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User`s guide

ManualsBrandsParallels ManualsSoftwareDesktop 4 for Windows & Linux, ESD, 1-9u, DEU
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Configuring a Virtual Machine 131
Support for Virtual and Real Disks
This section lists the types of disks that can be used by Parallels virtual machines and provides
the information about basic operations that you can perform with these disks.
Supported Types of Hard Disks
Parallels virtual machines use virtual hard disks as their hard disks.
Virtual Hard Disks
The capacity of a virtual hard disk can be set from 100 MB and up to 2 TB.
Virtual hard disks can be of either plain, or expanding format. When you create a virtual
machine in Express Windows or Typical mode (in the New Virtual Machine wizard (p. 56)), the
disk is create
d in the expanding format.
plain
A plain virtual hard disk image file is stored on your host computer and has a fixed size.
The size is determined when such a disk is created. Plain disks can be created with the
help of New Virtual Machine wizard (the Custom mode.)
expanding
An expanding virtual hard disk image file is stored on your host computer and is small
initially. Its size grows as you add applications and data to the virtual hard disk in the
guest OS.
Split disks
A virtual disk of either format can be a single-piece disk or a split disk. A split disk is cut into 2
GB pieces and is stored as a single .hdd file.
CD/DVD Discs and Their Images
Parallels Desktop can access real CD/DVD discs and images of CD/DVD discs.
Parallels Desktop has no limitations on using multisession CD/DVD discs. Virtual machine can
play back audio CDs without any limitations on copy-protected discs.
If your host computer has a recordable optical drive, you can use it to burn CD or DVD discs in
a virtual machine.
Note: To burn CD or DVD discs in a virtual machine, the recordable optical drive should be
connected to the virtual machine in the passthrough mode (p. 127).
Parallels Desktop supports CD/DVD disc images in the ISO format. Parallels Desktop may also
support CD/DVD disc images in the CUE and CCD formats.
Floppy Disks and Floppy Disk Images
Parallels Desktop can use two types of floppy disks:
Real diskettes inserted into a real floppy disk drive that is connected to the virtual machine.
Floppy disk image files with the .fdd extension connected to the virtual machine.