Maverick, Windows 8.1, Video Resolution on Macbook with Retina

Just a tip in the event anyone runs into this. If you update Parallels 9 to the latest version (the Mavericks patch), and then upgrade OSX to Mavericks, Windows may use its own video driver instead of the Parallels Tools-provided driver. This fixes your max resolution much lower than you would desire. Re-installing Parallels Tools didn't fix this issue. Here's what to do:

- Go to Device Manager (charms bar search or Start Screen and type "Device Manager")
- Expand Display Adapters
- If this problem exists, in my experience, your adapter will be a default from Windows as opposed to "Parallels Display Adapter (WDDM)"
- Right-click, go to Properties, click the Driver tab, then click Update Driver, then click Search Automatically for Updated Driver Software
- Windows should find the Parallels driver if you have installed the Parallels Tools.
- When the update is complete, you will be able to max your resolution as expected.

Hardware: Macbook Pro 15", Early 2013, 2.7 GHz Intel Core i7, 16GB RAM, 512GB SSD, Apple Thunderbolt Display
Software: Mac OS X 10.9 (13A603), Parallels 9 build 9.0.23136, Guest OS Windows 8.1 Pro

Hope this helps.

 

Any idea what to do if I'm running XP instead of W8?

 

Rick, it's actually very similar. In XP, right-click on My Computer and select Manage. Then go to Device Manager. Everything else still applies from there. You may want to reinstall Parallels Tools first.

 

Thanks. It says "Parallels Video Adapter" so my problem is something else. I'll keep looking ;-)

 

Update. Figured it out. Had to disable Retina Resolution in Parallels.