2 year old prl_vm_app issue still exists

Hi

This issue is something i've just put up with for ages but after updating to the latest build today and it still happening decided it was time to post about it here.

I have Parallels 7 running on OSX 10.6.8 (MacBookPro Late 2009 Model - Core 2 Duo 2.8ghz, 8gb RAM, NVidia GT 9600/9400M) and I have been using with it Windows 7 (Bootcamp), OSX Lion VM and Chrome OS VM.

Thing is regardless of whether the VM boots and is suspended via the Parallels UI, the VM fails to boot (i.e. only a BIOS boot screen is shown but the DOS-like terminal indicates there is no working OS installation to boot), or boots and I select Force Shutdown (via Parallels dialogue boxes that pop-up when selecting to shutdown) the processes from the VMs hang around and every time I open a new VM it creates a new process too, even when it's the same VM.

In addition to this even when the application itself has been quit (Parallels), the processes just sit there as zombie processes chewing memory and CPU. For the last few years my only 'solution' has been to kill the process via Activity Monitor, but this is a really poor way to have to address the issue.

PS. I have attempted things like disabling the Windows Application folder within OSX, i've re-launched the process for the launch demon from the command line and more, but nothing has resolved the issue.

If Parallels is unaware of this issue can they please contact me so we can investigate and see this issue resolved ASAP. If anyone else has any tips that may help it would also be welcome.

A screenshot from Activity Monitor today (*after* having quit Parallels too!) - http://screencast.com/t/PAj3mEl5XrE



Thanks!

 

Please contact support at www.parallels.com/support/ - this issue needs to be investigated

 

The same issue here

I have the same issue on MacBook PRO. OS X 10.8.2. Parallels desktop: 7.0.15107...

 

Same Issue over 2Gig Mem usage

MacBook Pro OS X 10.8.1 (12B19)

Build 7.0.15107

 

Same Problem also

3.1 GB virtual memory being used. I recently COPIED my parallels folder to a new disk drive when the old drive was failing, so possibly a driver or some system configuration didn't get updated?

Build 7.0.15107 on an Intel iMac Core i7 under OS X 10.7.5.

 

Defrag and Check Disk fixed prl_vrm_app using >100% CPU

Here is what I did, trying some other users' suggestions:

1) Reduced video memory in Parallels>Virtual Machine>Configure>Hardware>Video from 1024 to 256 mb.
-DIDN'T FIX IT

2) Compressed VM in Parallels Desktop/Virtual Machine menu. Gained ~ 8 GB on VM.
-DIDN'T FIX IT

3) Reset launchdaemon:

- DIDN'T FIX IT

4) In computer/hard disk drives/local disk (C/properties/general:
- Ran Disk Cleanup
- DIDN'T FIX IT

5) THIS SEEMS TO HAVE FIXED IT: Disk error-checking and defragmentation (Windows, not 3rd-party):

1. In computer/hard disk drives/local disk (C/properties/tools:
a. Error-checking> selected both options > "can't check until restart"
b. Defragmentation
- analyze showed 65% fragmented (!)
- defragment disk -> 0% fragmented
- This dropped CPU usage slightlyin Activity Monitor, but prl_vm_app av. >70% and still spiked at >100%;
Parallels Desktop averaging 30-40%, and other prl processes high as well

2. Restart

3. Disk Error-Checking
- chkdsk ran automatically on restart (black DOS screen)
- chkdsk found a problem and fixed it. I wasn't quick enough to get a Mac screenshot, or
windows-savvy enough to remember how to copy-paste from a DOS screen, so I don't know
exactly what it was.
- THIS FIXED IT! VM started up normally. Activity Monitor showed prl_vm_app averaging 5%, Parallels
Desktop and other processes at <1%.

No problems while running programs- there were just brief spikes to 50% or less when opening them, and slight increases, max <10%, doing more complicated things. prl_vm_app quickly settled down to 4-5% CPU with everything. Only problem was a spike of Activity Monitor to 61%! I didn't try any videos.

I'm considering this fixed for the time being. Keeping my fingers crossed! I hope this helps somebody else. Some of you who are more savvy may be able to figure out which of these steps are actually necessary.

 

Thanks a lot for sharing this, if anyone else confirms this solution, we will document it.

 

Simply starting the defrag process on C-drive may have worked for me. By the time defrag was 1% done, prl_vm_app had reduced from 100% to a range of 3% to 12%. However, now that defrag is finished, the percentage jumps around wildly, for example between 15% and 75% within past minute or so, changing randomly at every refresh of Activity Monitor.

I need to also point out a couple of other things. I had only 7% defrag and was advised by Windows not to defragment. I did so anyways and it has helped for now. Parallels runs snappily again for now.

Also, even though I have specified that Parallels use only 1 Mac processor, it uses 7 of my 8. However, back when I was having the problem, the total remained at 100% though it jumped between processors and usually used several at any given time. I don't know if that is normal. When I allowed Parallels to use 2 processors, it upped to 200% with the same behavior. Even now at lower cpu usage it appears to use 7 of the 8 processors (maybe all 8 and I just have observed the last one being used.)

I didn't try any other fix.

 

Update: I rebooted and ran chkdsk, and cpu % usages has dropped to a range of 3% to 24%, mostly around 5%.

 

Defragmentation followed by chkdsk works for me so far

I'm not sure if my prior post was accepted or maybe lost. I had confirmed that defragging reduced prl_vm_app usage from 100% to around 40% (with a lot of bouncing around both higher and lower), even though I only had 7% fragmentation and was advised by Windows not to defrag. The only post I now see is my update, which should follow this info.