Parallels Desktop® 12 for
Mac
User's Guide
Copyright © 1999-2016 Parallels IP Holdings GmbH and its affiliates. All rights reserved.
Parallels IP Holdings GmbH
Vordergasse 59
8200 Schaffhausen
Switzerland
Tel: + 41 52 632 0411
Fax: + 41 52 672 2010
www.parallels.com
Copyright © 1999-2016 Parallels IP Holdings GmbH and its affiliates. All rights reserved.
This product is protected by United States and international copyright laws. The product’s underlying technology,
patents, and trademarks are listed at http://www.parallels.com/trademarks.
Microsoft, Windows, Windows Server, Windows NT, Windows Vista, and MS-DOS are registered trademarks of Microsoft
Corporation.
Apple, Mac, the Mac logo, Mac OS, iPad, iPhone, iPod touch, FaceTime HD camera and iSight are trademarks of Apple
Inc., registered in the US and other countries.
Linux is a registered trademark of Linus Torvalds.
All other marks and names mentioned herein may be trademarks of their respective owners.
Contents
Welcome to Parallels Desktop..................................................................................9
What You Can Do ........................................................................................................... 10
Set Up Your Mac to Use Windows Programs.................................................................. 10
Other Operating Systems................................................................................................ 10
Install or Upgrade Parallels Desktop ......................................................................12
What You Need .............................................................................................................. 12
Install Parallels Desktop................................................................................................... 13
Activate and Register Parallels Desktop .......................................................................... 13
Purchase Parallels Desktop.............................................................................................14
Upgrade Parallels Desktop.............................................................................................. 14
Install Software Updates........................................................................................................ 15
Set the Language............................................................................................................ 17
Install or Import Windows .......................................................................................18
Install Windows ............................................................................................................... 18
Import Your Data from a PC............................................................................................ 20
Overview of Methods for Importing........................................................................................ 20
Requirements for Importing Your Data .................................................................................. 20
Step 1: Install Parallels Transporter Agent on Your Windows PC........................................... 21
Step 2: Import Your Data....................................................................................................... 21
Solving Problems................................................................................................................... 27
Use Boot Camp with Parallels Desktop ........................................................................... 29
Import from an Earlier Parallels Desktop or Other Virtualization Application...................... 30
Use Windows on Your Mac..................................................................................... 31
Get Started ..................................................................................................................... 31
Start Windows....................................................................................................................... 31
Open a Windows Program .................................................................................................... 32
Install Windows Programs ..................................................................................................... 36
Shut Down or Suspend Windows.......................................................................................... 36
Set How Windows Works with Mac OS X .......................................................................40
Merge Windows and Mac OS X............................................................................................. 41
Contents
Set Windows to Appear in a Single Window.......................................................................... 43
Set Windows to Take Up the Whole Screen .......................................................................... 44
About Using Windows 8 with Parallels Desktop..................................................................... 48
Set Windows 8 to Work Like Windows 7............................................................................... 50
Set a Program to Open When You Insert a CD or DVD ......................................................... 51
Share Items Between Mac OS X and Windows ..................................................................... 51
Apply Mac OS X Parental Controls to Windows..................................................................... 64
Set Media Files to Open in Windows 8 Apps ................................................................... 65
Mouse, Trackpad, and Keyboard .................................................................................... 65
Set Your Mouse or Trackpad to Right-Click and Middle-Click ............................................... 65
Control Programs with Trackpad Gestures or the Apple Remote .......................................... 67
Use Keyboard Shortcuts ....................................................................................................... 69
Customize Keyboard Shortcuts............................................................................................. 70
Create New Keyboard Shortcuts........................................................................................... 73
See and Change Windows Input Language In OS X.............................................................. 74
Mouse & Keyboard Settings .................................................................................................. 75
Connect External Devices ...............................................................................................77
Adjust Devices Settings ......................................................................................................... 79
Connect Bluetooth Devices............................................................................................. 81
Print from Windows......................................................................................................... 82
Share a Printer Connected to Your Mac ................................................................................ 82
Set Up a Printer Using Bonjour.............................................................................................. 84
Set Up a Network Printer....................................................................................................... 86
Set Up a USB Printer............................................................................................................. 89
Create a PDF File .................................................................................................................. 89
Use the Built-in iSight Camera or Another Webcam ........................................................90
Show a Presentation on an External Monitor or Projector ................................................ 90
Protect Your Data ...........................................................................................................91
Protect Your Data from Viruses ............................................................................................. 92
Isolate Windows from Mac .................................................................................................... 93
Work in Windows Without Saving Changes........................................................................... 93
Set Password Requirements ................................................................................................. 94
Encrypt Windows to Protect It from Unauthorized Use .......................................................... 94
Connect to the Internet or a Network .............................................................................. 95
Share Network Settings Between Mac OS X and Windows................................................... 95
Apply Separate Network Settings to Windows ...................................................................... 96
Use Host-Only Network Settings ........................................................................................... 98
Use Wi-Fi with Windows........................................................................................................ 98
Connect Windows to a VLAN ................................................................................................ 99
Optimize Performance..................................................................................................... 99
Set How Much Memory is Allocated to Windows ................................................................ 100
Optimization Settings........................................................................................................... 100
Optimize 3D Graphics Performance on a MacBook Pro ...................................................... 102
Speed Up Games and Graphics Programs ......................................................................... 103
Pause Windows When No Programs Are Open................................................................... 103
Optimize Virtual Machine for Games, Graphics, Productivity, or Development..................... 104
Work with Windows in Travel Mode..................................................................................... 104
Schedule Windows Maintenance......................................................................................... 105
Use Windows on Your iPad, iPhone, or Android Device ................................................106
Contents
Save Time With Parallels Toolbox.................................................................................. 107
Save a Picture of the Screen ......................................................................................... 108
Set the Appearance of Virtual Machine Dock Icons ....................................................... 108
Allow Windows Updates While Your Mac is Sleeping ....................................................108
Translate Words in Windows......................................................................................... 109
Advanced Topics................................................................................................... 110
Work with Virtual Machines ........................................................................................... 110
Supported Guest Operating Systems.................................................................................. 110
About Virtual Machines........................................................................................................ 112
Arrange Virtual Machines..................................................................................................... 115
Make Virtual Machines Distinctive........................................................................................ 115
Change the Virtual Machine Icon ......................................................................................... 115
Change the Virtual Machine Name ...................................................................................... 116
Clone a Virtual Machine ....................................................................................................... 116
Back Up a Virtual Machine .................................................................................................. 117
Browse Virtual Hard Disks in Mac OS X............................................................................... 118
Create and Use Virtual Machine Templates ......................................................................... 120
Save Snapshots of a Virtual Machine................................................................................... 121
Change Virtual Machine Configuration at Runtime............................................................... 123
Use Mouse Wheel Horizontal Scrolling ................................................................................ 125
Contents
Remove a Virtual Machine ................................................................................................... 125
Download Pre-configured Virtual Appliances ....................................................................... 125
Set the Guest OS Type and Version .................................................................................... 126
Set How Many Processors are Allocated to a Virtual Machine............................................. 127
Check Your Virtual Machine CPU and Memory Usage......................................................... 127
Enable Spoken Commands................................................................................................. 127
Get Acronis True Image....................................................................................................... 128
Use AppleScript with the Guest OS..................................................................................... 129
Quickly Free Up Disk Space ................................................................................................ 129
Archive and Unarchive Virtual Machines .............................................................................. 130
Use Other Operating Systems on Your Mac.................................................................. 130
Import Linux and Your Data from a PC................................................................................ 130
Use Linux in Coherence Mode............................................................................................. 131
Install Windows 98 .............................................................................................................. 132
Improve Graphics Performance in Windows NT/98/ME....................................................... 134
Customize the Keyboard for the Guest OS.......................................................................... 135
Use OS X as a Guest OS..................................................................................................... 138
Install or Update Parallels Tools..................................................................................... 140
Parallels Tools Overview ...................................................................................................... 140
Parallels Tools for Windows................................................................................................. 142
Parallels Tools for Linux ....................................................................................................... 143
Parallels Tools for Mac ........................................................................................................ 148
Install Sound Driver in OS/2 and eComStation .................................................................... 149
For Software Developers............................................................................................... 149
Optimize Remote Debugging............................................................................................... 149
Run Windows Phone Emulator............................................................................................ 150
Generate a Core Dump ....................................................................................................... 153
Start a Debugging Session .................................................................................................. 154
Integration With Chef/Ohai................................................................................................... 154
Integration With Docker ....................................................................................................... 154
Use Virtual Machine Names as DNS Names........................................................................ 155
Resolve Guest OS DNS Requests Using etc/hosts.............................................................. 155
Other Actions ...................................................................................................................... 156
Contents
Set File Type Associations............................................................................................. 156
Modality Mode .............................................................................................................. 157
Hide and Show Parallels Desktop.................................................................................. 158
Disable Automatically Suspending Windows ................................................................. 159
Remove Parallels Desktop............................................................................................. 159
Advanced Preferences .................................................................................................. 160
Shared Networking Settings.......................................................................................... 162
Host-Only Networking Settings ..................................................................................... 166
Create a Custom Host-Only Network ............................................................................ 168
More Options ................................................................................................................ 168
Adding and Removing Devices...................................................................................... 170
Support for Virtual and Real Disks ....................................................................................... 172
Initialize a Newly Added Disk ............................................................................................... 174
Hardware Settings ........................................................................................................176
CPU and Memory................................................................................................................ 176
Boot Order .......................................................................................................................... 177
Graphics.............................................................................................................................. 180
Floppy Disk ......................................................................................................................... 182
CD/DVD-ROM..................................................................................................................... 183
Hard Disk ............................................................................................................................ 185
Network .............................................................................................................................. 189
Printer.................................................................................................................................. 191
Serial Port............................................................................................................................ 193
Sound ................................................................................................................................. 195
USB & Bluetooth ................................................................................................................. 196
Contents
Tips and Troubleshooting ..................................................................................... 199
Install Parallels Tools for Seamless Operation Between Windows and Mac OS X .......... 199
Find Settings................................................................................................................. 200
Restore Virtual Machine Default Settings ....................................................................... 200
I Can't Activate Parallels Desktop.................................................................................. 201
Memory Usage Problems..............................................................................................201
Windows Seems Slow .................................................................................................. 202
Pressing Ctrl+Alt+Del .................................................................................................... 202
My Password Isn't Working........................................................................................... 203
My Virtual Machine Doesn't Boot ..................................................................................203
I'm Having Problems Connecting to the Internet............................................................ 203
Configure 5.1 or 7.1 Surround Sound in a Virtual Machine ............................................204
I'm Having Problems with Antivirus Software................................................................. 205
The F8 Key Isn't Working Correctly ............................................................................... 206
A Password is Required to Open the Virtual Machine Configuration ..............................206
Windows or Windows Programs Ask for Reactivation ................................................... 206
Manage Virtual Machines via Command Line Interface .................................................. 207
Change Password in Windows via Command Line Interface .........................................208
Configuring a Network in Linux...................................................................................... 208
Installing the GCC Package and Kernel Sources in Linux ..............................................209
Checking the Build Number ..........................................................................................209
Send Technical Data to Parallels ................................................................................... 210
Request Support........................................................................................................... 210
More Resources
Visit the Parallels Desktop Twitter and Facebook Pages................................................ 211
....................................................................................................211
Glossary.................................................................................................................212
Index ...................................................................................................................... 216
C HAPTER 1
Welcome to Parallels Desktop
Congratulations on purchasing Parallels Desktop 12 for Mac. You no longer have to choose
between the Mac and the PC. Parallels Desktop lets you use Windows side-by-side with OS X on
your Mac.
Use this guide to quickly set up and start using Parallels Desktop.
In This Chapter
What You Can Do .................................................................................................... 10
Set Up Your Mac to Use Windows Programs ........................................................... 10
Other Operating Systems ......................................................................................... 10
Welcome to Parallels Desktop
What You Can Do
With Parallels Desktop, you can:
• Open Windows applications side-by-side with your Mac OS X applications, without having to
restart
• Copy and paste text and drag and drop objects between Mac and Windows applications
• Run Windows games and other 3D programs
• Transfer all your data from a PC and use it on your Mac
• Easily share files, devices, and other resources between Windows and the Mac
• Install other operating systems, such as trial versions of Windows, Linux, another copy of OS X,
and free virtual appliances; and use them together
• And much more
Set Up Your Mac to Use Windows Programs
After just a few steps, you can begin using Windows programs on your Mac. Setting up your Mac
to run Windows programs involves the following steps:
Step 1: Install Parallels Desktop (p. 12).
Step 2: Install Windows
Step 3: Install your Wind
You only nee
your Mac anytime you like, just as you do with your Mac applications.
d to follow these steps once. Then you can open and use your Windows programs on
on your Mac (p. 18).
ows programs (p. 36).
Other Operating Systems
Important: This guide is focused on using Parallels Desktop with Windows.
Using Parallels Desktop 12 for Mac you can run several other kinds of operating systems (p. 110)
on your Mac, such as several flavors of Linux and Unix, Mac OS X Server, Windows 8, older
versions of Windows, and more.
10
Welcome to Parallels Desktop
Finding Information On Running Other Operating Systems
You can find much more information and details on using Parallels Desktop to run other operating
systems on your Mac by checking the resources listed in More Resources (p. 211).
Additionally, though
to supported operating systems other than Windows. And some important instructions relating to
other operating systems are in the Advanced Topics (p. 110) section.
not explicitly stated, many of the instructions presented in this guide also apply
11
C HAPTER 2
Install or Upgrade Parallels Desktop
Follow the instructions in this chapter to install or upgrade Parallels Desktop.
Note: You can either purchase a boxed version of Parallels Desktop 12 or purchase and download it
from the Parallels website.
In This Chapter
What You Need ........................................................................................................ 12
Install Parallels Desktop ............................................................................................13
Activate and Register Parallels Desktop .................................................................... 13
Purchase Parallels Desktop ...................................................................................... 14
Upgrade Parallels Desktop........................................................................................ 14
Set the Language .....................................................................................................17
What You Need
To install and set up Parallels Desktop 12 for Mac, you need:
• A Mac computer with:
• An Intel Core 2 Duo, Core i3, Core i5, Core i7, Intel Core M or Xeon processor (Core Solo
and Core Duo processors are no longer supported).
Note: Parallels Desktop can only be installed on Intel-based Macs running the 64-bit kernel.
Please see http://support.apple.com/kb/HT3770 for more details.
• At least 2GB of RAM (4GB recommended)
Note: Your Mac must have enough RAM memory to use Mac OS X and its applications plus the
memory required for each additional operating system (and its programs) that you want to use
simultaneously.
• At least 850 MB of space available on the boot volume (the volume that has OS X) for
Parallels Desktop installation
• Enough free disk space for each virtual machine and its applications (at least 15 GB for each
installation of Windows)
• OS X Yosemite 10.10 or later, OS X Mavericks 10.9.4 or later
To identify your computer's processor, memory, and OS X version, choose Apple menu >
About This Mac.
Install or Upgrade Parallels Desktop
• Internet connection required for product activation, select features, and online updates
• One of the following:
• A Windows installation disc, or other installation media for the operating systems you want
to use alongside OS X
• An Internet connection to download and install freely available operating system such as
Ubuntu or Google Chrome.
• If you're using OS X Lion or later, you can set up a second copy of OS X to be used as a
guest operating system alongside your main system, without having to purchase or
download another copy of OS X.
For a list of operating systems that Parallels Desktop supports for use with your Mac, see
Supported Guest Operating Systems (p. 110) or go to
http://www.parallels.com/products/desktop/system-requirements/.
Install Parallels Desktop
You can be up and running with Parallels Desktop in a few easy steps:
1 Make sure you have the latest version of OS X.
2 Do one of the following:
• If you downloaded Parallels Desktop from the Parallels website, double-click the disk image
file, most likely in your Downloads folder (the file has the extension ".dmg" at the end).
• If you purchased a boxed copy of Parallels Desktop with a USB thumb drive, connect the
drive to your Mac, open it and double-click the disk image file.
• If you purchased a boxed copy with a link to the installation file, open the link in your web
browser, download Parallels Desktop and double-click the disk image file.
• If you purchased a boxed copy with an installation disc, insert the disc.
Note: If your Mac doesn't have a DVD-ROM, you can use the download link, available in the retail box,
to download Parallels Desktop over the Internet.
3 Double-click the Install icon and follow the onscreen instructions to install Parallels Desktop.
Activate and Register Parallels Desktop
Once Parallels Desktop is installed, you need to activate it and register. Do the following:
1 First you need to sign in to your Parallels account:
• If you have an account, enter your email address, select I have a password, enter the
password and click Sign In.
13
Install or Upgrade Parallels Desktop
• If you don't have a Parallels account, enter an email address that will be used to create the
account, select I'm a new user, click Sign In and follow the onscreen instructions.
2 In the next step, you must enter your Product Activation Key to activate Parallels Desktop.
Note: If you purchased Parallels Desktop from the Parallels Online Store, a key was sent to the email
address you provided. If you bought a boxed copy, you can find your key printed on the installation disc
sleeve.
If you already have a license available and associated with your account, just select the license
and click Activate.
If You Don't Have A Product Activation Key
If you don't have a key already, you can get a free trial Product Activation Key so you can try out
Parallels Desktop for a limited time, click Try Free for 14 days. Or to purchase a key that lets you
use Parallels Desktop permanently, click Buy.
Purchase Parallels Desktop
If you're using a trial version of Parallels Desktop 12, you can easily purchase the full version right
from the application interface. To do so:
1 Click Buy in the About Parallels Desktop window or when you see the promo.
2 Choose one of the following:
• Upgrade: Select this option to upgrade your current version of Parallels Desktop. Please
keep in mind that you will need the activation key for your previous version. If the Upgrade
option is selected by default, Parallels Desktop has already automatically detected the key
for the previous version. If not, please make sure you have it.
Note: Only Parallels Desktop 10 and 11 can be upgraded to Parallels Desktop 12.
• Buy Full Version: Select this option to purchase Parallels Desktop if you have never used it
before or your version cannot be upgraded.
3 Follow the onscreen instructions.You may need to scroll down to see all the information.
Upgrade Parallels Desktop
If you already have Parallels Desktop 10 or 11 follow these steps to upgrade to Parallels Desktop
12.
1 If you haven't already done so, purchase and download a "Parallels Desktop 12 for Mac
Upgrade," available from the Parallels Online Store at www.parallels.com/buyonline.
A Product Activation Key is sent to the email address you provide.
14
Install or Upgrade Parallels Desktop
2 If Parallels Desktop is open, quit Parallels Desktop.
3 Follow the instructions to install Parallels Desktop 12. See Install Parallels Desktop (p. 13).
During install
ation, the previous version of Parallels Desktop is automatically removed from your
computer.
4 Open Parallels Desktop and enter your upgrade Product Activation Key.
If you were using a trial version of Parallels Desktop or you purchased a previous version but
haven't installed it on your computer, you will also be prompted to enter a full or upgrade key
for that version.
Note: To upgrade from Parallels Desktop 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 or 9 you must purchase Parallels Desktop 12
at full retail price.
Troubleshooting
If you have any problems upgrading Parallels Desktop, you can find troubleshooting information at
http://www.parallels.com/products/desktop/support/.
Install Software Updates
Periodically, Parallels provides free software updates to improve Parallels Desktop.
By default, Parallels Desktop is configured to automatically check for and download available
software updates once a week. When an update is available, Parallels Desktop prompts you to
install it. Simply follow the onscreen instructions.
Adjust Software Update Settings
1 Do one of the following:
• Click the Parallels icon
in the menu bar and choose Preferences. Then click General.
15
Install or Upgrade Parallels Desktop
• Right-click the Parallels Desktop icon in the Dock and choose Preferences. Then click
General.
2 Do one of the following:
• To adjust the frequency that Parallels checks for software updates, choose Never, Once a
Day, Once a Week, or Once a Month from the Check for Updates menu.
• To choose whether you want Parallels Desktop to download updates automatically, select
or deselect Download updates automatically.
If you choose not to download updates automatically, Parallels Desktop notifies you when
an update is available and asks whether you want to download it.
Check for an Update Manually
• Follow the instructions in step 1 above and then click Check Now. You can also choose
Check for Updates from the Parallels Desktop application menu.
Note: To check for updates and download them, your Mac must be connected to the Internet.
16
Install or Upgrade Parallels Desktop
Set the Language
You can set which language the Parallels Desktop interface uses by doing the following:
1 Quit Parallels Desktop.
2 Choose Apple menu > System Preferences > Language & Region.
3 Drag the language you want to the top of the list. If you don't see the language you want to use
in the list, click the Add button
4 Open Parallels Desktop.
If the primary language you chose is supported by Parallels Desktop, the menus and interface
text appear in that language. If the primary language you selected isn't supported, menus
appear in the first language listed that Parallels Desktop supports.
.
17
C HAPTER 3
Install or Import Windows
There are a few ways to get Windows up and running on your Mac:
• Install Windows (p. 18)
• Import your data fro
• Use Windows that you
• Import Wind
30)
ows from a previous version of Parallels Desktop or other virtualization software (p.
m a Windows PC (p. 20)
already have installed from a Boot Camp partition (p. 29)
In This Chapter
Install Windows.........................................................................................................18
Import Your Data from a PC .....................................................................................20
Use Boot Camp with Parallels Desktop..................................................................... 29
Import from an Earlier Parallels Desktop or Other Virtualization Applicatio
n................ 30
Install Windows
If you have a Windows installation source (a DVD disc, an image file, or a USB storage) and a valid
Windows product key, you can install Windows on your Mac and use it with Parallels Desktop.
To install Windows:
1 Open Parallels Desktop (in the Applications folder) and choose File > New.
2 If you have a Windows installation disc, insert it into the DVD drive. If you have a USB storage
with Windows, connect the storage to the Mac.
3 Click Install Windows or another OS from a DVD or image file.
4 Parallels Desktop scans for and lists installable operating systems. If you see the version of
Windows you want to install, select it, click Continue and go to step 6.
5 If the Windows installation source didn't show up automatically in Step 4, click Locate
manually to browse for it manually. You can browse from the following sources:
• DVD: If you have a Windows DVD, insert it into the DVD drive. Once Windows is detected,
click Continue. If your Mac doesn't have a DVD drive, you can use an Apple SuperDrive,
another Mac's DVD drive via Remote Disc, or make an image from the disc.
Install or Import Windows
• Image File: If you have a Windows image file, click Image File and drag the image to the
Parallels Wizard window. Once Windows is detected, click Continue.
• USB Drive: If you have a bootable USB installer with Windows, click USB Drive and
connect the drive to the Mac. Once Windows is detected, click Continue.
Note: Parallels Desktop may fail to detect some operating systems (for example, the latest Linux
distributions). If this happens but you're sure that the operating system can be installed, click Continue,
specify the OS type manually (if it's not listed, choose Other), and follow the onscreen instructions.
6 Be sure to leave Express installation selected.
Note: If you deselect Express installation, you'll need to install Parallels Tools (p. 199) after the
installation to allow the most seamless operation between Windows and Mac OS X.
7 Choose what for you're going to primarily use Windows. Its settings will be tuned to best fit
your needs.
8 Choose where you want to store Windows from the Location menu.
By default, Parallels Desktop stores Windows in your Documents > Parallels folder. To
allow all users of your computer to have access to this installation of Windows, select Share
with other users of this Mac.
9 If you want to pre-set things like how much memory Windows uses or whether it starts
automatically when you open Parallels Desktop, select Customize settings before
installation. You can also adjust these settings after the operating system is installed.
10 Click Continue.
The assistant installs Windows.
Once Windows is installed, you can start it up by opening a Windows program (p. 32) or by clicking
the power b
utton in Control Center.
19
Install or Import Windows
Important: The first time you start Windows, Parallels Tools are installed to allow seamless operation
between Windows and Mac OS X. Once Parallels Tools are installed, you're prompted to restart
Windows.
If you didn't select Express installation in step 6 above, you must install Parallels Tools manually (p.
199).
When you install Windows, Parallels Desktop creates an administrator account with a blank
password. Once the installation is complete, it is recommended that you change this password.
Note: You can also install Windows from a disk image file (p. 172) of an installation disc. Simply choose
the disk image file in step 4 above. Parallels Desktop supports ISO, DMG, CUE, and CCD disk images.
Import Your Data from a PC
You can import all your data from a Windows PC to Parallels Desktop on your Mac. Then you can
continue to work with all your Windows programs, files, and data, side-by-side with Mac OS X.
Overview of Methods for Importing
You can import your data using one of the following:
• Network (p. 21): If both the Windows
PC and your Mac are connected to a network, you can
import your data over the network.
• External storage device (p. 24): You can trans
fer the data from a Windows PC to an external
storage device, such as an external hard drive. Then, you can connect the device to your Mac
and import your data into Parallels Desktop.
Requirements for Importing Your Data
To import your data to your Mac, you need a Windows computer with:
• Windows 10, Windows 8, Windows 7, Windows Vista, or Windows XP with Service Pack 2 or
later.
Note: You can also use a computer running Windows Server 2008 R2 (64-bit only), Windows Server
2008, or Windows 2000 Professional (32-bit only).
• An Intel or AMD (700 MHz or higher) x86 or x64 processor
• At least 256 MB of RAM
• At least 70 MB of hard disk space for installing Parallels Transporter Agent
• One of the following:
• An Ethernet port for transferring your data over network
20
Install or Import Windows
• An external storage device, such as a USB hard disk
Note: Parallels Desktop does not support migrating Windows dynamic volumes. These are volumes
which size is not fixed as in basic volumes. They are migrated as data disks only. You can later add them
(p. 170) to an already existing virtual machine.
Step 1: Install Parallels Transporter Agent on Your Windows PC
To import your data you must first install the Parallels Transporter Agent software on the Windows
PC.
To install Parallels Transporter Agent:
11 Do one of the following:
• If you purchased a physical copy of Parallels Desktop, insert the Parallels Desktop
installation DVD into your Windows PC. If the installation doesn't start automatically, locate
and double-click the Parallels Transporter Agent.exe file on the disc.
• Download Parallels Transporter Agent for Windows from the Parallels website at
http://www.parallels.com/download/desktop/ and double-click the installation file.
If your computer is connected to the Internet, Parallels Transporter Agent checks for available
updates. If an update is available, click Download and Install New Version.
12 Follow the onscreen instructions to install Parallels Transporter Agent.
Step 2: Import Your Data
Follow one of the methods below to import your data from your PC to your Mac.
Over a Network
Important: After importing your data, you may need to reactivate some of your Windows programs
using the activation keys you received when you purchased the programs.
To import your data from a PC over a network:
1 Turn on your Mac and your Windows PC and log in.
2 Make sure that Windows Firewall (p. 28) is turned off. You can turn it o
finished.
n again after the import is
21
Install or Import Windows
3 On the Windows PC, open Parallels Transporter Agent by clicking the Start menu and choosing
All Programs > Parallels > Parallels Transporter Agent.
In Parallels Transporter Agent, select Network and click Continue.
4 On your Mac, open Parallels Desktop and choose File > New.
5 Select Transfer Windows from a PC and click Continue.
6 Select Network and click Continue.
7 Find the passcode displayed in Parallels Wizard on your Mac and enter it in Parallels
Transporter Agent on your Windows PC.
22
Install or Import Windows
If the remote PC and Mac are not connected to the same network, you can transfer the remote
PC using its name or IP address. To do so, click Connect using IP address, select the
Windows PC name from the list or type the IP address, and click Continue.
8 If you have chosen to use the computer name or IP address, provide the Windows
administrator credentials. Parallels Desktop connects to Parallels Transporter Agent and starts
collecting information about the source computer.
9 If you want to log in to Windows automatically whenever you start up Windows, select Enable
Automatic Logon. When ready, click Continue.
10 Choose what you want to transfer;
• System only: this option allows you to transfer the operating system and applications only.
If you choose it, go to step 12.
• System and documents: this option allows you to transfer the operating system,
applications, and user's files like pictures, documents, downloads, music, videos, etc.
11 If you chose to transfer system and documents in the previous step, choose how you want to
transfer the user's files:
• Transfer to Windows: If you choose this option, the user's files will be transferred to the
resulting virtual machine and will not be accessible from OS X. You can make them
accessible from OS X later by sharing Windows with OS X (p. 52).
• Transfer to Mac: If you choose thi
corresponding folders in OS X. The resulting virtual machine will have access to these files
as well because it will be configured to share folders with OS X.
s option, the user's files will be transferred to the
This way of transferring the user's files requires additional steps with Apple Migration
Assistant. Follow the link in the screen for more information.
23
Install or Import Windows
12 Choose where you want to install your data.
When ready, click Continue.
13 In the next step there's a warning about Windows activation that might be required when you
start using it. To proceed, read this message, select I want to continue and click Continue.
14 Once the transfer is complete, click Done.
15 Start Windows (p. 31).
16 When
Windows boots up, choose Actions > Install Parallels Tools and follow the onscreen
instructions.
Note: To be able to install Parallels Tools, you must be logged in to Windows as an administrator.
Using an External Storage Device
Important: After importing your data, you may need to reactivate some of your Windows programs
using the activation keys you received when you purchased the programs.
To import your data from a PC using an external storage device:
1 Connect an external storage device to your Windows PC.
24
Install or Import Windows
2 On the Windows PC, open Parallels Transporter Agent by clicking the Start menu and choosing
All Programs > Parallels > Parallels Transporter Agent.
3 Select External storage and click Continue. Parallels Transporter Agent collects information
about the Windows PC.
4 If you want to log in to Windows automatically whenever you start up Windows, select Enable
Automatic Logon and specify the Administrator's password. When ready, click Continue.
5 Choose what you want to transfer;
• System only: this option allows you to transfer the operating system and applications only.
If you choose it, go to step 7.
• System and documents: this option allows you to transfer the operating system,
applications, and user's files like pictures, documents, downloads, music, videos, etc.
6 If you chose to transfer system and documents in the previous step, choose how you want to
transfer the user's files:
• Transfer to Windows: If you choose this option, the user's files will be transferred to the
resulting virtual machine and will not be accessible from OS X. You can make them
accessible from OS X later by sharing Windows with OS X (p. 52).
• Transfer to Mac: If you choose thi
corresponding folders in OS X. The resulting virtual machine will have access to these files
as well because it will be configured to share folders with OS X.
This way of transferring the user's files requires additional steps with Apple Migration
Assistant. Follow the link in the screen for more information.
s option, the user's files will be transferred to the
25
Install or Import Windows
7 Choose where you want to store your data. You can also click Customize and select which
Windows volumes to migrate.
When ready, click Continue.
8 In the next step there's a warning about Windows activation that might be required when you
start using it. To proceed, read this message, select I want to continue and click Continue.
9 Once the migration is complete, click Done to quit Parallels Transporter Agent.
10 Disconnect the storage device from the Windows PC and connect it to your Mac.
11 On your Mac, open Parallels Desktop and choose File > New.
12 Select Transfer Windows from a PC and click Continue.
13 Select External storage and click Continue.
14 Parallels Desktop scans the connected storages for the newly created virtual machine. If
Parallels Desktop cannot find it, select the virtual machine manually. Then click Continue.
15 Choose where you want to install Windows and your data, and then click Continue.
16 Once the transfer is complete, click Done.
17 Start Windows (p. 31).
18 When
instructions.
Windows boots up, choose Actions > Install Parallels Tools and follow the onscreen
26
Install or Import Windows
Note: To be able to install Parallels Tools, you must be logged in to Windows as an administrator.
Solving Problems
Read this section if you have problems importing your data from a Windows PC.
General Tips
This section provides solutions to some errors that may occur during the import process.
Parallels Transporter Agent Doesn't Work Correctly
If you experience any problems while importing, make sure that the snapman.sys driver is
installed in C:\WINDOWS\system32\drivers\.
If the snapman.sys driver is not installed, follow these steps:
1 Uninstall Parallels Transporter Agent.
2 Restart your Windows PC.
3 Reinstall Parallels Transporter Agent.
4 Restart your Windows PC again.
5 Try to import Windows and your data again.
Import is Interrupted by an Error
If the import process is interrupted by an error, do the following:
1 From the Start menu, choose My Computer.
2 In the Hard Disk Drives pane, right-click the volume you want to import, and choose
Properties.
3 In the Properties pane, click the Tools tab, and in the Error Checking section, click the
Check Now button.
4 In the Check Disk window, select Automatically fix file system errors and Scan for and
attempt recovery of bad sectors, and then click Start.
5 Wait till the disk is scanned and errors are fixed.
Dynamic Volumes are not Imported
Only basic volumes can be imported. You can't import dynamic volumes using Parallels Desktop.
The only way to import the data stored on a dynamic disk is to copy the data to a basic disk on
your Mac and then import the basic disk.
27
Install or Import Windows
If Your Mac Fails to Connect with Parallels Transporter Agent
Firewall applications may block connections between your Mac and Parallels Transporter Agent on
the Windows PC.
Firewall problems in Mac OS X
If your Mac fails to connect with Parallels Transporter Agent on your Windows PC, the reason may
be that the built-in Mac firewall blocks the connection to Parallels Transporter Agent.
To enable connections between your Mac and Parallels Transporter Agent and prevent further
blocking, you can configure the firewall settings in Mac OS X by doing the following:
1 From the Apple menu, choose System Preferences, and then click Security.
2 Click the Firewall tab.
3 Configure the necessary settings.
If you try to search for Parallels Transporter Agent by typing the Windows PC IP address manually,
you may receive a message saying that Parallels Transporter Agent is blocked. Click the Unblock
button.
Firewall problems in Windows
Microsoft Windows operating system has a built-in firewall that blocks connections to and from
other computers. When starting Parallels Transporter Agent for the fist time, you may see a
message saying that Windows Firewall has blocked some features of the program.
To enable the connection between your Mac and Parallels Transporter Agent, click Unblock.
To prevent this problem from happening again, add Parallels Desktop and/or Parallels Transporter
Agent to the firewall exceptions (the list of applications allowed to communicate through the
firewall):
1 From the Start menu, choose Control Panel > Network Connections.
2 In the Network Tasks pane, click Change Windows Firewall Settings.
3 Add Parallels Desktop and/or Transporter Agent to the firewall exceptions list.
If Parallels Doesn't Detect Windows Correctly
If Parallels Desktop detects the source operating system (Microsoft Windows XP or Windows Vista
computer) incorrectly, make sure that neither of your Windows programs are running in
compatibility mode - a special mode of Windows allowing you to run applications that are
incompatible with your version of Windows.
See Windows Help for more information.
28
Install or Import Windows
Problems Using a Program After an Import
Programs that depend on specific hardware may not work in Parallels Desktop.
If you import from several source volumes, the disk drive letters are changed. Make sure that the
program paths are set correctly. See Windows Help for more information.
Use Boot Camp with Parallels Desktop
Boot Camp is a feature of Mac OS X that lets you start up your Mac in Windows. If you have
already installed Windows 8, Windows 7, Windows Vista, or Windows XP on your Mac using Boot
Camp, you can set Parallels Desktop to work with Boot Camp using either of these two options:
• Set Parallels Desktop to run Windows from the Boot Camp partition: Changes you make in
Windows programs either while working in Mac OS X or when you start up your Mac in
Windows using Boot Camp will be reflected in both places.
Windows running from Boot Camp has the following limitations:
• It can't be paused
• It can't be saved as a snapshot (p. 121)
• It can't run i
• It can't be compressed
• Import Windows and your data from Boot Camp into Parallels Deskt
from Parallels Desktop doesn't have the above listed limitations. Boot Camp and Parallels
Desktop are separate. Changes you make in Windows programs while working in Mac OS X
are not reflected when you start up your Mac in Windows using Boot Camp.
n Rollback Mode (p. 93)
op: Windows running
Set Parallels Desktop to run Windows from the Boot Camp Partition
1 Open Parallels Desktop (in the Applications folder) and choose File > New.
2 Click Boot Camp, and then follow the onscreen instructions.
Note: If you plan to start up in Windows using Boot Camp, it is recommended that you shut down
Windows in Parallels Desktop rather than suspending Windows.
Import Windows and Your Data from Boot Camp into Parallels Desktop
1 Set Parallels Desktop to use Boot Camp, as described in the steps above.
2 Right-click (Control-click) the Boot Camp version of Windows in Control Center and choose
Import Boot Camp.
Note: Windows must be shut down.
3 Click Import.
29
Install or Import Windows
4 Locate where you want to store Windows and your data, and then click Choose.
Windows and all your data are imported from Boot Camp. You can still use the original Boot
Camp Windows installation, separately from Parallels Desktop.
Important: The first time you start Windows after setting Parallels Desktop to work with Boot Camp,
Parallels Tools are installed to allow seamless operation between Windows and Mac OS X. Once Parallels
Tools are installed, you're prompted to restart Windows.
Import from an Earlier Parallels Desktop or Other Virtualization Application
With Parallels Desktop 12 for Mac you can use Windows that you set up using earlier versions of
Parallels Desktop, as well as VMware Fusion, Microsoft Virtual PC, and VirtualBox:
1 Open Parallels Desktop (in the Applications folder) and choose File > Open.
2 Select the Windows data file you want to import, then click Open and follow the onscreen
instructions.
• Parallels Desktop data files end with .pvm.
• VMware files end with .vmx.
• Virtual PC files end with .vmc.
• VirtualBox files end with .xml or .vbox.
You can also simply drag a Parallels .pvm file to Control Center to add it to Parallels Desktop.
3 Start Windows (p. 31).
4 Choose Acti
ons > Install Parallels Tools and follow the onscreen instructions.
30
C HAPTER 4
Use Windows on Your Mac
Read this chapter to find out all about using Windows programs on your Mac. Learn how to get
started using Windows programs, set how Windows programs work with Mac OS X, share
applications, files, and folders between Mac OS X and Windows, connect devices, print, customize
your keyboard, and more.
In This Chapter
Get Started .............................................................................................................. 31
Set How Windows Works with Mac OS X................................................................. 40
Set Media Files to Open in Windows 8 Apps ............................................................ 65
Mouse, Trackpad, and Keyboard ............................................................................. 65
Connect External Devices......................................................................................... 77
Connect Bluetooth Devices ...................................................................................... 81
Print from Windows .................................................................................................. 82
Use the Built-in iSight Camera or Another Webcam.................................................. 90
Show a Presentation on an External Monitor or Projector ......................................... 90
Protect Your Data..................................................................................................... 91
Connect to the Internet or a Network........................................................................ 95
Optimize Performance.............................................................................................. 99
Use Windows on Your iPad, iPhone, or Android Device............................................ 106
Save Time With Parallels Toolbox ............................................................................. 107
Save a Picture of the Screen .................................................................................... 108
Set the Appearance of Virtual Machine Dock Icons................................................... 108
Allow Windows Updates While Your Mac is Sleeping................................................ 108
Translate Words in Windows .................................................................................... 109
Get Started
In this section, learn how to start Windows, open a Windows program, install more Windows
programs, and shut down or suspend Windows.
Start Windows
To use Windows programs on your Mac, Windows must be running.
The simplest way to start Windows is to open a Windows program (p. 32). If Windows isn't already
running w
hen you open a Windows program, it starts automatically in Coherence mode (p. 41).
Use Windows on Your Mac
Important: If Windows was previously shut down, you may need to enter your Windows password.
You can also start Windows by doing the following:
1 Open Parallels Desktop.
2 In Control Center, click the Power Button below Windows.
3 Click anywhere in the Windows window that appears.
Windows starts and you can begin using Windows programs alongside Mac OS X.
Open a Windows Program
Opening a Windows program is as easy as opening a Mac application. Here are several ways to
open Windows programs:
• From the Windows Applications folder in the Dock
• From the Windows Start menu
• From the Mac OS X Finder
• From the Dock
• Using Spotlight searching
• Using Launchpad (if you are using Mac OS X Lion or later)
Note: All Windows program icons can be easily identified by the Parallels Desktop symbol in the
lower-right corner of the icon.
32
Use Windows on Your Mac
Windows Applications Folder
This folder is available in the OS X Dock and contains all your Windows programs. As you install
more programs, they are automatically added.
To open a Windows program using the Windows Applications folder:
• Click the folder, and then choose a program.
To add the Windows applications folder to the Dock:
1 Do one of the following:
• Click the Parallels icon
• If the Parallels Desktop menu bar is visible at the top of the screen, choose Actions >
Configure.
2 Click Options and then click Applications.
3 Be sure Share Windows applications with Mac is selected, and then select Show Windows
applications folder in Dock.
in the menu bar and choose Configure.
Windows Start Menu
To open a Windows program from the Start menu:
1 Do one of the following:
33
Use Windows on Your Mac
• Click the Parallels icon
• If Windows is in Full Screen or Window mode, open the Start Menu as you normally would.
in the menu bar and choose Windows Start Menu.
Note: You can also Command-click or Right-click the Parallels icon.
2 Click the program you want.
Mac OS X Finder
You can also open a program by double-clicking its icon in the Finder.
To find Windows programs in the Finder:
• Double-click the Windows volume on the desktop, and then open the Program Files folder.
34
Use Windows on Your Mac
Note: To show the Windows volume on the desktop, the Mac OS X Finder must be enabled to show
connected servers. Click anywhere on the desktop and choose Finder > Preferences, and then select
Connected servers.
You can make an alias for a Windows program on the Mac OS X desktop, then double-click it
anytime to open the program.
To make an alias for a Windows program on the Mac OS X desktop:
• Select the program in the Finder and choose File > Make Alias. Then drag the alias icon to the
desktop.
Program Icon in the Dock
When you open a Windows program, its icon appears in the Mac OS X Dock at the bottom of the
screen. By default when you close the program, the icon disappears from the Dock. Keeping a
program's icon in the Dock provides a quick way to open the program anytime.
To keep a Windows program's icon in the Dock, do one of the following:
• Right-click or Control-click the Windows program icon in the Dock and choose Keep in Dock
from the shortcut menu.
• Drag the program's icon from the Finder to the Dock.
Now you can open the program again anytime by clicking the icon in the Dock.
Spotlight
You can search for and open Windows programs using Spotlight:
• Click the Spotlight icon in the upper-right corner of your screen, or press Command-Space bar
on your keyboard. Then type the name of the program and select it from the list.
Launchpad
If you're using Mac OS X Lion or later, you can see a full screen display of all your Windows
programs and Mac applications using Launchpad. Just click the Launchpad icon (looks like a
rocket) in the Dock. You can then click any Mac OS X application to open it. To open a Windows
program, click the Windows folder and then click the program you want.
Note: The Windows folder is available in Launchpad only if sharing Windows programs (p. 58) is
enabled.
To move a Windows program from the Windows folder to a main Launchpad page, do one of the
following:
• From Launchpad, click the folder containing your Windows programs and drag a program to
the Launchpad icon in the Dock.
35
Use Windows on Your Mac
• Start the Windows program you want, right-click its icon in the Dock, and choose Add to
Launchpad.
To remove a Windows program from Launchpad, start the program, right-click its icon in the Dock,
and choose Remove from Launchpad.
Install Windows Programs
You install Windows programs on your Mac just as you would on a Windows PC. The two most
common ways of installing programs are:
• Using a CD or DVD installation disc
• Downloading the program or installation file from the Internet or a network
Install a Program from a CD or DVD Installation Disc
1 Start Windows (p. 31).
2 Insert the installation disc.
3 In most cases, an AutoPlay dialog opens. Click the option to run a setup or install file, then
follow the onscreen instructions.
For more information about using CD and DVD discs with Parallels Desktop, see CD/DVD-ROM (p.
183).
Install a Program from the Internet or a Network
• Download the program or installation file and follow the instructions from the program's source.
In most cases, you can either run the installation file and follow the onscreen instructions, or simply
open the downloaded program.
For more information about connecting to the Internet and networks, see Connect to the Internet or
a Network (p. 95).
Shut Down or Suspend Windows
When you're finished using Windows programs, you can leave Windows running in the background
as you work with your Mac applications. Or you may want to stop Windows from running so more
of your computer's resources are available for your Mac applications. There are a few ways to stop
Windows. You can:
• Suspend Windows
• Pause Windows
• Shut down Windows
• Stop Windows
36
Use Windows on Your Mac
Suspend Windows
Suspending Windows conveniently freezes all running Windows programs and settings in their
current state.
Do one of the following:
• Quit Parallels Desktop.
• Click the Parallels icon
in the menu bar and choose Actions > Suspend.
• If the Parallels Desktop menu bar is visible at the top of the screen, choose Actions >
Suspend.
The next time you start Windows or open a Windows program, you resume your progress from
exactly where you left off.
When Windows is suspended, you can safely quit Parallels Desktop and resume your progress
later.
Note: If you are using Mac OS X Lion or later and you shut down or restart your computer, or quit
Parallels Desktop, Windows is automatically suspended. The next time you start up Parallels Desktop,
you can resume working with Windows from where you left off. If your Windows is encrypted (p. 94), you
will have to resume it manually.
Pause Windows
You can temporarily pause from using Windows and free your computer's resources, such as RAM
and processor cycles, to be used by your Mac applications by doing one of the following:
• Click the Parallels icon
• If the Parallels Desktop menu bar is visible at the top of the screen, choose Actions > Pause.
in the menu bar and choose Actions > Pause.
To resume using Windows after pausing it, do one of the following:
• Click the Parallels icon
in the menu bar and choose Actions > Resume.
• If the Parallels Desktop menu bar is visible at the top of the screen, choose Actions > Resume.
If you quit Parallels Desktop while Windows is paused, you're prompted to either Suspend or Stop
Windows first.
Shut Down Windows
Shutting down Windows in Parallels Desktop is just like shutting down Windows on a PC. All
Windows programs close, giving you the opportunity to save your progress if necessary, and
Windows stops running.
To shut down Windows, do one of the following.
37
Use Windows on Your Mac
• Click the Parallels icon
in the menu bar and choose Actions > Shut Down.
• If the Parallels Desktop menu bar is visible at the top of the screen, choose Actions > Shut
Down.
Stop Windows
To stop Windows and all open Windows programs immediately, do one of the following:
• Click the Parallels icon
in the menu bar and choose Actions > Stop.
• If the Parallels Desktop menu bar is visible at the top of the screen, choose Actions > Stop.
Important: When you stop Windows this way, none of your data or progress is saved.
Window Menu
If Windows is set to appear in a separate window, you can also choose any of the above options
from the menu at the bottom of the window:
Startup and Shutdown Settings
Using Startup and Shutdown settings, you can choose how to start and shut down the virtual
machine.
To access Startup and Shutdown settings:
1 Do one of the following:
• Click the Parallels icon
• If the Parallels Desktop menu bar is visible at the top of the screen, choose Actions >
Configure.
2 Click Options and select Startup and Shutdown.
38
in the menu bar and choose Configure.
Use Windows on Your Mac
Set to Start and Shut Down the Virtual Machine Manually
If you want to always start and shut down the virtual machine manually, select Start up and shut
down manually.
Configure the Virtual Machine to Start Automatically
If you want to make the virtual machine start automatically when the Mac starts, select Always
ready in background.
Specify More Details How to Start and Shut Down the Virtual Machine Automatically
If you want to specify not only how the virtual machine starts or shuts down but also the view mode
and what happens on closing the virtual machine window, select Custom and do the following:
Set Whether Windows Starts Automatically
Choose one of the following from the Start Automatically menu:
Note: Windows starts when you open a Windows program (p. 32) regardless of this setting.
• Never: Windows never starts automatically.
• When window opens: Windows starts automatically when you open it from Control Center.
• When Parallels Desktop starts: Windows starts automatically when you start Parallels
Desktop.
• When Mac starts: Windows starts automatically when you start the Mac. If you select this
option, you can also configure the virtual machine to delay the startup.
Note: This feature is available in Parallels Desktop for Mac Pro Edition only.
• When user logs in: Windows starts automatically when the OS X user logs in to OS X on the
Mac startup.
Set the Startup View
This setting affects in which view mode Windows starts when you start the virtual machine or guest
OS application.
• From the Startup View menu, choose Coherence, Window, Full Screen, Modality,
Headless or Same as last time.
Note: Headless mode is available in Parallels Desktop for Mac Pro Edition only.
39
Use Windows on Your Mac
Set What Happens When You Shut Down Windows
Choose one of the following from the On VM Shutdown menu:
• Keep window open: If Windows is set to appear in a separate window, the window stays open
when you stop or shut down Windows.
• Close window: If Windows is set to appear in a separate window, the window closes when
you stop or shut down Windows.
• Quit Parallels Desktop: Parallels Desktop quits when you stop or shut down Windows.
Set What Happens When You Shut Down Your Mac
These settings affect what happens when you shut down the Mac.
From the On Mac Shutdown menu, choose Stop, Shut Down, or Suspend.
Set What Happens When You Close the Parallels Desktop Window
These settings affect what happens only when Windows is set to appear in a separate window.
From the On Window Close menu, choose Suspend, Shut Down, Force to stop, Keep running
in background or Ask me what to do.
Set How Windows Works with Mac OS X
Parallels Desktop 12 for Mac allows you to work seamlessly between Windows and Mac OS X. For
example, you can cut and paste text, and share files, between the two.
There are a number of ways that you can set the level of integration between Windows and Mac
OS X. For example, you may want your Windows programs to behave just like Mac applications,
appearing side-by-side with them on the Mac desktop. Or you may wish to keep the Windows
desktop and programs in a separate window.
Read on to learn more about setting how Windows works together with Mac OS X.
40
Use Windows on Your Mac
Merge Windows and Mac OS X
You can set Windows and Mac OS X to work seamlessly together, as if they were part of a single
operating system. In this mode, called Coherence mode, Windows programs appear on the Mac
desktop next to your Mac applications, and documents from Windows programs and Mac
applications are stored in the same folders.
Switch to Coherence Mode
To switch from Window mode to Coherence mode, do one of the following:
• Click the Coherence icon
• Choose View > Enter Coherence.
• Press Control-Command-C.
To switch from Full Screen mode to Coherence mode, do one of the following:
• Press Control-Command-F to exit Full Screen. Then click View > Enter Coherence.
in the top left corner of the virtual machine window.
41
Use Windows on Your Mac
• Move the pointer to the top of the screen until the OS X menu bar appears and click View >
Exit Full Screen. Then open the View menu once again and click Enter Coherence. If you're
using Mac OS X Snow Leopard or working in Parallels Full Screen mode (p. 45), press ControlOption (Alt
) to display the Mac menu bar.
• If the Parallels hot corners (p. 45) are active, move the pointer to the upper-left corner of the
screen until the corner pe
els back and click Exit Full Screen.
Then choose View > Enter Coherence.
Note: To enable the Coherence view mode, Parallels Tools must be installed (p. 199). In most cases,
Parallels Tools are installed by default.
Parallels Menu
When in Coherence mode, the Parallels menu appears in the menu bar at the top of the screen.
Use the menu for these common functions:
• Click the Parallels icon
• Windows Start Menu: Access the Windows Start menu.
• Devices: Manage hardware devices like printers and DVD drives.
• Exit Coherence: Switch to Window mode
• Request Support: Fill out a problem report and request support from Parallels Desktop.
• Parallels Desktop Help: Access onscreen help.
to open a basic menu that provides the following items:
• Quit: Quit Parallels Desktop.
• Right-click the icon to open the Windows start menu.
42
Use Windows on Your Mac
Important: When in Coherence mode, to quit Parallels Desktop, click the Parallels icon in the menu
bar and choose Quit Parallels Desktop.
Windows System Tray
When Parallels Desktop is in Coherence mode, the Windows system tray icons are in the Mac OS
X menu bar at the top of the screen.
You can use the system tray icons just as you would from the Windows Desktop.
Move Windows Programs Between Desktops (Spaces)
When Windows is working in Coherence, you can easily move windows of guest OS programs
between Mac OS X desktops (spaces).
• Click the title bar of the window you want to move and while holding down the mouse button,
press Control-# (# is the number of the desktop (space) you want to move the window to).
Set Windows to Appear in a Single Window
You can set the Windows and programs to appear together in their own window.
To switch to Window mode from Coherence mode, do one of the following:
• Click the Parallels icon
in the menu bar, then choose View > Exit Coherence.
43
Use Windows on Your Mac
• If the Parallels Desktop menus are available in the Mac menu bar, click View > Exit
Coherence.
To switch to Window mode from Full Screen mode, do one of the following:
• Press Command-Control-F.
• Move the pointer to the top of the screen until the OS X menu bar appears and click View >
Exit Full Screen. If you're using Mac OS X Snow Leopard or working in Parallels Full Screen
mode (p. 45), press Control-Option (Alt) to display
the Mac menu bar.
Adjust Window Mode Settings
You can customize how Parallels Desktop appears and behaves when in Window mode.
Set Whether Windows Programs Show in the Dock:
You can choose whether or not to show icons for Windows programs in the Mac OS X Dock when
in Window mode. If you prefer to work with programs by manipulating them on the Windows
desktop, you may not want to be distracted by seeing them in the Dock alongside your Mac OS X
application icons.
3 Do one of the following:
• Click the Parallels icon
in the menu bar and choose Configure.
• If the Parallels Desktop menu bar is visible at the top of the screen, choose Actions >
Configure.
4 Click Options and then click Applications.
5 To show Windows program icons in the Dock when in Window mode, deselect Show Dock
icons in Coherence only.
Monitoring Windows in a Scalable Window
You can set Windows to appear in a window that can be resized to any size so that the content
scales in size with the window. This is called Modality mode. Modality mode can be useful if you
want to monitor programs and other tasks running in Windows as you work in Mac OS X.
To switch to Modality mode:
• From Window mode, choose View > Enter Modality.
For more information on Modality mode, see the Modality mode settings topic (p. 157).
Set Windows to Take Up the Whole Screen
You can set Windows to occupy your entire screen, so it looks just like it would if you were using a
Windows PC. In Full Screen mode, Mac OS X and all of the Parallels Desktop controls are hidden.
44
To switch to Full Screen mode, do one of the following:
Use Windows on Your Mac
• From Coherence mode, click the Parallels icon
in the menu bar, then choose View > Exit
Coherence. Then click the View menu and select Enter Full Screen.
• From Window mode, choose View > Enter Full Screen or click the Full Screen icon
in the
top left corner of the virtual machine window.
To exit Full Screen mode, do one of the following:
• Press Command-Control-F.
• Move the pointer to the top of the screen until the OS X menu bar appears and click View >
Exit Full Screen. If you're using Mac OS X Snow Leopard or working in Parallels Full Screen
mode (p. 45), press Control-Option (Alt) to display
the Mac menu bar.
• If the Parallels hot corners (p. 45) are active, move the pointer to the upper-left corner of the
screen until the corner pe
els back and click Exit Full Screen.
If you are using Mac OS X Lion and one of the screen corners is set to show the menu bar (p. 45),
move the
pointer to that corner and then click the Full Screen button in the top-right corner of the
menu.
Adjust Full Screen Settings
You can customize how Windows appears and behaves when in Full Screen mode.
To access Full Screen settings:
1 Do one of the following:
• Click the Parallels icon
• If the Parallels Desktop menu bar is visible at the top of the screen, choose Actions >
Configure, and then click Options.
in the menu bar and choose Configure > Options.
45
Use Windows on Your Mac
2 Click Full Screen.
3 In this Full Screen pane, you can adjust any of the settings listed below.
Set What Shows on Displays Connected to Your Mac
If you have a second display connected to your Mac, by default when you switch to Full Screen
mode, Windows is displayed on the primary display and Mac OS X on the secondary.
46
Use Windows on Your Mac
You can choose which display Windows is shown on by dragging its window to that display and
then clicking the Full Screen icon
To extend Windows across all your displays, select Use all displays in full screen.
.
Optimize Full Screen for Games
If you use a virtual machine to play video games in Full Screen view mode, select Optimize full
screen for games. With this option selected, OS X Dock, menu bar and notifications will not be
displayed when you move the mouse pointer to the top and bottom of the screen.
Allow Windows to set display gamma
If you're using Windows to play video games, Windows may need to temporarily change your
Mac's display gamma setting to properly display different visual effects. To allow Windows to
change gamma settings, select Allow Windows to set display gamma.
Scale to fit screen
Using the Scale to fit screen menu, you can configure how Windows is displayed when working in
Full Screen:
• Off. If Parallels Tools (p. 140) are installed, Windows resolution
Parallels Tools (p. 140) aren't installed, Windows resolution remains
than that of the Mac, Windows is displayed on the black background. If higher, Windows has
scroll bars.
• Auto. If Parallels Tools (p. 140) are installed, Windows resolution
Parallels Tools (p. 140) aren't installed, Windows resolution remains
than that of the Mac, Windows is displayed on the black background. If higher, Windows is
entirely displayed on the screen without any scroll bars.
• Keep ratio: No matter whether Parallels Tools (p. 140) are installed or not, Windows resolution
remains
background. If higher, Windows is entirely displayed on the screen without any scroll bars.
unchanged. If it is lower than that of the Mac, Windows is displayed on the black
matches that of the Mac. If
unchanged. If it is lower
matches that of the Mac. If
unchanged. If it is lower
• Stretch: No matter whether Parallels Tools (p. 140) are installed or not, Windows resolution
remains unc
hanged but Windows is stretched to occupy the whole screen.
47
Use Windows on Your Mac
Note: To prevent unauthorized changes to Full Screen settings, click the Lock icon at the bottom
of the window. Once locked, an administrator's password is required to make further changes.
About Using Windows 8 with Parallels Desktop
As you probably know, Windows 8 features two environments; the new Metro interface; and the
classic Windows desktop interface, accessible by clicking Windows Explorer on the Start screen
or clicking Start in the Charm Bar.
Metro Applications Run in Full Screen
On a Windows PC, Metro-style applications and the Start screen take up the full screen, rather
than running in a separate window. So even when you're using Windows 8 in Coherence mode (p.
41), Metro applications still use most of the screen.
48
Use Windows on Your Mac
When Windows 8 is in Window mode (p. 43), the Metro interface takes up the full window.
Using the Edges and Corners of the Screen
In Windows 8, you must click in the edges and corners of the screen to access various features.
For example, to access the Charm Bar, which contains icons for accessing settings, searching, and
more, you must move the pointer to the upper- or lower-right corner of the screen.
49
Use Windows on Your Mac
And to see thumbnails of all your open Metro-style applications, you move the mouse pointer to the
upper- or lower-left corner until you see a thumbnail, then slide up or down. Click an application to
make it active.
When you're using Windows 8 in Window mode, it can be tricky to find the exact corner or edge of
the screen with the mouse pointer. So Parallels Desktop 12 allows you to set the mouse pointer to
"stick" to the edges of the screen (p. 168) when you move it slowly. To move past the edge, just
move the
mouse quickly. This feature, enabled by default, makes it easy to use Windows 8.
Set Windows 8 to Work Like Windows 7
As you might know, Windows 8 differs considerable from its previous versions: Windows 8 boots to
a tiled "Start screen" rather than the traditional Windows desktop, modern Windows 8 apps are all
full screen only, and the Windows 8 desktop has no Start menu.
If you prefer the classic Windows environment where Windows boots to the desktop, Windows
applications run in resizable windows, and a fully functional Start menu is available from the
desktop, you can easily apply this Windows classic style to Windows 8. To do so:
1 In Parallels Desktop, start Windows (p. 31).
2 If Windows i
Exit Coherence.
s running in Coherence, click the Parallels icon
in the menu bar and click View >
3 Choose View > Use Windows 7 Look.
50
Use Windows on Your Mac
To revert to Windows 8 experience, repeat the steps above and deselect Use Windows 7 Look.
Set a Program to Open When You Insert a CD or DVD
You can set the Windows program of your choice to open when you insert a music CD, picture CD,
video DVD, or a blank CD or DVD.
1 From the Mac OS X Finder, choose Apple menu > System Preferences.
2 Click CDs & DVDs.
3 From the disc type menu of your choice, choose Open other application.
4 Choose a Windows program from /username/Applications (Parallels)/Windows
Applications.
When you insert a disc of the type you selected, the Windows program you chose automatically
opens.
Note: 1.If you're unable to set a Windows program to open when you insert a CD or DVD, be sure that
sharing Mac OS X applications (p. 58) is enabled and that Mac OS X CD/DVD-ROM is not selected in
CD/DVD Preferences (p. 183).
2. To enable a Windows program to open when you insert a CD or DVD, Parallels Tools must be installed
(p. 199). In most cases, Parallels Tools are installed by default.
Share Items Between Mac OS X and Windows
Parallels Desktop allows you to easily access your Mac OS X files using Windows programs, and
also to access Windows files using Mac OS X applications.
Read on to learn about all the ways you can share folders, files, and applications between Mac OS
X and Windows.
Copy and Paste Between Mac OS X and Windows
Parallels Desktop allows you to copy and paste images and formatted text (italic, bold, underlined,
and of various colors, fonts, and sizes) between Mac OS X and Windows applications.
To enable copying and pasting between Mac OS X and Windows:
1 Do one of the following:
• Click the Parallels icon
• If the Parallels Desktop menu bar is visible at the top of the screen, choose Actions >
Configure.
in the menu bar and choose Configure.
2 Click Options > Advanced.
51
Use Windows on Your Mac
3 Select Share Mac clipboard.
4 To preserve text formatting when copying and pasting text, select Preserve text formatting.
Note: To enable copying and pasting between Mac OS X and Windows, Parallels Tools (p. 199) must be
installed. In most cases, Parallels Tools are installed by default. Copying and pasting between Mac OS X
and Windows is unavailable if you isolate Mac OS X from Windows.
Copy and Paste Files
You can easily copy and paste files between Windows and Mac OS X by doing the following:
1 Select a file (or multiple files) and press Command+C on your keyboard to copy it.
2 Open a folder or click the desktop in the other operating system and press Command-V to
paste the file.
Notes:
1. To enable copying and pasting files between Mac OS X and Windows, in Sharing settings (p. 52) All
disks or Home folder only must be chosen from the Share Folders menu, and Access Windows
folders from Mac must be selected. In most cases all of these options selected by default.
2. If Home folder only is selected in the Share Folders menu (p. 52), you will be able to copy and paste
files from the Mac to Windows only from the Mac home folder.
Share Files and Folders
Parallels Desktop allows you to share folders between the Mac OS X and Windows file systems, so
you can easily open Mac OS X files from Windows applications and Windows files from Mac OS X
applications.
Note: These instructions apply to sharing folders between OS X and Linux as well.
Access a Mac OS X Folder or File from a Windows Program
With folder sharing enabled, you can navigate to any shared Mac OS X folder from within a
Windows program. When you open a file (for example, by choosing File > Open in many
programs), your shared Mac OS X folders appear as network shared directories labeled "psf."
To enable Mac OS X folders for sharing with Windows programs:
1 Start Windows. (p. 31)
2 Do one of
the following:
• Click the Parallels icon
in the menu bar and choose Configure.
• If the Parallels Desktop menu bar is visible at the top of the screen, choose Actions >
Configure.
52
3 Click Options and select Sharing > Share Mac.
Use Windows on Your Mac
4 Do one of the following:
• To share just the folders in your Home folder, choose Home folder only from the Shared
Folders menu.
• To share all your Mac OS X folders, choose All disks from the Shared Folders menu.
53
Use Windows on Your Mac
• To share any folder you want, click Custom Folders and click the add (+) button, then
choose the folder you want to share. You can add more folders by clicking the add (+)
button again.
Once you share a Mac OS X folder with Windows you can:
• Disable the folder sharing by deselecting On.
• Change the folder name that will be displayed in Windows by double-clicking the folder
name in the Name column and typing another name.
• Restrict writing to this folder by clicking Read & Write in the Permissions folder and
choosing Read only. You will not be able to add items to the folder.
Note: 1. To enable folder sharing, the Isolate Windows from Mac option must be disabled on the
Security tab of the Configuration dialog.
2. If you're running Linux, shared folders are mounted to the /media/psf or /mnt/psf directory.
Set Mac OS X and Windows to Use the Same Folders
You can set Mac OS X and Windows to use the same folders for things like music, documents,
pictures, your desktop, and deleted files. So for example, if you save a file to the Documents folder,
it will be in the Documents folder whether you're using a Mac OS X application or a Windows
program.
5 Start Windows. (p. 31)
6 Do one of
• Click the Parallels icon
the following:
in the menu bar and choose Configure.
• If the Parallels Desktop menu bar is visible at the top of the screen, choose Actions >
Configure.
7 Click Options and select Sharing.
54
Use Windows on Your Mac
8 Click the Share Mac tab and select Share Mac user folders with Windows.
Your Mac OS X Desktop, Documents, Pictures, Music, Movies, and Downloads
folders are merged with the corresponding Windows folders, and the Mac OS X Trash is
merged with the Windows Recycle Bin.
9 If you only want to map some of the folders, click Configure and select the folders you want.
To map the Mac OS Trash to the Windows Recycle Bin, select Merge Recycle Bin with
Trash.
Show an Item from Windows in the Finder
If Windows is set to appear in a separate window or in full screen mode (p. 43), you can show an
item from Windows in the Mac OS X Finder.
• In Windows, right-click (or Control-click) a file or folder and choose Show in Finder from the
shortcut menu.
From the Finder you could, for example, apply a color label to an item, or easily drag it to another
location in the Finder.
Note: You can only perform these actions with files stored in shared folders (p. 52).
Access a Windows Folder or File from a Mac OS X Application
By default, you can navigate to all your Windows folders and files from Mac OS X. Windows disks
are mounted to /Volumes. At the same time, Windows appears as a hard disk mounted on the
Mac OS X desktop.
• Double-click the icon to access Windows folders and files. You can also navigate to this disk
from within Mac OS X applications.
Note: If the Windows disk icon doesn't appear on the Mac OS X desktop, from the Finder choose Apple
menu > Preferences and click General, and then make sure that Connected servers is selected.
To unmount Windows from the desktop:
1 Start Windows. (p. 31)
55
Use Windows on Your Mac
2 Click the Parallels icon
in the menu bar and choose Configure. Then click Options and
select Sharing > Share Windows.
Note: If Windows is running in Window mode (p. 43), choose Configure from the Actions menu.
3 Deselect Shortcuts to virtual disks on Mac desktop.
Note: The Windows disk disappears from the desktop and the Finder, but you can still access all of the
Windows files and folders via the Windows PVM file and Terminal (/Volumes). By default, the PVM file
is either in /Users/<Username>/Documents/Parallels/ or /Users/Shared. You can also find
the PVM file by right-clicking Windows in Control Center (or in the virtual machine window when
Windows is shut down) and selecting Show in Finder. To access Windows files and folders, right-click
the PVM file, select Show Package Contents from the context menu, and open the Windows Disks
folder. To disable the ability to navigate to Windows files and folders, deselect Access Windows
folders from Mac in step 3 above.
Share iCloud, Dropbox, or Google Drive Folders with Windows
If you're using iCloud, Dropbox, or Google Drive cloud storage in OS X, you can easily share their
OS X folders with Windows. Once sharing is enabled, you can upload, download, and sync files
from any of these services from within Windows without duplicating any of their files on your hard
disk.
Notes:
1. This functionality is also available for Linux virtual machines.
2. To be able to use this functionality, Parallels Tools (p. 140) must be installed.
To share OS X iCloud, Dropbox, or Google Drive folders with Windows, do the following:
Note: In Parallels Desktop for Mac Pro Edition, you can also share your Dropbox for Business, Box and
OneDrive for Business folders with Windows.
1 If you haven't already, set up iCloud, Dropbox, or Google Drive in OS X.
2 Start Windows (p. 31).
3 Do one of
• Click the Parallels icon
the following:
in the menu bar and choose Configure.
• If the Parallels Desktop menu bar is visible at the top of the screen, choose Actions >
Configure.
4 Click Options and select Sharing > Share Mac.
5 Select Share cloud folders with Windows.
56
Use Windows on Your Mac
6 Log in to Windows and open Computer. Folders for iCloud, Dropbox, or Google Drive are
available in the Favorites section. You can use them to upload and download files to and from
the cloud.
Share Windows OneDrive Folders with Mac OS X
If you're using Microsoft OneDrive to store files in the cloud, you can easily share your OneDrive
folders with Mac OS X. Then you can upload or download OneDrive files in Mac OS X without
duplicating any of the files on your hard disk.
Notes:
1. To share OneDrive folders with Mac OS X, the OneDrive desktop app must be installed in Windows. If
you're using the preinstalled Windows 8 OneDrive app, OneDrive folders are not shared because this app
doesn't create any local folders and works directly with the cloud storage.
2. This feature is available only when Parallels Tools are installed (p. 142) in Windows.
To share your Windows OneDrive folders with OS X, do the following:
1 If OneDrive isn't already set up in Windows, set it up. For more information, go to
http://windows.microsoft.com/en-us/skydrive/download.
2 Do one of the following:
• Click the Parallels icon
in the menu bar and choose Configure.
• If the Parallels Desktop menu bar is visible at the top of the screen, choose Actions >
Configure.
3 Click Options and select Sharing > Share Windows.
4 Select Access Windows folders from Mac and Share OneDrive with Mac.
57
Use Windows on Your Mac
5 In the Mac OS X Finder, choose Finder > Preferences and select Connected servers.
Once selected, Microsoft OneDrive folders appear as hard disks on the OS X desktop. You can use
them to upload and download files to and from OneDrive.
Note: These shared folders are visible on the OS X desktop and you can use them to upload files from
OS X only when Windows is running.
Share Applications and Programs
You can access Mac OS X applications from within Windows and you can access Windows
programs from Mac OS X. For example, if you locate a file using the Open menu in a Windows
program and decide you would rather open the file using a Mac OS X application, you can.
Note: Provided that Parallels Tools are installed in Linux (p. 143), you can also open Mac OS X files using
Linux applications.
Enable Sharing Mac OS X Applications
When sharing Mac OS X applications is enabled, you can open Mac OS X Applications from within
Windows or Windows programs.
If not, you can enable it at any time by doing the following:
1 Do one of the following:
• Click the Parallels icon
in the menu bar and choose Configure.
• If the Parallels Desktop menu bar is visible at the top of the screen, choose Actions >
Configure.
2 Click Options and click Applications.
3 Select Share Mac applications with Windows.
Once sharing Mac OS X applications is enabled, you can do the tasks below.
Open a File from Windows in a Mac OS X Application
You can open a file in a Mac OS X application from Windows Explorer, from the Open dialog in
most Windows programs, or from Windows Desktop if Windows is set to appear in a separate
Window or at full screen (p. 43). You may want to do this if you don't have a Windows program that
can open
the file.
• In Windows, right-click (or Control-click) a file and do one of the following:
• Choose Open on Mac from the shortcut menu. The file opens in the default Mac OS X
application for that file type.
• Choose Open With from the shortcut menu, and then choose an application.
58
Use Windows on Your Mac
Note: You can only perform these actions with files stored in shared folders (p. 52).
Open a Mac Application from the Windows Start Menu
From the Windows Start menu, do one of the following:
• Choose All Programs > Parallels Shared Applications, and then choose an application.
• Type the name of the application you're looking for in the search field, then choose the
application from the list.
Enable Sharing Windows Programs
When sharing Windows programs is enabled, you can open Windows programs from the Mac OS
X Finder. You can also choose to add a folder to the Dock containing all your Windows programs
for easy access.
4 Do one of the following:
• Click the Parallels icon
• If the Parallels Desktop menu bar is visible at the top of the screen, choose Actions >
Configure.
5 Click Options and click Applications.
6 Select Share Windows applications with Mac.
in the menu bar and choose Configure.
Add a Windows Applications Folder to the Dock
1 Do one of the following:
• Click the Parallels icon
• If the Parallels Desktop menu bar is visible at the top of the screen, choose Actions >
Configure.
2 Click Options and then click Applications.
3 Be sure Share Windows applications with Mac is selected, and then select Show Windows
applications folder in Dock.
in the menu bar and choose Configure.
Configure Whether Dock Icons Bounce to Alert
When a Windows application icon in the taskbar would normally flash to alert you to something,
such as a new message in Skype or a notification in Microsoft Outlook, by default its icon also
bounces repeatedly in the OS X Dock.
To enable or disable Windows application icons bouncing to alert:
1 Do one of the following:
59
Use Windows on Your Mac
Click the Parallels icon
in the menu bar and choose Configure.
If the Parallels Desktop menu bar is visible at the top of the screen, choose Actions >
Configure.
2 Click Options and click Applications.
3 Select or deselect Dock icons bounce to alert.
Note: Icon bouncing is available for Windows with Parallels Tools installed (p. 199) provided that Share
Windows applications with Mac is selected in the Applications pane.
Force Quit Windows Programs
If your running Windows guest OS program doesn't respond and freezes, you can easily force quit
it as you can do with any Mac OS X application. To force quit a Windows program, do one of the
following:
• Right-click the icon of the Windows program available in the Dock, press Option (Alt), and
choose Force Quit.
• Press Option + Command + Esc (Alt + Command + Esc), select the name of the Windows
program you want to quit, and click Force Quit.
Note: To be able to force quit Windows guest OS programs, Parallels Tools must be installed (p. 199).
Add Applications to Launchpad
When you install any applications in Windows (except temporary apps), you can choose to
automatically add their icons to Launchpad.
1 Do one of the following:
• Click the Parallels icon
in the menu bar and choose Configure.
• If the Parallels Desktop menu bar is visible at the top of the screen, choose Actions >
Configure.
2 Click Options and click Applications.
3 Select Add new applications to Launchpad.
Set Files to Open in the Application or Program of Your Choice
You can set files of a particular type that you open from the Mac OS X Finder to open in the
Windows program of your choice. For example, you could set files ending in .txt to always open
in Windows Notepad.
You can also set files opened from Windows to always open in the Mac OS X application of your
choice.
60
Use Windows on Your Mac
Set Mac OS X Files of a Particular Type to Open in a Windows Program
To open a Mac OS X file once with a Windows program:
1 Right-click (or Control-click) the file in the Finder and choose Open With from the shortcut
menu.
2 Select a Windows program.
If you don't see the program you want, click Other and choose a Windows program from
/username/Applications (Parallels)/Windows Applications.
You can also open a Mac OS X file in a Windows program by dragging it to the program's icon in
the Dock.
To set files of a particular type to always open in a Windows program:
1 Right-click (or Control-click) a file and choose Get Info from the shortcut menu.
2 Click the triangle next to "Open with" to expand the section.
3 Choose a Windows program from the pop-up menu.
If you don't see the program you want, choose Other and choose a Windows program from
/username/Applications (Parallels)/Windows Applications.
4 Click Change All.
From this point on, double-clicking a file of this type (.txt in the example above) in the Mac OS X
Finder opens the file in the Windows program. If Windows is shut down, suspended, or paused,
double-clicking the file starts or resumes Windows in Coherence mode. When Windows starts up,
the file opens in the Windows program.
Set Windows Files of a Particular Type to Open in a Mac OS X Application
To open a Windows file with a Mac OS X application only this time:
• Right-click (or Control-click) the file in Windows, choose Open With from the shortcut menu,
and choose an application.
To set all files of a particular file type to open in a Mac OS X application:
1. Right-click (or Control-click) a file in Windows, choose Open With from the shortcut menu,
and click Choose default program.
2. Select an application, choose Always use the selected program to open this kind of file,
and click OK.
Note: To set files to open in the application or program of your choice, Parallels Tools must be installed
(p. 199). In most cases, Parallels Tools are installed by default. Also, the Isolate Mac from Windows (p.
93) option must be disabled, and Windows application sharing (p. 58) must be enabled.
61
Use Windows on Your Mac
Set Internet Links to Always Open in Mac OS X or Windows
By default, clicking a link (such as a web page URL) in Windows opens the default Windows
program for that link type, and clicking a link in Mac OS X opens the default Mac OS X application.
You can set links of a particular type to always open in Mac OS X or in Windows. For example, you
could set web pages to always open in Windows Internet Explorer, even if the link is clicked in a
Mac OS X application.
Note: To set Internet links to open in Mac OS X or Windows, Parallels Tools must be installed (p. 199). In
most cases, Parallels Tools are installed by default.
To set Internet links to open in Mac OS X or Windows:
1 Do one of the following:
• Click the Parallels icon
in the menu bar and choose Configure.
• If the Parallels Desktop menu bar is visible at the top of the screen, choose Actions >
Configure.
2 Click Options and select Web & Email.
3 Click the menu for the type of link you want to set. If you don't see the link type you want, click
More Applications. The following types of links can be set:
• Web Pages: Web pages accessible through the HTTP and HTTPS protocols.
• Email: Links in the mailto format that open a pre-addressed email.
• Newsgroups: Links in the news. format that typically open a newsreader program.
• FTP: File upload and download locations accessible through the FTP protocol.
• RSS: Episodic content, such as blogs and podcasts.
• Remote Access: Locations accessible through the Telnet and Secure Shell (SSH)
protocols.
4 Choose one of the following:
• Default: The link opens in the application or program set as default in the operating system
(Mac OS X or Windows) where you click the link.
• Open in Windows: Links clicked in Mac OS X or Windows open in the default Windows
program for that link type.
• Open in Mac: Links clicked in Mac OS X or Windows open in the default Mac OS X
application for that link type.
Open the Current Safari Page in Internet Explorer
Some webpages work best when viewed in Windows Internet Explorer. If you are browsing in Mac
OS X using Safari, you can quickly open the current page in Internet Explorer by doing the
following:
62
Use Windows on Your Mac
5 First you need to install the "Open in Internet Explorer" plugin. Do one of the following:
• Click the Parallels icon
in the menu bar and choose Configure.
• If the Parallels Desktop menu bar is visible at the top of the screen, choose Actions >
Configure.
6 Click Options and select Web & Email.
7 Click Install Plugin.
8 Once the plugin is installed, click the Open in IE button
in the toolbar.
If Windows isn't already open, it starts up and the page opens in Internet Explorer.
Share External Storage Devices and Volumes
When you connect an external storage device, such as a USB drive, to your Mac, you can access
the contents from Mac OS X applications.
Using SmartMount, you can set Parallels Desktop to automatically mount storage devices and
volumes to Windows. That way, you can access the contents from both Mac OS X and Windows.
With SmartMount enabled, these items are automatically mounted to Windows:
• Removable drives: External storage devices, such as USB hard disks and USB flash drives.
• CD/DVD drives: CD and DVD drives or CD/DVD images (files most commonly ending in .dmg,
.iso, and .img.).
• Network folders: Folders shared over the network.
To enable SmartMount:
1 Start Windows. (p. 31)
2 Do one of
• Click the Parallels icon
the following:
in the menu bar and choose Configure.
• If the Parallels Desktop menu bar is visible at the top of the screen, choose Actions >
Configure.
3 Click Options and select Sharing > Share Mac.
4 Select Map Mac volumes to Windows.
When you connect a storage device or volume, it is mounted as a network drive. For example, a
USB flash drive plugged in to your Mac will be accessible from both the /Volumes folder in Mac
OS X and My Computer in Windows.
63
Use Windows on Your Mac
Note: Permissions for accessing the mounted device from Windows are the same as permission settings
for the device in Mac OS X. For example, if you can read from and write to a USB flash drive in Mac OS
X, you can also read from and write to it in Windows. One exception: Mac OS X can't write to NTFS
volumes, regardless of permissions.
Use a Disk Image with the Virtual DVD Drive
While working in Windows, you can select a disk image file to be used with the virtual Windows
DVD drive, as if it was a DVD inside a real drive. To do so:
1 In Windows Explorer, open Computer or This PC, right-click the DVD drive icon, and choose
Select disk image.
2 Locate the disk image you want to use and click Open.
Note: This functionality is available only for Windows with Parallels Tools installed (p. 199).
Save Internet Passwords in Mac Keychain
Nowadays, users don't have to remember numerous passwords to various social media accounts
and websites. Your Mac can store and automatically fill them in when necessary.
If you browse the Internet in Windows using Internet Explorer or Microsoft Edge, you can set to
store your passwords in Mac keychain. If you do so, the passwords you enter in Internet Explorer
or Microsoft Edge will be saved to Mac keychain and you will be able to auto fill them from these
browsers. These passwords won't be accessible to any other applications and won't be lost if
Windows gets corrupted or reinstalled.
To store Internet passwords in Mac keychain:
1 Do one of the following:
• Click the Parallels icon
in the menu bar and choose Configure.
• Click Actions in the Parallels Desktop menu bar at the top of the screen and choose
Configure.
2 Click Options and select Web & Email.
3 Select Store Internet passwords in Mac keychain.
Apply Mac OS X Parental Controls to Windows
If you have administrator rights in Mac OS X, you can use parental controls to prevent others with
accounts on your Mac from using certain Windows programs or accessing certain web sites.
To apply parental control settings:
1 In Mac OS X, choose Apple menu > System Preferences and click Parental Controls.
2 Click the lock if it's not unlocked, and then enter an administrator name and password.
64
Use Windows on Your Mac
3 Select the account that you want to restrict, click Enable Parental Controls, and set up the
controls. If you want the user to be able to use some Windows programs, be sure to select
Parallels Desktop in the list of allowed applications.
For more information on using parental controls, see Mac Help.
Set Media Files to Open in Windows 8 Apps
When you install Windows 8, Parallels Desktop sets most types of media files (photos, pictures,
music, and video) to open in classic Windows desktop applications.
To set media files to open in Windows 8 apps by default, do the following:
1 Start Windows 8.
2 From the Start screen, right-click or Control-click anywhere on the screen and click All Apps.
3 Open Control Panel.
4 Choose Programs > Default Programs > Associate a file type or protocol with a program.
5 In the list of file extensions, select the file extension for which you want to change the default
program, then select Change program and select the program you want to use with that type
of file.
Mouse, Trackpad, and Keyboard
Parallels Desktop lets you configure your mouse or trackpad and your keyboard to work just the
way you want them to.
You can also use trackpad gestures or the optional Apple Remote to control Windows programs
just as you can with Mac OS X applications.
Read on to learn how to customize how your mouse, trackpad, and keyboard work with Windows
programs.
Set Your Mouse or Trackpad to Right-Click and Middle-Click
Many tasks in Windows, such as bringing up shortcut menus, are accomplished by right-clicking.
By default, Parallels Desktop is set to mimic a right-click when you press Shift+Control and click
the mouse. You can change which key combination triggers a right-click.
You can also set your trackpad to allow right-clicking, and if you have an Apple Mighty Mouse
(included with Apple desktop computers from 2005-2009) or Magic Mouse (included with current
Apple desktop computers), you can set the mouse to allow right-clicking.
65
Use Windows on Your Mac
Most other mice are pre-configured for right-clicking.
Set the Trackpad for Right-Clicking.
1 Choose Apple menu > System Preferences and click Trackpad.
2 Select Secondary Tap.
Now you can tap the trackpad with two fingers to imitate a right-click.
Set an Apple Mighty Mouse for Right-Clicking
1 Choose Apple menu > System Preferences and click Mouse or Keyboard & Mouse.
2 Choose Secondary Button from the menu to the right of the mouse.
Now you can press the right side of the mouse to right-click.
Set an Apple Magic Mouse for Right-Clicking
1 Choose Apple menu > System Preferences and click Mouse or Keyboard & Mouse.
2 Select Secondary click.
Now you can press the right side of the mouse to right-click.
Set Which Key Combination Triggers a Right-Click or a Middle-Click
1 Do one of the following:
• Click the Parallels icon
• Right-click the Parallels Desktop icon in the Dock and choose Preferences.
2 Click Shortcuts.
3 If necessary, click the lock icon and enter an administrator password.
in the menu bar and choose Preferences.
66
4 Select Mouse Shortcuts in the sidebar.
Use Windows on Your Mac
5 Select Secondary click (for right-click) or Middle click.
6 Click in the corresponding text field and press the key or combination of keys that you want to
use with a mouse click to trigger a right-click or middle-click.
You can use any combination of the Control, Option (Alt), Shift, and Command keys.
Control Programs with Trackpad Gestures or the Apple Remote
You can use the Apple Remote to control some Windows programs. If you have an Apple portable
computer, such as a Macbook, or if you have an Apple Magic Trackpad, you can use gestures,
such as swiping left or right across the trackpad, to control some Windows programs.
Note: You can control some Windows programs using three-finger swipes only if you're using Parallels
Desktop with Mac OS X Snow Leopard. In OS X Lion and later, three-finger swipes are used by default to
move between full-screen apps and spaces.
67
Use Windows on Your Mac
To use the Apple Remote, you must first enable it by doing the following:
1 Start Windows (p. 31).
2 Do one of
• Click the Parallels icon
the following:
in the menu bar and choose Configure.
• If the Parallels Desktop menu bar is visible at the top of the screen, choose Actions >
Configure.
3 Click Options, and then click Advanced.
4 Select Enable next to Apple Remote.
The following table provides commands to control some of the more popular Windows programs.
Action
General
Scroll Up, down, left, or right arrow n/a
Microsoft Power Point
Start slide show F5
End slide show Esc
Perform the next animation
or advance to the next
slide
Keyboard and Mouse
Combination
N, Enter, Page Down, Right
Arrow, Down Arrow, Space (or
click the mouse)
Apple
Remote
Touchpad Gesture
Swipe up, down, left, or
right with two fingers
n/a
n/a
Swipe right with three
fingers
Perform the previous
animation or return to the
previous slide
Zoom in/zoom out Ctrl+wheel up /Ctrl+wheel down n/a Pinch open/pinch close
Microsoft Word/Excel
Zoom in/zoom out Ctrl+wheel up /Ctrl+wheel down n/a Pinch open/pinch close
Windows Media Player
Start/pause playback Space
Skip to the next song Ctrl+F
Play the previous song Ctrl+B
Volume up F8, Up Arrow, wheel up
Volume down F9, Down Arrow, wheel down
Media Player Classic (k-lite)
Start playback/pause Space
P, Page Up, Left Arrow, Up
Arrow, Backspace
Swipe left with three fingers
n/a
Swipe right with three
fingers
Swipe left with three fingers
n/a
n/a
n/a
68
Use Windows on Your Mac
Volume up F8, Up Arrow, wheel up
Volume down F9, Down Arrow, wheel down
Winamp
Start playback/pause X to start, C to pause
Volume up Up Arrow, wheel up
Volume down Down Arrow, wheel down
Microsoft Internet Explorer
Page back
Page forward
Zoom in/zoom out Ctrl+wheel up/Ctrl+wheel down n/a Pinch open/pinch close
Mozilla Firefox
Page back
Page forward
Zoom in/zoom out
Backspace, Option+Left Arrow
(Alt+Left Arrow)
Option+Right Arrow (Alt+Right
Arrow)
Backspace, Option+Left Arrow
(Alt+Left Arow)
Option+Right Arrow (Alt+Right
Arrow)
Ctrl-wheel up/Ctrl-wheel down or
Ctrl-"+"/Ctrl-"-"
n/a or
n/a or
n/a or
n/a or
n/a Pinch open/pinch close
n/a
n/a
n/a
n/a
n/a
Swipe right with three
fingers
Swipe left with three fingers
Swipe right with three
fingers
Swipe left with three fingers
Windows Picture and Fax Viewer
Next image Right Arrow
Previous image Left Arrow
Zoom in/zoom out "+"/"-"
Rotate clockwise Ctrl+K n/a Rotate right with two fingers
Rotate counterclockwise Ctrl+L n/a Rotate left with two fingers
or
Swipe right with three
fingers
Swipe left with three fingers
Pinch open/pinch close
Use Keyboard Shortcuts
Both Mac OS X and Windows provide extensive keyboard shortcuts. For example, in Mac OS X
you can hold down the Command key and press Q (Command-Q) to quit the current application.
To enter a keyboard shortcut, simply press a key combination on your keyboard.
69
Use Windows on Your Mac
You can also enter keyboard shortcuts by doing one of the following:
• Click the Parallels icon
in the menu bar, then choose Devices > Keyboard and choose a
key combination.
• Choose Devices > Keyboard and choose a key combination.
These methods are most useful for using keyboard shortcuts that include keys not included on a
Mac keyboard, such as Alt + PrintScreen.
Note: To use the F1-F12 keys on a MacBook, press and hold the Fn key and then press an F key.
Customize Keyboard Shortcuts
By default, Parallels Desktop maps common Mac OS X keyboard shortcut key combinations to the
equivalent Windows key combinations. That way if you're used to, for example, pressing
Command-C to copy text in Mac OS X, you don't have to switch to the Windows equivalent,
Control-C.
You can also use and customize keyboard shortcuts for switching between Coherence, Full
Screen, and Window view modes, and for showing and hiding Parallels Desktop.
Customize Keyboard Shortcuts
1 Do one of the following:
• Click the Parallels icon
in the menu bar and choose Preferences.
• Right-click the Parallels Desktop icon in the Dock and choose Preferences.
2 Click Shortcuts
3 Select Windows from the Virtual Machines list in the sidebar.
70
Use Windows on Your Mac
Or if you're using another operating system with Parallels Desktop and you want to customize
keyboard shortcuts for it, select it in the sidebar.
When you're using a Windows application, pressing a key combination in the From column
above triggers the key combination in the To column.
4 If the lock icon is locked, click it and enter an administrator password.
5 Do one of the following:
71
Use Windows on Your Mac
• To edit an existing key combination, double-click the key combination or select it and click
the Edit button
. Click modifier keys to select or deselect them. If you wish, change the
character in the text field.
• To delete a key combination, select it and click the Remove button
• To add a new key combination, click the Add button
.
.
If you're using multiple operating systems with Parallels Desktop, you can create keyboard profiles
for each OS (p. 135).
Note: 1. Some key combinations can't be edited or deleted.
2. There are Mac shortcuts that do not have similar shortcuts in Windows For example, you can use the
F11 key or Fn+F11 combination to see your Mac OS desktop with Expose, but in Windows there are no
keys or key combinations that enable you to perform the same action, because there is no Expose in
Windows.
Enable or Disable Mac OS X System Shortcuts
In Mac OS X the function keys on your keyboard (F1, F2, F3 and so on) control functions like
activating Dashboard and Mission Control, adjusting screen brightness, and controlling the volume.
By default, when a Windows application is active the function keys and other Mac system shortcut
key combinations (such as pressing Cmd + Tab to switch between open applications) continue to
activate Mac OS X functions.
To set whether function keys and OS X system shortcut key combinations activate functions in OS
X or Windows:
6 Click OS X system shortcuts in the sidebar.
7 Select one of the following from the Send OS X system shortcuts menu:
• Always: When Windows or Windows applications are active, function keys and other
system shortcuts always trigger functions in Windows.
• Never: Function keys and other system shortcuts always trigger functions in OS X.
• Auto: If you're working with Windows, system shortcuts that don't function in Windows (for
example, Control-Up Arrow button to display Mission Control) trigger functions in OS X. If
you're using OS X as a guest OS and a guest OS or its application is active, system
shortcuts that are typical only to OS X trigger functions in the guest version of OS X.
72
Use Windows on Your Mac
Customize Keyboard Menu
In Window mode you can enter key combinations by choosing Devices > Keyboard and then
choosing a key combination. To customize available key combinations, do the following:
8 Do one of the following:
• Click the Parallels icon
in the menu bar and choose Preferences.
• If the Parallels Desktop menu bar is visible at the top of the screen, choose Parallels
Desktop > Preferences.
9 Click Shortcuts > Keyboard Menu.
10 If the lock icon is locked, click it and enter an administrator password.
11 Do one of the following:
• To add a new key combination, click the Add button
.
• To remove a key combination from the Keyboard menu, select it and click the Remove
button
.
• To edit an existing key combination, double-click the key combination or select it and click
the Edit button
. Click modifier keys to select or deselect them. If you wish, change the
character in the text field.
Create New Keyboard Shortcuts
You can press certain key combinations, called keyboard shortcuts, to quickly trigger various
actions in Parallels Desktop. For example, you can press Command-Control-F to switch Windows
to Full Screen mode. You can use existing keyboard shortcuts (you can see them in the Parallels
Desktop > Preferences > Shortcuts > Application Shortcuts pane), and you can also create
your own.
To create a new keyboard shortcut:
73
Use Windows on Your Mac
1 Make a note of the name for the command you want a shortcut for as it appears in a menu in
Parallels Desktop. For example, if you want to create a new shortcut for switching to Full
Screen mode, you can see by opening the View menu in Parallels Desktop that the name of the
menu item is Enter Full Screen:
2 In Mac OS X, choose Apple Menu > System Preferences.
3 In System Preferences, click Keyboard and click Shortcuts.
4 Select App Shortcuts in the sidebar and click the Add button
.
5 If you want a new shortcut to work only for Parallels Desktop, choose Parallels Desktop from
the Application menu. If you leave All Applications selected, the shortcut will work for any
application that has the same command name and is currently active.
6 Enter the menu item name from Step 1.
Important: You must enter the command name exactly as it appears in the Parallels Desktop menu or
your new shortcut won't work.
7 In the Keyboard Shortcut field, press the key combination that you want to trigger the action.
Note: You must create separate shortcuts for commands that change in the menu depending on the
state of Parallels Desktop, such as Enter Full Screen and Exit Full Screen.
See and Change Windows Input Language In OS X
While you're working with Windows or any Windows applications, Parallels Desktop shows the
input language set in Windows in OS X menu bar. You may find it useful while working with
Windows in Coherence (p. 41) when the guest OS desktop is hidden.
As soon as you switch to Mac, the input language in OS X menu bar changes back to the language
that was set before you started working with Windows.
To make this feature work properly, Parallels Tools (p. 142) must be installed and the same input
languages
must be available in Windows and OS X. To learn how to add input languages, please
refer to the help resources for these operating systems.
74
Use Windows on Your Mac
Change Windows Input Language From OS X Menu Bar
To change the Windows input language from the OS X menu bar:
1 Click Windows or your Windows application to make it active.
2 Choose the language you need from the Input menu available in the OS X menu bar.
Note: The language you're selecting from the Input menu must be also available in Windows. To learn
how to add a language to the list of input sources in Windows, please refer to the Windows help
resources.
If the Input menu isn't available in OS X menu bar, you can set it to show by doing the following:
1 In Mac OS X, choose Apple menu > System Preferences and click Language & Text.
2 Click Input Sources.
3 Select the language or languages you want to use from the sidebar.
4 Select Show input menu in menu bar.
Mouse & Keyboard Settings
Use Mouse & Keyboard settings, you can:
• Set whether the mouse pointer behavior is optimized for games.
• Set whether the mouse pointer sticks at the edges of the window in Window mode (p. 43).
• Set whe
To access Mouse & Keyboard settings:
1 Do one of the following:
• Click the Parallels icon
• If the Parallels Desktop menu bar is visible at the top of the screen, choose Actions >
ther modifier keys are optimized for games.
in the menu bar and choose Configure.
Configure.
75
Use Windows on Your Mac
2 Click Hardware and select Mouse & Keyboard in the sidebar.
Mouse
If you play games in a virtual machine, the Mouse menu allows you to set how to use a mouse:
• Auto-detect for games. This is a recommended default setting. If you're working with a guest
OS application, the mouse moves freely between the guest operating system and Mac OS X.
However, when you start a game, SmartMouse automatically captures the mouse input in the
virtual machine so that you couldn't move the mouse to Mac OS X by mistake and
automatically releases the mouse when you quit the game.
• Optimize for games. If your mouse accidentally moves to Mac OS X when you're playing a
game, select this option to make the mouse work in the virtual machine only.
• Don't optimize for games. In some rare cases, SmartMouse may detect an application as a
game and the mouse starts working incorrectly with the application. If you have this problem,
choose Don't optimize for games.
76
Use Windows on Your Mac
Mouse Pointer Sticks at Edges
When working with a virtual machine in Window view mode (p. 43), you may often need to move
the mouse pointer to the edges of the virtual machine window to display various guest OS items:
for example, to display the Start menu in Windows 8, hidden taskbar in Windows XP, or OS X
menu bar when any of the guest OS X applications is running in full screen.
The Mouse pointer sticks at window edges option makes the mouse pointer pause for a while at
the edges of the virtual machine window and you won't move the mouse outside of the virtual
machine window by mistake. To move past the edge, just move the mouse quickly.
Modifier Keys Optimization
Choose Optimize for games from the Keyboard menu if you actively use the modifier keys Option
(Alt), Ctrl, and Shift in action games. If you choose this option, signals from these keys will be
processed faster.
Note: You're not recommended to optimize keyboard for games when not playing games.
Connect External Devices
Parallels Desktop allows you to use USB, Thunderbolt, and FireWire devices with Windows.
Many external devices, such as mice and printers, are available by default to both Windows and
Mac OS X when you connect them to your Mac.
Some external devices, such as an Apple iPhone, can only be used with either Mac OS X
applications or Windows programs, but not both at the same time. When you connect such a
device, you can choose whether you want to use it with Mac OS X or Windows.
To connect an external device:
1 Connect the device to your Mac.
77
Use Windows on Your Mac
2 If Windows is running and the device can't be used with both Windows and Mac OS X at the
same time, you're prompted to choose which one you want to use it with. To use the device
with Mac OS X applications, click the Mac icon. To use it with Windows programs, click the
Windows screen.
You can connect up to 12 USB 3.0 (p. 196), 15 USB 2.0 and 32 USB 1.1 devices to your Mac and
use them with Windows.
Important: To be able to use a USB device with Windows programs, you may need to install Windows
drivers for the device. Typically you can download drivers from the manufacturer's website.
You can connect and use up to 30 USB printers.
You can also set what happens when any new external device is connected and set particular
external devices to always be used with either Mac OS X or Windows (p. 79).
78
Use Windows on Your Mac
Connect a Common Access Card reader
A Common Access Card (CAC) reader can work simultaneously in Mac OS X and Windows.
1 Connect the CAC reader to your Mac.
2 When you're prompted to choose Windows or the Mac, click the Windows screen. The CAC
reader becomes available to both Windows and Mac OS X.
Adjust Devices Settings
In the Devices pane of Parallels Desktop Preferences, you can:
• Set what happens when you connect any new USB, Thunderbolt, or FireWire device to your
Mac.
• Set a particular external device to always be used with either Mac OS X or Windows.
79
Use Windows on Your Mac
• Choose to mount Windows-connected external NTFS drives to Mac.
To access Devices Settings:
1 Do one of the following:
• Click the Parallels icon
• Right-click the Parallels Desktop icon in the Dock and choose Preferences.
2 Click Devices.
in the menu bar and choose Preferences.
Set What Happens When You Connect a New External Device to Your Mac
Choose one of the following:
• Connect it to my Mac. New external devices are automatically available for use with Mac OS X
applications.
80
Use Windows on Your Mac
• Connect it to the active virtual machine. New external devices are automatically available for
use with Windows programs. If Windows isn't running, the external device is connected to Mac
OS X.
• Ask me what to do. Each time you connect an external device, you're prompted to choose
whether you want to connect the device to Windows or the Mac.
Set a Particular External Device to Always Be Used With Mac OS X or Windows
If you know you always want a particular external device to be available to either Mac OS X or
Windows, you can set it to do so by following the instructions below. The device must already have
been connected to your Mac at least once.
1 Click the Add (+) button towards the bottom of the window.
2 Select the device from the list.
3 Double-click the word (either Computer or some form of Windows) in the Connect To
column. The word becomes a pop-up menu.
4 Do one of the following:
• To set the device to always be available to Mac OS X applications, choose Computer from
the menu.
• To set the device to always be available to Windows programs, choose Windows from the
menu.
To remove an existing assignment, so that the device no longer automatically connects to Mac OS
X or Windows, select the device in the External Device column and click the Remove (-) button.
Important: To be able to use an external device with Windows programs, you may need to install
Windows drivers for the device. Typically you can download drivers from the manufacturer's website.
Mount Windows-connected external NTFS drives to Mac
If you connect an external NTFS drive to Windows, you can make it available in OS X as well. To do
so, choose Mirror Windows-connected drives on Mac.
Connect Bluetooth Devices
Parallels Desktop lets you connect Bluetooth devices directly to Windows.
Before connecting a Bluetooth device, Bluetooth must be enabled.
To enable Bluetooth:
5 If Bluetooth is turned off in Mac OS X, turn it on. Choose Apple menu > System Preferences
and click Bluetooth. Then select On.
81
Use Windows on Your Mac
6 In Parallels Desktop, start Windows (p. 31) if it isn't already started.
7 Do one of
• Click the Parallels icon
the following:
in the menu bar and choose Configure.
• If the Parallels Desktop menu bar is visible at the top of the screen, choose Actions >
Configure.
8 Click Hardware and click USB & Bluetooth in the sidebar.
9 Select Bluetooth devices.
Once you've enabled Bluetooth, you can pair Bluetooth devices with your computer and they'll
work with both Windows and Mac OS X. For instructions on pairing a Bluetooth device with your
computer, see the documentation that came with the device.
In Windows 7, you can send a file to a paired Bluetooth device that's capable of receiving files by
right-clicking the file and choosing Send to > Bluetooth.
Besides Windows, you can connect Bluetooth devices to any guest operating systems (Linux or
Mac OS X) that support USB Bluetooth adapters.
Print from Windows
By default, Windows is set to use the same printer that you use with Mac OS X. Simply print from a
Windows program the way you normally would.
You can also set Windows to use a different printer. There are a few ways to set up printing in
Windows:
• Share any of the printers connected to your Mac.
• Connect to a network printer.
• Connect a USB printer directly to Windows.
Share a Printer Connected to Your Mac
You can use any printer connected to your Mac with Windows programs.
Note: This functionality is also available for Linux with Parallels Tools installed (p. 143).
To print a document from a Windows program:
• Open the document and simply print it the way you normally would (for example, choose File >
Print).
In the print window, you can choose any printer that's connected to your Mac.
82
Share Printers Connected to Your Mac
1 Do one of the following:
Use Windows on Your Mac
• Click the Parallels icon
• If the Parallels Desktop menu bar is visible at the top of the screen, choose Actions >
Configure.
2 Click Hardware and select Shared Printers.
Note: The Shared Printers pane is available for Windows 2000 and newer versions of Windows.
3 Select Share Mac printers with Windows.
in the menu bar and choose Configure.
Set a New Default Printer
By default, Windows is set to use the same default printer as your Mac. To use a different default
printer for Windows.
1 Do one of the following:
• Click the Parallels icon
• If the Parallels Desktop menu bar is visible at the top of the screen, choose Actions >
Configure.
2 Click Hardware and select Shared Printers.
3 Deselect Synchronize default printer.
in the menu bar and choose Configure.
Now you can set a new default printer in Windows the way you normally would.
Show Page Setup Before Printing
When you choose to print a document from Windows, first you need to set how the document will
be printed. You usually have to specify various printing settings, such as orientation, page size,
whether to print the document on one or both sides, etc. Once everything is ready and you click
Print in Windows, the OS X window with printing settings appears as well. It's done by default for
you just to ensure that the document will be printed exactly the way you want.
To make the documents print without showing this OS X page setup window:
1 Do one of the following:
• Click the Parallels icon
• If the Parallels Desktop menu bar is visible at the top of the screen, choose Actions >
Configure.
2 Click Hardware and select Shared Printers.
3 Deselect Show page setup options before printing.
in the menu bar and choose Configure.
83
Use Windows on Your Mac
Add a Printer in Linux
The procedure of adding a printer in a Linux guest operating system depends on the Linux
distribution. In this example, we describe how to add a printer to a virtual machine running RHEL
5.4 Server. However, you can use these guidelines as general instructions on how to add a printer
to a Linux virtual machine:
1 Start the Linux virtual machine and log in when the guest operating system boots up.
Note: You must log in as root or acquire root privileges after successful login. If you don't do that, you
will be required to enter the root password when starting the system-config-printer
administration tool in the next step.
2 Start the system-config-printer administration tool by doing one of the following:
• Click System > Administration > Printing; or
• Start the Terminal and enter the following command:
system-config-printer
3 In the displayed window, click New Printer.
4 In the next window, you must type a printer name. Under this name the printer will be displayed
in your Linux guest operating system. You can also enter the printer description and location.
When ready, click Forward.
5 Now you have to specify how your Mac printer will be shared with the virtual machine. As the
printer is connected to the virtual machine printer port, select LPT #1 (or another port to which
the printer is connected) and click Forward.
6 Then specify the printer manufacturer and model. No matter what printer you have, choose
either HP Color LaserJet 8500 PS or Apple Color LW 12/660 PS. When ready, click Forward.
7 Click Apply to finish setting up the printer.
Now the printer is properly configured and you can use it to print documents from your Linux
virtual machine.
Set Up a Printer Using Bonjour
If you have more than one Mac connected to your home network, you can use Apple Bonjour for
Windows to share any printer connected to any of them.
To see the list of all Windows operating systems supported by Bonjour, please refer to
http://support.apple.com/kb/dl999.
Important: To share a Mac printer with Windows via Apple Bonjour, Windows must be configured to
work in the Bridged networking mode.
To set up a printer via Bonjour:
84
Use Windows on Your Mac
1 Be sure the printer you want to use is set to be shared on your Mac. To share a printer, in Mac
OS X choose Apple menu > System Preferences and click Print & Fax. Then select the
printer and select Share this printer.
2 Open Parallels Desktop and start Windows.
3 When Windows starts, go to http://support.apple.com/kb/dl999 and download the Bonjour for
Windows installation package.
4 In Windows, start the Bonjour installation by launching the BonjourPSSetup.exe file from
the folder in which it was downloaded.
5 Follow the onscreen instructions to install Bonjour for Windows.
6 Start the Bonjour Printer wizard either by double-clicking its icon on the desktop or by selecting
Start -> All Programs -> Bonjour Print Services -> Bonjour Printer Wizard.
7 In the Browse for Bonjour Printers window, select the printer that you want to use and click
Next.
8 If the next window you see is Completing the Bonjour Printer Wizard, then the driver required
by this printer is available in the Windows driver library and the printer has been successfully
configured. Click Finish and you can start using the newly added printer to print documents
from Windows programs.
However, if the next window you see is Install Bonjour Printer, you must choose the printer
manufacturer and model.
If the required printer model is not listed, you can do one of the following:
85
Use Windows on Your Mac
• Install the printer drivers in Windows. Then click Have Disk button in the Install Bonjour
Printer window and specify the path to the .inf file located in the folder where you
installed the printer drivers.
• In the Install Bonjour Printer window, select Generic in the Manufacturer list and
Generic/Postscript in the Model list.
Click Next.
9 In the Completing the Bonjour Printer Wizard window, click Finish. You can start using the
newly added printer to print documents from Windows programs.
Set Up a Network Printer
You can install a network printer directly into Windows.
Before installing a network printer in Windows, make sure that:
• Your Mac can access the Internet.
• Windows is configured to work in either the Shared networking mode (p. 95) or Bridged
networking mode a
nd can access the Internet too.
• The user account in Windows has permission to access the network printer.
• You know the printer IP address.
After that, you can log in to Windows and install a network printer.
In Windows
Before adding a network printer in Windows, download and install an appropriate printer driver. For
detailed information on installing the printer driver, refer to the printer manufacturer documentation.
To add a network printer in Windows 7 or Windows Vista:
1 Open the Windows Start menu and select Control Panel.
2 In the Control Panel window, select Hardware and Sound and click Add a printer in the
Devices and Printers section (Printers in Windows Vista). The Add Printer wizard opens.
3 In the first window, click Add a network, wireless or Bluetooth printer.
4 In the next window, click The printer that I want isn't listed.
5 In the Find a printer by name or TCP/IP address window, select Add a printer using a
TCP/IP address or hostname and click Next.
6 In the Type a printer hostname or IP address window, do the following:
1. Select TCP/IP Device from the Device type menu.
2. Specify the printer IP address in the Hostname or IP address field.
86
Use Windows on Your Mac
3. Clear the Query the printer and automatically select the driver to use option if it is
selected.
4. When ready, click Next.
7 If prompted to specify additional port information, choose Standard, select Generic Network
Card from the list, and click Next.
8 In the Install Printer Software window, specify the manufacturer and model of the network
printer.
If the required printer model is not listed, click Have Disk button and specify the path to the
.inf file located in the folder where you installed the printer driver.
When ready, click Next.
9 Continue with the printer configuration procedure. When the printer is added to Windows, you
can use it to print documents from Windows XP.
To add a network printer in Windows XP:
1 Open the Windows Start menu and select Control Panel.
2 In the Control Panel window, double-click the Printers and Faxes item.
3 Click the Add a printer link to open the Add Printer wizard.
4 In the Welcome to the Add Printer Wizard window, click Next.
5 In the Local or Network Printer window, select Local printer attached to this computer and
clear the Automatically detect and install my Plug and Play printer option if it is also
selected. When ready, click Next.
6 In the Select a Printer Port window, select Create a new port and specify Standard TCP/IP
Port as the port type. When ready, click Next.
7 In the Welcome to the Add Standard TCP/IP Printer Port Wizard window, click Next.
8 In the Add Port window, specify the network printer IP addres
9 If prompted to specify additional port information, choose Standard, select Generic Network
Card from the list, and click Next.
10 In the Completing the Add Standard TCP/IP Printer Port Wizard window, click Finish.
11 In the Install Printer Software window, specify the manufacturer and model of the network
printer.
If the required printer model is not listed, click Have Disk button and specify the path to the
.inf file located in the folder where you installed the printer driver.
When ready, click Next.
12 Continue with the printer configuration procedure. When the printer is added to Windows, you
can use it to print documents from Windows XP.
s and click Next.
87
Use Windows on Your Mac
In Linux
The procedure of setting up a network printer in a Linux or FreeBSD guest operating system
depends on the Linux or FreeBSD distribution and printer. In this example, we describe how to set
up a network printer in a virtual machine running RHEL 5.4 Server. However, you can use these
guidelines as general instructions on how to set up a network printer in a Linux or FreeBSD virtual
machine.
Note: For more detailed information, refer to the CUPS documentation.
To set up a network printer:
1 Start the virtual machine.
2 Make sure the following components are installed in the guest operating system:
• Common UNIX Printing System (CUPS). Installation instructions can be found at CUPS site;
• Samba service. Installation instructions can be found at Samba site; and
• A Web browser, since we consider controlling CUPS via web interface.
Note: To set up a network printer, you should have root privileges.
3 Download and install an appropriate printer driver. For detailed information on installing the
printer driver, refer to the printer manufacturer's documentation.
4 Start Common UNIX Printing System. In the Terminal, type the command:
/etc/init.d/cups start
5 Start a web browser and type either the IP address of your virtual machine or
http://127.0.0.1:631.
6 Click the Add Printer button.
7 In the Add New Printer window, specify a printer name. Under this name the printer will be
displayed in the guest operating system. You can also enter the printer description and location.
When ready, click Forward.
8 In the Device for <Printer Name> window, select AppSocket/HP JetDirect and click
Continue.
9 In the Device URI for <Printer Name> window, specify the printer IP address in the following
format:
socket://<printer IP address>
When ready, click Continue.
10 In the Make/Manufacturer for <Printer Name> window, select the manufacturer of your
printer and click Continue.
11 In the Model/Driver for <Printer Name> window, select the model of your printer and click
Add Printer.
12 Enter the root password when prompted.
88
Use Windows on Your Mac
CUPS performs the installation. If the installation is successful, the "Printer <name> has been
configured successfully" message is displayed. Now you can use this printer to print
documents from the virtual machine.
Set Up a USB Printer
You can connect a USB printer directly to Windows. In this case, the printer isn't available to Mac
OS X. If you want to use the printer to print both from Mac OS X and from Windows, see Share a
Mac Printer (p. 82).
To connect
a USB printer directly to Windows:
1 In Parallels Desktop, start Windows.
2 When Windows starts, install the printer driver. For detailed information on how to do that, refer
to the printer manufacturer's documentation. Typically you can find drivers on the
manufacture's website.
3 Do one of the following:
• If the USB printer is already connected to your Mac:
• If Windows is in Coherence, click the Parallels icon
in the menu bar, choose Devices >
USB and select this printer from the list.
• If Windows is working in a separate window, in the Mac menu bar click Devices > Printer >
Printer and select this printer from the list.
• If the USB printer is not connected to your Mac, connect it. In the New USB device detected
window, connect the printer to Windows.
4 In Windows, follow the Add New Hardware wizard instructions.
Create a PDF File
When working with a text document, web page, or other file, you may wish to create a Portable
Document Format (PDF) file out of it. A PDF file preserves the format and layout of a document, so
others can see it as if it were printed on the page.
To create a PDF file, select Print to PDF (Mac Desktop) when choosing a printer. A PDF file is
saved on the Mac desktop.
Note: This functionality is available for Windows guest operating systems provided that Parallels Tools
are installed (p. 140) and all Mac printers are shared (p. 82) with Windows.
89
Use Windows on Your Mac
Use the Built-in iSight Camera or Another Webcam
If your Mac or display has a built-in iSight camera, or if you connect a compatible external webcam,
by default you can use it with Windows.
To use a built-in iSight or external camera with Windows:
• Simply open a Windows program that uses a camera, you should be able to select the iSight or
external camera for use with the program.
Note: If you are running a guest OS other than Windows XP Service Pack 2 or later, Windows Vista, or
Windows 7, be sure you have USB video device class (UVC) drivers installed.
Disable Camera Sharing
If you don't want Windows programs to be able use connected webcams or the built-in iSight
camera, you can disable camera sharing by doing the following:
1 Do one of the following:
• Click the Parallels icon
• If the Parallels Desktop menu bar is visible at the top of the screen, choose Actions >
Configure.
2 Click Hardware and click USB & Bluetooth.
3 Deselect Web cameras.
in the menu bar and choose Configure.
Show a Presentation on an External Monitor or Projector
You can easily connect your Mac to an external monitor or projector and show a presentation from
a Windows application, with little configuration needed.
To do so:
1 Start Windows (p. 31) if it isn't already running.
90
Use Windows on Your Mac
2 Connect your Mac to the external monitor or projector as you normally would. A message
appears asking if you're going to show a presentation.
3 If you want to show the exact contents of your computer's display on the external display or
projector, select Use Mirroring.
If you don't select Use Mirroring, certain applications, such as Microsoft Powerpoint, may
show a presenter view on your computer while showing only the presentation on the external
display or projector.
4 Click Yes. Windows switches to Presentation mode, displayed at full screen on both your
computer's display and external display or projector. After that, you can start showing your
presentation.
Note: To learn how to choose on which display the presentation is shown, please refer to Help of the
application you're using for presentations.
Important! While you're working in Presentation mode, changing display settings in Windows may
cause the presentation to malfunction.
Protect Your Data
You probably have important documents, photos, and more on your Mac. When running Windows
on your Mac, it's especially important to protect your data from viruses and unauthorized use. Read
this section to learn how.
91
Use Windows on Your Mac
In This Section
Protect Your Data from Viruses ................................................................................ 92
Isolate Windows from Mac ....................................................................................... 93
Work in Windows Without Saving Changes .............................................................. 93
Set Password Requirements .................................................................................... 94
Encrypt Windows to Protect It from Unauthorized Use ............................................. 94
Protect Your Data from Viruses
Parallels Desktop offers complementary trial subscription to Kaspersky antivirus software for both
Mac OS X and Windows.
To take advantage of this offer, you download and install Kaspersky Internet Security for Windows
and for the Mac. When the trial period expires, you can purchase a permanent activation key.
Download and Install Antivirus Protection for Windows
1 Open Parallels Desktop and start Windows.
2 Click the Parallels icon
in the menu bar and choose Actions > Install Internet Security and
follow the onscreen instructions.
Note: To install antivirus protection for Windows, Parallels Tools must be installed (p. 199). In most
cases, Parallels Tools are installed by default.
Remove Antivirus Protection from Windows
To remove Kaspersky Internet Security, remove it the same way you'd remove any other Windows
application. See Windows Help and Support for more information.
Download and Install Antivirus Protection for Mac
1 If Parallels Desktop is set to Coherence mode, click the Parallels icon in the menu bar and
choose View > Exit Coherence.
2 Choose Parallels Desktop > Install Antivirus for Mac and follow the onscreen instructions.
Remove Antivirus Protection for Mac
Choose Uninstall Antivirus for Mac from the Parallels Desktop menu and enter your
administrator name and password.
92
Use Windows on Your Mac
Isolate Windows from Mac
You can isolate Windows from OS X, so that they no longer share folders, profiles, and
applications, connected external devices are no longer automatically accessible by Windows,
Windows and Mac no longer synchronize volume, and you can no longer copy or move objects
between Windows and OS X. Isolating Windows from OS X may provide a higher level of security
by not allowing compromised items from one OS to come into contact with the other.
To isolate Windows from OS X
1 Do one of the following:
• Click the Parallels icon
in the menu bar and choose Configure.
• If the Parallels Desktop menu bar is visible at the top of the screen, choose Actions >
Configure.
2 Click Security.
3 Select Isolate Windows from Mac.
Work in Windows Without Saving Changes
If you don't want Windows to store the changes you make to it during the working session (for
example, when testing some Windows programs that may damage Windows), you can start
Windows in Rollback Mode:
Note: This feature is available in Parallels Desktop for Mac Pro Edition only.
1 Open Parallels Desktop.
2 From Control Center select Windows that you want to start in Rollback Mode and click
Actions > Start in Rollback Mode.
Set Windows to Always Start in Rollback Mode
If you want Windows to always start in Rollback Mode:
1 Open Parallels Desktop.
2 From Control Center select Windows and click Actions > Configure > Security.
3 Choose Ask me what to do from the Rollback Mode menu.
Note: If you have the automatic compression of virtual disks (p. 100) enabled, it will become disabled
after you enable Rollback Mode.
93
Use Windows on Your Mac
Set Password Requirements
For added security, you can set Parallels Desktop to require an administrator password to perform
certain functions.
1 Do one of the following:
• Click the Parallels icon
• If the Parallels Desktop menu bar is visible at the top of the screen, choose Actions >
Configure.
2 Click Security.
3 Select one or more of the following to require a Mac OS X administrator password to perform
the selected action:
• Exit full screen mode: A password is required to exit full screen mode (p. 43).
• Change virtual machine
shut down (p. 36) Windows.
• Manage snapshots: A
revert to a snapshot.
in the menu bar and choose Configure.
state: A password is required to start, stop, suspend, pause, or
password is required to create or delete a snapshot (p. 121), or
Encrypt Windows to Protect It from Unauthorized Use
If you store any important data using Windows programs, it is highly recommended that you
encrypt Windows to protect your data from any unauthorized use.
Encrypt Windows
To encrypt Windows (it must be shut down):
1 Select Windows and click Actions > Configure > Security.
2 On the Security tab, click Turn On, specify a password, and click OK.
Warning: The specified password is very important. You must record it. Without this password,
you can't start Windows.
Change Your Password
To change the password for an encrypted Windows (it must be shut down):
1 Select Windows and click Actions > Configure > Security.
2 On the Security tab, click Change Password, specify a new password, and click OK.
94
Use Windows on Your Mac
Remove Encryption from Windows
To remove encryption from Windows (it must be shut down):
1 Select Windows and click Actions > Configure > Security.
2 On the Security tab, click Turn Off.
Connect to the Internet or a Network
Parallels Desktop allows you to use three types of networking with Windows:
• Shared Networking: Windows programs share a network connection with Mac OS X. This is
the default setting.
• Bridged Ethernet: Windows can use one of your Mac's network adapters. This makes
Windows appear as a separate computer on the network.
• Host-only networking: Windows can access only your Mac.
In most cases, you don't need to adjust network settings. If your Mac is set to connect to a
network or to the Internet, Windows programs have access to the same network and the Internet.
The Bridged Ethernet networking mode is more complex and you may need to contact your
system administrator to set it up properly.
Read on for detailed information on these types of networking and how to configure them.
Share Network Settings Between Mac OS X and Windows
By default, Windows is set to share network settings with Mac OS X. Windows programs can
access other computers on your local network and the Internet by using the IP address of your
Mac. Windows does not have its own IP address on the network.
95
Use Windows on Your Mac
In most cases, you don't need to adjust network settings. If your Mac is set to connect to a
network or to the Internet, Windows programs have access to the same network and the Internet.
You may wish to use Shared Network mode in the following cases:
• Your Mac accesses the Internet via a modem or another non-Ethernet device.
• You need to access the Internet from inside Windows but are concerned about security.
• You have problems with working in the Bridged Ethernet mode.
To configure Windows to use Shared Networking:
1 Do one of the following:
• Click the Parallels icon
in the menu bar and choose Configure.
• If the Parallels Desktop menu bar is visible at the top of the screen, choose Actions >
Configure.
2 Click Hardware and then click Network.
3 In the Network pane, make sure that the Shared Network option is selected.
Note: In the MAC address field, you can change the MAC address currently assigned to Windows.
MAC addresses are automatically generated when you first set up Windows on your Mac. However, you
can modify the default MAC address by typing another value in the MAC address field or clicking the
Generate button. When entering a new MAC address, make sure that it is unique within your network.
For the information about troubleshooting networking problems, refer to the Parallels knowledge
base http://kb.parallels.com/ available at the Parallels website.
Apply Separate Network Settings to Windows
When operating in the Bridged Ethernet mode, Windows appears on the network as a stand-alone
computer with its own IP address and network name.
96
Loading...