[How To] Installing Parallels on AMD Hackintosh

[ginsu417]

The installer on Parallels Desktop fails on most AMD machines with version 3+. I figured out how to manually install it, and figured I'd post here. I know this write-up is kind of 2nd grade for some people here, but hopefully someone finds it useful. With Parallels, you can run most other OS's as Virtual Machines inside of OS-X, and get all the benefits of OS-X's Firewall and security. It's a similar product to VMWare - and I prefer it over VMWare.

 

The installer basically checks your CPU manufacturer code for GenuineIntel before installing. If it doesn't find that, it bombs out and says you can't use it. There's two ways to get around this - automatic and manual. The automatic method works on build 5584 and 5160. But it may not work on newer releases, so if you have trouble, try the manual method. I do not have a way to bypass the activation, and I do not condone stealing this product - please pay for it if you intend to use it.

 

Automatic Method (Fresh Install or Upgrade)

Use this method to modify the installer package so it doesn't check your CPUID

==================================================

 

* Open the DMG you downloaded from Parallels.com

 

* Drag the "Install Parallels" icon onto your desktop

 

* Open the Terminal application (Applications -> Utilities -> Terminal) and enter the following lines one at a time.

$ cd ~/Desktop

$ nano Install\ Parallels\ Desktop.pkg/Contents/Info.plist

* Remove the following lines:

 

<key>IFRequirementDicts</key>

<array>

<dict>

<key>Level</key>

<string>requires</string>

<key>SpecArgument</key>

<string>machdep.cpu.vendor</string>

<key>SpecType</key>

<string>sysctl</string>

<key>TestObject</key>

<string>GenuineIntel</string>

<key>TestOperator</key>

<string>eq</string>

</dict>

</array>

* Save and exit

 

* Close the Terminal and Double-click the "Install Parallels Desktop" icon on your desktop.

 

 

 

Manual Method (Fresh Install Only)

Use this only if you've never installed Parallels on your machine before.

=============================================

* Open the DMG you downloaded from Parallels.com

 

* Open the Terminal application (Applications -> Utilities -> Terminal) and enter the following lines one at a time.

 

$ cd ~/Desktop

$ mkdir ParallelsTemp

$ sudo -s

# cd ParallelsTemp

# ditto -x /Volumes/Parallels\ Desktop/Install\ Parallels\ Desktop.pkg/Contents/Archive.pax.gz .

# chown -R root:wheel System Library

# chmod -R 755 System Library

# mv Applications/* /Applications/

# mv System/Library/Extensions/* /System/Library/Extensions/

# mv Library/Parallels /Library/

# mv Library/StartupItems/* /Library/StartupItems/

# /Volumes/Parallels\ Desktop/Install\ Parallels\ Desktop.pkg/Contents/Resources/postflight

# cd ..

# rm -Rf ParallelsTemp

 

Now you should be able to run Parallels desktop.

 

 

 

Manual Method (For Upgrade or Reinstall)

Parallels releases new versions all the time. To upgrade your existing, follow this guide instead.

============================================================

* Open the DMG you downloaded from Parallels.com

 

* Make sure Parallels is closed, and that you don't have any VMs suspended.

 

* Open the Terminal application (Applications -> Utilities -> Terminal) and enter the following lines one at a time.

 

$ cd ~/Desktop

$ mkdir ParallelsTemp

$ sudo -s

# cd ParallelsTemp

# ditto -x /Volumes/Parallels\ Desktop/Install\ Parallels\ Desktop.pkg/Contents/Archive.pax.gz .

# chown -R root:wheel System Library

# chmod -R 755 System Library

# /Volumes/Parallels\ Desktop/Install\ Parallels\ Desktop.pkg/Contents/Resources/preflight

# mv Applications/* /Applications/

# mv System/Library/Extensions/* /System/Library/Extensions/

# mv Library/Parallels /Library/

# mv Library/StartupItems/* /Library/StartupItems/

# /Volumes/Parallels\ Desktop/Install\ Parallels\ Desktop.pkg/Contents/Resources/postflight

# cd ..

# rm -Rf ParallelsTemp

 

 

=================================

 

Once you have it installed, make sure when it asks, that you do not turn on Intel VT-X. VT-X does not work on AMD chips, and your machine will crash if you enable it. Unfortunately, I can't help with much except the installation, so if you have trouble after you get it installed, you're on your own. Thanks for reading.

[adatoo]

I created an account on insanelymac just to thank you for your post.

 

I thought I had no way out and couldnt run parallels on my AMD system. Thanks a ton!

[macgirl]

For installing on AMD several threads covered the issue on the Virtualization Forum:

 

http://forum.insanelymac.com/index.php?showtopic=29100

http://forum.insanelymac.com/index.php?s=&...st&p=320984

http://forum.insanelymac.com/index.php?showtopic=14152

 

VMware never complained on AMD btw.

[A S H L E Y]

WOW great post - thank you! Wasnt sure if I would be able to use this app once I downloaded it then I stubbled across ur easy to understand and follow post and I now have vista installing!!

 

THANK YOU!!

[NickRiley]

Thanks a lot for the guide... worked for me...

[JOS3]

not work with parallels 4

[Pasechnick]

Parallels 4 is out.

And the method above doesn't seem to work.

So I figured out new way around by myself.

 

Parallels 4 on AMD

1. Mount the Parallels-Desktop-4.0.*.dmg you've downloaded.
   
2. Open Terminal and type
   

   cd ~/Desktop/
   cp -R /Volumes/Parallels\ Desktop\ 4/Install.mpkg Install.mpkg
   chflags nohidden Install.mpkg
   sudo nano Install.mpkg/Contents/distribution.dist

   
   

3. Delete the following lines:
   

   	/* Check architecture */
   try {
   	result = system.sysctl('hw.machine') == 'i386';
   } catch (e) {}
   
   if(!result) {
   	my.result.type = 'Fatal';
   	my.result.title = system.localizedStringWithFormat('HW_Arch_T');
   	my.result.message = system.localizedStringWithFormat('HW_Arch_M');
   	return false;
   }
   
   /* Check hardware virtualization only during installation */
   if((!system.files.fileExistsAtPath('/System/Library/Extensions/prl_hypervisor.kext/Contents/Info.plist')) && cpu_check != 0)
   {
   	my.result.type = 'Fatal';
   	my.result.title = system.localizedStringWithFormat('HW_Virtualization_T');
   	my.result.message = system.localizedStringWithFormat('HW_Virtualization_M');
   	return false;
   }

   
    
   

4. Press Ctrl-X. Then Shift-Y. And finally press Enter to save file.
   
5. Run Install.mpkg from your desktop.
   

That's it.

 

Please note: if you still have Tiger then you'll have to use "SetFile" instead of "chflags"

SetFile -a "v" Install.mpkg

You can get SetFile from the free Apple Developer Tools.

It will appear in /Developer folder.

[hypersubtext]

Thanks Pasechnik,

You genius, it works great!

[zaitsman]

Thx, man!(Pasechnik)

Not only does it save you from trouble with AMD, but also from trouble with AMD, but also from troubles with VT-free intel CPUs.

Спасибо!(Spasibo=thanx(rus))

 

p.s. Well, it wouldn't start any VMs without VT anyway, but you could still have it installed.

[eject]

p.s. Well, it wouldn't start any VMs without VT anyway, but you could still have it installed.

 

i'm on that boat, bought a q8200 a while ago and it doesn't have VT-x (thx intel you bastards, why cut a feature everyone takes for granted because older cpus do have it), wihle parallels 3.0 dd work wthout it i'm now in snow leo orced to use fusion (wich sucks) or parallels 4.0 wch won't work. now i have it installed and wonder, s it possible to get around the next error as well or does parallels really need VT-x