Do Not Install Latest Build!

I applied the latest build last night (18.0.18608, revision 898384) and now my Windows 7 VM does not work and I have no way to go back to my prior build.

Here is the history:
Got a notification there was an updated for Parallels. Applied the update to Parallels on the MacBook Pro. Launched Parallels and launched my Win7 VM. Logged in no problem and the Win7 VM then launched a Parallels Tools update on the Win7 VM. That installation required a restart of the Win7 VM. After the restart, I get to the login for Win7, provide my login credentials and get to an eternal Welcome screen for Win7. Never fully logs in or gets me to a working Windows 7 machine.

I can't find an old version of Parallels 8 anywhere to revert back to, so it looks like I am stuck. I can re-build the entire thing, but will have lost a lot of work in the process. Not to mention my time that I should be working instead of dealing with this piece of crap software.

If anyone has a quick and dirty answer, that would be fabulous.

Update:

I was able to log into my Win7 VM using Safe Mode. I then was able to do a system restore prior to the installation of the crappy Parallels Tools update. It rebooted for the restore, and i was able to log in normally to Win7. It then proceded to launch the update for Parallels Tools again, which I cancelled. I think I am at least functional now, but not having the update on the Win7 VM may be problematic with the update being applied to the Parallels Desktop application on the MacBook that runs the Win7 VM.

I would stay far, far away from this update if I had the chance all over again.

 

Hi,

you can always go back to the previous version - all your downloads are in ~/Library/Parallels/Downloads

StefanP

 

@ BoilermakerU

Thank you for sharing your feedback. I looked up your requests in our support system and couldn't find any - it looks like you did not contact Parallels Support with this question at all. Here's how you can do it in the future (there's no charge for you for email support): http://kb.parallels.com/6571

As for the issue itself, I'd recommend to follow these steps:
1. Make a backup of your VM: http://kb.parallels.com/8829
2. Disable or better temporarily uninstall your antivirus
3. Clean up Parallels Tools remnants from the system: http://kb.parallels.com/8969 (start from "Uninstall, clean up & install Parallels Tools" section)
4. Restart Windows
5. Install Parallels Tools by clicking Virtual Machine > Install Parallels Tools.

 

@ BoilermakerU

This is a typical immature posting. The OP has zero previous history, so his first and only post is aggressive and hostile. He has not even requested assistance either from Parallels, or from forum members, nor has he followed any sensible standard practice, like backups, or RTFM.

If the gripe was genuine, then I hope he will get resolution and some learning.

As an illustration, I had just had a major problem (documented elsewhere), and got immediate response from Parallels.

Cheers,

 

@Andrew
I did try to contact Parallels support, only to find out that I have to pay $20 an incident to get even chat support? So I logged an incident or report or whatever you want to call it (#1689096) and the resolution given does nothing to solve the issue. Tried it twice already. Nothing about this latest update is working.

I'll try your resolution and see if that does anything for me. Thanks for the valuable response.

@Stefan
Thank you also for your helpful response. I learned something new about my Mac OS today (yes, I am relatively new to the Mac world).

 

@Andrew
I actually did contact support online (Parallels #1689096) and got a response on several steps involving repairing the C: drive etc. In case it helps someone else, this is what I received:

Step #1. Boot to Safe Mode.
1. Start Parallels Desktop and Windows virtual machine.
2. From the Apple menu bar, select Virtual Machine > Stop. This will force the Windows to stop.
3. Start Windows and you will see a selection screen. Select Safe Mode.

Step #2. Disable Startup items on Windows.
1. Start Parallels Desktop and Windows virtual machine.
2. Click on Start and type msconfig then hit Enter
3. Click the Startup tab and click Disable all.
4. Restart Windows virtual machine

Step #3. Run Error Checking on Windows.
1. Start Windows virtual machine.
2. Click on Start > Computer
3. Right/Option click on C: Drive and select Properties
4. Select the Tools tab and click on Error Checking, put a check on Automatically repair files on the checkbox.
5 Run the Repair, you will be prompted to schedule the repair since C: Drive is currently mounted, select on Schedule Disk Repair
6. Reboot Windows and wait for the repair to complete and Boot Normally to Windows.

This did not resolve my issue, the latest update simply will not run Windows 7 for me.

@Stefan
Thanks for that. That was helpful. That's what I ended up doing. I did a system restore prior to the update of Parallels Tools on the Win7 VM and re-installed the prior version of Parallels on the Mac.

 

@BoilermakerU,

Your ticket #1689096 is still open and I asked one of the engineers to contact you soon. Please update this forum thread with the results once it's fixed.

 

I've had the same problem. My system kept hanging at log in. I was able to boot into Safe Mode, uninstall Tools, and was booted.
I've run CCleaner & followed the instructions here: http://kb.parallels.com/8969
As soon as I reinstall the tools, it hangs.

Since the previous version of 8 was my first 8 install, I don't have a previous version of 8's tools to roll back to.

 

Anybody ever find a solution? Parallels escalated my case to level 2 but I haven't heard anything. The only thing I can do is keep Tools uninstalled.

 

I also have this problem on my MBP (mid-2011) with Mavericks Preview and Windows 8 guest OS

 

And now that Parallels 9 has been released, they want me to pay for 9 when I haven't been able to use their product since July, because I purchased it in June.

When I pay in June and the first update in July breaks it so I can't use it, I am not going to pay again in September. Parallels, you owe me a working product. This is ridiculous.