macOS coherence mode with windows guest: applications behind menu bar

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Xeno2

Bit poster
Hi there,

is it possible to reduce the guest OS display height by the height of the macOS menu bar(and set the display top start position to the macOS menu bar height) so that no windows program is able to slip under it? This would also be very helpful for the taskbar!
So the guest display would be reduced by 22px in height and the guest display start is at left=0px and top=22px.

Somehow the windows program I use sets its initial coordinates to left=0 and top=0 on start and this lets the program slip under the macOS menu bar.
I always have to reposition it after a restart.
 
Hi @Xeno2, please reproduce the issue in Coherence mode and collect a fresh Problem Report:
1. Control-click/tap using two fingers on Parallels Desktop icon in Dock > Help > Send Technical Data.
2. Wait for the Problem Report to be generated.
3. On the appeared Problem Report window please write a short problem description (scenario) and enter your contact information (name and email address) - then click Send Report.
4. Reply us back with 9-digit Problem Report ID.
 
Hi Paul,

Report ID is: 228853496

This is how it looks like (the windows startmenu is most of the time at the wrong position when opened via the Parallels Pause Icon):
upload_2017-12-4_14-39-20.png
Initially the application windows is correctly positioned - then it loads further and after a few seconds it is repositioned as seen in the above image.

The screenshot was captured via Teamviewer and obfuscated by me since this is my Dad's iMac at work (I'm just the "adminstrator").

Thanks and best regards,
Martin
 

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Coherence does occupy whole display, including areas below dock and menubar.
This behaviour was introduced in Parallels Desktop 9 http://kb.parallels.com/117062 for virtual machines configured for Windows XP and later.

We are looking for ways to improve the experience when working with Windows Taskbar in Coherence Mode.
 
But since the macOS menu bar is a reserved space, it does not make sense to let non-fullscreen windows slip below there. For full screen windows this is a different thing...

My main issue is not the windows taskbar, but the application that is running in the VM - and the reason for Parallels.

And the only reason for coherence mode in my case is:
if a Windows App opens the mac Mail thru Parallels in non-coherence mode, the Parallels window gets halfed in width and the Mail App is shown right of it (side-by-side) on the same screen.
In this case, the Windows App gets resized to the new screen width, and stays there also after the macOS Mail is closed and Parallels resized its own window (container) to the original width.
I was not able to disable that macOS Mail side-by-side behaviour, therefor I enabled coherence mode, which was better - but still not good (a choice between the devil and the deep blue sea).

Regarding your KB:
You may have noticed that even though Coherence view mode can now work with all Mac screen, Windows applications are still limited by Mac menubar and the Dock, i.e. even if maximized they do not go under Mac menubar and the Dock (if it is enabled).

It is done by defining a limited "working area" which prevents Windows applications from going under the Mac menubar and makes them behave just like Mac applications.
​
How do I define the "working area" in Parallels?
Is there a way to enable the old behaviour used in pre Parallels 9?

Thanks and best regards,
Martin
 
Ok, that explains why the initial window placement is correct - after it loaded its data, it seems to set its position to 0x0...
Probably not the best medical software ever made ;)

Maybe I could move the windows taskbar to the top - maybe that is a way to make sure no window is placed below the mac menu.

Is it save to run Windows 10 in a Windows 2000 configured VM?
 
You may turn on 'Automatically hide and show the menu bar' in System Preferences - General as a workaround for apps which place windows below menu bar, ignoring working area.
 
Ok, since somehow the application and/or Parallels crashes too often, I'll install windows natively via Bootcamp. Hope this will be the final solution.

But many thanks for your help!
 
Hi, it is Nov-22 and the problem still stands. Reinstalled parallels tool, but the problem comes back as soon as I re-login, after MacBook went to sleep or simply logged off after timeout. The issue seems like parallels dedicates bottom space for the windows bar (which I do not see in coherence mode) and shifts the windows above, pushing them below the macOS top bar. I guess that autohiding macOS menu bar is not a solution.
 
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