Windows keys on a Mac keyboard

Discussion in 'General Questions' started by DonaldM1, Jul 4, 2016.

  1. DonaldM1

    DonaldM1 Junior Member

    Messages:
    10
    Pretty basic question, but how do you get the Windows Key on the Mac keyboard? The Parallels Help files say the Command key on the Mac keyboard should act as the Windows key but it does nothing. I am running Windows 10 and Parallels v. 11.2.0.

    Thanks
    Don
     
    LenielM likes this.
  2. Arunn

    Arunn Parallels Support

    Messages:
    290
    Hi DonaldM1, follow the steps given below:
    1. Launch Parallels Desktop for Mac.
    2. Click on Parallels Desktop menu (from Mac menu bar) and choose Preferences.
    3. Click on Shortcuts tab.
    4. Choose your Windows virtual machine and in Profile select 'Windows'.
    Check if Command button 'Cmd' is assigned to 'Win'. If not you can add it by clicking on the '+' sign and choose
    From: Cmd
    To: Win
    Now start Windows and check if it works.
     
    LenielM likes this.
  3. DonaldM1

    DonaldM1 Junior Member

    Messages:
    10
    Works great. Thanks
     
  4. DonaldM1

    DonaldM1 Junior Member

    Messages:
    10
    In order to continue trouble shooting a file transfer problem in Windows I need to be logged in as admin. I thought that I would be admin but apparently not as i can't execute commands. How do I set myself up as admin in Windows and log in as such. I don't know how to do a control alt delete in Windows with a Mac keyboard. The preferences keyboard shortcuts don't list anything for this.
     
  5. Arunn

    Arunn Parallels Support

    Messages:
    290
    Hi DonaldM1, Glad to know that CMD is working as WIN key.
    To setup an admin account, go to Control Panel > User Accounts > Manage Accounts > Change an Account > Change account type and choose Administrator for the desired account. Refer to this article for more information.
     
  6. Arunn

    Arunn Parallels Support

    Messages:
    290
    To use Ctrl+Alt+Del in Windows virtual machine, go to Devices (on Mac OS X menu bar) > Choose keyboard from the drop-down and select Ctrl+Alt+Delete.

    You can also assign it from preferences > keyboard shortcuts. Under shortcuts tab, click on the '+' sign and set the following:
    From: Click in the empty box and tap 'Delete' button then choose 'Control' + 'Options (Alt)' to bring the combination 'Control + Alt (options) + Delete'.
    To: From the drop down choose 'Delete' and click 'Control' and 'Alt'.
    Click OK, start Windows and check how it works.
     
  7. DonaldM1

    DonaldM1 Junior Member

    Messages:
    10
    Hi. I already have administrative rights on this computer. I had to research how to turn on the hidden administrator account in Windows 10. This has to be done with the command prompt in an elevated command window. The actual Administrator account allowed me to run the tests on my copying problem suggested by the Microsoft Forum responder who is helping me with this problem.

    Maybe you would have a different perspective on this problem. I copy photo files from my Canon DSLR to my external hard drive in File Explorer in Windows. There was no problem doing this in Windows 7. Since upgrading to Windows 10 trying to copy a block of 20 files or more from my camera to the hard drive causes File explorer to freeze and crash. The Microsoft analyst on the forum suggested system maintenance trouble shooting, turning off autotuning, and remote differential compression. The first two did nothing. The latter allowed rapid copying of single files, two files selected together, and 5 files selected together ( much slower ), but 10 files produced a very slow copy time and 20 files or more crashed the File Explorer.

    It seems that the problem revolves around Windows 10 ability to que separate files for copying. It almost acts as if a block of selected files is just one huge file and crashes trying to copy it.

    When I select 100 files I get the message that disk space is insufficient for that operation. My external hard drive is 3 TB and almost empty. 100 files is about 2300 MB. Does windows do some sort of expansion on the copy process that runs to infinity for 100 files or more?

    This is very frustrating since I have thousands of files to copy. Any ideas on this?

    Thanks
    Don
     

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