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Virtualization company Parallels launched a new public beta of Parallels Desktop for Mac on Thursday. Among other features, Parallels public beta will support the iPhone in Windows XP and Vista while running on your Mac. more
Parallels launches new public beta
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#2
whitedog 
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Posted 02 August 2007 - 10:21 PM
They still haven't fixed the problem with Parallels Tools that crashes Parallels every time I launch Windows XP. I know it's the tools causing the problem because when I revert to a snapshot of an saved version of Windows made before the tools update it works fine. They've taken a program I once though of as superb and turned it to dross.
#3
griffman
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Posted 02 August 2007 - 10:29 PM
Well, it doesn't do that for me on a mini, MacBook Pro, or Mac Pro. Not sure what's going on, but I don't think it's a global problem. What kind of machine, and is there anything out of the ordinary in your WinXP setup?
-rob.
-rob.
#4
brkirch
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Posted 02 August 2007 - 10:44 PM
Quote:
They still haven't fixed the problem with Parallels Tools that crashes Parallels every time I launch Windows XP. I know it's the tools causing the problem because when I revert to a snapshot of an saved version of Windows made before the tools update it works fine. They've taken a program I once though of as superb and turned it to dross.
They still haven't fixed the problem with Parallels Tools that crashes Parallels every time I launch Windows XP. I know it's the tools causing the problem because when I revert to a snapshot of an saved version of Windows made before the tools update it works fine. They've taken a program I once though of as superb and turned it to dross.
Please post your problem along with the Parallels crash log on the Parallels support forum. Generally the Parallels team is very quick to respond and fix these problems if you give a crash log.
#6
whitedog
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Posted 03 August 2007 - 06:35 AM
+Please post your problem along with the Parallels crash log on the Parallels support forum. Generally the Parallels team is very quick to respond and fix these problems if you give a crash log.
I sent them a crash report more than a month ago when the problem first occurred. I got no reply from Parallels. I did find a work-around on their forums - some other users had figured it out, not Parallels; there were no posts from them on the subject. I then proceeded to test the work-around by reverting to a snapshot I made before I applied the beta update to Parallels, in other words, without the tools update. And Windows worked fine again. I even reinstalled Parallels 3 and reconnected it with the Windows disk image (so I wouldn't have to go through the process of once again reinstalling and activating Windows - the activation can take longer than the install). Windows once again worked fine until I applied the Parallels Tools update. As there are others posting to the Parallels forums with the same problem, I know I'm not alone. While the issue may not be global, it's causing plenty of trouble for some of us. If you don't have it, consider yourself lucky.
I had no problem with the original version 3 release - for which I paid the upgrade fee. It was beta build 4560 that started the trouble. The current one, build 5060 did not fix the problem. So I sent them another report, using the Report a Problem item in the help menu. Since they didn't bother to respond to my first report, I will be more than pleasantly surprised if I hear from them this time. Because they have been so unresponsive, the only recourse I have is to publicize the issue when the opportunity arises, as it has here.
To answer Rob's question, I'm running a 3 GHz Mac Pro with 4 GB of RAM and OS X 10.4.10. I have added very little to my Windows XP install besides Firefox, AVG, QuickTime, iTunes and the Safari 3 beta. Windows XP runs fine with Parallels 3 as long as I don't install the tools updates from the beta versions.
I tried removing all the Apple apps and the AVG security utilities, using Windows uninstall programs feature. I made another snapshot of this stripped down version of Windows. After restarting I tried once again installing the Parallels Tools and, once again, upon restarting Windows, Parallels crashed as it did before. So neither the Apple apps nor the AVG security tools are causing the problem. Absent a reply from Parallels with a real fix it looks like I will have to reinstall both Parallels and Windows - when I have the time. If that doesn't work I guess I'll have to ask Parallels to refund my money (right). Then I'll resort to Boot Camp - or try VMWare Fusion, which is coming out of beta Monday.
I used to think highly of Parallels until I ran into trouble. If they had made any effort at all to help me I would probably have settled for that. But since they so blatantly dropped the ball, I feel it altogether appropriate to warn others about the problems I've had and about the poor customer support Parallels has provided. Caveat Emptor!
P.S.: Since VMWare is offering a 50% discount on pre-orders or Fusion before Monday's release, I went ahead and ordered it. Fusion will have a converter to adapt a Parallels VM for its own use so this should make the switch that much easier. Some reviewers claim it is more stable than Parallels Desktop. I'm hoping this is true so I can stop wasting time troubleshooting and get on with my life. The only question I have at the moment is whether or not I will have to reactivate Windows XP - again.
I sent them a crash report more than a month ago when the problem first occurred. I got no reply from Parallels. I did find a work-around on their forums - some other users had figured it out, not Parallels; there were no posts from them on the subject. I then proceeded to test the work-around by reverting to a snapshot I made before I applied the beta update to Parallels, in other words, without the tools update. And Windows worked fine again. I even reinstalled Parallels 3 and reconnected it with the Windows disk image (so I wouldn't have to go through the process of once again reinstalling and activating Windows - the activation can take longer than the install). Windows once again worked fine until I applied the Parallels Tools update. As there are others posting to the Parallels forums with the same problem, I know I'm not alone. While the issue may not be global, it's causing plenty of trouble for some of us. If you don't have it, consider yourself lucky.
I had no problem with the original version 3 release - for which I paid the upgrade fee. It was beta build 4560 that started the trouble. The current one, build 5060 did not fix the problem. So I sent them another report, using the Report a Problem item in the help menu. Since they didn't bother to respond to my first report, I will be more than pleasantly surprised if I hear from them this time. Because they have been so unresponsive, the only recourse I have is to publicize the issue when the opportunity arises, as it has here.
To answer Rob's question, I'm running a 3 GHz Mac Pro with 4 GB of RAM and OS X 10.4.10. I have added very little to my Windows XP install besides Firefox, AVG, QuickTime, iTunes and the Safari 3 beta. Windows XP runs fine with Parallels 3 as long as I don't install the tools updates from the beta versions.
I tried removing all the Apple apps and the AVG security utilities, using Windows uninstall programs feature. I made another snapshot of this stripped down version of Windows. After restarting I tried once again installing the Parallels Tools and, once again, upon restarting Windows, Parallels crashed as it did before. So neither the Apple apps nor the AVG security tools are causing the problem. Absent a reply from Parallels with a real fix it looks like I will have to reinstall both Parallels and Windows - when I have the time. If that doesn't work I guess I'll have to ask Parallels to refund my money (right). Then I'll resort to Boot Camp - or try VMWare Fusion, which is coming out of beta Monday.
I used to think highly of Parallels until I ran into trouble. If they had made any effort at all to help me I would probably have settled for that. But since they so blatantly dropped the ball, I feel it altogether appropriate to warn others about the problems I've had and about the poor customer support Parallels has provided. Caveat Emptor!
P.S.: Since VMWare is offering a 50% discount on pre-orders or Fusion before Monday's release, I went ahead and ordered it. Fusion will have a converter to adapt a Parallels VM for its own use so this should make the switch that much easier. Some reviewers claim it is more stable than Parallels Desktop. I'm hoping this is true so I can stop wasting time troubleshooting and get on with my life. The only question I have at the moment is whether or not I will have to reactivate Windows XP - again.
#7 Guest__*
Posted 03 August 2007 - 08:22 AM
Quote:
I'm hoping this is true so I can stop wasting time troubleshooting and get on with my life.
I'm hoping this is true so I can stop wasting time troubleshooting and get on with my life.
Very well said. In my computing life I have moved beyond Early Adoption, Betas, & Other Crap. I want stuff that just works. Life is too short to waste time troubleshooting computers and other devices, unless that is your job.
#8
iMacAttack
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Posted 03 August 2007 - 09:00 AM
I stopped using Parallels at v2.5 after every new build became a crap-shoot whether it would be better or break something. I've never had a problem with Fusion. From my experience, Parallels is the product still in beta and Fusion is the production-ready product.
#10
ndelc
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Posted 03 August 2007 - 11:46 AM
Anyone used Parallels or Fusion with Windows games? I'm planning to get a MBP soon, and I want a virtual machine for testing websites in Windows, but I also want to play games. I'm sure that Boot Camp would be the best option, but if a VM works, I'd rather keep the disk to one partition. Anyone have any thoughts on this?
#11
iMacAttack
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Posted 03 August 2007 - 11:52 AM
For both I've gotten some older games to work ok, like Age of Empires and the 'General' series by SSI; Mechwarrior doesn't even though it's DirectX8 or lower. This is on a 20" iMac with 256Mb video ram and 2Gb memory.
#12
myoung
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Posted 03 August 2007 - 05:26 PM
Quote:
Anyone used Parallels or Fusion with Windows games? I'm planning to get a MBP soon, and I want a virtual machine for testing websites in Windows, but I also want to play games. I'm sure that Boot Camp would be the best option, but if a VM works, I'd rather keep the disk to one partition. Anyone have any thoughts on this?
Anyone used Parallels or Fusion with Windows games? I'm planning to get a MBP soon, and I want a virtual machine for testing websites in Windows, but I also want to play games. I'm sure that Boot Camp would be the best option, but if a VM works, I'd rather keep the disk to one partition. Anyone have any thoughts on this?
I thought you could use bootcamp with a single partition now? You can also use your bootcamp image with Parallels (don't know about Fusion?)
#14
whitedog
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Posted 03 August 2007 - 11:35 PM
same thing .... exactly ... happened to me as soon as i "upgraded" to 4560 "If it ain't broke, don't fix it."
There are some improvements in the betas that I would like to have been able to take advantage of. But I can't, now, because I cannot upgrade Parallels Tools. Monday I will be able to download Fusion and give it a try. I'm glad people here have had some good experience with it. It's just sad that Parallels started out so strong and now seems to be collapsing, both as regards stability and customer support. I don't appreciate having to pay them to beta test their product.
There are some improvements in the betas that I would like to have been able to take advantage of. But I can't, now, because I cannot upgrade Parallels Tools. Monday I will be able to download Fusion and give it a try. I'm glad people here have had some good experience with it. It's just sad that Parallels started out so strong and now seems to be collapsing, both as regards stability and customer support. I don't appreciate having to pay them to beta test their product.
