Now that we have chosen to use the Custom install option, let's configure the resources that Parallels will supply to Windows when it's running. We'll start by letting Parallels know that we'll be installing Windows, then we'll work our way through the configuration parameters.
Configure the Virtual Machine for Windows
- Select the OS Type by using the dropdown menu and choosing Windows from the list.
- Select the OS Version by using the dropdown menu and choosing Windows XP or Vista from the list.
- Click the ‘Next’ button.
Configure RAM
- Set the memory size by dragging the slider. The optimal value to use depends on how much RAM your Mac has, but in general, 512 MB or 1024 MB are good choices. You can always adjust this parameter later, if needed.
- Click the ‘Next’ button.
Specify Hard Drive Options
- Select ‘Create a new hard disk image’ from the virtual disk options.
- Click the ‘Next’ button.
- Set the virtual hard disk image size to 20 GB. You can of course specify any size you want, but 20 GB is a good minimum size for most individuals. Note that you should enter this figure as 20000, because the field asks for the size in MBs rather than GBs.
- Select the ‘Expanding (recommended)’ option for the virtual disk format.
- Click the ‘Next’ button.
