Latest Update of Parallels causes it to stop working

E

Eric Nepean

Bit poster
My installation of Parallels on OSX10.14.6 has been stable for several years, within the last few days there has been an update to PArallels, and now Parallels won't start successfully, giving the error message "Unable to start Parallels services."
I've tried the following and the problem has not changed.
  • Safe Boot
  • sudo kextcache --clear-staging
  • sudo touch /System/Library/Extensions
  • Delete and Reinstall Parallels
  • Grant Parallels Full Disk Access
I haven't tried reinstalling the operating system yet because I have a lot of other applications that might be affected by that, and I would need to make two full backups first.
Has anyone found a resolution to this problem? Has the operating system reinstall worked for anyone here?
This is kind of a big deal for me as my Tax SW is on Windows under PArallels and I'm running out of time to make an update.
 
I get the same result(problem) with ParallelsDesktop-15.1.3-47255 and ParallelsDesktop-15.1.5-47309, so I think its not the version update.
The error messages in the log are
11-10 00:52:43.354 F /prllog:1074:cf49/ pdfm-bootstrap: service[1013]: /Applications/Parallels Desktop.app/Contents/Library/Extensions/10.9/prl_vnic.kext failed to load - (libkern/kext) not loadable (reason unspecified); check the system/kernel logs for errors or try kextutil(8).
11-10 00:52:43.441 F /prllog:1084:cf6d/ pdfm-bootstrap: service[1013]: /Applications/Parallels Desktop.app/Contents/Library/Extensions/10.9/prl_vnic.kext failed to load - (libkern/kext) not loadable (reason unspecified); check the system/kernel logs for errors or try kextutil(8).​

I think that Parallels is having trouble loading the kexts in it own bundle.
 
I see that I have an offer for Parallels 16 - but will if fix this problem? I see so many having trouble with Parallels 15 and Parallels 16. This ;product used to be so stable and reliable, but I have lost confidence in it.
 
Eric Nepean said:
My installation of Parallels on OSX10.14.6 has been stable for several years, within the last few days there has been an update to PArallels, and now Parallels won't start successfully, giving the error message "Unable to start Parallels services."
I've tried the following and the problem has not changed.
  • Safe Boot
  • sudo kextcache --clear-staging
  • sudo touch /System/Library/Extensions
  • Delete and Reinstall Parallels
  • Grant Parallels Full Disk Access
I haven't tried reinstalling the operating system yet because I have a lot of other applications that might be affected by that, and I would need to make two full backups first.
Has anyone found a resolution to this problem? Has the operating system reinstall worked for anyone here?
This is kind of a big deal for me as my Tax SW is on Windows under PArallels and I'm running out of time to make an update.
Click to expand...
 
I have also upgraded to Parallels 16 and have gone from a perfect working solution to one that is unusable.
I now get connection errors that prevent copying from one system to another, no coherence option and then the curser disappears!
Is it possible to download 15 and reinstall?
 
The problem is now getting worse - some applications won't work as I keep getting the message "windows cannot access \\Mac\Home\Desktop"
This is a very serious issue - I need to resolve it quickly or be able to go back to the previous version.
 
RichardT15 said:
The problem is now getting worse - some applications won't work as I keep getting the message "windows cannot access \\Mac\Home\Desktop"
This is a very serious issue - I need to resolve it quickly or be able to go back to the previous version.
Click to expand...
Thank you for your reply. It looks like a know issue and Parallels Engineering Team are working on the resolution.
Could you collect the tech report once the issue reproduced please and post the report's ID here?
 
Eric Nepean said:
My installation of Parallels on OSX10.14.6 has been stable for several years, within the last few days there has been an update to PArallels, and now Parallels won't start successfully, giving the error message "Unable to start Parallels services."
<SNIP>
Has anyone found a resolution to this problem? Has the operating system reinstall worked for anyone here?
This is kind of a big deal for me as my Tax SW is on Windows under PArallels and I'm running out of time to make an update.
Click to expand...

I reinstalled the system starting from the recovery partition and that didn't help. Repeated the system reinstallation after uninstalling Parallels and it didn't help either. Actually the problem on my Mac started after a system reinstallation to downgrade Safari on Mojave from 14.0.1 to 14.0
No solution yet?
 
I tried to remove everything Parallels-related from my system (10.14.6). Found stuff in:

~
~/Library/Parallels
~/LibraryPreferences
~/Library/GroupSpaceContainers,
~/Library/Caches
/Library
/Library/Preferences
/var/root/Library/Preferences
/var/run​

Then tried a new installation. It failed with the usual message "Unable to start Parallels services".

Below is the installation log, where I marked in blue two messages about a previous installation (so apparently I didn't remove all of it), and in red an error message about incorrect permissions.

2020-12-05 19:49:04+01 vBook pdfm-bootstrap[6526]: inittool[6520]: Disk space check: source size: 391332 Kb (586998 Kb will require)
2020-12-05 19:49:04+01 vBook pdfm-bootstrap[6532]: inittool[6520]: Disk space check: 1240834100 Kb is available
2020-12-05 19:49:12+01 vBook pdfm-bootstrap[6553]: inittool[6539]: Disk space check: source size: 391332 Kb (586998 Kb will require)
2020-12-05 19:49:12+01 vBook pdfm-bootstrap[6559]: inittool[6539]: Disk space check: 1240834052 Kb is available
2020-12-05 19:49:12+01 vBook pdfm-bootstrap[6561]: inittool[6539]: Found users in the system:
2020-12-05 19:49:12+01 vBook pdfm-bootstrap[6563]: inittool[6539]: * <...> /Users/<...>
2020-12-05 19:49:12+01 vBook pdfm-bootstrap[6564]: inittool[6539]: * Guest /Users/Guest
2020-12-05 19:49:12+01 vBook pdfm-bootstrap[6566]: inittool[6539]: Starting Parallels Desktop installation
2020-12-05 19:49:12+01 vBook pdfm-bootstrap[6572]: inittool[6539]: Bundle '/Volumes/Parallels Desktop 16/Parallels Desktop.app', version '16.1.1-49141'
2020-12-05 19:49:12+01 vBook pdfm-bootstrap[6573]: inittool[6539]: Check for previous version and uninstall if need
2020-12-05 19:49:12+01 vBook pdfm-bootstrap[6574]: inittool[6539]: Stopping Parallels Services from previous installation...
2020-12-05 19:49:12+01 vBook pdfm-bootstrap[6577]: inittool[6539]: Running '/Applications/Parallels Desktop.app/Contents/MacOS/Parallels Service' in stop mode...
2020-12-05 19:49:12+01 vBook pdfm-bootstrap[6596]: inittool[6539]: Running uninstaller
2020-12-05 19:49:12+01 vBook pdfm-bootstrap[6597]: inittool[6539]: Searching for bundles com.parallels.desktop.console and com.parallels.desktop.appstore
2020-12-05 19:49:16+01 vBook pdfm-bootstrap[6627]: inittool[6539]: Removing PUFS from previous installation
2020-12-05 19:49:16+01 vBook pdfm-bootstrap[6644]: inittool[6539]: Copying product into '/Applications/Parallels Desktop.app'
2020-12-05 19:49:19+01 vBook pdfm-bootstrap[6665]: inittool[6657]: Found users in the system:
2020-12-05 19:49:19+01 vBook pdfm-bootstrap[6667]: inittool[6657]: * <...> /Users/<...>
2020-12-05 19:49:19+01 vBook pdfm-bootstrap[6668]: inittool[6657]: * Guest /Users/Guest
2020-12-05 19:49:19+01 vBook pdfm-bootstrap[6671]: inittool[6657]: Current umask: 0022
2020-12-05 19:49:19+01 vBook pdfm-bootstrap[6682]: inittool[6657]: '/Applications/Parallels Desktop.app/Contents/MacOS/Parallels Service' - incorrect permissions (0755)
2020-12-05 19:49:19+01 vBook pdfm-bootstrap[6683]: inittool[6657]: Last bundle location file was not found
2020-12-05 19:49:19+01 vBook pdfm-bootstrap[6684]: inittool[6657]: Bundle '/Applications/Parallels Desktop.app' (16.1.1-49141) is not initialized: let's cook it
2020-12-05 19:49:19+01 vBook pdfm-bootstrap[6685]: inittool[6657]: Set bundle owners to 'root:wheel'
2020-12-05 19:49:20+01 vBook pdfm-bootstrap[6693]: inittool[6657]: Bootstrap actions
2020-12-05 19:49:20+01 vBook pdfm-bootstrap[6697]: inittool[6657]: Starting bootstrap action 'reg_bundles' in background
2020-12-05 19:49:20+01 vBook pdfm-bootstrap[6699]: inittool[6657]: Starting bootstrap action 'install_cli_links' in background
2020-12-05 19:49:20+01 vBook pdfm-bootstrap[6704]: inittool[6657]: Starting bootstrap action 'install_man_links' in background
2020-12-05 19:49:20+01 vBook pdfm-bootstrap[6708]: inittool[6657]: Starting bootstrap action 'install_sh_compl' in background
2020-12-05 19:49:20+01 vBook pdfm-bootstrap[6712]: inittool[6657]: Starting bootstrap action 'fix_library_parallels_dir_perms'
2020-12-05 19:49:20+01 vBook pdfm-bootstrap[6716]: inittool[6657]: Fixing Library/Parallels permissions...
2020-12-05 19:49:20+01 vBook pdfm-bootstrap[6722]: inittool[6657]: Bash comletion helpers will be installed into '/opt/local/etc/bash_completion.d'
2020-12-05 19:49:20+01 vBook pdfm-bootstrap[6747]: inittool[6657]: Endinging bootstrap action 'fix_library_parallels_dir_perms' with exit code '0'
2020-12-05 19:49:20+01 vBook pdfm-bootstrap[6749]: inittool[6657]: Starting bootstrap action 'setup_launchd_wrapper'
2020-12-05 19:49:20+01 vBook softwareupdated[6380]: Event handler called with flags: 103
2020-12-05 19:49:20+01 vBook pdfm-bootstrap[6759]: inittool[6657]: Endinging bootstrap action 'setup_launchd_wrapper' with exit code '0'
2020-12-05 19:49:20+01 vBook pdfm-bootstrap[6760]: inittool[6657]: Waiting background job 'reg_bundles' with pid 6698...
2020-12-05 19:49:21+01 vBook pdfm-bootstrap[6795]: inittool[6657]: 'reg_bundles' finished successfuly
2020-12-05 19:49:21+01 vBook pdfm-bootstrap[6796]: inittool[6657]: Waiting background job 'install_cli_links' with pid 6703...
2020-12-05 19:49:21+01 vBook pdfm-bootstrap[6797]: inittool[6657]: 'install_cli_links' finished successfuly
2020-12-05 19:49:21+01 vBook pdfm-bootstrap[6798]: inittool[6657]: Waiting background job 'install_man_links' with pid 6707...
2020-12-05 19:49:21+01 vBook pdfm-bootstrap[6799]: inittool[6657]: 'install_man_links' finished successfuly
2020-12-05 19:49:21+01 vBook pdfm-bootstrap[6800]: inittool[6657]: Waiting background job 'install_sh_compl' with pid 6711...
2020-12-05 19:49:21+01 vBook pdfm-bootstrap[6801]: inittool[6657]: 'install_sh_compl' finished successfuly
2020-12-05 19:49:21+01 vBook pdfm-bootstrap[6846]: inittool[6539]: Vendor info saved​

Would installing version 15 of Parallels Desktop possibly succeed? But then, what about my existing VM, that already was launched with version 16? Would it work?
 
The solution is in the Best Answer by user MichaelF27 in this forum thread:

https://forum.parallels.com/threads/unable-to-start-parallels-services-after-upgrading-to-16-1-0.351255

At least, that worked for me after everything else I've found in the KB database, included the reinstall of the OS, failed.

I copy it here, but credit goes to MichaelF27

Steps:
  1. Restart in Recovery Mode (hold down Cmd-R until you see the Apple Logo)
  2. If you have FileVault enabled on your hard drive, run Disk Utility, choose the main hard drive (which will be dimmed), choose "Mount", and enter your password to mount and unencrypt the hard drive. If not, just go to the next step.
  3. Quit Disk Utility, and run Terminal from the Tools menu
  4. run "chflags restricted /Volumes/Macintosh\ HD/private/var/db/KernelExtensionManagement" (with "Macintosh\ HD" being replaced by the name of your hard drive. If it has spaces in in, putting quotes around the whole pathname should work:
    • chflags restricted "/Volumes/My Long Hard Drive Name/private/var/db/KernelExtensionManagement"
  5. Restart the Mac. All should be good.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top