I have a 2019 Mac Pro Intel running Sonoma and have installed Ventura via Parallels so that I can run Quickbooks Desktop 2019. Everything appeared to be working fine the past couple weeks until I updated Parallels yesterday? Now NONE of my application Menubars display categories (text) in any app? It is a cosmetic issue as the menu items are still there and I can guess by clicking on different menubar positions and dropdown menus appear, but I am flying blind. I found some reports of this happening in Ventura with Parallels several years ago, and tried all those recommendations, but none worked for me. I did finally go to System Settings >Wallpaper and changed my wallpaper choice and the menubar choices all magically appeared again, but. that only worked once and now everything disappeared again? Any thoughts?
Ah, I see what you are dealing with looks like Parallels might be having a weird display glitch after the update. This kind of issue is not super uncommon. I have run into something similar before. So, let me toss out a few ideas that might help get it sorted. Hope what I have learned from my bad situation can help you. Check Display Settings in Parallels: First thing I'd try is going into your Parallels display settings. Sometimes after updates, the resolution or scaling settings can go out of whack. Try adjusting the Display scaling settings or switching between Retina and Scaled modes to see if that makes a difference. Sometimes the menu bar issue is tied to how Parallels is rendering the display for macOS. Update Parallels Tools: Parallels Tools often needs to be updated after a Parallels update. Go into the Parallels menu, click Actions > Reinstall Parallels Tools. This can fix display issues, as it ensures everything is properly synced between your macOS host and the guest OS. Check the macOS Menubar Settings: Sometimes it's just a macOS setting that's a little finicky. Try going to System Preferences > Dock & Menu Bar and toggling the "Automatically hide and show the menu bar" option, or changing a few settings there to see if it resets anything. Reset PRAM/NVRAM: I know it sounds like a basic fix, but resetting the PRAM (or NVRAM) on your Mac can help with display glitches, especially after system updates. Just shut down your Mac, then power it back on and immediately press Option + Command + P + R and hold for about 20 seconds. Wallpaper Trick: Since the wallpaper trick worked for a bit, maybe there's something tied to how Parallels is rendering the desktop in the guest OS. You can try switching to a completely different wallpaper and see if that triggers a reset in how the menubar displays. Revert Parallels Version: If nothing works, and this problem is only happening after the Parallels update, it might be worth rolling back to the version you were using before. Sometimes newer versions can introduce bugs that weren't there in older ones, and going back could fix it. I hope one of those helps! It is definitely frustrating to fly blind, but it sounds like you are on the right track by experimenting with the settings. Let me know how it goes or if you hit any other snags. Thanks & Regards Sam Victor
Sam, Thanks for the suggestions! I have tried everything except item 6. I was finally able to get the upper menu app items to show up again the other day by switching wallpapers a couple times, so I am afraid to touch anything at this point. The app menus are dim, but at least I can make them out (for now).
