Parallels Desktop 11 for Mac
Apr 30, 2019 Parallels Desktop is an excellent way to run Windows apps on MacOS, especially for ordinary users. It's fast in testing, offers tight integration.
Pros
- Fast performance in testing.
- Tight integration with guest OSes.
- Effortless installation.
- Flexible file and folder tools.
- Options for opening Mac files in Windows apps.
- Can install macOS virtual machines directly from the Mac recovery partition.
Cons
- Some Mac-integration features can be confusing or impractical until you turn them off.
- Only runs on a Mac, so you can't share guest machines with Windows or Linux users.
Bottom Line
Parallels Desktop is an excellent way to run Windows apps on MacOS, especially for ordinary users. It's fast in testing, offers tight integration between Macs and guest systems, and supports many other OSes, too.
Parallels Desktop is the fastest and friendliest way to run Windows apps on a Mac for the majority of users who are likely to want to do so. IT pros may prefer VMware Fusion; expert users who want no-cost apps will prefer the open-source VirtualBox. Hardcore gamers may prefer Apple's Boot Camp, which lets users boot directly into Windows, with the added bonus of native graphics card support. For most ordinary Mac users who prefer Windows versions of apps like Microsoft Office or AutoCAD, however, or who use Windows-only apps like CorelDraw or WordPerfect Office, Parallels Desktop is the clear first choice for virtualization software.
Platforms and Pricing
Parallels Desktop supports all Windows versions since Windows 2000, all Intel-based macOS versions (with some exceptions for licensing reasons), many flavors of Linux, BSD, Solaris, and a few other OSes. VMware Fusion and VirtualBox are even more flexible, and can run historical curiosities like OS/2 and NeXTSTEP. Also, unlike Parallels Desktop, VMware Fusion and VirtualBox have versions that run on Windows and Linux machines, while Parallels Desktop is Mac-only.
There's one other important difference: Parallels Desktop is a subscription-only product, so you'll have to pay $79.99 per year for the home-and-student version or $99.99 for the Pro Edition. VMware Fusion has a one-time cost (a model some consumers may prefer) of $79.99 for its standard version and $159.99 for its Pro version. VirtualBox is free for personal use and $50 for corporate use, but you get far fewer convenience features out of the box with this open-source product.
Get Started With Parallels
Parallels starts up with a menu for creating a new virtual machine or opening an existing one. This is where Parallels' focus on ordinary end users shines best. Unlike all other virtualization apps, Parallels doesn't expect you to have a Windows or Linux installer disk or disk image ready when you start it up, although it can use that image if you have one. Instead, Parallel's user-helpful menu lets you buy a Windows 10 download directly from Microsoft, or simply download a Windows 10 installer if you already have a license key.
Another set of options lets you install a Parallels system-export utility on your Windows PC, and export it to Parallels via a network (slowly) or an external drive. A scrolling list at the foot of the menu lets you download specific versions of Linux or Android, install a virtual copy of macOS from your Mac's hidden recovery partition, or install Windows from a Boot Camp partition if you have one.
Like VMware and VirtualBox, Parallels supports a Snapshot feature that lets you save a guest system in one or more configurations that you know works well, and then restore a saved configuration after making changes in the system that you don't want to preserve. However, Parallels is unique in supplementing this feature with a Rollback option that automatically discards all changes to a system when you shut it down, so it works like a kiosk system, returning to its pristine condition every time you power it up. This feature can be invaluable in testing, or in environments like schools where users are liable to leave systems a lot messier than they found them. If you used Microsoft's long-abandoned VirtualPC app, you'll remember this feature, and will welcome its return in Parallels.
Parallel's Performance
Compared to VMware, Parallels starts up Windows at top speed in testing. On my vintage 2015 MacBook Pro, Parallels boots Windows 10 to the desktop in 35 seconds, compared to 60 seconds for VMware. VirtualBox matches Parallels' boot speed, but it performs far fewer integration tasks while booting up. For example, VirtualBox doesn't provide printer integration and the ability to open Windows files with Mac apps and vice versa.
One reason for Parallels' bootup speed advantage is that Parallels uses an emulated PC BIOS that supports the Fast Startup option, and the others don't. The speed difference isn't nearly as obvious when running Windows apps after the OS starts up, however. Parallels feels slightly faster than its rivals, but not drastically so. Fast as it is, Parallels won't satisfy hard-core gamers because Parallels, like VMware Fusion, only supports DirectX 10, while VirtualBox only supports DirectX 9. There's nothing that Parallels can do about this limitation, which is the result of the Mac's limited support for OpenGL (Open Graphics Library) features.
By default when Parallels runs a Windows system, any files on your Mac desktop will also appear on your Windows desktop. This may sound convenient, but it's a feature that I always to turn off in Parallels' settings dialog. One reason I turn it off is that it leaves the Windows desktop cluttered. Another is that much of what I keep on my Mac desktop—like folders and apps—simply won't work when I click on them in Parallels' Windows desktop. Parallels tends to go overboard with integration features, turning them on by default whether you want them or not.
Another way Parallels goes overboard with its integration is its tendency to clutter up its dialogs and your Mac system with icons and folders that you probably don't want. For example, by default, it adds a folder full of Windows application to your Mac's dock, and a Parallels menu to Mac's menu bar—though you can turn these off by poking around the options and preferences windows. Some of Parallels' menus include links to a set of Mac-related utilities called the Parallels Toolbox; some of these utilities, like a quick disk-cleaning menu, are convenient, but you probably don't want all of them, and they have nothing to do with virtualization. Another link on Parallels' menus invites you to buy Acronis True Image backup software, which you probably don't need if you use your Mac's built-in backup features.
Parallel Computing
Anyone who wants to run a Windows app on the Mac should choose between our two Editors' Choice apps, Parallels Desktop and VMware Fusion. For IT managers, developers, and for many tech-savvy users, VMware is the best choice. For most home, school, and SOHO users who don't need VMware's unique cross-platform support and legacy features, Parallels Desktop is the fastest, most hassle-free way to run Windows apps on a Mac.
Bottom Line: Parallels Desktop is an excellent way to run Windows apps on MacOS, especially for ordinary users. It's fast in testing, offers tight integration between Macs and guest systems, and supports many other OSes, too.
Guest blog by Mervin Christopher, Parallels Support Team
Note: This blog post was written prior to the release of Parallels Desktop 11 and contains screenshots from Parallels Desktop 10. The points are applicable to both versions of Parallels Desktop. Thanks for reading!
Let’s say you use your virtual machine for online trading software, but it takes a long time to log in to Windows and start the actual application. Or, maybe you prefer to run video-editing software in a virtual environment. Or, like many others, you use Parallels Desktop to run Microsoft Office and it takes forever to launch. Sound familiar? Chances are that you have too few or too many resources dedicated to your VM.
How many resources do I need to allocate to my VM? If I max out the resources, will it make my VM faster? These are the kinds of questions many users regularly ask the Parallels Support team, so I thought I would shed some light on the matter by dispelling three common myths about VM performance.
Myth 1: The more processors I assign to my VM, the better.
It sounds logical—more is better, right? Wrong.
One or two virtual CPUs is enough for most of the Windows applications you run. Assigning three CPUs can even slow down overall performance, especially if you have an older Mac model.
To see how many CPUs are assigned to your VM, launch Parallels Desktop and make sure your VM is shut down. Go to Virtual Machine Configuration > Select the Hardware tab > CPU & Memory.
You can then configure the amount of processors (CPUs) to provide the appropriate number of computing resources for the workload you plan to run in the VM.
.On your Mac, choose Apple menu System Preferences, then click Sharing.Deselect the Screen Sharing checkbox.For additional remote management capabilities, such as installing and configuring apps, helping remote users, and creating detailed reports, you can purchase Apple Remote Desktop from the App Store. Apple Remote Desktop is used to remotely manage Mac computers in a commercial or business environment.Screen sharing and Apple Remote Desktop screen sharing are compatible with Virtual Network Computing (VNC), an industry standard for controlling computers remotely on a network using TCP/IP. .On your Mac, choose Apple menu System Preferences, then click Sharing.If is selected, deselect it.You can’t have both Screen Sharing and Remote Management on at the same time.Select the Screen Sharing checkbox.To specify who can share your screen, select one of the following:.All users: Any of your computer’s users can share your screen, except. If your Mac is connected to a network account server, anyone with an account on that server can share your screen using their network user name and password. Skype on macbook. See.Only these users: Screen sharing is restricted to specific users.If you selected “Only these users,” click the Add button at the bottom of the users list, then do one of the following:.Select a user from Users & Groups, which includes all the users of your Mac except sharing-only users and guest users.Select a user from Network Users or Network Groups, which includes users and groups with network server accounts.
In most cases, one or two CPUs provide the best performance. Assigning several CPUs to your virtual machine may be required if outlined in your Windows program system requirements, but it also depends on your actual Mac hardware.
If you aren’t sure if the application you want to run on your VM requires more than one CPU, test it with either one or two CPUs assigned.
I performed a small test on my MacBook Pro with 2.5 Ghz Intel Core i5 Processor and 8 GB of RAM using Parallels Desktop 10 for Mac and Windows 8.1 installed in a VM:
First, I allocated 2 CPUs and 2 GB of RAM to the VM and opened Microsoft Office 2013 and Auto Desk Revit Architecture 2015. It took a reasonable amount of time to open these applications, and overall performance was just fine. I could easily switch between Mac and Windows applications—no “hangs” or slowdowns. Then I increased it to 4 CPUs (RAM stayed at the 2 GB level). It took almost 50% more time to open Windows programs and the overall performance of Mac dropped significantly.
Here are some numbers:
With 2 CPUs assigned, Windows login took 16 seconds, Microsoft Office 2013 opened in 4 seconds, and Auto desk Revit architecture 2015 took 24 seconds to launch.
With 4 CPUs assigned, Windows login took 22 seconds, Microsoft Office 2013 opened in 8 seconds, and Auto desk Revit architecture 2015 opened in 30 seconds.
Myth 2: Maxing out my RAM makes my Windows VM run faster.
When you create a VM on your Mac, Parallels Desktop allocates a certain amount of RAM by default to your VM—the allocated amount depends on how much memory you have on your Mac and the user profile you’ve chosenduring setup.
In my test, the amount of RAM affected overall performance. I also didn’t notice significant performance improvement by changing the default RAM amount to run Microsoft Office, Internet Explorer, and other basic applications.
I used the same MacBook Pro with 8 GB of RAM for this test. I opened some basic programs like Microsoft Office and a few heavier applications like Autodesk Revit Architecture and a game called Burnout Paradise. The best performance was indicated when the VM was assigned between 2 GB and 4 GB RAM memory. Maxing out the RAM slider to 6 GB adversely affected the performance and start-up time by almost 60%.
The green section on the RAM slider indicates the recommended range and is detected in accordance with your Mac resources. Try to avoid going into the yellow or (especially) red zone—this could cause not only your Windows side to slow down, but your Mac side as well.
Myth 3: My “heavy” apps will run faster if I increase the video memory.
Believe it or not, you can actually adjust the video memory in the Video pane of the VM configuration window. To do so, go to your virtual machine’sconfiguration> Hardware > Video > Video Memory.
I would recommend setting the amount of video memory depending on specific Windows applications requirements. If you use graphic applications which require high video memory usage, set it in accordance with system requirements.
Mail app mac social and promotion. I don't like these emails mixed in with my regular inbox (i.e., the important emails).I am well aware of a couple alternative options (marking 'Promotions' and 'Social' as spam or unsubscribing from them), but I'm really just looking for a way to sort them out without doing either of those things. Gmail on the web has 'Social' and 'Promotions' tabs that filter certain types of messages. Most of the time, I plan to ignore emails that end up in either of those folders.On iOS 7 in the Mail app, is it possible to some how sort out 'Promotions' and 'Social' emails from the main lot, similar to how Gmail does on the web?
I did a test by installing two different heavy applications, the Burnout Paradise game and Autodesk Revit Architecture on my Windows 8.1 VM. Initially, I assigned 256 MB of RAM video memory, started the game and it opened slowly with the screen flickering. Why? The game’s system requirements were not met with that amount of video memory.
Then I went ahead and assigned 1 GB of video memory and tried to play Burnout Paradise again. This time, the performance was good, with clear video and no major lags.
The same thing happened when testing Autodesk Revit Architecture—it looked blurry and took more than 30 seconds to start with 256 MB of video memory. Once I increased the video memory to 1 GB, it was faster and opened smoothly within 20 seconds.
I played with the different video memory settings and it turned out that assigning video memory between 512 MB and 1 GB was the best for my test. Note that I was running “graphics-hungry” programs—I wouldn’t need to increase the video memory for basic applications like Microsoft Office.
When I assigned 2 GB of video memory for my test the VM slowed. I can’t blame the VM for this—the Mac itself didn’t have enough available resources, and 2 GB was in the “red zone” in this case. So, as a result, assigning as much video memory as possible doesn’t always increase the performance—it can actually degrade it.
Set My Default Apps
If you’re running 3D programs in the virtual environment, I recommend adjusting a few more settings.
To configure 3D settings, go to VM’sconfiguration> Hardware > Video and select ON or select a version of DirectX (10 or 9) from the 3D acceleration menu. Make sure Parallels Tools is installed before enabling these settings.
Make Microsoft My Default App
You can also visit our Knowledgebase to learn more about improving your VM’s performance.
We hope these tips and tricks were helpful—and don’t forget to follow the Parallels Support team on Twitter!
Parallels is the #1 solution for running Windows on Mac for over 10 years. Curious to see if your specific non-Mac application can run through Parallels Desktop? Feel free to try it out yourself—download a free 14-day trial.