prl_vm_app @ 99.9% CPU on Mac OS X 10.7

Lion Server and Parallels Server in CPU loop

We have 2 x VMs under OS X Lion Server 10.7.2, ubuntu and Windows 2000. The ubuntu has never had an issue, but the ported Windows 2000 was a cpu hog from instigation. We followed the HAL update procedure and it fixed the issue. Sidelined with other configuration in the main OS, we ignored the W2K VM for some weeks. Came back to sign off the last of the testing and the cpu looping is back with a vengeance (4 CPUS so 379% CPU utilization - ubuntu sits idly by ...). The HAL fix doesn't work, and have just tried the launchctl "fix". The W2K VM is now at 276% and ubuntu at 1.2%! The W2K is useless and I cannot allow the MacMini to thrash itself like this. No folders are shared (another tip) and Windows is tunded for speed (joke!) and VM optimized (joke # 2?). Any ideas? This is a client port that we are verifying so we need to resolve this ASAP.
 
the same problem for me

I have iMac (2011) with ATI Radeon + Lion 10.7.2 and same symptoms.. I've tried install Win7 and even Fedora. the same.. freezing on mouse/keyboard/open windows in Windows7 ( take 1-3 mins).

I've installed PD7, PD6 and the same problem.

Also, I have Macbook Air with Lion 10.7.2 and PR7 + Win7 - OK speed. I even tried to open the same virtual machine on iMac, but unsuccess :(
 
Hello ChirillT,

Actually i suggest you to contact Parallels tech support so that they can submit a request to the Product Maintenance team and try to figure out what is the problem with your iMac.
Go to www.parallels.com --> Support --> Create support request
 
I found the problem!! If you go to Windows task manager (Ctrl+Alt+Del) in the VM you'll see a task called TaskBarUpdater hogging the cpu. I did a search on the Windows blogs and found the following:

"Go to Add/Remove Software [in the Windows Control Panel]. Uninstall the StartNow Task program (you’ll see it in the list). This obviously is some sort of IE add on that installed itself during a 3rd party software installation."

I did this and pri_vm_app dropped down to less than 10%.

What a relief after months of frustration.
 
I am checking out the Parallels 15 day trial to see if I want to move from Fusion 3 to 4, or make the jump to Parallels. Unfortunately I have virtually the same symptoms described above. CPU spikes to 100-200+% utilization for the prl_vm_app and the mouse becomes unresponsive. This occurs randomly and self resolves after ~30 seconds or so. One thing nobody has mentioned that I am seeing is that the keyboard works fine during this "incident" I can navigate around in Windows via keyboard short cuts with no problem. I'd love to open a ticket as the Parallels employee suggested, unfortunately, they want me to pay for that privilege. Given the number of people with this issue posting here, I find it a little lame that the only official response is "open a ticket." I've tried both suggestions mentioned in this thread with no apparent change in behavior. Any suggestions?
 
See my post from Nov 4th. Uninstall the StartNow Task program from the Windows Virtual Machine. Since I did that, there have been no problems with pri_vm_app hogging the CPU.
 
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Hello Michael,

I should mention this issue may ave hundreds of possible reasons, and in most cases they are connected with some software installed into Windows.

Please check Windows for different antiviral software, try to disable it or completely remove. This may help. Check what process resides at the top in Task Manager during this hangs
 
99.5% - 100% CPU utilization

Guys, this is occurring for both Win7 and Lion VM's so it has nothing to do with the tweaking anything when you have your VM running... on my iMac27" with 16GB of Ram, both Lion and Win7 Vm's were ok until yesterday when the keyboard and mouse became unresponsive which is when i started to look in the activity monitor to see whats going on...

Nothing new was installed, nothing was changed and i have no idea why on a stable system a problem like this would show up on its own...

I tried to go back to earlier version of parallels 7 but no luck. same behavior

i tried to go back to Version 6 and still behaves the same...

Really weird that the system became unresponsive all of a sudden no matter which version of the system is installed. i wonder if the application is writing something stupid within the VM's configuration .pvm files to screw it up...
 
YanaYana,

I did bring up the windows task list and last time the mouse became unresponsive I Alt-Tab'd over to it, unfortunately it looked absolutely normal, no process was taking more than a couple percent of the CPU. It's strange, but as I said earlier, it's only on the Mac OS process monitor that I see excessive CPU usage, and that actually spikes well above 100%. The fact it somehow consumes more than 100% is strange in and of itself, but equally strange is that the machine is fully responsive to keyboard input, it's just mouse clicking that stops working, the pointer can be moved around the screen, but clicks in the virtual machine don't do anything. As the apps in the VM, the only AV installed is the MS Defender that's part of Win7, aside from that it's a bare bones Win7 environment that I imported from a Fusion VM image.
 
100%, 200%+ CPU utilization, gobbles whatever I give it

I too have the same problem.

The CPU spikes the moment I press the start button, while the OS is booting. The video slows to a crawl and the VMs become virtually useless. Occasionally my VMs will startup OK, however, all of a sudden they can go back into a tailspin. Kicks my fans into 4500+ rpms. Same problem happens for both Windows and Linux VMs. This has been so frustrating and seems to have coincided with some firmware updates I did a few weeks ago, EFI and/or SMC, but that may be a coincidence. I've been using Parallels for over half a year without issue until now! Same problem with both Parallels 6 and 7.

Today I tried running without dual-displays (closed my lid enough for the macbook display to shut off). This seemed to work, but I cannot confirm yet if this was a coincidence or not.

In the meantime, I've installed VMware Fusion 4, migrated tonight, I needed a backup plan. I do like Parallels, so I hope a solution becomes available soon so I can continue using it with confidence and reliability.

The last update I received from Parallels support:

"Thank you for your cooperation on the issue. All necessary information that is required for the investigation was collected by our support team and was sent to Product Maintenance team for analysis.
A separate internal request was created to track the investigation process in the development. At this point, as no immediate solution/workaround can be provided, we mark this request as Resolved and product maintenance team will continue the investigation in their internal request to elaborate the fix and include it in future Parallels Desktop updates.
In case, Parallels support team requires some additional information or some quick solution becomes available, we will contact you again and reopen this support request. No any additional actions are required from you at the moment."
 
Hi YanaYana,

Here are my reference numbers.

Report ID: 11175902
Report ID: 11301319
Parallels #1262044

Thanks,
Jeremey
 
Jeremy,

We need memory dump to be collected from your machine after the virtual machine is fully loaded but still consumes 100% CPU: open Terminal app in Mac and execute the following command:
prlctl internal VMID dbgdump [--name FILENAME] [--path DIRECTORY] [--wait TIMEOUT]
where
VMID is a virtual machine identification number
FILENAME is dump file name (if you leave it blank, the file name will be memory.dmp)
DIRECTORY is the place where the dump will be saved (it's Home folder by default)
TIMEOUT is the time the command will wait before creating the dump (in seconds). It's 60 seconds by default.

The output file need to be uploaded to support department, they will get back to you
 
Possible Fix?

I don't think this will be a 100% fix for most, but I was seeing the exact same issue and I wanted to share my fix as well. I pulled up the task manager in Windows 7 instead of looking at activity monitor and i noticed that "PresenationFontManager.exe" was eating up 50 percent of the CPU. After doing a bit of google research i basically saw that this service was useless and disabled it (Its called Windows Presentation Foundation Font Cache 3.0.0.0 in the service list), then killed the process in task manager. Now my parallels runs at about 15% CPU in Activity monitor.
 
Same issue here.
This is a new install of win7x64
Nothing but office 2010 installed so far. Taskmgr showing ~80% idle. The VM is clean.
It's a 1 CPU 4Gb ram no 3D enabled.

I've got prl_vm_app chewing up 98% to 137% CPU.

I'm running a mid 2009 mac book pro with 8gb ram, 2xSegateXT Hybrid drives in a raid0 config.
I've got horsepower to run a basic VM. Not sure the issue at all here.

Also I'm on OSX 10.7.2
 
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I really think it's something to-do with the networking...
When I posted the above I was at a car dealership getting some work done...
No WiFi but I had my iPad for internet...

Then I get back to work... same VM/Laptop... but it's been staying nice and low...this with outlook pulling down it's first sync...ect...
 
Then.. go home... CPU @ 100% again...

Well, if it's network related...it's got to be wired vs. wireless.
I come home, on my quick cable connection but all over an Airport Express wireless n network...
My CPU utilizatoin for pro_vm_app is very high again.

This makes no sense at all.

6597707537_d7b731546a_b.jpg
 
Support's Suggested Fix

1292600 - Ticket Number
I called in today... had to buy phone support...but hey...

Made me change the VM Configuration …. Options
UnCheck Show Windows Apps Folder in Dock

Still had high CPU % in Activity Monitor when playing youtube with Outlook 2010 open… audio was choppy.

Next Change:
Reconfigure with CPUs to 1, left ram alone at 4GB.
Put video back to 256MB from 64MB and 3D and Vertical Sync both UNChecked.

Seems to have helped…
Makes sense with my work-rig having a 2nd monitor…might have been the 2nd monitor was better for Parallels.
Perhaps…
Seems the the Win7x64 VMs like just one CPU….

Right now I'm averaging between 30% - 70% cpu...but the experience is much better.
 
Well, back to crap again. I give up... if I can't get this to work with in a week of trying...and with just Lync 2010 and Outlook 2010 working... no way I'll be able to get Visual Studio 2010 to be useable...

Going to go back to Fusion. Glad we just bought 10 licenses of this for the work crew. ;(

6612991335_d3fe36fbae_z.jpg


I'm not able to drag emails to different folders... clicking on anything is a 2-3 second delay...

I've got all the windows 7 visual effects turned off... tried tuning the windows 7 vm page file...

I've done everything I can find.... just going to export to Fusion and see what that gets me...
 
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