- Can Parallels For Mac Be Run On An External Hard Drive
- Can Itunes Run On An External Hard Drive
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In Parallels Desktop 13, this performance has been significantly improved, if your external drive is an SSD drive connected to your Mac by Thunderbolt. So that you can see what it’s like to run a VM from an external drive, I made a short video. How to run Windows 10 on your Mac using Parallels Desktop 13 If you want to use Windows on your Mac, but don't necessarily want to partition your hard drive, you can run Windows using a virtual machine like Parallels Desktop.
A question regarding how to setup my VMs on internal/external disks. First, here's my setup:
- Host OS: Windows 10
- Processor: i7 5600U
- RAM: 16 GB
- VMware Workstation Player (Licensed)
I have 3 VMs so far and I'm soon getting a 4th and there's not enough space on my internal SSD anymore, so I need an external disk to place some of them on. I have a laptop with USB3 ports and a dock for the laptop with an eSATA port. I read about the speeds of both, and 5Gbps vs 6Gbps doesn't look like that much of a difference to me (but I'm not an expert on this) - and the only other USB devices connected are cabled mouse and keyboard.
What I'm using the VMs for: I'm a developer, and the different VMs are for different development environments.
- 1st VM is running Windows Server 2008 with Visual Studio, SQL server and K2 Blackpearl.
- 2nd VM is running some Windows Server 2012 with Visual Studio, SQL server and BizTalk (among other things I don't know yet - this is the new VM I will get soon)
- 3rd VM is running Ubuntu and will be used for Python development (probably in PyCharm)
- 4th VM I haven't gotten around to yet - I was employed about a month ago :-)
My questions:
- Is it possible to run a VM from an external HDD? (Or is SSD a must here?)
- Will USB3 suffice or should I get one that also supports eSATA?
- Is it better to store the less frequent used VMs on the external drive and then move them to the internal drive, when I need to use it? This will require me to move a VM from internal drive to external first, hence this question.
- Is it even possible to run a VM from an external drive without major performance loss?
I think that was it for now. I look forward to your answers.
Best regards,
Joakim
For anyone who finds this post and wants to know the result:I had some doubts about this pre hand, and I would not recommend this setup for any developer. The boot time is horrible and starting apps like Visual Studio takes at least 3-4 times as long time.
My advice: Only use this solution if you have no alternatives.
Hennes2 Answers
The answer depends a bit on what the VMs are supposed to do. For 'paperwork' like writing and reading you'll be fine. 'Major performance loss' is not a well-defined value.
For most people it should be okay. If you find yourself to be an extremely impatient computer user, get the fastest equipment you can, I would even suggest replacing the internal SSD with a bigger one. A 2 TB SSD is now on the market, which may or may not be too expensive for you (700-800$).
For programming, you likely won't get much more bang when writing code. You might get a performance boost when compiling. If you're not the type to do stuff in parallel while your code is compiling, get the fastest equipment you can.
The TLDR is: If you can afford it or if you don't have HDD lying around, get an SSD, internal or external (eSATA or USB 3). When in doubt, get the good stuff.
- Is it possible to run a VM from an external HDD? (Or is SSD a must here?)
Yes, it is possible, but you will likely have some performance loss. The VM should run okay as long as you don't have operations that require a lot of file writing. Also, the smaller the VM, the better. If you have a 50-60 GB Windows VM, it will be very slow on an external 5400 HD with USB 3. I am speaking from experience here. You can still do stuff, but it will take a while.
Running more than one VM on an external HDD at a time may bring a severe performance loss. Consider using two external HDDs for that scenario.
- Will USB3 suffice or should I get one that also supports eSATA?
USB3 should be fine, at least it was in the cases where I used them. Faster is better. If you haven't bought the external HDD yet, you might want to go for eSATA because you never know what you'll use your spare USB ports for. (You may want to add a 2nd external drive for back-up purposes.) With an HDD, you might not get much more performance from eSATA because file-writing and -reading speeds on a spinning platter disk are the limiting factor.
Also try to get an SSD or at least a 7200 rpm HDD for the external drive, if you can still find one. Or build one from an external case and an external USB enclosure. If you can't afford an SSD, a 7200 will cut file transfer times by a few percentage points.
- Is it better to store the less frequent used VMs on the external drive and then move them to the internal drive, when I need to use it? This will require me to move a VM from internal drive to external first, hence this question.
I think you should keep the VMs that will do lots of heavy lifting like file-writing and computing intensive stuff on the internal drive, irrespective of how often you use them. Shifting them can be quite a pain. Copying a 20 GB VM from internal to external HDD will take about 6-7 minutes at 60 MB/s. Internal to external SSD will be substantially faster. If you find the performance from the VMs on the external disk acceptable, moving them around might not be necessary. You can cross that bridge when you get there.
- Is it even possible to run a VM from an external drive without major performance loss?
See 1., yes it is possible for normal to medium computer work, if the VM is small. If you do graphics design or lots of file transfers, there may be a severe performance loss.
For your programming needs I would suggest on data gathered elsewhere that you get an SSD (What is more important CPU or RAM for compiling large software, e.g. bootstrapping gcc?, http://www.overclock.net/t/997361/compiling-and-cpu-usage). Though there are some dissenting opinions (https://stackoverflow.com/questions/15199356/speed-up-compile-time-with-ssd). Again, when in doubt, get the good stuff.
Edit: Januar 5th, 2016 - added some information due to recent experiences
I ran a VM on a USB3 stick over the last year. It was super easy to do and very convenient, but there are a few sidenotes to be made.
I'm not sure about VMWare, but for VirtualBox it's just a matter of dropping your virtual disk file onto the USB and linking it to your VM. You'll have to make a configuration on every host you use it with, but that's just a one time thing. The hosts play quite nicely with each other. The only thing I noticed is that my VM will have a network interface for every host network it has been connected to, but otherwise it hasn't given me any sort of conflicts.
My USB gave out eventually, which is not surprising. USB flash sticks are not meant for constantly taking in write cycles, they'll wear out quite fast if you use your VM for development purposes especially if your VM is acting as a server and constantly writing to log/cache files.
Performance can be an issue. If you do get a USB stick, look specifically for those with high read and write speeds, but even then you'll notice an impact.
I think an external SSD disk might be the better choice, it's less convenient than a small stick, but usually they're still portable enough to easily carry around, have higher performance, and live longer. (I'm aware Flash and SSD are really one and the same technology these days, but SSD's are designed with higher read and write frequency in mind while USB sticks are mostly just focused on file storage)
I've opted to use some kind of hybrid solution these days. It was really convenient to have my full programming suite inside a portable VM, but my IDE was noticeably slower running inside it and would occasionally freeze for a few seconds. Now I use most of my programming tools on the host while keeping the source code and servers on the guest. My VM is still a full-blown desktop as well though, so for the rare occasions that I still DO have to work on a foreign computer, I can just spin up my VM's GUI and work with its IDE and programming tools.
Not the answer you're looking for? Browse other questions tagged usbssdvirtual-machineexternal-hard-drivevmware-workstation or ask your own question.
Boot Camp and Boot Camp Assistant allow you to install Windows on your Mac. It’s a nice capability that lets you select – at boot time – which operating system you wish to use: macOS or Windows.
One of the downsides to Boot Camp and the Windows installer is that it restricts you to installing Windows on your Mac’s internal drive. While Boot Camp Assistant can partition your startup drive for you to make room for Windows, there are bound to be many of you who just don’t have room to spare on your startup drive to install Windows.
Installing Windows on an external drive would be a great solution to the problem of available space, but as we said, Boot Camp and Windows impose a restriction on installing to an external drive – or do they?
There are actually a few ways you can successfully install Windows on an external drive. They range from creating clones of an existing PC installation or using Microsoft IT tools for installing Windows. But the method we’re going to outline here is a bit different. It allows you to install Windows on an external drive without first having Windows installed on a PC or in a virtual environment.
This is an advanced process with quite a few pitfalls that can trip you up. Be sure to read through the process before undertaking it. Also, make sure you have a current backup before beginning.
What You Need
- 4 GB or larger USB flash drive.
- Bootable external drive. We’re using a USB 3.0 drive, but a Thunderbolt drive should work as well.
- Boot Camp Windows Support Software.
- VirtualBox virtualization app (available for free).
- A licensed copy of Windows 10 ISO or an install DVD.
- Wired keyboard and mouse. During the Windows installation, the drivers for Apple wireless keyboards and mice aren’t installed until the very end of the process. If you’re not using a portable Mac with a built-in keyboard and trackpad, you’ll need a wired keyboard and mouse to complete the installation.
Prepare the External Drive for Installing Windows
The external drive that you’ll install Windows on needs to be prepared by erasing and formatting the drive for use with Windows.
Warning: The erase, format, and partitioning process will delete all data currently contained on the external drive.
1) Ensure the external drive is connected to your Mac.
2) Launch Disk Utility, located at /Applications/Utilities.
3) In the Disk Utility sidebar, select the external drive that will be used for Windows. The device will likely have the name of the external enclosure’s manufacturer listed. Do not select the volume located just underneath the device name.
4) Click the Erase button in the Disk Utility toolbar.
5) Use the dropdown menu to set the Scheme to “Master Boot Record.”
6) Use the dropdown menu to set the Format to “MS-DOS (FAT).”
7) You can use any name you wish (up to 8 characters), but we suggest naming the external WIN10.
8) Click the Erase button.
The external drive will be formatted and a single MS-DOS (FAT) volume will be created.
Prepare the USB Flash Drive for the Windows Support Software
The USB flash drive needs to be formatted to accept the Windows software that Boot Camp Assistant will download and install.
(The flash drive needs to be formatted for use on Windows.)
Warning: The process of preparing the USB flash drive will delete any data contained on the flash drive.
1) Make sure the USB flash drive is connected to your Mac.
2) Launch Disk Utility, located at /Applications/Utilities.
3) In the Disk Utility sidebar, select the USB flash drive device. The device will likely have the name of the USB flash drive manufacturer listed. Do not select the volume located just underneath the device name.
4) Click the Erase button in the Disk Utility toolbar.
5) Use the dropdown menu to set the Scheme to “Master Boot Record.”
6) Use the dropdown menu to set the Format to “MS-DOS (FAT).”
7) You can leave the Name field as is.
8) Click the Erase button.
The USB flash drive will be formatted and a single MS-DOS (FAT) volume will be created.
Download Boot Camp Windows Drivers
We only need Boot Camp Assistant for its ability to download all of the Windows drivers we’ll need to ensure the install of Windows will run correctly on Mac hardware. We won’t be using Boot Camp Assistant to partition a drive or step us through the install process.
(The latest version of the Apple drivers that Boot Camp needs can be downloaded using Boot Camp Assistant.)
1) Launch Boot Camp Assistant, located at /Applications/Utilities.
2) In the Boot Camp Assistant window that opens, click the Continue button.
3) In the Select Tasks window, remove checkmarks from “Create a Windows 7 or later version install disk” and “Install Windows 7 or later version.” Make sure the checkbox labeled “Download the latest Windows support software from Apple” is checked, and then click Continue.
4) Select the device you wish to have the Windows support files installed on; this should be the USB flash drive you prepared earlier. After making your selection, click Continue.
5) Boot Camp Assistant will download and install the needed Windows support software on the selected device.
6) Once the install is nearly complete, you’ll be asked to provide your administrator password so the Boot Camp Assistant can change the file permissions on the USB flash drive. Provide your administrator password, and click Continue.
The Windows support software has been installed on the USB flash drive.
Use VirtualBox to Install Windows on the External Drive
This is the tricky part of the process, at least in the sense that we’re going to trick Boot Camp and the Windows installer into thinking your external drive is actually your main internal drive, or in the parlance of Windows, your C: drive.
You could perform this tricky bit of virtualization using Parallels or VMware Fusion, but we’re going to use VirtualBox because it’s free. You can download the app from the VirtualBox website.
Once you download and install VirtualBox, we’re ready to begin the installation process.
Most of the virtualization trickery will be performed from within Terminal, so go ahead and launch Terminal, located at /Applications/Utilities.
(You can find the external drive by looking for the name, type, or if this is your only external, by the location [external, physical]).
1) With the external drive that you formatted for installing Windows on connected to your Mac, enter the following Terminal command without the quotation marks: “diskutil list” and then press enter or return.2) A list of all attached disks will be displayed in Terminal. Scroll through the list and locate the external drive you plan on using to install Windows. If you followed our suggestion earlier, it will be named WIN10, and will be of the type DOS_FAT_32.
3) Once you locate the external drive, make a note of its Identifier. The Identifier appears in the last column and will have the format of the word “disk” followed by a number. In our case, the identifier is disk4.
4) Now that we know the disk identifier, we need to eject the disk so it’s no longer connected logically to the Mac (it will still be connected physically).
5) Locate the WIN10 disk on your Desktop or in the Finder window sidebar.
Can Parallels For Mac Be Run On An External Hard Drive
6) Right-click on the WIN10 disk and select Eject from the popup menu.Use VirtualBox to Map the External Drive to a VirtualBox Disk
The next step in the process is to map the external drive to a VirtualBox disk.
1) In Terminal, enter the following without the quotation marks: “sudo VBoxManage internalcommands createrawvmdk -filename “bootcamp.vmdk” -rawdisk /dev/disk4″ Note: Be sure to replace /dev/disk4 with the actual disk number you found from the disk identifier, and then press enter or return.
2) At the Terminal prompt, enter your administrator password, and then press enter or return.
The bootcamp.vmdk virtual disk will be created in your home folder.
Create a VirtualBox Virtual Machine for Windows
We will use VirtualBox to install Windows 10 to our external drive. We can do this because in the previous step, we mapped the external drive to a VirtualBox virtualized disk.
(The Windows VM you create uses a virtualized connection to your external drive.)
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In order for VirtualBox to be able to access the external drive, we need to launch VirtualBox with elevated permissions. Once again, we turn to Terminal.
1) Enter the following at the Terminal prompt without the quotation marks: “sudo /Applications/VirtualBox.app/Contents/MacOS/VirtualBox” Press enter or return.
2) If asked, supply your administrator password, and then press enter or return.
3) VirtualBox will open.
4) In the VirtualBox window, click on the New button in the toolbar.
5) In the sheet that drops down, enter a Name for the installation; we suggest WIN10.
6) Set the Type to Microsoft Windows.
7) Set the Version to Windows 10 (64-bit).
8) Click the Continue button.
9) Accept the default memory size, and click Continue.
10) In the Hard Disk sheet, select Use an existing virtual hard disk file.
11)Just below the option to use an existing virtual hard disk file is a dropdown menu for selecting a file to use. You may notice the menu is empty or does not contain the virtual disk file we created earlier. Click the folder icon just to the right of the dropdown menu. This will allow you to browse to the bootcamp.vmdk file, which is located in your home folder. Select the bootcamp.vmdk file, click the Open button and then click the Create button.
12) VirtualBox has created a virtual environment for us to install Windows 10 in that will actually perform the install on the external drive. The next step is to mount the Windows 10 ISO you downloaded earlier from Microsoft.
13) In VirtualBox, select the Windows 10 virtual machine, and then locate the Optical Drive. This is usually located in the Storage section of the virtual machine. Click the Optical Drive item and select Choose Disk Image.
14) Browse to where you downloaded the Windows 10 ISO.
15) Select the Windows 10 ISO, then click open.
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Install Windows on Your External Drive Via VirtualBox
1) Start the installation process by clicking the Start button in the VirtualBox toolbox.
2) The Windows 10 installation will start. Follow the onscreen instructions until you come to the Windows Setup screen with the heading “Which type of installation do you want?”
3) Select the “Custom: Install Windows only (advanced)” option.
4) The Windows setup will display the currently available drives and partitions that Windows can be installed on. Because the external hard drive has been assigned to the VirtualBox machine, it is the only drive that will be listed.
5) When we used Disk Utility to format the drive, we chose MS-DOS (FAT), which is incompatible with Windows 10. We did this because Disk Utility can’t format with NTSF, but the Windows installer would recognize MS-DOS. All we need to do now is change the drive’s format to NTSF.
6) Select the drive, and then click the Format button.
7) Wait until the format is complete (the Next button will become available), and then click Next.
8) The Windows installation will start, with files being copied to the external drive.
Warning: Extremely important step follows.
9) When you see the message “Windows needs to restart” immediately shut down the virtual machine by clicking on the red close button on the window. Select “Power off the machine” from the list of options, and then click OK to power off the virtual machine.
(Windows Setup will install the needed files to your external drive. Be sure to prevent Windows Setup from automatically restarting.)
At this point, the Windows installer has copied all the files to the external drive, and has set up a boot environment that you can start your Mac from. Next time you boot from the external drive, Windows will complete the installation process.
Restart Your Mac With the External Windows Drive
1) Close any apps you may have open, then restart your Mac.
2) Hold down the Option key during the restart. This will cause the Mac’s Startup Manager to display a list of drives you can start from. Use the arrow keys on your keyboard to select the Windows drive.
3) Your Mac will boot from the external Windows drive. The bootup process can take a while, so be patient.
4) Windows will finish the install process. At some point during the installation, Windows will restart your Mac. When it does, your Mac will restart with the normal Mac OS. You need to be present to hold down the Option key and select Windows to start from.
5) Windows will finish the installation and present you with the Windows desktop.
Getting Apple Hardware Working Under Windows
The USB flash drive you used earlier to make the Windows Support software contains all the drivers you need to install in Windows for the Apple hardware to work.
(To complete the Windows installation, run the Boot Camp Setup app to install the needed Apple drivers.)
1) Make sure the USB flash drive is connected to your Mac.
2) Click on the Windows Start button and select File Explorer.
3) In the File Explorer sidebar, select the USB flash drive, it will probably have a D or E drive letter assigned to it.
4) Open the Boot Camp folder
5) Run the Setup app inside the Boot Camp folder.
6) Follow the onscreen instructions to install the Boot Camp drivers.
Once the installation completes, all your Apple hardware, including wireless keyboards and mice, should be working.