Parallels Desktop is virtualization software for macOS. It lets you run multiple operating systems like Windows 10, Linux, and macOS inside virtual installations on your Mac. While it might not be as fast as a local installation, using a VM is the convenient way to run Windows and its software on a Mac. Parallels Desktop comes in three editions: Desktop 12 for Mac, Pro and Business. Pro increases virtual RAM support up to 64GB, and Business adds on centralized administration and management, along. Easily convert your existing Windows Boot Camp partition to a new Parallels Desktop virtual machine. Not just for Windows Run a wide array of operating systems including macOS, Windows 10, 8.1, and 7, Linux, Google Chrome, and more.
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Description
Parallels Desktop Lite allows users to easily run Window, Linux, and popular applications on your Mac.
Avoid rebooting your Mac to switch between operating systems or when switching between Mac, Windows, or Linux applications.
Note: Existing Parallels Desktop® for Mac users are not recommended to move to Parallels Desktop Lite.
Run Internet Explorer®, Quicken®, QuickBooks, and hundreds of other Windows and Linux applications side by side with macOS apps like Pages® and Keynote®.
Brought to you by the world-class developers of the #1-rated Mac virtualization software.
### Pricing:
Running virtual machines requires an in-app purchase of an auto-renewable subscription (1 year). You can cancel at any time.
There is a fully functional 14-day trial, so you can test Parallels Desktop Lite (including installation and use of Windows) before you commit.
Note: Microsoft Windows is not included and must be purchased separately.
With Parallels Desktop Lite, you can run the following operating systems in a virtual machine on your Mac:
• Windows 10, Windows 8, Windows 7, Windows Vista®, and XP
• macOS Mojave 1014, macOS High Sierra 10.13, macOS Sierra 10.12, OS X El Capitan 10.11, OS X Yosemite 10.10, OS X Mavericks 10.9, OS X Mountain Lion 10.8, and OS X Lion 10.7.x
• Most Linux distributions
System Requirements:
• Late 2011 or newer Mac
• macOS High Sierra 10.13.2 or later
• 4 GB of memory (8 GB recommended)
• 450 MB of disk space on the boot volume (Macintosh HD) for Parallels Desktop installation
• SSD is recommended for best performance
• Additional disk space for virtual machines (varies on operating system installed)
Seamless integration features between Mac and Windows, including productivity boosters built in. These features include, but are not limited to, the following:
• Copy/paste formatted text between macOS, Windows, and Linux
• Drag and drop files between macOS, Windows, and Linux
• Share Mac folders with Windows—including Desktop, Documents, and Downloads—without duplication and saving precious disk space on your Mac
• Resize window to get desired Windows or Linux resolution
• 3D graphics acceleration up to DirectX® 10.1
• Use Mac printers in Windows
• Mouse synchronization enables the mouse to move seamlessly between the macOS, Windows, and Linux
We want you to be completely satisfied with Parallels Desktop Lite. If you have any feedback, problems or concerns, please contact us at https://www.parallels.com/products/lite/support/
--- LEGAL ---
Duration and price of each subscription are displayed in the Parallels’ storefront, updated at the time of purchase. Payment will be charged to iTunes account at confirmation of purchase. Subscriptions automatically renew unless auto-renew is turned off no later than 24 hours before the end of the current period. Subscriptions and auto-renewal can be managed/turned off in the iTunes account settings.
Privacy Policy: https://www.parallels.com/about/legal/privacy/
Terms of Use: https://www.parallels.com/about/legal/terms/
What’s New
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.
Why is windows vm usage a paid service ?
Why should I choose to pay for Parallels Desktop Lite to use Windows VMs when I can do it for free using VirtualBox developed by Oracle ? Before downloading your app from App Store, I missed the line in the description which said Windows VMs need a paid subscription. If I didn't, I would never download it. and when I realized the payment requirement after the trial period, I quit your app immediately without trying. I had checked the differences between Lite and Standart Version before downloading the Lite from App Store. And it had made sense why Lite is free and Standart is not. Standart has great features that I might consider paying for but Lite has no advantage over VirtualBox. If I remember correctly, you didn't have a Lite version at the beginning. and seeing this Lite version made me think that you wanted to gain popularity among the users who choose to use free Virtualbox and don't try the Standart version. I am a developer and I can use Vagrant free version with VirtualBox but Vagrant is not free for Parallels. This also adds to the cost of Parallels Lite. As a summary, I may consider paying for Parallels Standart because of great features but will never pay for the Lite when its equivalent software is free.
Support Fantastic! Works wonderfully now in High Sierra 13.4!
I am now at peace with Parallels! Michael the Support person from Parallels fixed my Windows 10 and Parallels so that all of my RAM problems have been solved. Now with Parallels, Windows 10 Pro and High Sierra 13.4 running at the same tme I have over 8 GIGs available out of the 16GIGs installed. When Windows is suspended with Parallels still open I have nearly 11 GIGs free. Boot Camp no longer necessary.
The drive problems were solved after the drive was reformatted. Please ignore my previous carping about Parallels, the app works great now and I will say it one last time I fouind the support team to excellent! Very savvy, patient, listens attentively, solves problems quickly.
3 Cheers for my Parallels!
Developer Response,
Hello TheBear, Thank you for taking the time to share your feedback. Could you please drop us an email at dg@parallels.com so our Tier 2 support could follow up with you directly to look into the issue with 10.13.4? Sincerely, Parallels
Unexpected change in capabilities
The free version used to support Linux. Parallels has opted to change this to a subscription based feature in an update. I would be okay with this if the new version was a separate app (i.e. existing users could keep using the old version, without any new features). Instead, auto-update kicked in, I find myself in front of a screen demanding a login (not previously required) when I'm trying to get unversity work done on a time crunch, and I find out that the software wants to charge me going forward after a trial period. Again, my biggest issue with this is the update to an existing app--most other apps that have gone to a subscription model have a separate app store listing for their new version to avoid this problem, or permanently grandfather in old users to certain feature sets. If parallels communicated this change at some point, they did not do so in the app any time I've been using it the last few months, and I must say I'm very disappointed.
Information
macOS 10.13.2 or later, 64-bit processor
English, Czech, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Polish, Portuguese, Russian, Simplified Chinese, Spanish, Traditional Chinese
Supports
Family Sharing
With Family Sharing set up, up to six family members can use this app.
Parallels lets you run many different types of operating systems on your Mac. Because the developers knew that most Mac users will want to install at least a Windows OS, Parallels includes a Windows Express installation option that eliminates the need to babysit a Windows XP or Vista installation.
This guide will take you through the Windows Express installation, which creates a virtual machine on your Mac. We'll stop short of actually installing Windows, because the specific steps depend on whether you're installing Windows XP, Vista, Win 7, or Win 8.
What You Will Need
- Parallels Desktop for Mac v3.0 or later.
- The installation CDs for Windows XP or Vista.
- 20 GB free disk space. You can get by with less (I've performed an installation with as little as 8 GB of available disk space), but you'll appreciate the extra room if you later want to install more Windows applications or store larger Windows files than you originally intended.
- About an hour of free time, for the Windows Express setup and to actually install Windows.
The Parallels OS Installation Assistant
By default, Parallels uses the Windows Express installation option. This option creates a virtual machine with settings that will work just fine for most individuals. You can always customize the virtual machine parameters later if you need to.
The real advantage of Windows Express is that it's fast and easy; it does most of the work for you. It will collect most of the information that Windows needs by asking you some questions. Once you supply the answers, you can leave and then return to a fully installed version of Windows. This is a much more pleasant Windows installation than the standard. The downside is that the Windows Express method doesn't let you directly configure many settings, including type of network, memory, disk space, and other parameters, although you can always tweak these and other settings later.
Using the OS Installation Assistant
- Launch Parallels, usually located at /Applications/Parallels.
- Click the ‘New’ button in the Select a Virtual Machine window.
- Select the installation mode that you want Parallels to use.
- Windows Express (recommended)
- Typical
- Custom
- For this installation, select the Windows Express option and click the ‘Next’ button.
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Configuring a Virtual Machine for Windows
Parallels needs to know which operating system you plan to install, so it can set the virtual machine parameters and collect the information necessary to automate the installation process.
Configure the Virtual Machine for Windows
- Select the OS type by clicking the dropdown menu and choosing Windows from the list.
- Select the OS version by clicking the dropdown menu and choosing Windows XP or Vista from the list.
- Click the ‘Next’ button.
Entering Your Windows Product Key and Other Configuration Information
The Parallels Windows Express installation option is ready to collect some of the information it needs to automate the installation process.
Product Key, Name, and Organization
- Enter your Windows product key, which is usually located on the back of the Windows CD case or inside the Windows envelope. The dashes in the product key are entered automatically, so just enter the alphanumeric characters. Be careful not to lose the product key, because you may need it in the future if you need to reinstall Windows.
- Enter your name by using the alphanumeric keys and the space key. Do not use any special characters, including apostrophes.
- Enter your organization's name, if appropriate. This field is optional.
- Click the ‘Next’ button.
Name That Virtual Machine
It's time to specify a name for the virtual machine that Parallels is about to create. You can choose any name you like, but a descriptive name is usually best, particularly if you have multiple hard drives or partitions.
In addition to naming the virtual machine, you will also choose whether your Mac and the new Windows virtual machine should be able to share files.
Pick a Name and Make a Decision About Sharing Files
- Enter a name for Parallels to use for this virtual machine.
- Enable file sharing, if desired, by placing a check mark next to the 'Enable file sharing' option. This will let you share files in your Mac's home folder with your Windows virtual machine.
- Enable user profile sharing, if desired, by placing a check mark next to the ‘Enable user profile sharing’ option. Enabling this option allows the Windows virtual machine to access the files on your Mac desktop and in your Mac user folder. It's best to leave this file unchecked and manually create shared folders later on. This provides more protection for your files and lets you make file sharing decisions on a folder-by-folder basis.
- Click the ‘Next’ button.
Performance: Should Windows or OS X Get Top Billing?
At this point in the configuration process, you can decide whether to optimize the virtual machine you're about to create for speed and performance or allow applications to have dibs on your Mac's processor.
Decide How to Optimize Performance
- Select an optimization method.
- Virtual Machine. Choose this option for the best performance of the Windows virtual machine you're about to create.
- Mac OS X applications. Choose this option if you prefer your Mac applications to take precedence over Windows.
- Make your selection. I prefer the first option, to give the virtual machine the best performance possible, but the choice is yours. You can change your mind later if you decide that you made the wrong choice.
- Click the ‘Next’ button.
Start the Windows Installation
All of the options for the virtual machine have been configured, and you've supplied your Windows product key and your name, so you're ready to install Windows. I'll tell you how to start the Windows installation process below, and cover the rest of the process in another step-by-step guide.
Begin the Windows Installation
- Insert the Windows Install CD into your Mac's optical drive.
- Click the ‘Finish’ button.
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Parallels will start the installation process by opening the new virtual machine you created, and booting it from the Windows Install CD. Follow the onscreen instructions to install Windows.