Preventing internet access while running Parallels

[Rich Gibson]

This is a post similar to one of mine in the PC forum. I switched over to the Mac over two years ago. Since then I have not found a DAM package which equals Thumbsplus, a Windows program. I have a parallels license and am pondering installing a windows partition to be able to run Thumbsplus.

I have no intention to use the Win partition for anything other than Thumbsplus. Would XPPro still work with Parallels or must I go to Vista? If I have to go to Vista which minimum version do you think will work with Parallels. Is there a way of locking down internet access on the parallels/Windows partition?

Yes, I know I can go to the Parallels website and I will, I was hoping someone might have the answer from someone with actual experience.

 

[racerx1]

I use Parallels with XP Pro to run Quicken, since the Quicken Mac version is awful. No issues at all and I like the ability to bounce in and out of both seamlessly.

I don't think you can turnoff internet access other than disabling Internet Explorer or possibly through the Control Panel. I do find that it is necessary to run Internet Explorer on certain websites.

I think you can be safe if you don't run email programs and browse the internet (no spyware or cookies) in the Parallels environment.

 

[gvk]

You can enable or disable Parallels virtual network adapter (or other devices such as USB, CD, etc.) while the guest OS is running. XP Pro still works fine with recent versions of Parallels. There is no need to create a separate Windows partition unless you are planning to also use bootcamp. Parallels will create files on the Mac that implement a virtual disk for Windows.

 

[jfrancis]

XP works fine. I run Qimage, Proshow Producer and Fotofusion under XP on my Mac Pro. You can disable internet from the VM.

 

[Rich Gibson]

Thanks all. Now to get a license. It's hard to believe they're still getting $130 or more for it with Vista out.

 

[Rich Gibson]

I think I should explain what I'm trying to do.

Photo Mechanic, while expensive, is fast but lacks some critical DAM features I find I really would like. A Windows product, Thumbsplus would do exactly what I need but I'd have to install Windows in Parallels to get it running. My question is whether I'd be encountering more problems than it's worth.

I've been accumulating images for 10 years now and I have unnecessarily and accidentally duplicated some (too many!). Thumbsplus will identify bit mapped identical images (as well as similar, but that's a different use) and permit me to reduce the size of my library and eliminate redundant images. I did this about 5 years ago and it ran well. Also with Thumbsplus you can "look" at any number of similar images and synchronize them so that you can move around inside one an the other images will scroll over to the same spot permitting detailed comparison to identify the best shot among many.

I need the updates Parallels ($), the updated Thumbsplus ($) and a windows license ($$). I understand I can use MacDisk for Windows ($56) to erad and write Mac hard drives.

Seems like a long way to go, but I doo miss the identical/similar search and multiple compare capability.

Am I missing something? Is XP PRO or Vista a better choice? If XP Pro do I need the full blown version or will XP Home be anough.

Thanks in advance.

 

[gvk]

Rich,

I think what you are trying to do will work, but I'm not sure if it is worth the trouble and expense. Have you searched for a native Mac application with similar features to the functionality you use in Thumbsplus?

Parallels can share files on Mac disks directly without any extra programs. Macdisk is used for accessing a Mac formatted disk from a PC running Windows. If you specifically do not need networking from the Windows VM, then I think that the differences between XP Pro and Home versions are likely negligible. Vista is the OS that drove me to switch to Mac!

I have little to no experience with Thumbsplus. I did briefly try an early version circa 2000 or so, but did not find it particulary useful at that time.

 

[GBRandy]

Rich: I use Parallels quite a bit. It runs fine with XP Pro. The one thing that is not so nice is the passing of files from the XP side to the Mac side. If I make an Excel spreadsheet, I can not just save it to the Mac HD or Mac desktop. It needs to go into a shared network folder. I can access it from either side of the fence that way....kinda weird seeing as they are on the same darn partioned hard drive (or virtual disk area I guess is a better term), but it does make sense in the end.

I have never used your Thumbs program, but if you think you will simply access your Mac hard drives using the Windows program via Parallels, you may not be able to see what you need to see.

As for you Pro versus Home. If I recall, the only big advantage of the XP Pro version was a higher level of networking capability....for home use, the "home" version should be fine

 

[Rich Gibson]

I don't recall reading that in the Parallels documentation when I had it installed, although it was an early version. For clarity, let's say I have a 1TB MacOS formatted drive on which I load a Parallels volume (or whatever it is called). I also put my images on the same drive, but NOT in the Parallels section. What I would like to do is examine and compare a few of those nef files under Thumbsplus to determine the ones I want to use for production and change the metadata in the image files under Thumbs plus. Later I would process these same files with Capture NX2 for example. So I have to have the files in a shared network folder?

 

[MontyDog]

#1064 - You have an error in your SQL syntax;

 

[gvk]

Rich, Paul is correct. From the Parallels VM I can access the Mac drive as a Z: disk in Windows. I don't remember setting this configuration up directly, so it may be the default or have been enabled via Parallels Tools. I would have to check the Parallels docs to be sure.

I started using Parallels on a MacBook Pro about a year ago when it became my main home and travel computer. I need to use some Windows software for my job, and native Mac alternatives were not available. I regularly exchange Microsoft office files between Windows machines, Parallels (running XP), and the Mac, and I also occasionally use some Windows photo software including Iris and RawAnalyze from Parallels to access NEF files on my Mac disk, or on external USB drives. I expect that you could run Thumbsplus in the same way.