Parallels keeps changing .lnk files in the OS X file system

K

KavehV

Member
This is getting really frustrating and seems to be happening with version 10 (it was not a problem with v9). Every time I have a .lnk file in the OS X file system, parallels touches it and changes it. There is no obvious option to turn this new "feature" off. How do I stop this from happening?
 
StanislavZ said:
Can you explain the scenario where Parallels Desktop 10 creates a problem for you?
Click to expand...

In this specific instance, I have a git repo with a couple of files that have the extension .lnk checked into them. I have Parallels set up to share mac apps with windows and windows apps with mac (Windows 7). I also have Parallels set up to share my "Home Folder Only" to the VM, but not shared profile. This git repo is within my home folder. Every time I checkout between branches, git status shows these .lnk files as changed. It incorrectly deletes all the ascii content of the .lnk files and replaces it with:
Code: 
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<!DOCTYPE plist PUBLIC "-//Apple//DTD PLIST 1.0//EN" "http://www.apple.com/DTDs/PropertyList-1.0.dtd">
<plist version="1.0">
<dict>
	<key>LinkProxyList</key>
	<dict>
		<key>Items</key>
		<array>
			<dict>
				<key>Proxy</key>
				<dict>
					<key>Alias</key>
					<dict>
						<key>/* AliasPath */</key>
						<string>/Applications/Parallels Desktop.app</string>
						<key>AliasData</key>
						<data>
						AAAAAAF4AAIAAQxNYWNpbnRvc2gg
						SEQAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAADPsorJ
						SCsAAAAAAwkVUGFyYWxsZWxzIERl
						c2t0b3AuYXBwAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA
						AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA
						AAAAAAAAAAAAAKoZ39AZgbIAAAAA
						AAAAAP////8AAAkgAAAAAAAAAAAA
						AAAAAAAADEFwcGxpY2F0aW9ucwAQ
						AAgAAM+y7TkAAAARAAgAANAZ5CIA
						AAABAAQAAAMJAAIAME1hY2ludG9z
						aCBIRDpBcHBsaWNhdGlvbnM6AFBh
						cmFsbGVscyBEZXNrdG9wLmFwcAAO
						ACwAFQBQAGEAcgBhAGwAbABlAGwA
						cwAgAEQAZQBzAGsAdABvAHAALgBh
						AHAAcAAPABoADABNAGEAYwBpAG4A
						dABvAHMAaAAgAEgARAASACJBcHBs
						aWNhdGlvbnMvUGFyYWxsZWxzIERl
						c2t0b3AuYXBwABMAAS8A//8AAA==
						</data>
					</dict>
				</dict>
				<key>ProxyKind</key>
				<string>Alias</string>
			</dict>
		</array>
	</dict>

This happens on pretty much every git checkout I do. How do I make parallels stop doing this while retaining the ability to share my apps between the OSes?
 
I just tried to reply to this thread but my reply is not showing up. What's going on?

EDIT: I guess I'll paste my reply in here since it seems to think I'm duplicating an existing post:
StanislavZ said:
Can you explain the scenario where Parallels Desktop 10 creates a problem for you?
Click to expand...

In this specific instance, I have a git repo with a couple of files that have the extension .lnk checked into them. I have Parallels set up to share mac apps with windows and windows apps with mac (Windows 7). I also have Parallels set up to share my "Home Folder Only" to the VM, but not shared profile. This git repo is within my home folder. Every time I checkout between branches, git status shows these .lnk files as changed. It incorrectly deletes all the ascii content of the .lnk files and replaces it with:
Code: 
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<!DOCTYPE plist PUBLIC "-//Apple//DTD PLIST 1.0//EN" "http://www.apple.com/DTDs/PropertyList-1.0.dtd">
<plist version="1.0">
<dict>
	<key>LinkProxyList</key>
	<dict>
		<key>Items</key>
		<array>
			<dict>
				<key>Proxy</key>
				<dict>
					<key>Alias</key>
					<dict>
						<key>/* AliasPath */</key>
						<string>/Applications/Parallels Desktop.app</string>
						<key>AliasData</key>
						<data>
						AAAAAAF4AAIAAQxNYWNpbnRvc2gg
						SEQAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAADPsorJ
						SCsAAAAAAwkVUGFyYWxsZWxzIERl
						c2t0b3AuYXBwAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA
						AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA
						AAAAAAAAAAAAAKoZ39AZgbIAAAAA
						AAAAAP////8AAAkgAAAAAAAAAAAA
						AAAAAAAADEFwcGxpY2F0aW9ucwAQ
						AAgAAM+y7TkAAAARAAgAANAZ5CIA
						AAABAAQAAAMJAAIAME1hY2ludG9z
						aCBIRDpBcHBsaWNhdGlvbnM6AFBh
						cmFsbGVscyBEZXNrdG9wLmFwcAAO
						ACwAFQBQAGEAcgBhAGwAbABlAGwA
						cwAgAEQAZQBzAGsAdABvAHAALgBh
						AHAAcAAPABoADABNAGEAYwBpAG4A
						dABvAHMAaAAgAEgARAASACJBcHBs
						aWNhdGlvbnMvUGFyYWxsZWxzIERl
						c2t0b3AuYXBwABMAAS8A//8AAA==
						</data>
					</dict>
				</dict>
				<key>ProxyKind</key>
				<string>Alias</string>
			</dict>
		</array>
	</dict>

This happens on pretty much every git checkout I do. How do I make parallels stop doing this while retaining the ability to share my apps between the OSes?
 
So far, with the introduction of so many bugs from parallels 9 to parallels 10, this really hasn't felt like an upgrade at all. Instead, it feels like I paid $50 to beta test an unfinished product. With the release of VMWare Fusion 7, I'm wondering if I made the right choice upgrading to parallels 10 instead.

I have gone through all the regular parallels support channels only to be told that the issues I reported are being tracked internally and that there is no ETA for any fixes, just keep "automatic updating" enabled. Support, in my opinion, has really been lacking especially for a recurring paying customer. If things continue this way with Parallels, I may give VMWare Fusion another shot.


The only workaround I have found to this issue is to change the association of .lnk files in OS X from Parallels to something like TextMate.
 
Last edited:
DenisO said:
Thank you for your note, we will try to fix this problem as soon as possible.
Click to expand...

How do we, the paying customers, keep track of these issues? Support is unhelpful as they close their support ticket when this goes to development and we have no way to track that the issue is actively being worked on. On the whole, the PD10 "upgrade" has felt like a pay-to-beta-test program more than anything else. Bugs that were present in PD9 have not been fixed, and new bugs/regressions have been introduced in PD10. It hasn't been worth the $50 yet as it's cost me more time debugging these issues and filing support requests than it would have to just stick with PD9.
 
Andrew@Parallels said:
All the fixes and enhancements are included to the new builds of the software.
You can subscribe for this KB article to be aware of the changes/fixes included to the new builds (KB is updated with every new build release).
Click to expand...

That's simply not an accurate statement. I reported several issues with 10.0.0 which have not been fixed in subsequent 10.0.1 and 10.0.2 releases. To say that every reported issue will be fixed in subsequent releases is not an accurate statement. It lacks any sort of visibility as to what's being worked on in the next release. In terms of product quality, PD10 seems like a regression as compared to PD9. As a paying customer, I don't think it's too much to ask for some visibility into restoring the product to a level of quality it had met before. Otherwise, I'd consider seeking a refund for PD10.
 
I'd like to add my voice to this thread — this bug is EXTREMELY annoying and dangerous, please do give it the attention it deserves.

To be clear on the severity, let me rephrase it in terms that will hopefully get the message across:
PD10 CORRUPTS USER DATA in parts of the OS X filesystem that are not even related to Parallels.

People using git are able to detect this and revert the breakage; that's annoying enough. But if you're not lucky enough to use version control for all your .lnk files, Parallels can cause really, really, really bad problems: it OVERWRITES AND PERMANENTLY DESTROYS USER FILES. If that doesn't deserve emergency update with a fix, I don't know what else does.

Edit: submitted PR ID #51168013 — supposedly "devs are working on it", but well, that's what Parallels said a month ago… Sigh.
 
Last edited:
VaclavS said:
I'd like to add my voice to this thread — this bug is EXTREMELY annoying and dangerous, please do give it the attention it deserves.

To be clear on the severity, let me rephrase it in terms that will hopefully get the message across:
PD10 CORRUPTS USER DATA in parts of the OS X filesystem that are not even related to Parallels.

People using git are able to detect this and revert the breakage; that's annoying enough. But if you're not lucky enough to use version control for all your .lnk files, Parallels can cause really, really, really bad problems: it OVERWRITES AND PERMANENTLY DESTROYS USER FILES. If that doesn't deserve emergency update with a fix, I don't know what else does.

Edit: submitted PR ID #51168013 — supposedly "devs are working on it", but well, that's what Parallels said a month ago… Sigh.
Click to expand...

100% agree. This should be one of the highest priority bugs for Parallels to fix. The fact that it's been weeks without any correspondence on whether they're working on it or not is disappointing to say the least.
 
Hm, sharing apps between OSes is inherently tied to manipulating the .lnk files I believe, that's how the sharing works.
 
Specimen said:
Hm, sharing apps between OSes is inherently tied to manipulating the .lnk files I believe, that's how the sharing works.
Click to expand...
Seems that way, but it should never modify user's files without user consent, it is in this way that PD10 is broken. The .lnk extension is not solely used for windows as a link extension. Many compilers use .lnk files as linker command files. PD10 simply blows these files away. If they weren't in a git repo, I would've lost them.
 
This bug has been plaguing me since the v10 update as well and I can confirm that it is still not fixed.

I have lnk files as part of my compiler I use for work (nothing at all to do with shared apps as I have them turned off, and the source and lnk file is stored on the VM C drive linked back to the OS X side via dropbox) and Parallels every now and again decides to change over 50 of these lnk files to the garbage above.

It was reported in August, it is now March, 7 months later, and nothing has been done to fix it. The bug was not present in 9.

This is now a major issue to me and I would like to know when parallels are planning on taking a look at it and fixing it

Gary
 
Hi Gary,
actually we fixed a couple of related issues recently, so do you actually have the latest PD update installed? If not please do it (you can use PD updater in Parallels Desktop main menu). And if you do have the latest build installed (10.1.4-28883), could you please create a Problem Report for us as described in http://kb.parallels.com/en/9058 and send me the ID? Thanks in advance.
 
I have the latest build and it did this again yesterday to me. The problem with creating a problem report is that it is not always noticeable that Parallels has decided to change this file, it only becomes an issue when I am trying to compile the code and I realise the link file has been corrupted. I will try and catch it next time but I'm not hopeful I can get it as soon as it corrupts the file
 
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