The following will not work on OS X or in Parallels. An alternative is to download the Windows 8.1 Enterprise 90 day trial and use that to facilitate the installation of the copy you downloaded. Oct 23, 2017 Whenever I try to Save to PDF or print to PDF, FrameMaker becomes unresponsive (with not responsive message) almost immediately and never recovers from that condition. I have to force quit the application. I can work in the files in Mac (Parallels), save, etc. All functions work. I just cannot print. I switched to Mac (MacBook Pro Mid-2015 running OS 10.12 Sierra) with new job/role.
Parallels Desktop for Mac, by Parallels, is software providing hardware virtualization for Macintosh computers with Intel processors.
Overview[edit]![]()
Parallels, Inc. is a developer of desktop and server virtualization software.
Historical[edit]
Released on June 15, 2006, it was the first software product to bring mainstream virtualization to Macintosh computers utilizing the Apple–Intel architecture (earlier software products ran PC software in an emulated environment).
Its name initially was 'Parallels Workstation for Mac OS X', which was consistent with the company's corresponding Linux and Windows products. This name was not well received within the Mac community, where some felt that the name, particularly the term “workstation,” evoked the aesthetics of a Windows product. Parallels agreed: “Since we've got a great Mac product, we should make it look and sound like a Mac product..”, it was therefore renamed ‘Parallels Desktop for Mac’.[1]
On January 10, 2007, Parallels Desktop 3.0 for Mac was awarded “Best in Show” at MacWorld 2007.[2]
Technical[edit]
Parallels Desktop for Mac is a hardware emulation virtualization software, using hypervisor technology that works by mapping the host computer's hardware resources directly to the virtual machine's resources. Each virtual machine thus operates identically to a standalone computer, with virtually all the resources of a physical computer.[3] Because all guest virtual machines use the same hardware drivers irrespective of the actual hardware on the host computer, virtual machine instances are highly portable between computers. For example, a running virtual machine can be stopped, copied to another physical computer, and restarted.
Parallels Desktop for Mac is able to virtualize a full set of standard PC hardware, including[4]
Version 2.5[edit]
The first official release of version 2.5 was on February 27, 2007, as build 3186.
Version 2.5 brought support for USB 2.0 devices, which expanded the number of USB devices supported at native speed, including support for built-in iSight USB webcams. The amount of video RAM allocated to the guest OS was made adjustable, up to 32MB. Full featured CD/DVD drives arrived in this version, which allowed the user to burn disks directly in the virtual environment, and play any copy-protected CD or DVD as one would in Mac OS X. In addition, a shared clipboard and drag-drop support between Mac OS X and the guest OS was implemented. This version brought the ability for users with a Windows XP installation to upgrade to Windows Vista from within the VM environment.[5] A new feature known as Coherence was added, which removed the Windows chrome, desktop, and the virtualization frames to create a more seamless desktop environment between Windows and Mac OS X applications. This version also allowed users to boot their existing Boot Camp Windows XP partitions, which eliminated the need to have multiple Windows installations on their Mac. A tool called Parallels Transporter was included to allow users to migrate their Windows PC, or existing VMware or Virtual PC VMs to Parallels Desktop for Mac.
Netsys lawsuit[edit]
In 2007, the German company Netsys GmbH sued Parallels' German distributor Avanquest for copyright violation, claiming that Parallels Desktop and Parallels Workstation are directly based on a line of products called “twoOStwo” that Parallels developed on paid commission for Netsys, of which it says, Netsys has been assigned all copyrights. Additionally, the lawsuit claimed that Parallels Desktop 2.5's compatibility with “twoOStwo” showed that the two software products are run by essentially the same functional core.[6] When Netsys lost its initial urgency proceeding, it filed a new suit, in which it requested a temporary injunction from the Landgericht district court of Berlin.[7]
Version 3.0[edit]
On June 7, 2007 build 4124 was released as the first publicly available version of Desktop 3.0.
Version 3.0 retained all of the functionality from previous versions and added new features and tools. Support for DirectX 8.1 and OpenGL[8] was added, allowing Mac users to play some Windows games without the need to boot into Windows with Boot Camp.[9] A new feature called SmartSelect offers cross OS file and application integration by allowing the user to open Windows files with Mac OS X programs and vice versa. Parallels Explorer was introduced, which allows the user to browse their Windows system files in Mac OS X without actually launching Windows. A new snapshot feature was included, allowing one to restore their virtual machine environment to a previous state in case of issues. Further, Parallels added a security manager to limit the amount of interaction between the Windows and Mac OS X installations. This version included a long-awaited complete “Parallels tools'” driver suite for Linux guest operating systems. Therefore, integration between Mac OS X and Linux guest-OS's was greatly improved.[10]
Despite the addition of numerous new features, tools and added functionality, the first iteration of Parallels Desktop for Mac 3.0 was missing some of the features that Parallels had planned for it. A Parallels, Inc. representative stated at MacWorld in January 2007 that version 3.0 would bring accelerated graphics, “multi-core virtual machines/virtual SMP, some SCSI support, a more Mac-like feel, as well as a more sophisticated coherence mode, dubbed Coherence 2.0”.[11] While accelerated graphics have materialised, Coherence, as well as the overall look and feel of Parallels Desktop for Mac has only changed slightly. Also, SCSI support has not been implemented.[12] Parallels desktop 11 for mac pro edition.
It is currently unknown if these features have been abandoned altogether, or if they will show up in a later build of version 3.0.
Build 4560, released on July 17, 2007,[13] added an imaging tool which allowed users to add capacity to their virtual disks.
Feature update[edit]
Parallels Coherence in Exposé
Build 5160, released on September 11, 2007,[14] added some new features and updated some current features.
The release focused on updates to Coherence, with support for Exposé, window shadows, transparent windows, and the ability to overlap several Windows and Mac windows. Further, Parallels' Image Tool was updated to allow one to change their virtual hard disk format between plain and expanding.Parallels Explorer was updated to allow for one to automatically mount an offline VM hard drive to the Mac desktop. Some new features added are iPhone support in Windows, allowing iTunes in Windows to sync with it.[15] Users can now mirror desktops or other folders. Further, Mac drives can now be mapped by Windows and sound devices can now be changed ‘on the fly’. Up to 2 GB of RAM can be allocated to a virtual machine, with a total of 4 GB of RAM available.[16]
Parallels Desktop for Mac Build 5608 added support for guest Parallels Tools for Linux in the latest Linux distributions (including Ubuntu 8). It also added support for running 3D graphics in Windows virtual machines on Mac OS X Leopard 10.5.3.
Use of code from the Wine project[edit]
According to Parallels' Licensing page, Desktop for Mac version 3.0 contains Direct3D code that was originally developed by the Wineopen-source project.[17] Wine software is licensed under the GNU Lesser General Public License, which required Parallels to release the source code. Parallels released the modified source code on July 2, 2007, about 2 weeks after the promised release date.[18] A Parallels spokesman explained the reasons for the delay in a message on the official company blog.[19]
Version 4.0[edit]
Version 4.0, released November 11, 2008,[20] updates its GUI, adds some new features, enhances its performance by up to 50%[21] and consumes 15–30% less power than previous versions.[22] Version 4.0 is the first version that supports both 32-bit and 64-bit guest operating systems. Parallels Desktop 4.0 for Mac's 3D support includes DirectX 9.0, DirectX Pixel Shader 2.0 and OpenGL 2.0[23] as well as 256 MB video memory. It also adds support for 8 GB RAM in a virtual machine and 8-way SMP. Parallels Desktop 4.0 introduces an adaptive hypervisor, which allows users to focus the host computer's resources towards either host or the guest operating system.[24]
Parallels Desktop 4.0 for Mac adds some new features such as:
Starting with the Version 4.0 release, Parallels Desktop for Mac has a new logo, which resembles an aluminum iMac, with what appears to be Windows XP on the screen and 2 parallel red lines overlaid on the right side.
Feature update[edit]![]()
Build 3810, released January 9, 2009,[26] includes performance enhancements and features, such as DirectX 9.0 Shaders Model 2 and Vertex Shader support for additional 3D support Intel Streaming SIMD Extensions (SSE4) for better media applications performance. Build 3810 also adds support for running Windows 7 in a VM and for running Mac OS X Snow Leopard Server as either a host or as a guest OS.[27]
Also included are usability features such as the ability to share Windows files by dragging them directly to a Mac application in the Mac Dock. Windows can now also automatically start in the background when a user opens a Windows application on the Mac desktop. Version 4.0 drew criticism for problems upgrading from Version 3.0 shortly after its initial release.[28] Build 3810 also addresses installation and upgrade issues previously experienced with Version 4.0 and introduces the option to enroll in the company's new Customer Experience Program, which lets customers provide information about their preferences and user priorities.
Version 5[edit]
Officially released on November 4, 2009, Parallels Desktop 5 adds several new features, mainly to improve integration with the host OS.
New features include:
Feature update[edit]
Build 9308, released on December 21, 2009, added some new features.[29]
Linux guest operating systems[edit]
Virtualization[edit]
Windows guest operating systems[edit]
3D and video[edit]
macOS Server guest operating system[edit]
Version 6[edit]
Officially announced on September 9, 2010 and launched on September 14, 2010, Parallel 6 has full 64-bit support for the first time. Parallels claims that Parallels Desktop 6 for Mac '[has] over 80 new and improved features, including speed 40% above the previous version.' Specific new features include:
Version 7[edit]
Officially announced on September 1, 2011 and released on September 6, 2011, Parallels Desktop 7 adds many new features. These include:
Version 8[edit]
Officially announced August 22, 2012 and released September 4, 2012, Parallels Desktop 8 adds many new features:
Version 9[edit]
Officially announced on August 29, 2013 and released on September 5, 2013, Parallels Desktop 9 for Mac includes these new features and enhancements:
Enterprise version:
Version 10[edit]
Released August 20, 2014, Parallels Desktop 10 for Mac includes support for OS X 10.10 'Yosemite'.[31]
Less than a year after release of its release, Parallels spokesperson John Uppendahl confirmed version 10 will not be fully compatible with Windows 10. The coherence mode, which integrates the Windows user interface with OS X, will not be updated and users will need to purchase and upgrade to version 11 to continue using this feature.[32]
Version 11[edit]
Released August 19, 2015, Parallels Desktop 11 for Mac includes support for Windows 10 and is ready for OS X 10.11 'El Capitan'.[33]
Parallels Desktop 11 for Mac is available as a one-time purchase of $79.99 for the Desktop edition, and as an annual subscription of $99.99 for Pro edition.[34] Version 11 has multiple issues with macOS 10.13, High Sierra. The website currently offers a full price upgrade to Version 13 as a correction, effectively making this version obsolete with the macOS upgrades.[35]
Version 12[edit]
Released August 18, 2016.[36]
Version 13[edit]
Released August 22, 2017,[37] Parallels Desktop 13 for Mac provides macOS High Sierra readiness and support for upcoming Windows 10 features. According to Parallels, the new version makes it simple for MacBook Pro users to add Windows applications to the Touch Bar, and to use the Touch Bar within Windows applications. It is also the first solution to bring the upcoming Windows 10 People Bar feature to the Mac, including integration with the Mac Dock and Spotlight. The new version also features up to 100 percent performance improvements for completing certain tasks. The update also brings in a slightly refreshed UI to better match macOS and visual improvements for Windows users on Retina displays.[38]
Version 14[edit]
Released August 21, 2018, Parallels Desktop 14 supports macOS 10.14 'Mojave'.[39]
Supported operating systems[edit]
Parallels Desktop for Mac Business, Home and Pro Editions requires these versions of MacOS:[40]
Parallels Desktop 11 and 12 only partially support macOS 'High Sierra':
A Coherence Mode windows may appear under MacOS windows, and some graphics artifacts may occur.
B Neither Parallels Desktop 11 nor 12 fully support APFS disks, including virtual disks and Boot Camp partitions. Therefore, a 'High Sierra' guest machine must be installed 'manually' by passing the '--converttoapfs NO' command line switch, and cannot use the automated Parallels virtual machine creation process.
Guest[edit]
In Parallels Desktop 10 for Mac, support for guest operating systems includes a variety of 32-bit and 64-bit x86 operating systems, including:[40]
Parallels For Mac Free DownloadSee also[edit]References[edit]
External links[edit]
Retrieved from 'https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Parallels_Desktop_for_Mac&oldid=910639191'
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Virtualization: Windows on a Mac
Parallels Desktop 7 is the latest release of Parallels’ virtualization program, which allows users to run Windows, Linux, and now even OS X Lion directly within Mac OS X. Since Macworld last reviewed Parallels Desktop 5, the program has acquired an updated interface along with a slew of performance improvements and new features. Among the latter, there’s a simplified window for configuring virtual machines, support for Lion’s full screen mode, Launchpad integration, an in-app store for purchasing Windows and other programs, the ability to use iSight (and other) webcams within Windows clients, improved virtual printing, and more.
Parallels installs quickly and requires no real intervention from you; it even checks for updated versions during the installation process. You choose to install the application wherever you like; it doesn’t have to live in your Applications folder. You must activate Parallels Desktop (by entering your serial number) the first time you run it. Parallels presently requires one license per computer, so if you use both a desktop and laptop Mac, for instance, you’ll need to buy two copies of the program.
After activating, a new Parallels Wizard window appears. It focuses on helping you install Windows from a variety of sources. You can also install Mac OS X Lion (if your Mac is running Lion) from the wizard, import an existing virtual machine, and visit the Parallels Convenience Store, where you can buy a variety of operating systems and apps that run on them.
Parallels also makes it simple to install Chrome, Fedora, and Ubuntu operating systems: You can download ready-to-go versions of them from within Parallels, and they then auto-install themselves. It really doesn’t get much easier.
If you want an operating system that doesn’t enjoy such explicit support in Parallels itself, you can still create a virtual machine for it yourself; counterintuitively, you start with the Install Windows from DVD or Image File option, then use the installation file (.iso, typically) for whatever operating system you want to install. There should be a more obvious way to do it.
Buying Windows
When purchasing Windows within Parallels, you can choose between three versions: Home Premium ($199), Professional ($299), and Ultimate ($319). After choosing the version you want and providing your credit card information, you’re taken to a shopping cart screen, showing your purchase. In the cart is your chosen version of Windows, a set of download instructions, and (somewhat deceptively) a $7 charge for extended download protection; if you don’t want that last one, you need to remove manually from the cart. (You can also elect to order a backup disc for $15.)
After checking out, I received an email. I was then able to download the installer for Windows Professional, which included the installation instructions. Unfortunately, the installation instructions were for Parallels 6 and they were in fact incorrect; they advised me not to install the 64-bit version of Windows, for example. If you use the help system built into Parallels, you’ll be advised correctly.
Once I got through this initial confusion, the actual Windows installation was quite straightforward and took only about 15 minutes. But despite that convenience, I’d recommend purchasing a copy of Windows either directly from Microsoft itself or from your favorite third-party vendor: you’ll likely save some money compared to the price you’ll pay in Parallels, and you may be eligible for a much-cheaper upgrade version. (Just to take one example: As I write this, you can buy a copy of Windows 7 Ultimate from Microsoft itself for about $220.) The built-in purchasing works, but there’s a high price to pay for its convenience factor.
Using Windows
I tested Parallels with Windows 7 Professional, using the 64-bit edition purchased within Parallels Desktop, installed on a 2011 MacBook Pro (2.2GHz Core i7 with 4G of RAM). (I also installed the Windows 8 Developer Preview edition (build 7.0.14924), and it worked just fine.) As noted, installation was fast and simple, and included the installation of the required tools (for integration of the mouse, accelerated 3D graphics, and on-the-fly window resizing).
During the setup, you’re asked to decide whether to set up the virtual machine “like a Mac” or “like Windows.” Choose the Mac to start with a fully-integrated environment and all sharing between the virtual machine and OS X enabled; choose the Windows option to create a more standalone virtual machine. (After setup, you can always alter the virtual machine’s settings to behave as you wish.)
By default, Parallels configures Windows 7 so that your user is the Administrator. This is not like an administrative account in Mac OS X; it’s more akin to logging in as root: you’ll never see the Windows authentication prompt, and you have full power over the entire system. This is not a good thing—Windows 7 actually disables the Administrator account by default. I’d recommend creating a new normal user and logging in as that user, not as the Administrator.
Once I was up and running, I ran Office 2010, Adobe Acrobat, and a number of other general application programs. They all ran without troubles and never felt slow in any way. I also tested a number of games (which are great ways to stress-test virtual machines). Overall, I was amazed at the performance I saw. Parallels can provide up to 1GB of video RAM, which means that even some newer games with large texture sizes will run reasonably well; I was able to play the demo of Hard Reset, an intensive first person shooter, at decent (though not great) frame rates. Older games, such as Microsoft’s Flight Simulator X and Crysis, ran very nicely, with smooth graphics and audio. Even the demo of Call of Duty 4, which ran but with jerky-slow framerates when I last tested it with Parallels 5, is now playable.
While testing the games, I was also able to test Parallels’ support for USB peripherals, which turns out to be quite good. I used a Bluetooth mouse, a Saitek flightstick, a generic gamepad, and a Logitech Momo force feedback wheel and pedal set, all of which worked fine. The only exception was that the force feedback in the wheel isn’t active within the virtual machine. When you connect a USB device, Parallels provides a nice visual dialog box for selecting how it should be assigned, and whether that assignment is permanent or temporary.
For protection against Windows malware and viruses, Parallels includes a 90-day trial for Kaspersky Internet Security. I didn’t use this, however, as I chose to use Windows own (optional but free) Security Essentials. So far, my virtual Windows 7 installation has stayed free of viruses and malware (at least according to Windows itself).
Overall, I had almost no issues with running Windows 7 in Parallels. The one blue screen I got occurred after I’d switched multiple times—over a network connection via screen sharing— between viewing modes. Printing on shared printers worked, high definition video playback was fine, I could access my Mac’s hard drive, and I was able to copy and paste both text and images between OS X and Windows 7 without any problems. I was even able to use the MacBook Pro’s built-in iSight camera to hold a video chat (via Windows Messenger) with a user on a Mac.
OS X as a virtual machine
Parallels 7 allows you to install OS X Lion as a virtual machine (provided you’re running OS X Lion as your root operating system). Parallels does this through Lion’s restore partition; once the installer starts, it downloads Lion from the App Store, and creates the virtual machine. This means, though, that if you’re without an internet connection, you won’t be able to create a Lion installation, even if you have the installer file.
I installed a virtual Lion on both my 2006 vintage Mac Pro and the MacBook Pro, and found that they worked as expected, with a few caveats. I was unable to copy and paste text or images to or from the virtual machine to the host OS—odd, given how well this works in Windows (as well as Unix) guests. When I tried to do a video chat in iChat, the camera window opened as a black box, and iChat then crashed. How to get parallels on mac for free. This also happened on my Mac Pro, with its FireWire iSight camera. When running FaceTime, however, the camera worked fine.
I also had a problem with the mouse click location being offset from the actual pointer location; this seemed to crop up when switching between full-screen and windowed mode. Virtual OS X setups also lack multi-monitor support, and there’s no OpenGL acceleration, so forget about running anything that requires accelerated graphics.
But for general usage, such as testing software in a safe way, or testing as a user without any login items, being able to run OS X Lion in a virtual machine is great.
Beyond Windows
To help manage your installed virtual machines, Parallels presents them in a list, showing each one’s status and a live screenshot (if active).
You can also configure, start, and remove virtual machines via a control-click, but doing so doesn’t actually highlight or select the virtual machine you clicked on. On more than one occasion I went back and confirmed my control-click, just to make sure I wasn’t removing the wrong virtual machine. (There is a confirmation dialog, but it doesn’t include the name of the virtual machine to be removed, so it’s not much help.)
The bundled downloads of Chrome, Ubuntu, and Fedora all work well; you can even use the Linux guests in Parallels’ Coherence mode, taking away the “desktop” interface and presenting Linux windows intermingled with OS X windows. I was also able to download and install various Linux distributions using their .iso files without any troubles. Parallels supports accelerated OpenGL graphics in Linux, unlike Fusion.
Parallels offers an incredible number of settings, both for the application itself and for configuring your virtual machines. If you like tweaking your settings, this is a good thing. If you’re the type who gets intimidated by too many choices, this may be a bad thing. Thankfully, the preferences panel has been redesigned, and is now much more Mac-like, making it somewhat easier to find things.
Help, too, is improved in this version. Fully searchable, and presented in a floating window like help files in other OS X programs, I found it well written and useful.
Macworld’s buying advice
Parallels 7 is a fast, stable, and highly customizable way to run Windows on a Mac. Although its interface is focused on running Windows on the Mac, it also does well with other operating systems. There are minor issues with the built-in Windows purchasing and defaulting with Windows running as the Administrator, but neither of these are deal breakers. (If you use multiple Macs, you’ll need to consider the cost of licensing Parallels for all your machines, too.)
If you’re a current Parallels 6 user, upgrading to Parallels 7—especially if you’re running Lion—should be on your to-do list. If you’re new to the virtualization market, or contemplating switching from another program, you should download a free trial from Parallels and see how well it fits in your workflow.
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