How To Use Parallels Desktop 11 For Mac

You may not have Siri in OS X yet, but the new Parallels Desktop 11 release allows you to make use of Microsoft's Cortana virtual assistant.

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Of all the ways to run Windows on a Mac, Parallels Desktop is my favorite because it just works. It's fast, it's reliable, and there's no need to futz about with confusing setting or convoluted setup processes.

Along with your Mac and a copy of Parallels Desktop 11 you will also need an installation of Windows 10. Installation of Parallels Desktop 11 is a breeze (and it's even simpler if you are upgrading from a previous version), and even installing Windows 10 onto your Mac is a breeze.

Aug 25, 2015  Parallels 11 is a polished virtualisation solution that allows Mac users to switch easily between OS X and Windows apps, regardless of which operating system they were written for. Start up and use Parallels. You can make the Windows a full screen so it looks like it would if you were using a regular Windows PC by choosing full screen mode. To switch back and forth between Mac and Windows, make sure to share Windows applications with Mac. Since the virtual machine is set up now, you can run any Windows application. Parallels reduced the performance capabilities of the Parallels Desktop for Mac 11 edition by artificially limiting the amount of RAM that can be assigned to a virtual machine to 8 GBs, and the number of CPUs that can be assigned to a virtual machine to four. This is in contrast to the previous version of Parallels, which had no artificial limits on RAM or CPU assignment.

  • Regardless, Parallels Desktop for Mac does not include Windows software. None the less, before using the Parallels Software, you will need to purchase Windows. However, once you have purchased the right windows program you can proceed with the setup process.
  • Parallels Desktop 13 Crack with Keygen Mac OSX Full Version Parallels Desktop 13.2 Crack If you are an Apple or iOS user, you must be fully aware of how you have to face restriction on your system. The Parallels Desktop Crack latest version is the best tool that is helpful to reboot your windows system.
  • How to Use Parallels Desktop 11 for Installing Windows 10 on Your Mac Apple's Boot camp computer software lets Apple computers extends Win by means of restarting with Win rather than OPERATING.

You're then ready to use Windows 10 on your Mac.

When it comes to Cortana, Parallels Desktop 11 allows you to interact with the virtual assistant in three ways:

  • From the Windows 10 desktop
  • From Windows 10 with voice control
  • From an OS X application

If there's a Windows 10 killer feature, Cortana is it, and with Parallels Desktop 11 you have direct access to it from the OS X desktop.

Along with tight integration of Cortana into OS X, Parallels Desktop 11 brings with it the following features:

  • Quick Look viewer for Windows docs
  • Travel Mode battery extender
  • Use OS X Location Services in Windows apps
  • Easy Windows 10 upgrade
  • OS X 10.11 El Capitan ready

There's also numerous performance improvements:

  • Boot up and shut down times in Windows 8.1 and Windows 10 up to 50 percent faster
  • 15 percent increase in battery life
  • Windows performance up by up to 20 percent (based on PassMark performance tests)
  • Moving files between OS X and Windows is 5 percent faster
  • Virtual machines suspend up to 20 percent faster

For developers who need access to Windows within OS X comes the new Parallels Desktop for Mac Pro Edition. In addition to all the tools already built into Parallels Desktop 11, the Pro Edition adds:

  • Support for popular developer and testing tools
  • Advanced debugging and network tools
  • Business cloud support sharing
  • More powerful virtual machines (up to 16 vCPUs and 64 vGB of RAM)

Foe those wanting more support, centralized management, and unified volume licensing keys there's also a Business Edition available.

How

Parallels Desktop 11 costs $79.99 (an upgrade from a previous version is $49.99) while the Pro Edition and Business Edition cost $99.99 per seat per year.

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Parallels lets you run many different types of operating systems on your Mac. Because the developers knew that most Mac users will want to install at least a Windows OS, Parallels includes a Windows Express installation option that eliminates the need to babysit a Windows XP or Vista installation.

This guide will take you through the Windows Express installation, which creates a virtual machine on your Mac. We'll stop short of actually installing Windows, because the specific steps depend on whether you're installing Windows XP, Vista, Win 7, or Win 8.

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What You Will Need

  • Parallels Desktop for Mac v3.0 or later.
  • The installation CDs for Windows XP or Vista.
  • 20 GB free disk space. You can get by with less (I've performed an installation with as little as 8 GB of available disk space), but you'll appreciate the extra room if you later want to install more Windows applications or store larger Windows files than you originally intended.
  • About an hour of free time, for the Windows Express setup and to actually install Windows.
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The Parallels OS Installation Assistant

By default, Parallels uses the Windows Express installation option. This option creates a virtual machine with settings that will work just fine for most individuals. You can always customize the virtual machine parameters later if you need to.

The real advantage of Windows Express is that it's fast and easy; it does most of the work for you. It will collect most of the information that Windows needs by asking you some questions. Once you supply the answers, you can leave and then return to a fully installed version of Windows. This is a much more pleasant Windows installation than the standard. The downside is that the Windows Express method doesn't let you directly configure many settings, including type of network, memory, disk space, and other parameters, although you can always tweak these and other settings later.

Using the OS Installation Assistant

  1. Launch Parallels, usually located at /Applications/Parallels.
  2. Click the ‘New’ button in the Select a Virtual Machine window.
  3. Select the installation mode that you want Parallels to use.
    • Windows Express (recommended)
    • Typical
    • Custom
  4. For this installation, select the Windows Express option and click the ‘Next’ button.
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How To Use Parallels Desktop 11 For Mac

Configuring a Virtual Machine for Windows

Parallels needs to know which operating system you plan to install, so it can set the virtual machine parameters and collect the information necessary to automate the installation process.

Configure the Virtual Machine for Windows

  1. Select the OS type by clicking the dropdown menu and choosing Windows from the list.
  2. Select the OS version by clicking the dropdown menu and choosing Windows XP or Vista from the list.
  3. Click the ‘Next’ button.
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Entering Your Windows Product Key and Other Configuration Information

The Parallels Windows Express installation option is ready to collect some of the information it needs to automate the installation process.

Product Key, Name, and Organization

  1. Enter your Windows product key, which is usually located on the back of the Windows CD case or inside the Windows envelope. The dashes in the product key are entered automatically, so just enter the alphanumeric characters. Be careful not to lose the product key, because you may need it in the future if you need to reinstall Windows.
  2. Enter your name by using the alphanumeric keys and the space key. Do not use any special characters, including apostrophes.
  3. Enter your organization's name, if appropriate. This field is optional.
  4. Click the ‘Next’ button.
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Name That Virtual Machine

It's time to specify a name for the virtual machine that Parallels is about to create. You can choose any name you like, but a descriptive name is usually best, particularly if you have multiple hard drives or partitions.

In addition to naming the virtual machine, you will also choose whether your Mac and the new Windows virtual machine should be able to share files.

Pick a Name and Make a Decision About Sharing Files

  1. Enter a name for Parallels to use for this virtual machine.
  2. Enable file sharing, if desired, by placing a check mark next to the 'Enable file sharing' option. This will let you share files in your Mac's home folder with your Windows virtual machine.
  3. Enable user profile sharing, if desired, by placing a check mark next to the ‘Enable user profile sharing’ option. Enabling this option allows the Windows virtual machine to access the files on your Mac desktop and in your Mac user folder. It's best to leave this file unchecked and manually create shared folders later on. This provides more protection for your files​ and lets you make file sharing decisions on a folder-by-folder basis.​
  4. Click the ‘Next’ button.
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Performance: Should Windows or OS X Get Top Billing?

At this point in the configuration process, you can decide whether to optimize the virtual machine you're about to create for speed and performance or allow applications to have dibs on your Mac's processor.

Decide How to Optimize Performance

  1. Select an optimization method.
    • Virtual Machine. Choose this option for the best performance of the Windows virtual machine you're about to create.
    • Mac OS X applications. Choose this option if you prefer your Mac applications to take precedence over Windows.
  2. Make your selection. I prefer the first option, to give the virtual machine the best performance possible, but the choice is yours. You can change your mind later if you decide that you made the wrong choice.
  3. Click the ‘Next’ button.
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Mac

Start the Windows Installation

All of the options for the virtual machine have been configured, and you've supplied your Windows product key and your name, so you're ready to install Windows. I'll tell you how to start the Windows installation process below, and cover the rest of the process in another step-by-step guide.

Begin the Windows Installation

  1. Insert the Windows Install CD into your Mac's optical drive.
  2. Click the ‘Finish’ button.

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Parallels will start the installation process by opening the new virtual machine you created, and booting it from the Windows Install CD. Follow the onscreen instructions to install Windows.