/24 (1)

RE: Thanks. Interesting about Parallels - AbeCollins 14:13:56 04/12/24 (0)

RE: Parallels with Win license question

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