parallels desktop very slow and freeze mac os after updated to mavericks

[LiangZ]

parallels desktop very slow and freeze mac os after updated to mavericks

i have a memory problem after updated os x mavericks. (i have 8 GB RAM, on late 2012 module of Macbook Air )

After launched into windows 8, my available memory turned into ZERO. Performance become very slow.
if left 4 fingers swipe into mac interface, all actions takes 30 seconds to 1 min to perform, and finally freeze the machine.

(btw, no system message of short of memory pop up.)
(Activity Monitor says Parallels Desktop is not responding, but i can still switch into it and using it if i can stand the waiting. )

I do think launch parallels will cost 8GB (in total with mac uses) is unreasonable,
How to solve the issue. ?

[Ref: allocated 64gb disk space, 2 cpu, 4gb ram to my virtual Win8 in preference;
other apps opened other than parallels are 7 tabs of Safari, 3 tab of Chrom, mail app and OmniFocus.
all of them together plus system only use 3.6~4.1 gb RAM before updated to Mavericks. ]

 

[LiangZ]

I posted support ticket yesterday, will see how it goes.

 

[LiangZ]

another shot

 

[EllwoodN]

It would be useful to post CPU usage as it may be possible that
some process is eating CPU cycles.

FWIW, I have installed Mavericks, PD9, Windows8.1 on two machines,
2011 Mini Server(16gig RAM) and 2011 13" MBP(8gig RAM), and I am
seeing no performance issues on either machine. As a matter of fact,
the Win8.1 VMs actually seem to be running smoother.

 

[LiangZ]

you are right. CPU used by VM is 177%!!

 

[LiangZ]

CPU used by parallels VM

177% CPU usage!

 

[LiangZ]

CPU usage inside VM (Win8)

 

[LiangZ]

my main problem is that i can not use Mac OS after VM started running.

Mac OS X turned too unresponsive and unusable.

if i can't use Mac OS and VM and the same time. it defeats the purpose.

and both Mac OS and VM was lightning fast before i updated into Mavericks.

it has to be something odd there.

 

[LiangZ]

response report 01

hi

i wonder whether other people that has the same system setup as mine experiencing the same problem.
is it parallels, OS X Mavericks, or there are conflicts between the two.

Macbook Air (late 2012)
2GHz Intel Core i7-3667U CPU
8GM RAM (4gb + 4gb)
250GB SSD
OS X 10.9 Mavericks (13A603)

i did a test today:

1. exit all active apps on OS X, only Activities Manger is open.

2. start up parallels, loading Win8 VM.

3. its very fast to get VM started and login, after clicked 'desktop' in the welcome screen. the curser turned into a rainbow ball.

4. switch back to mac os.

when i switched back to mac os, anything i clicked won't response.

5. clicked Safari and Mail app. --> nothing happened!

after 6 mins 36 secs, mail app opened up. ( what a slowww response time!)

after around 3 mins, mails inside mail app loaded.

after 11 mins 4 secs, safari loaded up. (counting from the start)



6. i tried to open other apps. but VM had make my Activities Manager a red wall of text!



7. Force quit Parallels, Force quit VM.

opened up 20 tabs in Safari, 10 tabs in Chrome, 10 tabs in Firefox. opened 10 other apps with 2 files each. (pages, numbers, keynote, word, excel, powerpoint, etc.)
i notice no performance speed changes, comparing to only use 1 tab of safari and no other apps.
so i believe the problem is not about my computer's CPU and RAM etc.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
i wonder whether other people
that has the same system setup as mine experiencing the same problem.

Macbook Air (late 2012)
2GHz Intel Core i7-3667U CPU
8GM RAM (4gb + 4gb)
250GB Flash Drive SSD
OS X 10.9 Mavericks (13A603)
---------------------------------------

 

[LiangZ]

My issue is solved!

i contacted parallels customer service, after a few mails, we arranged a remote session.

it turned out that it is my anti-virus app caused the problem!

i uninstalled the 'Intego Internet Security 2013', and finally, peace =_=

if u have same problem as mine, please try to uninstall anti-virus app.

you can always reinstall it after.

Many thanks to the parallels support staff!

 

[LiangZ]

Problem HAPPENED AGAIN! when i clicked "yes" to auto-update parallels today. (new update release)

It would seem that if i update parallels, i need to uninstall my 20mins long setup anti-virus/firewall every time!

im so sick of this. it total up like 2 hours time after all settled into usable state.

3 updates in a row in recent months. i reinstalled 3 times... at work!!

its so annoying when you need something done and u tools broke.

I will never ever update parallels desktop 9 again, once i got it fixed this time!

 

[LiangZ]

Very disappointed.

I'm giving up about fixing it, and downgrade to previous version before this week's update.

when I'm done with Parallels this year.

my next products will be VM Fusion, i am switching.

 

[LiangZ]

the latest update(23350.941886) destroyed my fixed Win8.1 VM, which was fixed through a 2-HOURS International phone call + remote session.

now i have huge CPU problem again, mac is unusable once VM starts, and eventually VM turned freeze.

that's it. i had it enough. I'm buying VM Fusion today.

 

[LiangZ]

just for ref.

http://forum.parallels.com/showthre...-Mavericks-Windows-8-1-VM&p=706797#post706797

 

[LiangZ]

fixed problems by uninstall and reinstall Intego Netbarrier series & Sophos Anti-Virus.
also uninstall-reinstalled PD9.

 

[LiangZ]

I have finally FOUND the cause of my pd9 vm's poor performance:

it is not mavericks, its the new "Install anti-virus software" intergated update that came about at the same time with mavericks release. (mac side)

if i use the 3 recommended anti-virus software(mac side), there is no issue at all. (tested with trial version.)

if i use any other anti-virus software that involve [real-time scanning], will make Windows VM and OS X unusable.

after half a year of using and testing, finally come to a conclusion of the cause.

but i don't know how to solve, if i use Intego Anti-virus.

had personal bad experiences with Kaspersky back in windows days,

and over-protecting of Norton was making me up nuts as well.

i really like Intego's: small, low memory cost, made for mac, have a history of 20+ years for mac, etc.

 

[ghartog]

I had the same issue but I have a different fix.

I have an app on my Mac called Memory Clean that monitors available memory. Whenever I started Parallels 9 it showed my available memory going to less than 10 mb and sometimes 0! This made my host OS (Mavericks) very slow indeed and like others on this forum I had to turn off Parallels in order to use my Mac. I have 12 GB of memory on my Mac and I had limited my virtual machine to 4 GB but that did not seem to matter. Finally I found the answer buried in a post in one of the forums....

In the Options->Optimization pane of the Config Window there is a checkbox called "Enable Adaptive Hypervisor". I unchecked that box and then the memory limits I set came into force and I have not had any problems since. I am guessing that the adaptive hypervisor grabs resources as it sees fit and as such, overrides the limits that I had set on the general pane of the Config Window.