Why can we no longer customize the Parallels Tools installation? It used to be the wizard would allow you to select and deselect check boxes according to the features we did and didn't want to use. Now, it runs and installs everything without asking. I do not want my host Mac applications there under "Shared Applications" in the Start Menu, nor do I want all the little .exes they point to, which are found in the AppData\Roaming\Parallels folder (Windows Vista) and serve to open all my Mac applications. I do not have any sharing of any kind selected in my VM configuration. It's all off, but the tools installer doesn't care. It also registers in Windows all of my Mac applications with every file type it can find, from iPhoto to Garageband (as if there are ever going to be any of these file types in my Windows OS) and even overwrites some that I need (Office files; I've seen the other threads about this). I've manually deleted all the "auto" file types and erased all the exe files in the Shared Applications folder, but I have a feeling that if I ever upgrade my Parallels build, and a new tools installer runs, it will just put everything back, as the current build does. Why is there no option for a custom install? How can I prevent all this shared applications nonsense? Uninstalling Parallels Tools does not remove all the unnecessary registered file types! How can I get rid of them without manually editing my registry? I fear the only way to clean the slate is to reinstall Windows. I do not want my guest OS to have any knowledge of, or ability to open things in, my host OS. Drag and drop only, please. If anyone knows how to remove these superfluous file type associations, and prevent them from coming back, please let me know. Thanks.
Have you tried "Vm configuration -> Shared Applications" and turn all options off there? This will remove all small .exe's and all stuff from Start menu related to Shared Host Applications.
I have, but it does not do what you said. The box was never checked from the very beginning but it installed the exes anyway. I've then tried checking the box and clicking OK, then unchecking the box and clicking OK, but it does not do what you said it would. Everything is still there. Parallels Tools should either honor our preferences when installing or allow us the ability to customize the install to make sure things we don't want don't get installed.
Just wanted to say that I went ahead and updated to the 3540 build, and when it automatically installed the updated Parallels Tools on my Vista VM, thankfully it did NOT put back the exe files for all my Mac applications in the "Shared Applications" folder, and it did NOT reregister all my Mac file types in Windows. The previous build's Tools installer would have done. It seems now the Tools installer is honoring my setting in the configuration editor. I hope that sticks. It would have been nice not to have had to manually go through my registry and delete the unwanted file type associations or to manually remove the shared application exes, but I'm happy now, so I'll consider this matter closed. As I said, I do pray that future build updates continue to leave my file type associations alone, as it is painstaking to delete them manually one by one.
I have a similar problem upgraded to 4.0 went ok, but have shared applications that I did not have in .3.5 and did not want. Cannot get rid of them. tried reinstall of parallel tools and already using latest build 3540