Replace Parallels Icon

D

Dominic Spitaler

Bit poster
Hey guys,

I'd like to replace the standard parallels desktop 4.0 application icon.

I've already tried it by copy-pasting the icon on the parallels application (didn't work), and then replaced the Parallels.icns file with my own. This worked but as soon as I start the application it gets replaced by the standard application icon again. I spent like two hours searching my hard disk for the interface graphics, files and icons but couldn't find any.

I hope someone can help me with this. Through the beta testing I was hoping the app icon would be replaced with something better but the final icon is as painful to look at like the early beta icons.

Dominic
 
This is purely cosmetic. But that bright red bars especially on my file icons are really starting to annoy me. It stands out like a sores on a otherwise pleasant terrain. Or as our first grader put it aptly when he saw plethora of windows file icons with the red hashes on my Desktop, "Dad, did you get those all wrong?"

I too posted earlier today that I miss the original icon. I'm not asking Parallels to revert back its trademark. But perhaps Parallels could choose to make it bit more subtle.
 
I wanted to ask the same... Tried to replace the monitor icon with another in CandyBar. It works for a short while, but then it's replaced with the white monitor again. I really don't mind the white monitor. But those red bars are just way too obstructive and really looks slapped on. I understand that the two red bars are your trademark, but they are not well implemented. I tried with the Windows XP start button, but there the red bars were even more badly implemented without a thought on design at all.

Another thing that would be sweet would be to make a possible workaround for the XP taskbar icons in the Mac menu line, I love the idea that they can be seen, but could not think of any Mac user that could stand the ugly look of those for more than 5 mins. I only want black icons up there.

I installed Window Blinds with a nice Leopard skin and the coherence mode now look as good as possible, only need the two above cosmetic surgeries and I am a happy camper!
 
"Parallels Service.app" has the icon

You also need to replace "/Library/Parallels/Parallels Service.app/Contents/PlugIns/Parallels VM.app/Contents/Resources/Parallels.icns" with the Parallels.icns of your choice.

I've been using "pvm.icns" from the Parallels application bundle—it fits better on my dock.
 
Dock Icon

The new Parallels dock icon is simply stupid. Those silly red bars make it look like there is a problem or that the virtual machine is paused... two vertical bars means PAUSED.
 
Any solution yet?

Agreed the bars look like pause and confuse my users, and agreed the icon is not as elegant as other OS X icons.

But I also have the issue of not being able to differentiate multiple VMs. I tried setting the desktop on different VMs to different colors, but that does not really work when apps obscure the background.

Replacing the .icns file works until you launch the VM, then the app seems to have the icon hard-coded.

Has anyone found a solution?
 
Dumb

I just upgraded from version 3 to version 5. I'd like to add my voice to those above and say how ugly and (more importantly) how USELESS the dock icons are. First you stick a pointless graphic of an iMac around the thumbnail, which does nothing other than reduce the amount of space that the thumbnail can take up. Then, in what looks to be a fit of self-indulgence, you slap a confusing and equally pointless Parallels logo over the top, whose only purpose seems to be to make it harder to actually see what's in the thumbnail.

Seriously, did you all have your brains scooped out the day that bit of stupid got signed off?

Give us back our functional thumbnails. NOW!
 
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Hi,

I also want to get rid of this truly ugly icon Parallels Desktop icon (changing the Icons of the coherence mode apps would be awesome too!). I changed the following icons already:
/Applications/Parallels Desktop.app/Contents/Resources/Parallels.icns
/Library/Parallels/Parallels Service.app/Contents/PlugIns/Parallels VM.app/Contents/Resources/Parallels.icns
/Library/Parallels/Parallels Service.app/Contents/Resources/Parallels.icns

... and at first the icon looks good but but as soon as I click on "use your virtual machines" it is changed back to the original icon. I know that I can choose to use the windows start menu icon or a tiiiny live screenshot instead but they are all equally ugly (especially when you are running a Win XP VM).

I'm already frustrated because I have to have 4 virtual machines with 4 different Internet Explorer versions running that all suck in a different way. I don't want to see an ugly icon to top things off. ;)

Thanks in advance
Carina
 
Parallels 5 icon is confusing

I agree with the users above, but not for aesthetic reasons. Today I had two customers call me asking why their Parallels virtual machines were paused and not running. I had to spend considerable time explaining that the red stripes doesn't really mean anything. I believe the red stripes are confusing and should be abandoned.
 
The icon is annoying me

The icon is made from an older iMac, and it’s screen shows an older version of Windows, it’s lame.
Otherwize, Parallels Desktop is a impressive product.
 
Please Change the Icon

Hi,

I just installed Parallels 5 and wow the icon is ugly.

Anybody figure out how to change this?

I know it sounds silly but I would consider switching to a certain competitor over this.
 
urgh

It's a testament to the developers that the icon is the only thing I can find wrong with this software ....

but ...

it is TERRIBLE!! It's awful as a logo as well - if they really insist on playing the slightly juvenile "parallel lines" visual joke then couldn't they do it with the "ll" in parallels instead and spare us the stupid red lines?

I

HATE

THEM.

They are like like two strips of raw, bleeding flesh left by clawed fingers scraping down my monitor. Easily the worst OS X icon I've seen. Worse even than my own work, which is pretty crap.

o
 
Agreed

I second this. I've hated the new ugly icons from the moment I saw them. Going from nice looking to ugly does not please me. I could even do better if you paid me $20 to do it. Please ask your graphic designers to come up with a more appropriate dock icon that shows a little thought and some compliance with the photorealistic style of other OS X icons.
 
i've been trying to find a way to do this for a couple days now, to no avail. is the icon stored in some kind of cache?
i think that's the only way that they'd be able to keep the icon. i mean, really, why is the icon so persistent? i'd rather have no icon there at all. it sticks out like a sore thumb, and is very displeasing. come on parallels, give us some freedom!
this thread needs bump for justice.
 
Bump

Anyone find a solution yet for this?
Its pretty funny launching a Linux session and having a Windows Icon with Ski's on the dock.
 
What a sad, silly way to lose business

I read about an airport where they engraved tiny dead insect sculptures into the porcelain of their urinals. The idea was that the site would so annoy the men using them, that they would instinctively aim their stream to wash them away.

That is how I feel about this sad Parallels icon. I do not wish to be offended every time I switch on my computer with an icon I could easily best given fifteen or twenty minutes with Illustrator.

I code a little myself, so I understand Parallels is sophisticated software - unfortunately for Parallels there are many Mac users who will just assume the software is second-rate.

It's sad to see a company spend so much developing a sophisticated product, only to then significantly undermine their own efforts (yes significantly - I have to fight the compulsion to remove the ugliness from my Dock, I doubt I'm alone) with their apparent lack of taste.

Get rid of the urinal fly icon, please, or save face by giving users an easy way to skin Parallels. It may be true that providing "themes" is the sign of a company that has jumped the shark, but whoever penned that rule was probably thinking of products that already have a more appealing interface to begin with
 
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