Avoid Parallels !

[retrospek]

If anyone is considering Parallels or VMWare Fusion I would highly recommend you avoid Parallels !

Parallels have just been really sneaky and in a normal software update (not even a major update) reduced the amount of memory you can assign to a virtual machine to 8GB.

This is very underhand - removing functionality - and I would recommend if you are considering a product you avoid Parallels.

This is in addition to the requirement that you upgrade the product with them each year. Parallels now costs more than Windows itself from Microsoft !

 

[maflynn]

I don't have parallels but here's what they say: KB article

Maximum amount of RAM Parallels Desktop supports
In Parallels Desktop for Mac you can assign up to 8GB of RAM to your virtual machine. In Pro Edition you can assign up to 64GB of memory.
NOTE: The maximum amount of virtual RAM depends on the total amount of physical RAM directly: you cannot assign more RAM than your Mac has.

Here's when that article was created and reviewed (updated????)


I'd say they are trying to differentiate regular parallels and their pro version. I don't use it, so I don't know what the cost difference but I don't think they did anything sneaky. I'm not defending them, but just pointing out it seems that if you need more then 8GB they want you to use their pro version.

Vmware has a pro version as well, though it looks like they don't limit the ram on the non pro

 

[ActionableMango]

This is in addition to the requirement that you upgrade the product with them each year.

I don't think you need to upgrade Parallels every year, I think you need to upgrade the product if/when you upgrade OS X which you might do once a year, or skip a year, or never at all.

 

[macmee]

I don't think you need to upgrade Parallels every year, I think you need to upgrade the product if/when you upgrade OS X which you might do once a year, or skip a year, or never at all.

Very often when you update the host OS, or when a new version of your guest OS comes out, Parallels breaks. Typically you need to buy new versions to guarantee continued host/guest OS support unless you plan on running the same versions of OS X and windows for extended periods of time.

 

[aced411]

I own both Fusion 8 and Parallels 11. I can tell you from personal experience Parallels runs much leaner and faster. Fusion runs fine but when you start doing some real work it bogs down.

Parallels 11 does not require an upgrade to 12 for Sierra compatibility. I'm not saying Parallels is perfect. I prefer Vmware's licensing model but at the end of the day Fusion is just not as optimized in my opinion.

I say screw them both and use Virtual Box.

 

[zone23]

I got the notice last upgrade that I could only use 8GB but in my case it wasn't a huge deal since I generally would not use more than half my machine RAM for the VM. That said it was a little sneaky how they just implemented it via an update. The fact of the matter in my case is that if I need full use of windows I will boot to bootcamp. Now if I was using something like a Mac Pro and had more RAM and wanted to use it that would be a kick in the nuts. So I can understand where the OP is coming from.


Edit: I forgot about the limit on cores too that’s where I got kicked.

 

[aced411]

I got the notice last upgrade that I could only use 8GB but in my case it wasn't a huge deal since I generally would not use more than half my machine RAM for the VM. That said it was a little sneaky how they just implemented it via an update. The fact of the matter in my case is that if I need full use of windows I will boot to bootcamp. Now if I was using something like a Mac Pro and had more RAM and wanted to use it that would be a kick in the nuts. So I can understand where the OP is coming from..

In the few rare cases someone out there is using Parallels on a Mac with 32GB of ram, I can see having to shell out an extra $30 to get features back you already had would be maddening.

 

[zone23]

In the few rare cases someone out there is using Parallels on a Mac with 32GB of ram, I can see having to shell out an extra $30 to get features back you already had would be maddening.

Yeah I was reading on the Parallels forum (lots of mad people) that all you need to do is roll back. I have the version I needed so just installed it over the newer version all seem well now its version 12.0.2-41353. Still need to try my iMac and make sure I can add more than 4 cores but looks like its working. I was able to add 12GB or RAM to Windows on my MacBook Pro.

 

[chabig]

I have learned that the less memory I give the VM, the better. My Mac has 8GB. If I give the VM more than a couple of GBs, performance decreases.

 

[zone23]

I have learned that the less memory I give the VM, the better. My Mac has 8GB. If I give the VM more than a couple of GBs, performance decreases.

That's why I get the i7 and 16GB of RAM. I give the VM 8GB and the system seems to run fine.

 

[cjrulli]

You can't use the same Windows install for both the VM & Bootcamp partition can you?

 

[aced411]

You can't use the same Windows install for both the VM & Bootcamp partition can you?

You can with Parallels but I wouldn't recommend it.

 

[cjrulli]

You can with Parallels but I wouldn't recommend it.

Why not?

 

[aced411]

Why not?

It uses hardware profiles to accomplish this (at least it did back when I tried it). It's a tall order to routinely boot windows with a completely different set of hardware/drivers. Maybe they have improved it over the years but when I used it I remember it being kind of a pain.

 

[ActionableMango]

Yeah I was reading on the Parallels forum (lots of mad people) that all you need to do is roll back.

Fair enough, but you'll have to forgo all bug and security fixes, and never upgrade your MacOS.

 

[zone23]

Fair enough, but you'll have to forgo all bug and security fixes, and never upgrade your MacOS.

Why can't I upgrade my MacOS?

 

[ActionableMango]

Why can't I upgrade my MacOS?

The yearly upgrades to MacOS typically require that you also upgrade Parallels. So if you want to stay on Parallels 12.0.2-41353, you'll also have to stay on your current MacOS.

 

[zone23]

The yearly upgrades to MacOS typically require that you also upgrade Parallels. So if you want to stay on Parallels 12.0.2-41353, you'll also have to stay on your current MacOS.

Not always my last version still worked I think it was 11 but either way I will cross that bridge when I get to it. Maybe by then parallels will come to their senses. That said if you want to upgrade go ahead I was just saying that the old version still works.

 

[aced411]

The yearly upgrades to MacOS typically require that you also upgrade Parallels. So if you want to stay on Parallels 12.0.2-41353, you'll also have to stay on your current MacOS.

They pulled that move one time and tons of people flipped out (myself included). They don't do that anymore.

 

[ActionableMango]

They pulled that move one time and tons of people flipped out (myself included). They don't do that anymore.

Good to know, thanks. I was one of those people who flipped out and never went back.

 

[CWallace]

You can't use the same Windows install for both the VM & Bootcamp partition can you?

You can with Parallels but I wouldn't recommend it.

I've been doing it that way for years and never had an issue.

 

[pastrychef]

You can't use the same Windows install for both the VM & Bootcamp partition can you?

I've been doing this for years with Fusion and never had a problem. Years ago, I tried with Parallels and it screwed up my Windows install. I ended up having to do a clean install. I never touched Parallels again after that.

 

[belvdr]

I've been running Parallels since March 2016 with a fresh install of Win 10. I haven't had any issues yet.

I ran VirtualBox for awhile until one of their updates messed with my VM. That's possible with any hypervisor, though.

 

[ActionableMango]

Years ago, I tried with Parallels and it screwed up my Windows install. I ended up having to do a clean install. I never touched Parallels again after that.

Exactly my experience with Parallels as well. As a result, I'm never doing that again with anyone's VM product. The benefits to me aren't worth the risk.

 

[pastrychef]

Exactly my experience with Parallels as well. As a result, I'm never doing that again with anyone's VM product. The benefits to me aren't worth the risk.

As I said, I've been doing it for years with VMware Fusion and it has worked as advertised without messing anything up. It was just Parallels that trashed my Bootcamp install.