How to Stop Parellels 4.0 Mac from Checking for Updates?

Hi,

I recently installed paralles 4.0 for mac. Since then, everytime I start parallels, it starts checking for updates. I don't want it to ever check for updates I went into the preferences and unchecked the check for update option, but it keeps checking anyway.

Do I need to reboot my mac to make this work?

 

same problem

I'm having the same problem, and it's annoying the heck out of me!

Hey, PTN - is this by design? Nowdays it's pretty bad form to insist on checking for updates despite the user's preference.

 

I also noticed that once parallels starts, it KEEPS checking. This is a BIG problem.

 

Hello,

Please follow the below mentioned steps.

1. Open Finder.
2. Navigate Mac HD => Users => User name => Library => Preference => com.parallels.plist
3. Delete all the files that has the com.parallels extension.

 

This post is unclear. If I delete everything with "com.parallels.XXXXXXXX", Parallels will NOT start. There are 4 files in my Preference folder with com.parallels.XXX. What is the full name of the file to delete?

Actually, I'm not sure this is the area that I need help in. I DO get the dreaded "upgrade notice" that is starting to really bug me to the point where I'm thinking of dumping Parallels completely and going to another VM.

The latest version will NOT install on my system, but it did start this obnoxious "checking routine". I've posted a couple of other requests on this board for help, but so far I haven't received an answer.

 

Help me stop this intrusion

WOULD SOMEONE TELL ME HOW TO MAKE THESE update checks STOP!!! It's really very annoying.

 

This worked for me. I can now start parallels without the update tool starting on its own.

 

Don't know why you would need to delete the plist file to disable this function. You just have to go to the Parallels Desktop menu, choose Preferences and then select Update. Uncheck the box for "Check for updates:"

 

Turns out the fix DIDN'T work. The update screen started popping up again.

I wish to hell I never updated from 3.0. It was much faster and never caused a problem. You guys need to fix this; it's a major pain.

 

Stop the updater this way:

It's apparent that the PD team do not care about being honest about your privacy, and so you need to take other measures, just as you should for other software to keep them from phoning home without your knowledge or permission.

What I did was install Little Snitch. http://www.obdev.at/products/littlesnitch/index.html

This is a firewall for outgoing network traffic. Between your hardware firewall in your router, and the software firewall in the Mac OS X, incoming network traffic is filtered to prevent much of the bad traffic. But nothing outgoing is monitored. Little Snitch fills that void. After installation, the first time the updater tries to phone home, a popup from Little Snitch will tell you the program, the destination it's trying to reach, which port and protocol. You can choose to allow it or deny it. You can make that choice apply once, or forever. You can go back later and edit the rule it sets. When I chose "deny forever", PD doesn't even try anymore because it looks like there is no internet connection.

One catch: If you also use an http proxy such as glimmerblocker to block ads on web sites, this will effectively cripple Little Snitch. All http traffic would look like it came from the proxy. If you want to use an ad blocker with Little Snitch, it needs to be a Safari plug-in. There are several Safari plug-ins around to do this, you can find some on pimpmysafari.com .

FYI: On Snow Leopard, you will need Little Snitch 2.2.

 

Stopping the updater from checking

What I did was install Little Snitch. http://www.obdev.at/products/littlesnitch/index.html

This is a firewall for outgoing network traffic. Between your hardware firewall in your router, and the software firewall in the Mac OS X, incoming network traffic is filtered to prevent much of the bad traffic. But nothing outgoing is monitored. Little Snitch fills that void. After installation, the first time the updater tries to phone home, a popup from Little Snitch will tell you the program, the destination it's trying to reach, which port and protocol. You can choose to allow it or deny it. You can make that choice apply once, or forever. You can go back later and edit the rule it sets. When I chose "deny forever", PD doesn't even try anymore because it looks like there is no internet connection.

One catch: If you also use an http proxy such as glimmerblocker to block ads on web sites, this will effectively cripple Little Snitch. All http traffic would look like it came from the proxy. If you want to use an ad blocker with Little Snitch, it needs to be a Safari plug-in. There are several Safari plug-ins around to do this, you can find some on pimpmysafari.com .

FYI: On Snow Leopard, you will need Little Snitch 2.2.

 

dear all,

for my parallels desktop 5.0 Mac installation, i want to disable the auto update function.

i want to do, this with a script. then the software will be automatically installed to the mac.

 

How to disable update checking.

You do not need to delete any files to stop Parallels from checking for updates, rather you need to change some files.

You will need to download a property list editor. If you have xCode installed, then you should be fine with the property editor bundled with xCode.
Otherwise, go to and download this simple property list editor from Apple.

Open the following files:
com.parallels.Parallels.plist
com.parallels.Parallels Desktop.plist

In com.parallels.Parallels.plist, modify, (no need to delete) the following properties:
Change the name of each key that has the prefix: Parallels.AutomaticUpdates.
to ~Parallels.AutomaticUpdates.
There should be about nine entries and they should all have ~ before there name when your done.

Next, in com.parallels.Parallels Desktop.plist, change the following property:
User Preferences.Update.Incomplete Update
This is a boolean (checkbox) property and make sure that it is unchecked or 0.

Save both files and reopen Parallels Desktop.