If you’re a Mac user who needs quick and fast access to a Windows installation, then in many cases it’s a good idea to go with a Virtual Machine. Parallels is one of the most popular virtualization options for Mac users wishing to run Windows, and the latest version, Parallels 13, makes it ridiculously easy to get up and running.
Via what essentially amounts to an unattended installation of Windows 10, Parallels 13 can have you up and running, from download to usage, in just a few minutes. Watch our brief video walkthrough for a demonstration.
Nov 13, 2018 Reinstalling Parallels Tools in the VM didn't help. We also tried to assign.jpg and.jpeg to open in Adobe Photoshop on the Mac side, and got the same thing, where even though we select Adobe Photoshop (Mac) the Windows default app for the file extension setting actually changes to 'ColorSync utility (Mac)'. Parallels Client, when connected to Parallels Remote Application Server (RAS), provides secure access to business applications, virtual desktops, and data from your device. Using virtualized applications and desktops on Parallels Client is intuitive, fast, and reliable. Although the Visual Studio performance on Parallels is 'acceptable' I keep find myself switching to Xamarin Studio (on the mac) in order to be able to have a nice and 'snappy' IDE experience. But then I miss the power of VS and find myself switching back again - and it goes on and on - to and fro between VS and XS.
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When it comes to running Windows on the Mac, there are quite a few options to explore. You can now with a tried an true Windows Boot camp installation, a Windows To Go install, or one of the many virtualization options available.
There are free virtualization options available, but if you’re looking for sheer ease of use and dead-simple installation, Parallels 13 is hard to beat. You can go from not having Windows, to having a Windows 10 installation in just a few clicks. Best of all, the majority of the install process is completely unattended, so you can just set it and forget it.
Video walkthrough
As you might expect from a major new release, Parallels 13 includes several new features that are enhancements over previous versions of the software. Most notably, it also officially supports macOS High Sierra.
One of my favorite new features is the new Picture-in-Picture mode, which allows you to keep a virtual instance on screen at all times. This is handy for being able to monitor one more more virtual machines simultaneously, while still working in macOS.
There is also extensive utilization of the MacBook Pro Touch Bar in Parallels 13. Although I no longer own a machine donning a Touch Bar, users can expect to be able to interface directly with Windows applications using the dynamic input method.
There are other new items in Parallels 13, including People Bar integration directly in the macOS Dock. This features allows users to have one-click access to frequently used contacts, and comes with more overall flexibility in the Parallels environment than it does on Windows itself.
But of all things included with this latest version of Parallels, I most appreciate the sheer ease-of-use provided by the software. Installing Windows, frankly, couldn’t be easier, and being able to run multiple virtualized software instances via Picture-in-Picture is a very nice feature to have.
Some may have rightly questioned my decision to upgrade my 5K iMac with 40 GB of RAM, but such a choice pays off when running more than one virtual machine. In that case, the more RAM the better, since you must individually assign each instance with resources from your overall system pool. It also means that the upcoming iMac Pro’s 8, 10, and 18-core processor options will be well-suited for virtualization. Just be sure to get as much RAM as you can, since it won’t be user-replaceable.
To be sure, Parallels 13 is an investment, especially when you consider that using Boot Camp, or software like Virtual Box is free. However, you’re paying for sheer convenience in the case of Parallels. There’s no need to restart your Mac into Windows, and installation is more or less effortless. Performance won’t be as good as running Windows directly, but virtualization has made significant strides over the past few years. For example, Parallels will even be able to take advantage of external GPU resources once Apple unlocks that ability in macOS High Sierra next spring. If you value convenience, then the $80 price of admission may be worth it to you. Yo ucan buy directly from Parallels here or on Amazon here.
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We’re giving away two copies of Parallels 13 for free. Here’s how to win:
Leave a comment on our @9to5Mac Parallels 13 Instagram post telling us how you plan on using the virtualization software. The first two valid replies will receive a free activation code via Instagram DM, so make sure you follow us there.
Update: giveaway winners (@_dlmc88_ and @derexed) have been selected. Thank you to all who entered. Stay tuned for more giveaways.
In Part 1 of the series on Parallels Mac Management for SCCM, I talked about installing the Parallels Console Extensions into your environment. In Part 2, I will install our first ‘role’ the Parallels Configuration Manager Proxy.
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Parallels Mac Management for SCCM requires the installation of the proxy on a server that resides in the defined ConfigMgr boundaries. It is recommended that the SMS Provider is installed on the server that hosts the Parallels Configuration Manager Proxy. If you need assistance on installing the SMS Provider on your remote device then take a look at my blog post on how to do this. The SMS Provider is not installed then you can point the proxy to a remote SMS Provider during configuration.
A proxy should be deployed to a Primary Site, if you have Secondary Sites in your environment then you should also deploy a proxy to each of those to reduced traffic over the link and to simplify Mac Client enrollment.
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The Parallels Configuration Manager Proxy is a Windows Service application that acts as a proxy been the Mac client and ConfigMgr and can be installed on devices running Windows 2008R2 and later.
Pre-Requisites
The following pre-requisites need to be installed on the server that will host the proxy:
Parallels For Mac Display SettingsPermissions Needed to run the Installation
The account that will install the Parallels Configuration Manager Proxy requires the following rights:
Installation
Note that for the series I am going to install all the Parallels roles on a separate site system server called Parallels.
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Add the .Net Framework 3.5 and 4.5 features to your server and install the required Windows Updates.
Download the Visual C++ 2010 Redist x86 and run the install.
Accept the licence agreement and click Install.
Click Finish when complete.
Run the ‘Parallels Mac Management for SCCM.exe’ installation file and when the wizard appears deselect ‘MDM Server’ and choose ‘Configuration Manager Proxy’. Click Next.
Click Install to begin the installation.
Leave the checkbox for ‘Configure Parallels’ ticked and click Finish when complete.
At this stage the configuration of the proxy takes place. If you have installed a local SMS Provider then choose Local Server. I haven’t installed a provider and therefore I am pointing back the SMS Provider on my site server.
Next, an account needs to be assigned to run the Proxy as a Windows Service. The account must be:
Specify an account and click Next.
Address any pre-requisite issues that are encountered. Here for example I had to edit the permissions to the inboxesddm.box on the site server.
Once pre-requisites are addressed the check can be Rerun with ‘Rerun’ button and the Next option should become available.
As stated in Part 1 of the series, Parallels can run without the PKI requirements of native ConfigMgr Mac support, although the option to use HTTPS is there. I’ve selected HTTP and then clicked Next.
At this point it is possible to configure RBAC for Parallels. I have left this at default. The configuration wizard can be run again at anytime if changes are needed here. Click Next.
Now, the default ports required for communication with the ConfigMgr console and Mac clients can be altered. Click Next.
Decide whether to enroll into the Parallels CEIP program and click Next.
Click Finish on the summary screen.
Once complete you’ll be notified that the proxy settings have been updated and that you can run the wizard again at any time via the Start Menu.
If you take a look at your ConfigMgr DB you’ll notice that the PMM_ DB has been created.
In your System container in AD the ParallelsServices container…
,and in the ProgramData container, the Parallels container have been created.
That’s all for now. In Part 3 I’ll be delving deeper into the world of Parallels Mac Management for SCCM by installing the NetBoot Server & OS X Software Update Service roles.
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