[dnanian]

That's right: it took a long time to copy the Parallels file, and we don't give status "mid-file", so it's usually best to step away and get a tasty beverage during the copy process.

USB is slow, even USB 2.0, compared to FireWire. It's hard to say how fast it should run, but after you're done Smart Update will speed the process significantly. Just make sure that you're not running Parallels while you're backing up!