How to deploy Parallels Desktop for Mac with a custom password to restrict user actions

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In Parallels Desktop for Mac, you can specify a custom password to restrict the following user actions:

This functionality allows you to set a custom password and specify which user actions from the list above should require it. Once you apply these settings, even the local Mac administrator will not be able to perform these actions without specifying the password that you set.

Prepare a VM for deployment

Using Parallels Desktop Autodeploy.pkg

To make sure that all Mac computers are protected with one custom password, add a corresponding parameter to the deployment configuration file (deploy.cfg).


Note: for detailed instructions on deploying Parallels Desktop via Mac Management tools, please refer to page 11 of the Parallels Desktop Business Edition Administrator's Guide


  1. Download the Parallels Desktop Autodeploy package.
  2. Unarchive the downloaded file > Open the extracted directory > Right-click the Parallels Desktop Autodeploy.pkg > Show Package Contents.
  3. Navigate to the License Key and Configuration folder > open deploy.cfg with any text editor > locate the Security section and add the desired parameters.

Security parameters

The following set of parameters allows you to set a custom password and then specify whether this password is required to perform a corresponding action in Parallels Desktop.

current_password
new_password 

The following set of parameters allows you to specify whether a local Mac administrator password is required to perform a corresponding action in Parallels Desktop. Please note that the parameters described above provide a higher level of security since they allow you to use a custom password.

     admin_password_to_create_vm

Using configuration profile

Alternatively, the deployment of virtual machines can be achieved using the Configuration Profiles feature. 

In this case, you can set a custom password to restrict some user actions with the deployed virtual machine:

A configuration profile is a set of parameters created by an Administrator in the Parallels Business Account Dashboard that can be remotely applied to modify the appearance or behavior of the software according to organization policies. These profiles allow enabling functionalities such as provisioning corporate virtual machine images and enabling major version upgrades. More importantly, these can be tailored to the specific architecture of the host Mac computer the Administrator intends to deploy to, e.g., Intel and Apple silicon.

Each configuration profile can contain one or more specific payloads, which are settings for different functionalities like virtual machine provisioning or product updates. Multiple profiles can be created to enable different functionalities for different user groups.

The process is as follows:

  1. Create and install a supported operating system.
  2. Shut down the virtual machine after creation (Actions > Shut down) and open the configuration settings of the VM.
  3. Select the Security tab.
  4. Modify the Require Password to and Custom password sections as required.
  5. Create a VM image.
  6. Upload the VM image to a file share.
  7. Log into your Business Account Dashboard.
  8. Select your Parallels Desktop for Mac Business Edition product > Active Subscriptions > MoreConfiguration profiles.
  9. Create a Configuration Profile and fill in the appropriate details.
  10. Enable VM provisioning. Learn more here.
  11. Apply the configuration profile to a license or sublicense key. Learn more here.
  12. Configure individual payloads.

Note: For detailed instructions on deploying VM images using Configuration Profiles, please refer to page 41 of the Parallels Desktop Business Edition Administrator's Guide

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