Running the latest version of Parallels Desktop 7 under Mac OSX 10.8.2, I consistently experience gradual video corruption when running Windows 7 as a guest operating system. Eventually the system will hang if I keep it running long enough. I have tried disabling 3d acceleration, changing the video memory amounts, running fullscreen or windowed, etc and nothing seems to help. My mac is an Intel HD3000 based model. I do not experience any corruption if I don't run Parallels. Is there anything else I can provide? Any suggestions for fixing this issue?
Increased video corruption leading to system crashes sounds like an hardware issue with the GPU. Probably only happens in Parallels for being the most graphics intensive application for the longest time. Outside Parallels, do you run graphic intensive games or applications in OS X? Suggestion, make sure that, whenever running Parallels, the computer is kept in a well ventilated area, I have the felling the GPU is overheating.
Being an Intel HD3000 based processor, the GPU is built into the CPU. The CPU gets plenty of stress in OSX, so I don't think that is the problem. Using HWMonitor, I am seeing normal temperatures in the upper 20's (celcius). Additionally, Windows can be completely idle and the problem will still occur.
Actually the HD3000 GPU is separate area (and a separate entity!) next to the CPU, like this: (the picture is a i3 with the HD3000 next to it on the same package) Anyway, might not be overheating but still sounds very much like an hardware issue.
