Parallels For Mac How To Make It Work Better
Parallels Desktop for Mac Build 5608 added support for guest Parallels Tools for Linux in the latest Linux distributions (including Ubuntu 8). It also added support for running 3D graphics in Windows virtual machines on Mac OS X Leopard 10.5.3. The latest version of Parallels for Mac works best on the latest. Parallels for Mac makes it possible to place Windows applications in the Dock,.
You can use Apple's built-in Boot Camp software to install Windows on your Mac, which will require you to partition your hard drive in order to make a space for the new operating system. You don't, however, have to partition your hard drive in order to use Windows on a Mac.
You can use a virtual machine instead. A virtual machine is what it sounds like. It's a virtual simulation of a real machine. You can install a virtual machine program onto your Mac and use it to open and run a full operating system like Windows, right on your desktop without having to partition your hard drive at all. You can have both operating systems running at the same time!
One of the most popular virtual machine programs for Mac is Parallels Desktop. It's been around for a long time and is kept up to date with support for the latest computers and operating systems.
Here's how to get Parallels Desktop on your Mac and then install and run Windows 10 from within your macOS operating system without having to switch hard drive partitions.
Check your system and hardware requirements
Before getting started with this guide, make sure you have the minimum requirements for hardware. Here are the hardware system requirements to install Parallels Desktop.
- A Mac computer with an Intel Core 2 Duo, Core i3, Core i5, Core i7, Core i9, Intel Core M or Xeon processor
- Minimum 4 GB of memory, 16 GB is recommended
- 500 MB for Parallels Desktop application installation
- Additional disk space for the guest operating system (at least 16 GB is required for Windows 10)
- SSD drive is recommended for better performance
- Internet connection for product activation and select features
Your Mac operating system should also be no older than four years.
- macOS Catalina 10.15
- macOS Mojave 10.14
- macOS High Sierra 10.13
- macOS Sierra 10.12
Additionally, your Mac must be able to support Windows 10.
- MacBook (2015 and later)
- MacBook Air (2012 and later)
- MacBook Pro (2012 and later)
- Mac mini (2012 and later)
- iMac (2012 and later)
- iMac Pro (2017 and later)
- Mac Pro (2013 and later)
Before you start: Back up your Mac
This is one of those aweful mistakes that people make, thinking that they don't need to back up their Mac before doing something big. First offf, you should be backing up your Mac on a regular basis, but even if you don't do so multiple times per day, you should definitely do so right now, before you continue with this guide. Seriously. Back it up.
How to run Windows on Mac using Parallels Desktop 15
Of course, you'll need Parallels Desktop and Windows 10 in order to download and install them. Parallels Desktop costs $80 for a standard license. The Pro Edition and Business Edition are both $100 per year. You can either buy a full license right now, or start with the free two-week trial and make your full purchase later.
You'll also need a copy of Windows 10. You might already have a license or you might need to buy a copy. You can load Windows 10 right from within Parallels Desktop and you'll be up and running as soon as the installation is complete.
How to download and install Parallels Desktop 15
Step one is to download Parallels desktop. You can either buy a full license right now, or start with the free two-week trial.
Once the program is finished downloading, follow these steps to complete the installation process:
- Double-click on the ParallelsDesktop.dmg file to open it (it might be in Finder or on your desktop, you can search for it in Spotlight if it's not easy to find).
- Double-click on Install in the Parallels Desktop window that appears.
Click Open if you are asked to confirm that you want to install Parallels Desktop.
- Accept the License Agreement.
- Enter the Administrator Name and Password for your Mac when prompted.
Once Parallels Desktop is installed, it will automatically take you to a page where you can download Windows 10. If you already have a copy of Windows 10, you can skip the step. If not, click Install Windows to begin the installation process.
If you already own a copy of Windows 10, click Skip and then click New from the Parallels Desktop dropdown menu. You can then select your copy of Windows 10 from the available options.
After Windows 10 has installed on your Mac, you'll be directed to sign into your Parallels Desktop account. If you don't already have one, you can create one right now.
After signing in or signing up for a Parallels Desktop account, Windows 10 will pop up in a new window. It sort of looks like you're just using a new program or web browser, but you've got a virtual simulation of Windows 10, in its entirety right on your Mac!
Any questions?
Do you have any questions about how to run Windows 10 on your Mac using Parallels Desktop? Put them in the comments section and we'll help you out.
macOS Catalina
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I've been a Mac since 2006, or the first year that Apple introduced the Intel-based Mac, and I bought my first Mac to be a Windows Machine. In retrospect, I'm glad that I made the full switch over to macOS; but when you really NEED to run Windows on your Mac, there are really only a few ways to make this happen.
One of the best and easiest ways to run Windows on your Mac is with Parallels Desktop. Parallels recently released version 14 of their flagship virtual machine software. It allows you to run the latest, greatest version of Windows on your Mac.
With over 50 new features and improved performance, Parallels offers some compelling reasons to either hop on the bandwagon and upgrade or to jump in with both feet and take the plunge as a first-time buyer. Let's take a look and see if this is the version that brings Windows to the Mac on your desktop.
Parallels Desktop 14
Price: $80 for a new version or $50 for an upgrade
Bottom line: This is the best version of Parallels' VM software yet, making the choice to buy a no-brainer.
The Call to Upgrade
There are a few key reasons to upgrade to Parallels 14 from an earlier version. The biggest is that version 13.x won't run on macOS Mojave. A new macOS version will always require an update to key utilities like Parallels Desktop. The new OS will have features that will impair the functionality of or outright prevent the software from running. Existing Parallels users MUST upgrade if they move to macOS Mojave.
Over and above the mandate, if you will, there are a few benefits to the new software. Parallels Desktop 14 fully supports Mojave's Dark Mode, one of macOS' most anticipated pieces of eye candy. Perhaps the most noticeable feature is that Parallels Desktop 14 is 35% faster than previous versions; and it was immediately noticeable, too. This means that existing VM's really move. Based on my limited experience running both a Windows 7 and Windows 10 VM, I can attest to the increased speed. The new version also uses a great deal less space. Your VM's can be up to 20GB smaller, with automatic disk monitoring.
From a resource use perspective, Parallels 14 also provides an easy way to monitor RAM and CPU utilization. It will automatically adjust VRAM usage for the best VM performance possible. It's perhaps one of the better versions of Parallels to do this, too.
New Features
The latest version of Parallels Desktop comes with 50 new features, including the five I mentioned above. If you have a 2016-2018 MacBook Pro, Parallels Desktop will provide additional application support for your Windows apps through the Touch Bar. Apps and the OS itself will make use of the additional, second screen on your modern MBP. You also get enhanced access to the Touch Bar Wizard for even more customization options.
You also get the ability to use a stylus pen – or your finger by holding down the Fn key – in both Mac and Windows without having to connect or disconnect devices. You can use your Mac's webcam, as well as use your multi-display setup in Full-Screen mode while adjusting your video memory needs automatically.
Parallels Desktop 14 has enhanced Windows and Mac integration, including support for the 2018 Fall update of Windows 10, Version 1809. It also includes improved maintenance features allowing you to schedule maintenance and keep working, even while downloading and installing system updates.
Static or Subscription
Licensing for a lot of modern software is shifting from a standalone license to a subscription model. Consumers have seen that in a number of popular titles, include apps like Office 365 and Creative Cloud. You pay a little each month, and you get software for a year. Parallels Desktop is doing this as well; and this year, their subscription model is taking more of a front seat as opposed to its standard license. The matrix below outlines which features come at which tier level. The Standard Edition is the only edition not on a subscription model.
If you want better performance and more features, for the same price as the static upgrade or $20 more on a full license, the Pro Edition is perhaps the best way to go here.
Standard Edition | Pro Edition | Business Edition | |
---|---|---|---|
Download and install Windows 10 in one click | X | X | X |
Ready for macOS Mojave (10.14) | X | X | X |
Customize Touch Bar for Windows applications | X | X | X |
Virtual RAM for each VM | 8GB vRAM | 128GB vRAM | 128GB vRAM |
Virtual CPU's for each VM | 4 vCPUs | 32 vCPUs | 32 vCPUs |
Integration With Chef/Ohai/Docker | X | X | |
Network conditioner to simulate speeds and test | X | X | |
Visual Studio Plug-In | X | X | |
Debug, dump VM, or start an SSH session from menu | X | X | |
Support for business cloud services | X | X | |
Premium 24/7 phone and email support | 30-days | X | X |
Centralized administration and management | X | X | |
Unified volume license key for mass deployment | X | X | |
Upgrade Pricing (Parallels 12 and above required) | $49.99 | $49.99/ year | $99.99/ year |
Full License Pricing | $79.99 | $99.99/ year | $99.99/ year |
Verdict
I've been a Parallels Desktop user since 2008, with the introduction of Parallels Desktop 4. It's come a long way in the past 10 years. Back in the day, virtualization software was slow; and you really, really needed a powerful Mac with a decent amount of RAM in order to be able to run both Mac and Windows software at the same time; and even then, performance still stunk. Parallels Desktop was slow; but it was still, in my opinion, the best and easiest way to run Windows and Windows apps on a Mac without having to constantly reboot the machine.
The current version – Parallels Desktop 14 – is by far – the best version of the virtualization environment yet. It's fast. I have both Windows 10 AND Windows 7 VM's on my Mac, and running them under Parallels Desktop 14 is very surprising to me, since they perform like native hardware PC's.
From a pricing perspective, making the upgrade to Parallels Desktop 14 was an easy decision.
I tend to run in Coherence mode, which hides the standard Windows Desktop and allows you to run a Windows app side by side with native Mac apps, sharing and swapping data back and forth between both, if you like. The operations are smooth, and for the first time, completely seamless.
From a pricing perspective, making the upgrade to Parallels Desktop 14 was an easy decision. At $50 a year, the Pro Edition, with the extra features and improved performance was a no-brainer. Since my current Mac will work well with Mojave, upgrading was a foregone conclusion for me – I really didn't have a choice, as Parallels Desktop 13 won't support macOS Mojave. However, I feel – and I think you will too – the cost of the upgrade is worth the expense, as you get a ton of performance features, but a bump up to the next and any additional releases for free for a year with your subscription.
Parallels Desktop 14 is the flagship consumer product from Parallels and is available via free trial or to purchase new for $80 or as an upgrade for $50.
macOS Catalina
Main
We may earn a commission for purchases using our links. Learn more.
an interesting turn of eventsBrazil court rules in favor of Apple over iPhone slowing
A court in Brazil has dismissed a case against Apple over the iPhone slowdown controversy as unfounded after authorities determined that Apple had taken appropriate action.