Opening Files from Mac OS X into Parallels

Discussion in 'Parallels Desktop for Mac' started by rmi22186, May 18, 2007.

  1. rmi22186

    rmi22186 Bit poster

    Messages:
    5
    I am trying to make it so that when i open office documents in Finder, they open in parallels instead. Right now whenever I open for example, and excel, word, or powerpoint document, it will open the corresponding program in parallels, but it won't open the file, just the program. (It will open up a blank spreadsheet, word, or powerpoint presentation). Is anyone having a similar problem?

    Can anyone help?:(
     
  2. wonder_mice

    wonder_mice Hunter

    Messages:
    192
    It's very strange. What version of PD are you using?
    Please, try to open text documents from Mac with simple Windows application, such as Notepad and tell me about your results.

    And of course, you know, Global File Sharing option must be on, to let Windows access files on Mac (you can experiment with sharing). Also, it may be some kind of Mac permitions problem, so try to open other documents from other locations.
     
    Last edited: May 18, 2007
  3. rmi22186

    rmi22186 Bit poster

    Messages:
    5
    i tried opening a normal text document using notepad...same result, it will just open notepad and it won't open the actual file
     
  4. rmi22186

    rmi22186 Bit poster

    Messages:
    5
    by the way it is build 3188

    i just bought my new macbook yesterday with parallels, so it should all be updated
     
  5. dkp

    dkp Forum Maven

    Messages:
    1,367
    Do you have global sharing enabled?
     
  6. rmi22186

    rmi22186 Bit poster

    Messages:
    5
    yes...is it even possible to open a word document in mac finder and have it automatically open in parallels?
     
  7. davidmac27

    davidmac27 Junior Member

    Messages:
    17
  8. nycruza

    nycruza Hunter

    Messages:
    224
    It is NOT possible!
    Double clicking a file on the OSX drive cannot open Parallels.
    Trying to use "Open With" Other and selecting "All Applications" will launch Parallels and the Application but will only open a blank document.

    If Parallels is running, you can drag a file on the OSX disk to the application, but that's the best you can do.

    ajm
     
  9. wonder_mice

    wonder_mice Hunter

    Messages:
    192
    rmi22186, Please tell me how do you do that thing? Some screenshots would be very helpful. This feature must working...

    Yes, this and more available in our new beta. With it you can launch Windows applications and open documents with them from your Mac simply by double clicking. You can also do it in reverse order (open documents from Windows wih Mac applications). More over, you can run Windows executables directly from your Mac, by double clicking on it!
     
  10. bperrin

    bperrin Bit poster

    Messages:
    9
    Please wonder_mice could you tell us how you do it?

    I already asked a similar question with http://forum.parallels.com/thread9918.html but got 0 answer !

    So, I wrote my own script to do the job:
    1) A launcher applescript (OSX) starting a tcl script (point 2) for all selected files.
    2) A tcl script in order to generate a command file in a shared folder (OSX).
    3) A tcl appli which periodically poll the shared folder to execute the command file (XP)

    The idea was to associate .doc, .xls, .ppt, .... extensions with my launcher applescript. However when I try to do it the file association works only for the files where I explicitely do it. When I want to extend it to all files (with command-I and Change All), the old file association with Pages is restored.

    The actual solution is to place the applescript as a finder button and drop the files I want to open over this button. Then, the right application is started under XP.

    People interrested by these files just needs to ask them.

    However, the Parallels Team seems to have a much clever and integrated solution than this rustic one.
     
  11. wonder_mice

    wonder_mice Hunter

    Messages:
    192
    You have very interesting solution! Amazing =)
    But sorry, I can't tell you all details of how we do it. It's complex feature and uses different kind of technologies developed by Parallels.

    About your problem with file associations. It may be Mac OS feature, not to let registering AppleScripts on all files of some type... You can try to write small bundle in Xcode (or use gcc) with unique bundle identifier. Executable of this bundle will launch tcl scripts, as in your solution.
     
  12. bperrin

    bperrin Bit poster

    Messages:
    9
    Thanks wonder_mice for your answer.

    When I ask how do you do it, it is from the user point of view (and not the developper one). So I don't ask for secrets but a reference to a user manual or anything else.

    I use Build 3188 and I cannot do what rmi22186 asked for.

    A double-click on ~/Library/Parallels/winxp/Windows Applications/Microsoft Office Word.app opens WinWord, that's a first point. But a single doc file association with Microsoft Office Word.app (however, this app is not in the recommended one) doesn't work: a double click on the doc file do nothing. The best I can do is a shortcut (ctrl-alt-cmd-w) with this file, thanks to Quicksilver. So, I can rapidly starts WinWord and open an empty document.

    I don't want to reinvent the wheel... but in the meantime wrote an Xcode app in C doing the job of the scripts in point 1 & 2 in my previous post. So, I took your remarks into account and got a better solution where file association works. The program is inspired from Launcher 1.1 of Daniel A. Steffen.

    But again, if a non home-made solution exists, I will use it !
     
  13. wonder_mice

    wonder_mice Hunter

    Messages:
    192
    From user point it will be seamless and smart... as usual ;) Just double-click on your document and it will be opened in Parallels with associated application!
     
  14. bperrin

    bperrin Bit poster

    Messages:
    9
    Ok, now I uderstand: This don't work with 3188 and only in your new Beta. Is this version available?
     

Share This Page