Is it possible to shut down the Mac host O/S when shutting down a Win 8.1 vm?

I have Win 8.1 virtual machine on Parallels for Mac 9 on Mac OSX 10.9.2. Mac Mini machine 16GB Ram / 1TB drive.

Is it possible to configure the virtual machine to also shut down the host machine when I tell it to shut down Win 8.1? I want the Mac OS host machine to be as invisible as possible. I have parallels and Win 8.1 set up to open automatically, and I'd like to have the whole thing shut down in one step as well.

 

Hi Robert,

The feature which you are seeking for is not available right now, as Windows is running in Parallels Desktop which is a Mac application and it cannot be assigned in such a manner. We will just forward your query to concern team in order to add this feature (IF POSSIBLE). It sounds like a cool feature as well.

 

Seems like you don't even use OS X, so I suggest putting Windows on Bootcamp and just boot directly to Windows.

 

Thank you. I am configuring a Mac Computer to run Windows 8.1 to "Looke like Win 7" for a guy who doesn't even want to ever get into the Mac side, but want Win 8.1 to run in the traditional look of older windows operating systems he's used to. This would be a neat feature for him and maybe others in his boat. Hope it works out someday. A two-step shutdown isn't complicated, but it is inconvenient when you have no idea what the apple menu is for.

 

Another reason to go the bootcamp way. If he isn't using OS X in anyway he's wasting resources on running two operating systems running at the same time.

 

That's what I thought, but there is a problem with Bootcamp and the "old fashioned" start menu interface. The workarounds are more confusing to this guy than ever. Parallels incorporates a Star8 concoction that gives a real Start menu like this guy is used to using... works like Windows 7, which is not far from XP which he now has to replace since MS pulled support and his computer needs to be replaced anyway. Parallels was the only good answer I could find. The only glitch is the two step shutdown procedure, once for each OS, which is not a big deal to you and me, but confuses the bejammers out of him for some reason.

 

I'm sorry, wouldn't it have been less expensive to acquire Start8 app than Parallels (Start8 costs only $5)?

http://www.stardock.com/products/start8/

As a Parallels Expert I'm all for recommending Parallels Desktop but I would be doing a disservice to you by not telling you, that considering what you described, Parallels is not the right tool for the job.

In fact, maybe a PC would've been a more adequate machine, with Start8 added.