Macbook slows to a crawl when Parallels and Entourage are running

Machine A is a Macbook with 2GB of memory, the latest build of Parallels and a Windows XP Pro VM file. Here I can run Windows and have no major issues running windows programs or OSX programs. I run Entourage 2008 and have no issues.

Machine B is a Macbook with 1GB of memory (very similar build model), the latest build of Parallels and a Windows XP Pro VM file. Whenever I run Entourage 2004, OSX and Windows come to a crawl and both "machines" are unusable. No other apps (browsers or otherwise) are running, I've narrowed it down to a problem w/ Entourage.

Both Parallels are configured close to default so the main differences are RAM and Entourage 2004 vs 2008. I've tried to implement the suggested optimizations (see bottom) with little success. I have not tried a full Parallels delete/reinstall.

Suggestions? The wife is threatening to revive a PC just to get around this.

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Please try some optimization recommendation:
1. Set memory for Virtual Machine to less than 1 GB
2. Perform Mac and Windows side disk defragmentation http://www.xvsxp.com/system/system_tools_defrag.php
3. Set Adjust memory limit from Auto to Manual at Parallels Desktop -Preferences-Memory, and set limit a bit more higher than VM memory
4. Disable Themes in Windows XP serives.msc stop Themes service
5. If you are running in Coherence, try to switch to Single Window, or lower Mac resolution
6. Some antivirus software can load CPU when Heuristic Prediction is set, or Tamper protection (Symantec, MacAffey), adjust settings to risk you are supposed, high security settings is not always good idea, as it can also affect software running
7. Run msconfig , and disable unneeded startup items
See http://www.netsquirrel.com/msconfig/msconfig_xp.html
8. Make sure that no VNC,or remote desktop connection is established to Mac, this can slowdown Parallels Desktop

 

Let us see,
Entourage 2008 is UB application, and thus it uses less memory
Entourage 2004 is PowerPC application, yo can only increase memory on this Mac

 

Cool, thanks. Looking forward to the reply.