Are the latest updates crap?

Stokestack · Mar 14, 2007

Are the latest updates a major liability for this otherwise laudable product?

Hi all.

I updated 1970 to 3188, and these are the results:

1. "VGA adapter" is detected as new hardware at every launch of Windows XP Pro, but it can't find a driver for it.

2. Parallels says Parallels Tools is out of date, but attempting to install the new ones from the Actions menu does NOTHING. The installer literally does nothing but show the warning dialog about making sure the VM is running and logged in. You can return to the Actions menu a day later, and it still says "Cancel Parallels Tools installation" where "Install Parallels Tools" used to be.

Meanwhile, the Parallels Tools control applet in the task bar showed everything running except the VGA driver and mouse synchronization.

I even tried removing Parallels Tools from Windows with the Control Panel. They still won't install. In fact, it's worse; now I have no mouse switching, cut & paste between OSs, etc.

I was initially pretty impressed with Parallels, but this is a major step backward and it destroys the viability of Parallels as something to rely on day to day.

Also... why is there no link to this forum on the Parallels site?

mcsenerd · Mar 14, 2007

Stokestack said:
... Also... why is there no link to this forum on the Parallels site?

They do that to minimize troll intrusions...It looks like it's not effective enough...

Please, do you really expect lots of help on a forum when you make a thread with a title like that? How about I'm having XYZ problem with Build 318X or something similar. nah...that'd be too logical. Instead you're really going to enlist help from others by trashing a product update with your very first post. Yeah...let me get right to seeing if I can help you...

ajay · Mar 14, 2007

Stokestack: Have you shut your vm down and rebooted the Mac? That should cause Parallels tools to install for you. It will also do some other things that I can't recall at the moment.

murphy · Mar 15, 2007

Stokestack said:
Meanwhile, the Parallels Tools control applet in the task bar showed everything running except the VGA driver and mouse synchronization.

I had this problem because the McAfee security software was preventing changes to the registry. I couldn't click that the change was okay fast enough. Putting McAfee to sleep and rerunning the Parallels Tools install resulted in the two missing drivers being installed. It works fine now.

na9d · Mar 15, 2007

BIG difference between build 1970 and 3188! HUGE. Yes, you have to install parallel's tools.

Stokestack · Mar 15, 2007

mcsenerd said:
Please, do you really expect lots of help on a forum when you make a thread with a title like that?

There's always someone who responds with this kind of dumb complaint. What is your problem with it? I didn't offend you or your family. I asked a legitimate question, seeing as how there are lots and lots of complaints and problems in here, and many claim that older builds are better.

How about I'm having XYZ problem with Build 318X or something similar. nah...that'd be too logical.

Too logical for you, perhaps, since that's exactly what I provided in a NUMBERED LIST. Refer to the original post.

Instead you're really going to enlist help from others by trashing a product update with your very first post. Yeah...let me get right to seeing if I can help you...

"Trashing" it? Where exactly did I "trash" it? I reported, without rancor or tirades, specific problems that are in fact occurring.

If I had only known how to coax your valuable "help" out by pandering to your delicate sensibilities and buttering you and the product up for a few posts, before I went on that outrageous update-trashing rant!

Meanwhile, to everyone who was able to suppress their outrage and make a legitimate effort to help, thank you. Please note that I did try to install the new Parallels tools; the failure of the installer to do anything was the biggest problem I reported.

I also restarted the Mac. No difference. I also removed Parallels entirely and reinstalled, and got exactly the same problems.

Hugh Watkins · Mar 16, 2007

you sound like an attention grabbing teenager slamming doors in a sulk

in the real world that gets you ignored or fired - in forums you get trolled or the moderator will ban nuiscance posters

better to start a new thread lisitng your problems or delete or edit your header

I have been using the product since June 2006 and it just keeps on trucking
and I have a a second licence for my daughters new machine

treat the software with respect
good house keeping like any old windows machine

it works for the rest of use after we learned by our own mistakes and it will do everything except games using directX to the video card

I think it doubles the value of my MacBook Pro
which is why I try and contribute by beta testing and helping out on the forums

it took me 14 days to get it right last June -mostly WinXp issues

easiest to delete a bad VM and start over
I have got through 7 versions of my personal
but each time it goes well I make a clone as a back up

I save my data in the shared foldes and back them up
I only had to rectivate windows once by a phone call to Microsoft

it dawned on me today I still have not read the manuals after nine months

I must be a typical GUI trial and error user

enjoy

Hugh W

Stokestack · Mar 16, 2007

Hugh Watkins said:
you sound like an attention grabbing teenager slamming doors in a sulk

Well, I hope you're not referring to my post, since that would be a strange comparison. I can't tell, though, since you didn't say what you found to be reminiscent of door-slamming. Again, it was a measured post with a factual list of problems, and I even gave the product credit for being impressive. So trying to trump it up into some kind of tirade doesn't hold water and doesn't make sense.

It's typical in any forum for some people to blame the problem-reporters for the problems. Not sure where that comes from, except perhaps from a form of cognitive dissonance: "Well I've chosen this product, so if this guy comes along and shows that it's flawed, then I've chosen poorly and I feel dumb. So I'll attack this guy instead and make it his fault." You see it all the time, with whiners jumping in as quickly as they can, saying, "Troll! Troll!" when in fact, they're the trolls. Why else would they so grossly mischaracterize the original post? It's a story as old as humanity: Kill the messenger.

Anyway, thanks for providing some attempt at constructive feedback. However, the product evidently doesn't "work for the rest of us"; you can see that in the numerous posts about problems resulting from recent updates. As far as "learning from our mistakes" goes, I ask: What mistakes? If someone actually pointed out legitimate mistakes for those of us reporting problems, THAT would be constructive.

My installation is recent and clean. I tried updating. I tried removing Parallels entirely (including the use of the removal shell script) and reinstalling. I tried removing Parallels Tools with the Windows Control Panel. The only thing I didn't do was reinstall Windows and all my applications, because doing so after each update just isn't a reasonable requirement for a shipping product.

agcat · Mar 19, 2007

Fix for tools not installing

After starting install tools from the action menu double click on the cd/dvd-rom drive from Start/My Computer. This will start the installer that is running there as an ISO image after you start Install Parallels Tools.

Please remember this is a place to post problems and solutions not a place to trade insults over wording and who said what.

Hugh Watkins · Mar 19, 2007

just got 3188

boringly uneventful and just keeps on trucking

I deleted my last (back up ) clone and made a new one

otherwise I get on with my tasks

Hugh W