prl_vm_app yomping all my cpu time

Birdman said:
Hi!

Kindly advise how to repair the CPU driver? I have tried to update the CPU driver but Windows asked me to put the CD to do it. Do I need to really put the Windows CD for this purpose?

For roll-back to the CPU driver, it said there is no roll-back one for me to do it.

Please help!
Click to expand...

Besides from the two CPU issue, I noticed that the prl_vm_app has some strange status saying "No Response" showed on the activity monitor as attached for only one CPU configured.

The Windows XP is working but quite strange as there is no task always show no response.
 

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In reply to Birdman... I am not a support professional, nor an employee of Parallels, so I'm not sure I can truly help. I am a power user, with common sense... but that is all.

I'm not sure what your guest OS is... but if it is Windows XP, then you are also offered the opportunity when updating the driver to select go on-line to check... Also, I am guessing that we might be using a different Mac (I have a MacBook black), and the driver seems to refer to the specific intel processor in our machines.

I suggest you raise the a case with Parallels... there is no charge if you do so on the website and wait a day or so for them to get back to you.

Nic.
 
Hi!

Many thanks for your reply.

Actually, I got the solution mostly from you guys nice PD customers;-)

I found that the PD4 (3540) is now ore stable when set to opti. for Mac OSX instead of VM.

I do not know why but is now up and running in spite of the no response status shown on the Activity Monitor.

Thanks!
 
Suggested by another user in another thread:

1. Uninstall Parallels Desktop 4.0
2. Login as another user and install PD4 while logged in as that user.
3. Log back in to your normal user account and run PD4

I did this and no longer have excessive cpu usage by prl_vm_app or the Parallels Desktop process. I should note that in my case when I reinstalled I was logged in as root, but I don't think it matters. Also, I did not have to re-import or convert my virtual machines. I am using one that I already converted to 4.0 and it works great!! Super low cpu usage!!

Good luck!

I'm going to post this as a separate thread so others will find it easier.
 
Hi! ebatte,

Many thanks for the reply.

Will try to see if it is fixed.

BTW, where is the said another thread talking the re-installation of PD4 in another users?

Thanks!
 
Juankr,
A similar thing happened to me when installing the latest update and I discovered that you can't reinstall using any account that has already been used to install Parallels. Create a new user account with admin privileges, then uninstall Parallels, log in as the new user you just created, reinstall Parallels, log back in as yourself, start Parallels.

This has worked for me twice now so I think it should work for you, too.
 
Hi! ebatte,

Thanks for sharing the solution. But it did not work for me per your steps.

Now I decide to cease the operation for PD4 and go back to PD3 or other VM application until more stable PD4 is available.

Thanks!
 
ebatte said:
Juankr,
A similar thing happened to me when installing the latest update and I discovered that you can't reinstall using any account that has already been used to install Parallels. Create a new user account with admin privileges, then uninstall Parallels, log in as the new user you just created, reinstall Parallels, log back in as yourself, start Parallels.

This has worked for me twice now so I think it should work for you, too.
Click to expand...

Thanks ebatte!

When i install parallels in a new account can i delete the new account?? i don´t like have 2 differents sessions
 
Hi,

with the last 2 latest builts of parallels desktop 4, I am having huge troubles with very high cpu load caused by the prl_vm_app process (see attached). Lets hope your team hear this... For info, I tried reinstalling from another account, no luck. I checked the drivers in xp, all is fine.

I reported this problem with ID 15253 but no answer... I really do hope to hear from you or will do like some of my colleagues : switch to wmware as I cannot work under this conditions : the laptop is literally burning up and the battery dying in a matter of minutes!!!

specs:
running leopard 10.5.5 and xp and built 3040.

Hardware Overview:

Model Name: MacBook Pro
Model Identifier: MacBookPro4,1
Processor Name: Intel Core 2 Duo
Processor Speed: 2.5 GHz
Number Of Processors: 1
Total Number Of Cores: 2
L2 Cache: 6 MB
Memory: 4 GB
Bus Speed: 800 MHz

Performance Counters View Utility v4.0.3540.209168
Copyright 2008 Parallels, Inc.

My Boot Camp - 23:03:45 +10 sec
devices.ide0.aligned_writes 0
devices.ide0.fsync 0
devices.ide0.new_blocks_created 0
devices.ide0.read_requests 0
devices.ide0.read_total 0
devices.ide0.unaligned_writes 0
devices.ide0.write_requests 0
devices.ide0.write_total 0
devices.usb.ehci.activity 0
devices.usb.ehci.ioasynccallback 0
devices.usb.ehci.process_frame 0
devices.usb.ehci.processpkt 0
devices.usb.ehci.vcpusignal 0
devices.usb.ehci.vcpusignal.aa 0
devices.usb.ehci.vcpusignal.flr 0
devices.usb.ehci.vcpusignal.int 0
devices.usb.ehci.vcpusignal.pcd 0
devices.usb.ehci.vcpusignal.ue 0
devices.usb.uhci.activity 0
devices.usb.uhci.ioasynccallback 0
devices.usb.uhci.process_frame 0
devices.usb.uhci.processpkt 0
devices.usb.uhci.vcpusignal.total 0
kernel.ide.irqs 51233
kernel.paging.vcpu0.cr3_change 0
kernel.paging.vcpu0.cr3_flushtlb 0
kernel.paging.vcpu0.cr3_read 0
kernel.paging.vcpu0.cr3_write 0
kernel.paging.vcpu0.pf.genexc 0
kernel.paging.vcpu0.pf.invalid 0
kernel.paging.vcpu0.pf.mspc 0
kernel.paging.vcpu0.pf.pagefault 5
kernel.paging.vcpu0.pf.prot 7
kernel.paging.vcpu0.pf.success 1
kernel.paging.vcpu0.pf.wmapped 0
kernel.usb.ehc.irqs 0
kernel.usb.uhc.irqs 0
kernel.vcpu0.activity.guest_mcs 0
kernel.vcpu0.activity.guest_proc_halt 0
kernel.vcpu0.activity.idle_percent 100
kernel.vcpu0.activity.mon_artloop_halt 0
kernel.vcpu0.activity.mon_mcs 9494
kernel.vcpu0.activity.quest_acpi_halt 0
kernel.vcpu0.activity.send_halt_msg 0
kernel.vcpu0.activity.send_halt_msg_delay 0
kernel.vcpu0.async_thr_activate 3
kernel.vcpu0.guest_switch_sd 0
kernel.vcpu0.guest_switch_svm 0
kernel.vcpu0.guest_switch_vtx 411
kernel.vcpu0.hardware_interrupt 11
kernel.vcpu0.irq_process 20288
kernel.vcpu0.mode_switch 0
kernel.vcpu0.mon_ret_to_host 49
kernel.vcpu0.mon_ret_to_host_switch 50
kernel.vcpu0.pic.setintrequest 124812
kernel.vcpu0.sendapirequest 26998
kernel.vcpu0.sendapirequest_lastcmd 0
kernel.vcpu0.vtx_interrupth 321094
kernel.ws.effective 0
kernel.ws.pagein 0
kernel.ws.pageout 0
kernel.ws.pages 196961
net.nic0.activate 0
net.nic0.bcast_in 0
net.nic0.bytes_in 0
net.nic0.bytes_out 0
net.nic0.mcast_in 0
net.nic0.pkt_dropped_in 0
net.nic0.pkt_err_in 0
net.nic0.pkt_err_out 0
net.nic0.pkts_in 0
net.nic0.pkts_out 0
net.nic0.send_buffer_notifications 0
video.frames 0
disp_server - 23:03:45 +10 sec
mgmt.commands 0
mgmt.error_commands 0
 
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Got something... Here is how on core 2 duo macbook pro 2.5 GHz:
1- start pd4 (but not windows).
2- go to configure/cpu->change cpu to 1, press ok and wait till it is updated. restart pd4.
3- go to configure/cpu->change cpu to 2, press ok and wait till it is updated. restart pd4.
4- repeat steps 2 and 3 (don't know why but works).
5- start pd4 and windows: prl_vm_app will spike at startup but then remain below 50%. It is better than before when prl_vm_app would take the whole cpu power while windows did nothing.
However, if an application requires some cpu in windows (powerpoint opening big files, etc), prl_vm_app will still saturate the cpu (which is not normal : I have one of the latest and most powerful macbook pro...).

So, it is a small step but support is still requested.

PS: Do not know whether it matter but I uninstalled my antivirus, ran this cycle (1-5) and only then did I reinstall my antivirus. Also, I had switched my taskbar to the classic version and changed that to the xp version before to run this cycle (1-5). Whether this is of importance is unknown but who knows...
 
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Hi! patimages,

Thanks for more info. for the high CPU usage issue and we know it is the real problem for the unstable PD4 (3540).

I will only wait for your green light to proceed one last try for testing the upcoming PD4 version for stable usage of my WinXP running on my MacBook!
 
It works ok for me birdman! still fairly tough on the cpu but fine.
if you are on PD3, stay on it. I just fought so much with PD4 that I did not want to bother downgrading. However, to anybody who does not want to pay to just test a bad soft, I would wait a better release...
 
I am having the same problem - 100% CPU for as many processors as I configure the VM to use (I'm on a 4-CPU Mac Pro), with little or no Windows CPU activity. I do get the yellow exclamation point but when asking Windows to update driver it says it's already running the latest, and there's no rollback option. I submitted a ticket #625710 with a log from the performance counters utility, but have gotten no response. Note that this is with a converted PD3 VM. Happy to help troubleshoot.
 
cyclone said:
I am having the same problem - 100% CPU for as many processors as I configure the VM to use (I'm on a 4-CPU Mac Pro), with little or no Windows CPU activity. I do get the yellow exclamation point but when asking Windows to update driver it says it's already running the latest, and there's no rollback option. I submitted a ticket #625710 with a log from the performance counters utility, but have gotten no response. Note that this is with a converted PD3 VM. Happy to help troubleshoot.
Click to expand...

Our engineer has already replied to you asking to reattach the output.
Please check your mailbox.
 
I solved this by going to device manager / Processors, then right-clicking on Intel CPU and selecting uninstall, then right-clicking on Processors and doing a hardware scan, which reinstalled the CPU (with no exclamation point). Upon shutting down and restarting the session the CPU usage was normal (low).
 
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