Unable to start Parallels services after upgrading to 16.1.0.
- Thread starter PedroG5
- Start date
Maria@Parallels
Problem solver
Hello, could you please reproduce the issue with 16.1.0. and collect the tech report right after that.
Looking forward to your reply and the report's ID
It happened with me too. For the first time ever, I got a send-us-a-report-and-this-is-not-a-support-request thing.. The report number is. 352730748
Maria, your link directions do not apply. "Unable to start Parallels services" means we don't ever get to the virtual machine window.
This is getting old.
In the several months I've had Parallels, I have at least monthly gone through your rigamarole spending hours redoing the OS each time to get it back (because nothing else in your sequence did it).
Maria, your link directions do not apply. "Unable to start Parallels services" means we don't ever get to the virtual machine window.
This is getting old.
In the several months I've had Parallels, I have at least monthly gone through your rigamarole spending hours redoing the OS each time to get it back (because nothing else in your sequence did it).
MichaelF27
Bit poster
I have found a solution for this! It's based on this thread: https://github.com/pqrs-org/Karabiner-Elements/issues/2373#issuecomment-676121212
There is a flag that's set incorrectly on a directory that Parallels tries to load its kernel extension into, so it fails. Condensing the explanation from above:
If that's the case for you, you should be able to repair it using chflags (e.g chflags restricted /Volumes/Macintosh\ HD/private/var/db/KernelExtensionManagement) from the terminal in recovery mode.
Steps:
There is a flag that's set incorrectly on a directory that Parallels tries to load its kernel extension into, so it fails. Condensing the explanation from above:
- /private/var/db/KernelExtensionManagement should have permissions 0755 with the "restricted" flag set [visible via "ls -Ol"], and the com.apple.rootless attribute set to KernelExtensionManagement (you can check the value of the attribute with xattr -l)
- /private/var/db/KernelExtensionManagement/Staging should be 0755 with the "restricted" flag set.
If that's the case for you, you should be able to repair it using chflags (e.g chflags restricted /Volumes/Macintosh\ HD/private/var/db/KernelExtensionManagement) from the terminal in recovery mode.
Steps:
- Restart in Recovery Mode (hold down Cmd-R until you see the Apple Logo)
- If you have FileVault enabled on your hard drive, run Disk Utility, choose the main hard drive (which will be dimmed), choose "Mount", and enter your password to mount and unencrypt the hard drive. If not, just go to the next step.
- Quit Disk Utility, and run Terminal from the Tools menu
- run "chflags restricted /Volumes/Macintosh\ HD/private/var/db/KernelExtensionManagement" (with "Macintosh\ HD" being replaced by the name of your hard drive. If it has spaces in in, putting quotes around the whole pathname should work:
- chflags restricted "/Volumes/My Long Hard Drive Name/private/var/db/KernelExtensionManagement"
- Restart the Mac. All should be good.
Maria@Parallels
Problem solver
MichaelF27
Bit poster
Yes, I did. When I updated to 16.0, none of it worked for me except reinstalling the OS. But yesterday when going from 16.0 to 16.1, none of that article worked, including an OS reinstall. However, the procedure I just posted above did work - I think it is worth trying before an OS reinstall for most people.
Maria@Parallels
Problem solver
Hello, did you try the workaround from @MichaelF27 ?It happened with me too. For the first time ever, I got a send-us-a-report-and-this-is-not-a-support-request thing.. The report number is. 352730748
Maria, your link directions do not apply. "Unable to start Parallels services" means we don't ever get to the virtual machine window.
This is getting old.
In the several months I've had Parallels, I have at least monthly gone through your rigamarole spending hours redoing the OS each time to get it back (because nothing else in your sequence did it).
Also we would like to inform you that we've escalated this case to the Parallels Engineering Team for the further investigation.
Once we get any updates we will contact you.
I upgraded to 16.1.0 and now get the "unable to start service" message. This happened to me on a previous update. I am beyond furious, this is such an incredible waste of my time. I don't pay you a subscription so that you can bork my machine and screw up my work schedule every time you announce an upgrade. I have a well specified iMac, late 2014, running Mojave. I tried the chkflags workaround and it made no difference. Now I have to go through the whole rigmarole of uninstalling and reinstalling Parallels, then when that doesn't work reinstalling macOS - I mean who puts out upgrades that mean you have to reinstall your operating system??????? And all I had to do to get some work done today was ignore the update nag - never again
As per last time, the only thing that worked was reinstalling macOS. I won't bother with any of the other suggested steps next time I upgrade Parallels, I'll just do it last thing at night and go straight to the nuclear solution.
I ran into this issue yesterday, same result with being unable to fix it even after downgrading. Followed the workaround marked as best answer, and that fixed it! I'd recommend Parallels Support should update the KB to add that particular workaround bit in here as this seems to be a common issue at least with Mojave.
Maria@Parallels
Problem solver
Thanks a lot for sharing your feedback with us.
We're working on the KB improvement.
Hello.
Same issue happened today when I upgraded to 16.1.1-49141. The official KB article does not help. But, solution posted by MichaelF27 worked!
Suggestion for Parallels: add this to the KB article: chflags restricted /Volumes/HDD name/private/var/db/KernelExtensionManagement
Last time I was forced to reinstall the host OS to use Parallels (never tried the "chflags..."). now it is working without OS reinstallation.
Same issue happened today when I upgraded to 16.1.1-49141. The official KB article does not help. But, solution posted by MichaelF27 worked!
Suggestion for Parallels: add this to the KB article: chflags restricted /Volumes/HDD name/private/var/db/KernelExtensionManagement
Last time I was forced to reinstall the host OS to use Parallels (never tried the "chflags..."). now it is working without OS reinstallation.
ubermonkey
Bit poster
I've been suffering with the same 'Unable to start Parallels Services' problem ever since I upgraded from High Sierra to Mojave. I had Desktop 16 working on High Sierra, but on Mojave it wouldn't start.
Even after following all of the instructions on the official KB article including reinstalling macOS Mojave, and working back and forth with Parallels Support - none of that fixed my problem.
But the solution posted by MichaelF27 Unable to start Parallels services after upgrading to 16.1.0.
seems to have fixed it for me as well, I hope it lasts...
Even after following all of the instructions on the official KB article including reinstalling macOS Mojave, and working back and forth with Parallels Support - none of that fixed my problem.
But the solution posted by MichaelF27 Unable to start Parallels services after upgrading to 16.1.0.
seems to have fixed it for me as well, I hope it lasts...
ubermonkey
Bit poster
No I did all the steps on that KB article, including reinstalling macOS, and nothing fixed it -- until I found the solution posted by MichaelF27.
Today I had to reinstall MacOS Mojave (still clinging to 32bit...). Afterwards, Parallels would not start: "Unable to start Parallels services".
I tried everything in this article: https://kb.parallels.com/en/124001
No success, just a waste of time.
Thanks god I found this forum, as the fix mentioned by MichaelF27 is the one and only solution.
Please Parallels: Update the https://kb.parallels.com/en/124001 article and include MichaelF27's solution there!
I tried everything in this article: https://kb.parallels.com/en/124001
No success, just a waste of time.
Thanks god I found this forum, as the fix mentioned by MichaelF27 is the one and only solution.
Please Parallels: Update the https://kb.parallels.com/en/124001 article and include MichaelF27's solution there!
MichaelF27 - this solution worked great. Parallels failed 3 times in 3 months (updates). I've been through tech support sessions, and two re-installations of the Mac OS (which did fix the issue). It would have been much better if Tech Support knew of this. We could have saved a ton of time and effort as we spent hours on the phone and I spent hours on the installations. Thank you so much for providing this fix - minutes instead of hours!
I had the same issues (likewise, 32-bit) and this from MichaelF27 did the trick. I was on the verge of dumping Parallels for Virtual Box. Now, I may rethink that.
Here's the solution. Extremely Easy!
Turns out that just putting /private/var/db/KernelExtensionManagementin in your trash fixes it, as it is recreated when needed!!!
P.S.
I'm really pissed that Parallels has been so incompetent, when such a simple solution exists. How could you not know this? Shameful! Yes we have a Covid situation, but if your going to send out updates make sure THEY WORK!
Thanks to thpryrchn who put up the solution!
https://github.com/pqrs-org/Karabiner-Elements/issues/2373
Turns out that just putting /private/var/db/KernelExtensionManagementin in your trash fixes it, as it is recreated when needed!!!
P.S.
I'm really pissed that Parallels has been so incompetent, when such a simple solution exists. How could you not know this? Shameful! Yes we have a Covid situation, but if your going to send out updates make sure THEY WORK!
Thanks to thpryrchn who put up the solution!
https://github.com/pqrs-org/Karabiner-Elements/issues/2373
Update! It works, however I think MichaelF27's solution is better & faster!
There's seems to be an issue where you can't delete the items KernelExtensionManagement folder after you put it in the Trash. So here's the fix, but I would recommend using MichaelF27's. Sorry about adding this, but I though I would put a remedy in case anyone has used it.
To force delete the KernelExtensionManagement folder in your trash on Mojave 10.14.6...
Try the following:
Open the Trash, click on it in the Dock.
Open Terminal and type the following command, followed by a space:
sudo rm -rf
Now drag and drop the target folder from the Trash onto the Terminal window.
Press Enter and type in your (Admin) password and press Enter.
If that doesn't remove the target folder, then make note of its pathname, writing it down on a piece of paper.
Reboot the Mac to the Recovery HD, pressing ⌘R, and holding it, as the computer starts up after having shut it down.
Once the macOS Utilities window appears, select Terminal from the Utilities menu.
In Terminal type the following command: (Don't include Sudo)
rm -rf /path/to/target/folder
Example:
rm -rf /Volumes/Macintosh\ HD/Users/johndoe/.Trash/KernelExtensionManagement
Note: Because this is being done from the Recovery HD, you need to add e.g. /Volumes/Macintosh\ HD to the pathname you wrote down earlier. /Macintosh\ HD needs to be replaced with your own hard drive name. Make sure you type the fully qualified pathname correctly as once you press Enter, that's it, it's gone and cannot be recovered!
Then type reboot and press Enter.