Existing users, 
Until now my experience with Parallels has been very positive. No problems with any previous updates.
This one has been a nightmare. After installing the new version of Tools the re-booting Win instance hung, crashing the Mac as well and requiring a hard re-boot. This happened over a dozen times. I have now got things working again following a complete clean install of Win on Boot Camp and numerous Safe Mode restarts of Win XP Pro under Parallels. I have no idea what finally allowed it to update Parallels Tools correctly, apart from sheer bloody-mindedness. I have had to re-activate Windows several times in the last week, explaining the problem over the phone because the automated facility unsurprisingly kicked me out after so many visits in a short time.
Reading the Parallels support forums, this appears to have been a problem with some earlier versions, so it is very disappointing that something so damaging has still not been fixed.
When it works it is very good, and it runs some fussy software very well. Updates are clearly not routinely successful, however.
Cannot recommend this at present.
Parallels Desktop
Run Windows simultaneously with OS X.
Version: 5.0
Win re-boot after update hung the Mac repeatedly
Feedback Type: Review
Contributed by: ibiswales Monday, September 10 2007 @ 12:00 PM PDT
Product Platform: MacOSX
Used Product For: 1-6 months
Recommend Product: NO
Overall Rating:
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Comments
Win re-boot after update hung the Mac repeatedly - totalpraise
I've had the same problems. Very sketchy phone support (when you can get a human--I too kept getting kicked out of the cue), as well as just terrible phone connections (I constantly had to have them call me back it was so bad. Plus, I got different answers to the same problems, depending on who I talked to and if I could understand them.Why offer a product that advertises Vista and Boot Camp compatibility and then then tell you on the phone that they really don't recommend either?
After several complete reloads, I also came to the conclusion that Parallel Tools is most of the problem, although the proram generally seemed very buggy. They had me run Tools after unchecking some of the boxes. This got me through the Tools installation procedure but with only partial functionality.
After hours on the phone and reloading Parallels, XP, and Office (also with multiple authorizations, I got this email from Parallels:
1) Boot from your Setup CD. When the text-based part of Setup begins,
follow the prompts; choose the repair or recover option by pressing R.
2) When prompted, type the Administrator password. (if you didn't create
one try pressing enter).
3) You should expand the file from the CD. The command would be
expand d:\i386hal.dl_ c:\windows\system32\hal.dll.
Substitute d: for the drive letter of your CD. Once you have expanded
the file type "exit" to exit the Recovery Console and restart VM.
if it's not this, then please follow all these steps and notify me of
results.
I give up...going back to Boot Camp.
Wednesday, September 12 2007 @ 05:29 AM PDT
Win re-boot after update hung the Mac repeatedly - totalpraise
I've had the same problems. Very sketchy phone support (when you can get a human--I too kept getting kicked out of the cue), as well as just terrible phone connections (I constantly had to have them call me back it was so bad. Plus, I got different answers to the same problems, depending on who I talked to and if I could understand them.Why offer a product that advertises Vista and Boot Camp compatibility and then then tell you on the phone that they really don't recommend either?
After several complete reloads, I also came to the conclusion that Parallel Tools is most of the problem, although the proram generally seemed very buggy. They had me run Tools after unchecking some of the boxes. This got me through the Tools installation procedure but with only partial functionality.
After hours on the phone and reloading Parallels, XP, and Office (also with multiple authorizations, I got this email from Parallels:
1) Boot from your Setup CD. When the text-based part of Setup begins,
follow the prompts; choose the repair or recover option by pressing R.
2) When prompted, type the Administrator password. (if you didn't create
one try pressing enter).
3) You should expand the file from the CD. The command would be
expand d:\i386hal.dl_ c:\windows\system32\hal.dll.
Substitute d: for the drive letter of your CD. Once you have expanded
the file type "exit" to exit the Recovery Console and restart VM.
if it's not this, then please follow all these steps and notify me of
results.
I give up...going back to Boot Camp.
Reply to This
Wednesday, September 12 2007 @ 05:26 AM PDT