Parallels Desktop for Mac App Store Edition updates summary

Parallels Desktop for Mac App Store Edition 1.9.4 (23885)

Parallels Desktop for Mac App Store Edition 1.9.4 (build 23885) update addresses the overall stability and security issues and includes the following additions and improvements:

General​

• Adds OS badges to app icons displayed in macOS Spotlight search results, a helpful visual cue that tells you exactly which app you are about to launch. 

• Fixes the issue of USB devices not showing up correctly in virtual machines when connected to USB 2.0 ports. The fix requires macOS 14.5 or newer installed on your Mac. 

Windows 11

• Brings the redesigned version of shared Mac folders which are now symlinks, which act like pointers to the files in your Mac folders while still appearing to be located on the Windows’s local drive. To learn more, read our KB article here. 

• Fixes the issue that prevented NinjaTrader from starting correctly due to a shared folder issue. 

• Fixes the issue that prevented Mathematica and other apps from running correctly due to a shared folder issue. 

• Fixes the issue that prevented a Windows 11 virtual machine from installing correctly if the user attempted to open a .exe file on their Mac during the installation process. 

• Fixes the issue that triggered Windows crash (BSOD) when installing LabVIEW in Windows 11 virtual machines running on Apple Silicon Macs. 

What Will Be Deprecated or Removed from Parallels Desktop Soon:

According to the statistics from the users who participate in the Parallels Customer Experience program, some product features are used very seldom or not at all. We have decided to either stop supporting them or completely remove them from Parallels Desktop and focus on frequently used features and further enhancements.

Below is the list of features that are no longer supported and will be removed – not in version 1.9.4, but in one of the next major versions of Parallels Desktop for Mac. None of the features mentioned below are business-critical, so these changes will have little to no effect on your workflow.

On all Mac computers, the following things are no longer supported

• Travel Mode
• The 32-bit version of Parallels Tools for Windows and Linux
• The option to download Parallels Access from the Parallels Desktop Preferences panel

On Mac computers with Intel processors, the following things are no longer supported

• Resource Monitor
• Support for macOS 10.5 to 10.8 virtual machines

Parallels Desktop for Mac App Store Edition 1.9.3 (23882)

Parallels Desktop for Mac App Store Edition 1.9.3 (build 23882) update addresses the overall stability and security issues and includes the following additions and improvements:

General

• Fixes the issue with Parallels Desktop failing to launch on Apple Silicon Macs with a Virtual Machine Monitor error.

Windows 11

• Fixes an issue where Windows would get stuck at booting after a Parallels Tools update.
• Fixes a graphic rendering issue in Dark Souls 2.
• Fixes various graphic rendering issues in Genshin Impact.

Linux

• Adds support for express installation of Arm versions of Ubuntu Desktop 21 & 22.
• Improves the trackpad scrolling sensitivity and enables manual scrolling speed adjustments. To adjust sensitivity, execute the following command in macOS Terminal:
  
  $ defaults write "com.parallels.Parallels Desktop" "HID Host Hook.Scroll Sensitivity" X
  Where X should be lower than 120 (20 = the default value, 120 = the lowest sensivity)

What Will Be Deprecated or Removed from Parallels Desktop Soon:

According to the statistics from the users who participate in the Parallels Customer Experience program, some product features are used very seldom or not at all. We have decided to either stop supporting them or completely remove them from Parallels Desktop and focus on frequently used features and further enhancements.

Below is the list of features that are no longer supported and will be removed – not in version 1.9.3, but in one of the next major versions of Parallels Desktop for Mac. None of the features mentioned below are business-critical, so these changes will have little to no effect on your workflow.

On all Mac computers, the following things are no longer supported

• Travel Mode
• The 32-bit version of Parallels Tools for Windows and Linux
• The option to download Parallels Access from the Parallels Desktop Preferences panel

On Mac computers with Intel processors, the following things are no longer supported

• Resource Monitor
• Support for macOS 10.5 to 10.8 virtual machines

Parallels Desktop for Mac App Store Edition 1.9.2 (23872)

Parallels Desktop for Mac App Store Edition 1.9.2 (build 23872) update addresses the overall stability and security issues and includes the following additions and improvements:

General

• Introduces a new approach to VM cloning using native APFS mechanisms that drastically improves cloning operation speed;
• Fixes an issue where a VM window becomes half transparent while running on a Mac with multiple displays;
• Fixes an issue where Parallels Desktop loses network communication in an IPv6-only network.

Windows 11

• Fixes an issue where Windows VM fails with BSOD while running on an external drive with macOS Sonoma as a primary OS;
• Fixes an issue where a video timeline was not displayed correctly in the VIRBE video editor;
• Sets A4 as a default paper size for new shared printers added to Windows machines.

Parallels Desktop for Mac App Store Edition 1.9.1 (23861)

Parallels Desktop 1.9.1 App Store Edition update addresses the overall stability and security issues and includes the following additions and improvements:  

Windows 11 

• Adds a blur effect during the virtual machine window resizing to better indicate the resolution adjustment process; 

• Fixes various graphics issues with OpenGL-based applications, including AutoTRAX Dex, FINALE 3D, Blender 3.3 LTS, Optuma, TerMus-BIM; 

• Fixes an issue where mac OS dock would disappear when running Windows 11 on external display, even with the "Automatically hide and show the Dock" option disabled in macOS; 

• Fixes an issue with macOS dock not hiding when the “Optimize full screen for games” option is enabled. 

Linux 

• Adds a blur effect during the virtual machine window resizing to better indicate the resolution adjustment process; 

• Adds support for Linux kernel version 6.5.

Parallels Desktop for Mac App Store Edition 1.9.0 (23860)

Parallels Desktop for Mac 1.9.0 App Store Edition update addresses the overall stability and security issues and includes the following additions and improvements: 

Ready for macOS Sonoma 14 

Parallels Desktop 1.9.0 fully supports macOS Sonoma 14 both as a primary OS on Mac as well as running in a virtual machine, so you can upgrade your Mac computers when the new operating system is available. You will see more details about specific improvements for macOS Sonoma below. 

Look and Feel 

• Adds a new application icon that reflects the latest design guidelines; 

• Adds redesigned dialogs and alerts for easier interaction with the application; 

• Adds confirmation dialogs before opening archived and packed virtual machines; 

• Adds a "Do not show again" checkbox to the warning dialog when reverting to a snapshot. 

Windows on Mac 

• Integration with Mac: Enables using your Mac’s Touch ID to log into your Windows 10 or Windows 11 virtual machine. Your Windows account credentials are securely stored in macOS Keychain, protected with Touch ID, and available only on this Mac. 

• Graphics: Adds support for OpenGL up to version 4.1 in Windows, enabling you to run ArcGIS CityEngine 2023, Vectorworks Vision 2023, VariCAD, Deswik.CAD, and more. This version also improves performance for ArcGIS Pro software. 

• Printing: On macOS Sonoma, Parallels Desktop 1.9.0 now uses an Internet Printing Protocol (IPP) for printing from Windows that provides better compatibility with hardware-supported features. 

• Keyboard: In Microsoft Edge, Command+W now closes a tab instead of quitting the application. 

Linux 

• Adds support for several newest Linux distributions, including Ubuntu 22.04.2, Fedora 38, Debian 12, CentOS 9, and more; 

• Enables installing and running the Arm version of CentOS 9 Stream on Mac computers with Apple Silicon. 

What was removed from Parallels Desktop 1.9.0 

According to the statistics from the users who participate in the Parallels Customer Experience program, some product features are rarely used or not at all. We have decided to either stop supporting and remove them from Parallels Desktop or focus on frequently used features and further enhancements. 

• macOS 10.14, 10.15, and 11 (as primary OS) will not be able to run Parallels Desktop 1.9.0. As a user, you can still use previous versions of Parallels Desktop on these macOS systems and even activate it with your Parallels Desktop 1.9.0 license key; 

• On Mac computers with Intel processors, older Windows OS versions (2000, XP, Vista, 8, and 8.1) are no longer supported. As a user, you can still install or use them, but they are no longer maintained. Parallels recommends upgrading to the latest versions; 

• The “Print to PDF (Mac Desktop)” printing option is no longer available. Use Microsoft’s "Print to PDF" instead; 

• On Mac computers with Intel processors, the “Transfer Windows from PC” option is no longer available. Use Apple Migration Assistant to migrate data and reinstall Windows applications in your new Windows virtual machine manually; 

• The "Check for Updates" dropdown with the check frequency selector is no longer available. If automatic checks are enabled, Parallels Desktop checks for updates once a day when running. 

Parallels Desktop for Mac App Store Edition 1.8.2 (23832)

Parallels Desktop for Mac 1.8.2 App Store Edition update addresses the overall stability and security issues and includes the following additions and improvements:

• Adds support for Red Hat Enterprise Linux 9.1 on Mac computers with M-series chips.
• Fixes an issue of broken video playback on Ubuntu 22.04 VMs after suspension and resumption.
• Fixes an issue of inability to write or delete files on a VM-connected SD card.
• Fixes an issue of Pytha CAD software incorrectly displaying black lines on 3D objects.

Parallels Desktop for Mac App Store Edition 1.8.1 (23812)

Parallels Desktop for Mac 1.8.1 App Store Edition includes the following fixes and improvements:

• Resolves the issue of Error 400 occurring when authenticating through “Sign in with Google”.
• Resolves an issue with enabling folder sharing between macOS and VMs.
• Adds support for Linux kernel 5.19 and newer on Intel Macs.
• Addresses various other stability and security issues.

Parallels Desktop for Mac App Store Edition 1.8.0 (23810)

Graphics

For Apple M series chip Mac computers:

• On Mac computers with a ProMotion display, Windows will now adopt display refresh rate changes automatically if it has been changed in macOS.
• Improved default resolution in macOS virtual machines.

Usability

For all supported Mac computers:

• Parallels Tools update will be installed upon Windows restart to prevent unwanted interruptions.
• Safari will now use Parallels account credentials previously created in Parallels Desktop. 
• Editing Parallels Desktop network preferences is now much easier and protected from both human errors and conflicts with the macOS network. 
• Redesigned virtual machine Sharing options for better usability.

For Intel-based Mac computers:

• Download and install Windows 11 via the in-product offer.
• When using the Parallels hypervisor, Parallels Desktop now displays a notification informing you about system memory issues if they occur.

Compatibility

For Apple M series chip Mac computers:

• Parallels Tools driver responsible for Shared Folders functionality has been re-built to ARM architecture to provide better compatibility with Intel applications in Windows running on Apple M series Mac. 
• On Mac computers with a ProMotion display, the macOS menu bar remains visible for virtual machines in full-screen mode when configured accordingly.

Devices

For all supported Mac computers:

• A new virtual controller device is automatically created in Windows when a Bluetooth controller is connected to the Mac, allowing users to play Windows games with Xbox, DualSense, and other game controllers.
• The Virtio network driver used in Windows and Linux by default now supports jumbo Ethernet frames.
• Improved USB 3.0 support: Works with live data streaming devices (webcams, game capture devices, and a range of other video and audio streaming devices, including Elgato HD60 S, SOCT Copernicus REVO, and more). 
• Improved mouse precision in Windows when the mouse is in gaming mode.

For Apple M series chip Mac computers:

• Added the ability to use network boot with Linux ARM virtual machines.

Design

For all supported Mac computers:

• Updated the Parallels Desktop menu bar icon design.
• Virtual machine and Shared Applications icons in the Dock don't have the Parallels logo anymore. To distinguish Windows apps from macOS apps, tag the virtual machine with color in Finder or via the Control Center context menu.
• New navigation, search functionality, and feedback forms have been introduced to Parallels online documentation.

Other

For all supported Mac computers:

• Downloadable Linux virtual machines have been updated with the latest OS versions (also known as virtual appliances or free systems).

For Apple M series chip Mac computers:

• Added the ability to select Windows 11 edition before installing via the in-product offer.

Parallels Desktop for Mac App Store Edition 1.7.3 (23546)

This update for Parallels Desktop for Mac 1.7.3 (23546) addresses overall stability and performance issues.

Parallels Desktop for Mac App Store Edition 1.7.2 (23531)

Parallels Desktop for Mac 1.7.2 App Store Edition addresses overall stability and security issues, and includes the following fixes and improvements:

New

• When you start the PC Health Check app, new dialogs are displayed and provide additional information whether your Intel-based version of Windows 10 can be upgraded to Windows 11.

Issues reported by Parallels Desktop users

• Resolves an issue with an ARM-based Windows 11 virtual machine not having the MS Store app installed. Learn more at KB 128520.
• Resolves a USB devices connectivity issue.
• Resolves an issue with the Ubuntu screen becoming black after switching to VirGL graphics when registering an old virtual machine in the latest version of Parallels Desktop.
• Updated the ARM-based version of Kali Linux installed in a free system (a pre-configured and ready to use virtual machine) to 2021.3.
• Resolves an issue with missing terrain textures in Road 96.
• Resolves an issue with the launcher colored blue in Black Desert.
• Resolves an issue with manual allocation of CPUs when the Processors menu contained less CPUs than available on the Mac.

Parallels Desktop for Mac App Store Edition 1.7.1 (23524)

Parallels Desktop for Mac 1.7.1 App Store Edition improves compatibility with Windows 11, addresses overall stability and security issues, and includes the following fixes and improvements:

• Resolves an issue with adding a virtual TPM chip to Windows 10 or Windows 11 virtual machines.
• For new Windows 11 virtual machines, a virtual TPM chip is added automatically.
• For new Windows 10 virtual machines created on Mac computers with the Apple M1 chip, a virtual TPM chip is added automatically.
• Resolves graphics issues with various Windows games including, but not limited to: World of Warcraft, Age of Empires II: Definitive Edition, Tomb Raider III, Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain, Mount & Blade II: Bannerlord, World of Tanks, and Raft.
• Delivers support for VirGL in Virtio GPU which enables Linux 3D acceleration out of the box in supported Linux distributions, brings visual performance improvements, and allows using the Wayland protocol in Linux virtual machines.

Parallels Desktop for Mac App Store Edition 1.7.0 (23447)

This major update for Parallels Desktop version 1.7.0 addresses overall stability and security issues, and includes the following fixes and improvements: 

Performance

- For all supported Mac computers:

• Automatic CPU and memory allocation. Parallels Desktop evaluates your Mac's hardware and automatically allocates as many resources to your virtual machine as needed to provide the best possible experience with Windows. If you then transfer this virtual machine to another Mac, Parallels Desktop will allocate CPU and memory based on the new hardware configuration.
• Virtual machines resume up to 38% faster now.

- For Mac computers with the Apple M1 chip only:

• Windows 10 and Windows 11 on ARM Insider Preview start up to 33% faster.
• Up to 20% faster disk performance for Windows 10 and Windows 11 on ARM Insider Preview.

Graphics

- For all supported Mac computers:

• Improved display driver delivers much smoother Windows UI responsiveness and synchronized video playback experience. The new driver boosts frame rate in many Windows games for a greater gaming experience and provides better synchronization with Mac's display.
• Up to 6 times faster OpenGL graphics performance.
• Up to 25% faster graphics performance in Windows virtual machines.

- For Mac computers with the Apple M1 chip only:

• Added support for the dynamic resolution in Linux virtual machines, so it becomes much more convenient to use them in the Window view mode. When you resize the virtual machine window, Linux adjusts the screen resolution automatically.
• Up to 28% faster DirectX 11 graphics performance.

Usability

• The improved Devices menu now shows the same devices' names as in macOS:
• for USB drives - the same name as in the Finder;
• for printers and scanners - the same name as in the macOS System Preferences;
• additional numbering (#2, #3, etc.) is used only if there are two identical devices connected to the Mac.
• The Free Up Disk Space assistant shows how much space is taken by the virtual machine snapshots allowing you to manage your disk space better.

Integration

• Drag and drop text and images from macOS to any Windows application and vice versa. 
• Copy formatted text in macOS and paste it as plain (without formatting) in virtual machine applications using the "Command + Shift + Option + V" keyboard shortcut.
• Improvements for the keyboard layout. You can now remap AltGr to Mac's Option key and use the left Option button for entering accented language characters and special symbols.

Devices

- For all supported Mac computers:

• Support for USB 3.1. Connect even more USB devices to your virtual machines, including Samsung T7 Touch and Pro Elite portable SSDs, and more.
• Support for a virtual Trusted Platform Module chip (vTPM) and Secure Boot in Windows 10 and Windows 11 on ARM Insider Preview virtual machines.
• Multimonitor support for Linux. You can now use Linux virtual machines in the full screen view mode on multiple displays.

- For Mac computers with the Apple M1 chip only:

• Support for the battery device in Windows 10 and Windows 11 on ARM Insider Preview virtual machines. Now Windows detects when your Mac is running out of battery and enables the power saving mode automatically.
• Support for the serial port device both in Windows 10 and Windows 11 on ARM Insider Preview and Linux virtual machines. You can add up to 4 serial ports in each virtual machine.
• Support for the sound device in Linux virtual machines.

Other

• Updated the operating systems installed free of charge and available to download virtual machines (also known as virtual appliances or free systems) to the latest versions.
• Updated and refreshed the Virtual Machine Configuration and Parallels Desktop Preferences dialogs to match the new macOS design.

Parallels Desktop for Mac App Store Edition 1.6.1 (21141)

Parallels Desktop for Mac 1.6.1 App Store Edition addresses overall stability and security issues, and includes the following fixes and improvements:

Support for macOS 11 Big Sur
Parallels Desktop for Mac App Store Edition has been optimized for macOS 11 Big Sur with a refreshed design, easier setup and other improvements. Below is the list of the most important fixes:

Big Sur as a host operating system

• Resolves an issue with a Mac crashing after trying to start a virtual machine.
• Resolves an issue with a virtual machine crashing when a user logs in to Windows.
• Resolves an issue with the CPU menu in the virtual machine configuration showing only two menu items.
• Resolves an issue with the “Unable to pause “virtual machine name”.” message appearing while deleting a snapshot.
• Resolves an issue with the Parallels Desktop window moving up when switching between the tabs of the Parallels Desktop Preferences and virtual machine configuration dialog.
• Resolves an issue with multiple virtual machine icons in the Dock.

Big Sur in a virtual machine

• Resolves an issue with not being able to upgrade an existing macOS virtual machine to macOS 11 Big Sur.
• Resolves an issue with not being able to install macOS 11 Big Sur in a virtual machine from the Recovery partition.
• Resolves an issue with a macOS 11 Big Sur virtual machine showing a black screen after the Parallels Tools reinstallation.
• Resolves an issue with a macOS virtual machine showing a black screen after upgrading it to macOS 11 Big Sur.
• Resolves a rare issue with a macOS 11 Big Sur virtual machine rebooting when a user logs in.
• Resolves an issue with the default screen resolution set to 1024x768 in a macOS 11 Big Sur virtual machine created on a Mac with the macOS version other than Big Sur.
• Resolves an issue with Installation Assistant showing the macOS 11 Big Sur version incorrectly (as 10.16).

Other improvements

• The Parallels Desktop user interface has been updated to meet the macOS 11 Big Sur style.
• Parallels Desktop meets the macOS 11 Big Sur privacy restrictions. For example, it is not allowed to use Bluetooth until a user gives consent.

Network

• You can configure Bridged networking for your virtual machine.

Graphics

• Support for DirectX 11.1 which brings better support for high-resolution monitors and support for more applications and games that require DirectX 11.
• Support for Metal graphics in macOS Big Sur 11 (and later) virtual machines. This allowed Parallels engineers to improve the guest version of macOS performance and fix a number of issues that were reported in 2018-2020:
  ⁃    Selected text in a PDF document opened in Preview is blacked out.
  ⁃    Blank interface in the FileSimple application.
  ⁃    The clock in the macOS menu bar doesn’t look sharp sometimes.
  ⁃    Multiple tabs in Safari are displayed with graphical artifacts.
  ⁃    The Notes app crashes in macOS virtual machines.
  ⁃    The Maps app shows a black screen.
  ⁃    Black thumbnails in the Photos app installed in a macOS virtual machine.

Applications

Graphics

• Resolves an issue with graphics artifacts in Citrix, SOLIDWORKS 2020, SolidBuilder, DesignBuilder, Insignia Approver, TopSolid 2020 v6.21, BricsCAD, Creo 6.0, Creo Parametric 7.0.1.0, iRidium Studio, iCam 3D, FreeCAD 0.18.4, CATIA, Solid Edge 2020, Namirial Termo 5, Winner Design 12, Minitab 19, Olex² Crystallography Software, Mercury, ANSYS 17.2, TRASSIR (DSSL), FEFLOW (DHI), MySQL Workbench, Gradework 4D, pCon.planner, Abaqus, Microsoft Whiteboard, and the FabFilter Pro-Q 3 plugin for Samplitude Pro X5.
• Resolves an issue with incorrect rendering in the 3D viewer of the AmiBroker app, LDView, SoundPLAN.
• Resolves an issue with video glitching in Realtime Landscaping Architect 2018.
• Resolves an issue with a corrupted image from the built-in Face Time camera in the Microsoft Teams settings dialog.
• Resolves an issue with red dots in Drobo Dashboard.
• Resolves an issue with graphs not displayed in LTpowerCAD v2.7.1.
• Resolves an issue with Paratext 9 starting with a black screen.
• Resolves an issue with reticulate transparency not working and cut parts not disappearing in KOMPAS 3D v18.1 and v19.
• Resolves a rare issue with red overlay in the Windows 10 Start menu.
• Resolves an issue with the dark screen in Pro100 v6.15 when moving the camera.
• Resolves an issue with PRO100 v5.20 showing an error message about a problem with the graphics adapter.
• Resolves an issue with graphics artifacts appearing when selecting or highlighting objects in Condacam 3.1.
• Resolves an issue with graphics artifacts and the virtual machine becoming unresponsive after dragging a window in openSUSE 15.2 with FVWM2.
• Resolves an issue with black squares instead of shadows in Ubuntu 16.04.

Miscellaneous

• Resolves an issue with slow performance of Solid Edge, Citrix, Insignia Approver and TopSolid 2020 v6.21 when running in a virtual machine.
• Resolves an issue with Virtual Worlds crashing when a user tries to open a file.
• Resolves an issue with not being able to preview an image in pCon.planner 8.3 Update 2 or print it to PDF.
• Resolves an issue with the Microsoft PowerPoint presentation mode not working in Windows on an external screen.
• Resolves an issue with PaletteCAD v10 and ParaVIEW not starting in a virtual machine.
• Resolves an issue with the Chrome web browser showing a blank window in an Ubuntu 20.04 virtual machine.
• Resolves an issue with the Siemens NX 12 application showing the “Internal error: Memory access violation.” error message.
• Resolves an issue with a virtual machine freezing when using “Polycom Real Presence”.
• Resolves an issue with AutoCad opening the projects located in a shared folder as “read-only”.
• Resolves an issue with Bosch Video Security not working when Parallels Tools are installed.
• Resolves an issue with not being able to install PROFIS Detection in a Windows virtual machine.

Windows

• Resolves an issue with starting a Windows 10 virtual machine on a Mac with macOS 10.15 Catalina and sometimes blocking the Mac.
• Resolves a rare issue with a Windows 8.1 virtual machine getting stuck on booting Windows.
• Resolves an issue with not being able to install Windows 10 Insider Preview build 20175 in a virtual machine.
• Resolves an issue with a Windows 10 virtual machine periodically freezing when being used with Sidecar.
• Resolves an issue with graphics artifacts appearing when connecting to a virtual machine via RDP.
• Resolves an issue with Windows having no Internet connection and showing the previous network adapter after changing the network adapter type in the virtual machine configuration.
• Resolves an issue with a Windows virtual machine sometimes not shutting down after changing a network adapter in the virtual machine configuration.

Linux

• Resolves an issue with Parallels Tools for Linux causing dracut issues in CentOS 7.
• Resolves an issue with Ubuntu virtual machines crashing when using Zoom with NDI camera.
• Resolves an issue with a Linux virtual machine getting stuck when copying large files from/to an external hard disk.
• Resolves an issue with not being able to copy a file from an external disk to a Linux virtual machine and receiving the “cp: skipping file <>, as it was replaced while being copied” error message.

macOS

• Resolves an issue with low quality sound in macOS virtual machines.
• Resolves a rare issue with not being able to install Mac OS X 10.6 Snow Leopard Server and Mac OS X 10.11 El Capitan in a virtual machine.
• Resolves an issue with not being able to create a macOS installation disk on an external disk with plenty of disk space provided that there is not enough space on the Mac’s internal disk.
• Resolves an issue with Parallels Tools for macOS not updating automatically in an OS X 10.7 Lion virtual machine.

Printing

• Resolves an issue with bad letter spacing when printing a document from a virtual machine using “Print to PDF (Mac Desktop)”.

Devices

• Resolves an issue with a microphone sometimes not working in Windows 10.
• Resolves an issue with not being able to use iLock USB keys in Windows.
• Resolves an issue with the "§" and "<" keyboard symbols being swapped.
• Resolves an issue with the ”\” and "<" keyboard symbols being swapped.
• Resolves an issue with the '0' and 'í' symbols in the Hungarian keyboard layout.
• Resolves an issue with the German keyboard layout (typing “^” instead of “<“, “<“ instead of “,”, etc.).
• Games
• Resolves an issue with Crucible not working in a virtual machine.
• Resolves an issue with graphics artifacts in the Construct 2 game engine, Kingdom Rush Frontiers, Crossout, and Minecraft Java Edition v1.12.2.
• Resolves an issue with improperly rendered textures in City of Heroes.

Other

• Resolves an issue with a virtual machine sometimes freezing the Mac after interrupting the “Free Up Disk Space” operation.
• Resolves a rare issue with Parallels Desktop not starting and showing the “Unable to connect to Parallels Service” error message.
• Resolves an issue with not being able to remove the Mac Files folder in a Windows XP virtual machine.
• Resolves an issue with the screen resolution not changing when resizing a window of a legacy OS X virtual machine (e.g., Snow Leopard Server).
• Resolves a rare issue with Parallels Desktop not responding after shutting down a virtual machine and trying to quit Parallels Desktop.
• Resolves a rare issue with Parallels Tools repeatedly asking to restart the virtual machine for the changes to take effect.
• Resolves a rare issue with Parallels Tools failing to update and showing the “Failed to install driverprl_dd.” error message.
• Resolves a rare issue with Shared Profile not working and receiving the “Unable to access \\Mac\Home\Desktop.” error message.
• The default size of a virtual hard disk in macOS 10.15 Catalina (or later) virtual machines has been increased to 256 GB.
• The default amount of RAM assigned to macOS 11 Big Sur (or later) virtual machines has been increased to 4 GB.
• The default amount of memory and graphics memory assigned to Ubuntu 17.10 (and later) virtual machines has been increased to 4 GB and 256 MB correspondingly.

 

Parallels Desktop for Mac App Store Edition 1.6.0 (21086)

This is a major update for Parallels Desktop™. Though some features of Parallels Desktop™ for Mac are still unavailable in this App Store edition, the new version contains the following new features, fixes, and improvements.

Graphics

• Up to 20% faster DirectX 11 graphics on Macs equipped with AMD Radeon graphics cards.
• This version brings full support for OpenGL 3.3 Compatibility Profile to support more applications. Run more Windows applications, including DIALux EVO 9, SAMSON Connect, ProPresenter 6, ClinCheck Pro, Rhino 6, and more. In Linux, you can now use more applications, including Steam, Firefox Quantum web browser, and get better multimonitor support for the KDE window manager.

Performance

• Windows resumes and quits up to 20% faster.
• Reverting to a snapshot is up to 30% faster.
• When in Travel Mode, Windows now consumes less computing and network resources, which results in up to 10% longer battery life.

Hardware

• Improved sound quality in macOS virtual machines.
• Added support for a two-finger pinch gesture to rotate the content in Windows 10 applications, such as Maps, Photos, Edge, and more. Zoom gesture was also improved to provide a smoother experience.
• Enable the new "Reclaim disk space on shutdown" option to make Windows to automatically return all unused disk space to Mac on each shutdown (see Reclaimable space).
• Use the Samsung Portable SSD X5 external storage with Windows virtual machines.
• The new printer driver for Windows 10 allows you to print on both sides and supports many more paper sizes up to A0.

Convenience

• Choose a time period of inactivity, after which Windows will be paused automatically. Additionally, Parallels Desktop now shows a new snippet card to explain this feature to new users.
• Installing Windows from an ISO image with multiple Windows editions is now fully automatic.
• When you start a virtual machine stored on an external disk, Parallels Desktop now checks whether the disk connected to Mac and prompts you to connect it using the disk name.
• Parallels Desktop now indicates Windows folders in File Explorer that are shared with macOS using the native macOS Finder icons.
• When you choose to delete a file from a Windows folder that is shared from macOS, Parallels Desktop warns you that this file will be removed entirely from Mac’s hard disk.
• If you enable Do Not Disturb in macOS, Focus Assist automatically turns on in Windows 10 for you to not be distracted by sounds and pop-up notifications from Windows apps.

 

Parallels Desktop for Mac App Store Edition 1.5.0 (20116)

This is a major update for Parallels Desktop™. We made it more stable, secure and comfortable to use—and it’s compatible with macOS® 10.15 Catalina.

The product has been renamed to Parallels Desktop.

Though some features of Parallels Desktop™ for Mac are still unavailable in this App Store edition, the new version contains the following new features, fixes and improvements.

macOS 10.15 Catalina

• Use “Sign in with Apple” to create a Parallels account.
• Get improved support for Apple Pencil® drawing capabilities when you work with Windows applications on an iPad® using Sidecar.
• Tilt support for Apple Pencil
• Double-tap Apple Pencil to get new Touch Bar™ options
• Toggle between Pen, Eraser and Mouse modes
• Easily take a snip, enable Windows Tablet mode or open the Windows onscreen keyboard from Touch Bar

Graphics

• With the help of Apple Metal®, Parallels introduces support for DirectX® 11. Now you can run Autodesk 3ds Max 2020, Lumion, ArcGIS Pro 2.3, products from MasterSeries and more.
• Play popular games including Madden NFL 19, Age of Empires: Definitive Edition, Anno 2205, Railway Empire, Space Engineers, Frostpunk, Risk of Rain 2 and many more.
• DirectX 3D graphics are now accelerated by the Apple Metal engine.
• Enjoy enhanced compatibility with new Linux distributions due to Virtio GPU. This supports sliding mouse (Parallels Desktop captures the mouse cursor), dynamic resolution (the screen resolution changes dynamically if you resize the virtual machine window) and multimonitor support—even without Parallels Tools.

Performance

• Some applications can use DirectX 11 and thus are much faster, compared to being unusably slow in previous versions.
• 3D graphics are up to 15% faster.
• User interface is more responsive.

Hardware

• Support for non-volatile memory express (NVMe) disk controller—the next generation of storage controllers. NVMe is more virtualization friendly and effective than Advanced Host Controller Interface (AHCI). NVMe leverages not just solid-state storage (SSD) but also modern multicore CPUs.
• Support for Intel HDA audio card:
  • Supports up to 8/2 channels (out/in), 192kHz sample rate and 32-bit samples
  • Improved sound quality of VoIP phones
  • Support for “jack sense”
• Automatic detection when the microphone is muted. If access to the Mac microphone is not allowed by the user or macOS preferences, Windows shows the microphone as muted.
• Automatic detection when sound output is disabled. If it is disabled in the virtual machine settings, Windows also shows sound output as disabled.
• Support for Bluetooth Low Energy. This allows you to use more devices, including Logitech Craft, IrisPEN and some IoT devices (such as smart home appliances and smart bands).
• Version of the Bluetooth driver is 4.0.

Convenience

• When reverting to a snapshot, Parallels Desktop offers to save the current VM state as a new snapshot.
• Though dragging and dropping images has been supported from the very beginning, some of the latest macOS screenshots cannot be simply dragged to Windows because of the new format. We have enhanced drag-and-drop functionality—now you can drag screenshot previews, images from Safari, Photos and other macOS applications and drop them to your Windows applications.
• Completely redesigned keyboard layouts support several improved aspects, including:
  • Excel shortcuts Ctrl+ and Ctrl- are now supported
  • Improved support for JIS keyboard
  • Fixed input with CAPS LOCK on for most of non-English layouts

 

Parallels Desktop Lite 1.4.0 (19800)

This update for Parallels Desktop Lite 1.4.0 addresses overall stability and performance issues, and includes the following fixes and improvements:
 

Performance

• Up to 80 percent faster application launch.
• Up to 30 percent faster suspend operation on APFS partition.
• Up to 130 percent more frames per second in Shared Camera.

Linux support

• Install Ubuntu 18.04, Fedora 28, and Linux Mint 19 in virtual machines right from Parallels Desktop.
• Support for mmap() in Linux Shared Folders.
• New pre-configured virtual machines with Debian GNU/Linux 9 and CentOS 7.
• Resolves an issue with Parallels Tools not installing in openSUSE Leap 15 and Ubuntu Linux.
• Resolves an issue with Parallels Tools not working in Linux virtual machines with X Server 1.20.
• Resolves an issue with Ubuntu 18.04 virtual machines periodically crashing or locking up.
• Resolves an issue with Ubuntu 18.10 virtual machines not installing.
• Resolves an issue with not being able to mount the same shared folder twice in a Linux virtual machine.

Graphics

• The new “Auto” mode for graphics allows Windows to use more than 2 GB of Mac system memory for graphics, while allowing Windows applications to use it when possible.
• Support for OpenGL 3.x in Windows virtual machines.
• Improved the way a virtual machine is displayed on 4K+ monitors:
• Reduced the system and graphics memory consumption;
• Increased performance when 3D acceleration is turned off.
• Improved the way a virtual machine is displayed on multiple monitors when the macOS “Displays have separate Spaces” option is turned off.

Ready for macOS 10.14 Mojave

• Parallels Desktop Lite supports Dark Mode.
• Use the virtual machine’s Edit menu to insert pictures from your iPhone or iPad into Windows applications.
• Quick Look in Windows has the same functionality as that in macOS.
• Parallels Desktop Lite uses the Mojave technology to take screenshots.

Integration with Mac

• Use your Mac’s camera that supports up to 4K resolutions in a virtual machine
• Use the Touch Bar to work with more Windows applications.
• The size of the virtual machine hard disk (.hdd file) is optimized by means of native Windows defragmentation.

Security

• Backing up a virtual machine with Time Machine has been simplified. Now if you want to add a virtual machine to the backup list or exclude it from this list, just do what you need in the Time Machine preferences.
• Backing up a virtual machine with Acronis True Image has been improved.

Usability

• Easier way to get help from Parallels - click Help > Support Center to access the webpage where you can find the most popular knowledgeable articles, links to the Parallels forums, social media and technical documentation, get personalized support and much more.
• The “Free Up Disk Space” dialog has been redesigned and simplified. Now you can use it to reduce the amount of disk space occupied by all your virtual machines.
• A paused virtual machine resumes automatically when you drag a file to its window.
• As most of Windows customers have switched from Windows 8 to Windows 10, the “Enable swipe from edges” option is disabled by default in order not to confuse users.
• Windows Maintenance feature has been improved.
• For new virtual machines, the SmartGuard backup functionality now keeps 3 snapshots by default (not to occupy additional disk space).
• The Resource Monitor has been redesigned. Use it to check how much CPU and memory is consumed by your Mac and all virtual machines.
• Monitor the virtual machine CPU usage in the virtual machine status bar.
• When you click a macOS notification that a technical data report has been sent, the report ID is automatically copied to the clipboard.

Support for keyboard layouts

• Improved support for the German keyboard layout.
• Improved support for the Japanese keyboard layout.
• Added support for the Brazilian Portuguese keyboard layout.

 

Parallels Desktop Lite 1.3.3 (19752)

General enhancements

• Attach screenshots and other files to technical data reports.
• Resolves an issue with sound not playing in virtual machines after closing and then opening the MacBook’s lid.
• Resolves an issue with screen refresh rate becoming low when a virtual machine is started with the “Always ready in background” option selected.
• Resolves an issue with ~/§±£`Ð symbols not typed correctly in virtual machines. 

Windows support

• Resolves an issue with disproportionately scaled Windows after installing a Windows update.
• Resolves an issue with gamma settings being changed by Windows in Full Screen.
• Resolves an issue with unintended activation of Grayscale Mode in Windows 10 after pressing + holding the “Command” key and then pressing “C”.
• Resolves the following occasional issues in Windows virtual machines:
  • slow login;
  • unresponsive Start Menu;
  • inability to use a keyboard with some apps.
• Resolves an issue with Parallels Tools not installing in a Boot Camp virtual machine with Windows 10.
• Resolves an issue with app-related folders not visible in iCloud shared with Windows.
• Resolves an issue when the icons of applications started from Visual Studio 2013 didn’t appear in the Dock.
• Resolves an issue with MS Word 2011 for Mac saving doc/docx files to the C:\ drive only in the Read-Only mode.
• Resolves an issue with not being able to add the Boot Camp partition as a second disk to a virtual machine.
• Resolves a rare issue with Windows freezing when accessing a shared folder from the guest OS.
• Resolves an issue with Windows 10 crashing sometimes when searching for a particular address in Google Chrome > Google Maps.
• Resolves an issue with Windows crashing when starting TwinCAT 3 in Visual Studio.
• Resolves an issue with shared camera not working in Skype for Business.
• Resolves an issue with graphics artifacts in Battlefield 3.
• Resolves an issue with graphics artifacts when zooming images in Tekla Structures.
• Resolves an issue with PaintShop Pro not opening images on your Mac and not available in the “Open With” menu. 

Linux support

• Support for Ubuntu 18.04.
• Resolves an issue with Ubuntu 14.04 not starting after the Parallels Tools installation.
• Resolves an issue with the prl_eth driver not compiling for Linux kernel 4.15.
• Resolves an issue with Parallels Tools not installing in Kali Linux 2018.1.
• Resolves an issue with Parallels Tools not installing in Red Hat 7.5. 

macOS support

• Resolves an issue with iTunes quitting unexpectedly in macOS 10.8 and 10.9 virtual machines.
• Resolves an issue with Parallels Tools not installing in macOS 10.13.3 virtual machines.
• Resolves an issue with macOS 10.13.4 virtual machines freezing on waking from sleep.
• Resolves an issue with not being able to upgrade macOS 10.13.3 virtual machines to macOS 10.13.4.
• Resolves an issue with Parallels Tools not working in macOS High Sierra virtual machines.

 

Parallels Desktop Lite 1.3.0 (19714)

This update for Parallels Desktop Lite 1.3.0 addresses overall stability and performance issues, and includes the following fixes and improvements:

• Now when you resize the virtual machine window or switch between view modes, the virtual machine screen resolution changes faster and more smoothly.
• The way Windows is displayed when the Retina Resolution > Scaled option is selected has been improved: the text became crisper and graphics sharper.
• Improved support for Zorin OS, Elementary OS, Kali Linux, and Manjaro Linux guest operating systems.
• Change the Parallels Desktop interface color—you can choose between the light gray and dark color schemes.
• Parallels Desktop informs you when some actions (for example, downloading and installing virtual appliances) become unavailable because of no Internet connection.
• Distinguish the virtual machines that have snapshots by the new snapshots icon, and use it to open the snapshots manager with a single click.

 

Parallels Desktop Lite 1.2.0 (19658)

This update for Parallels Desktop Lite 1.2.0 addresses overall stability issues, and includes the following fixes and improvements:

• Resolves an issue with the mouse speed changing when you start or stop virtual machines
• Resolves an issue with Windows 10 not booting after updating to Creators Update
• Resolves an issue with dragging and dropping files from Mac to Windows 10 Creators Update
• Resolves an issue with web pages opening in Windows 10 Creators Update instead of opening in Mac
• Resolves an issue with Windows 10 not installing from a USB thumb drive

 

Parallels Desktop Lite 1.1.0 (19626)

This is a maintenance update that improves stability, performance, and compatibility with modern operating systems.

 

Parallels Desktop Lite 1.0.2 (19602)

This update for Parallels Desktop Lite 1.0.2 (19602) addresses overall stability and performance issues, and includes the following fixes:

• Resolves an issue with the setting to “Pause Linux when possible” not being preserved
• Resolves an issue with Ctrl + click or tap not opening a context menu in virtual machines
• Resolves an issue with virtual machine and Parallels Desktop Lite application windows focus
• Resolves an issue with unexpected desktop space switching when using a virtual machine in full screen with external displays
• Resolves an issue with Parallels Tools installation failing in Fedora 24 virtual machines
• Resolves an issue with Parallels Desktop Lite crashing when the application is quit
• Resolves an issue with printing from Windows using a shared Mac printer

 

Parallels Desktop Lite 1.0.1 (19564)

This update for Parallels Desktop Lite 1.0.1 (19564) addresses overall stability and performance issues, and includes the following fix:

• Improved Retina images

 

Parallels Desktop Lite 1.0.0 (19541)

Integration features between Mac and Windows, including productivity boosters are here to serve you. These features include, but aren't limited to:

• Use Mac gestures in Windows apps
• Time synchronization between Mac and Windows
• Mouse synchronization enables the mouse to move seamlessly between the Mac OS, Windows, and Linux
• Copy/Paste formatted text between Mac and Windows
• Drag and Drop files between Mac and Windows
• Share Mac Folders with Windows, including Desktop, Documents, Downloads
• Resize window to get desired Windows resolution
• 3D graphics acceleration up to Direct X10.1
• Use Mac printers in Windows
• Share Mac Location info with Windows