Start up Parallels VM with a desktop alias?

In past versions of Parallels, I was able to make a desktop alias to my Parallels VM (e.g. Windows 7) and just double click the icon to run the Windows 7 VM on my Mac.

With Parallels 12, if I click on the Windows 7 desktop alias, it pops up the Parallels Control Center. If I double click the desktop icon again, it starts up the Windows 7 VM.

Is there any way I can just invoke the VM without having Control Center running/being invoked? I don't care to have Control Center run, I just want my VM to run. I also feel that having Control Center show a thumbnail of the live VM screen is just additional overhead on my Mac that I don't need or want. I'm a minimalist, I guess, and I also like to conserve my system resources the best I can.

Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated!

 

I had the same issue as you, guess no one came up with an answer yet.

 

To create an alias locate the virtual machine select .pvm file and right click -> Make Alias then move to Mac Desktop.
or
Once Windows virtual machine started icon will appear on your Mac Dock, right click on Windows icon select Options -> Keep in Dock.

 

Using the second method you have listed works.


I have always used the first method, creating an Alias from the .pvm and placing on my desktop, with all previous versions of Parallels and it worked just fine.


Doing so with version 12, using the Alias, will only start Parallels desktop with the Control Center visible and nothing else. The VM will not start automatically.

 

Open virtual machine configuration -> Options -> Startup and Shutdown -> enable Startup and shut down manually then try running alias.

 

No, that still doesn't work either. It only starts Parallels Desktop and the Control Center appears. The VM doesn't start.


Using the dock icon method is working, so I will stick with that for now. If you get it figured out, please let me know.


Thanks for the help

 

Same issue with same settings.

 

We would like to know the Parallels Desktop version and Mac OS X version you have.

 

I have tried Parallels 12 with Sierra 10.12.4 . Also in the previous post the issue wasn't been resolved.

 

You can select Custom option under Startup and Shutdown then choose "When Parallels Desktop Starts" for Start Automatically then check.

 

Yeah, but in this way if you have more than one VM, they stat up all in the same time.

 

Yes, if all the VM are set to launch when Parallels Desktop opens this will happen. Please try to do the following and let me know if it will work for you:
1. Make sure the virtual machine (VM) is in the shutdown state and Parallels Desktop.app (PD) is closed.
2. Open Finder > Documents > Parallels locate .pvm bundle with the name of your VM > right click it and choose 'Show package contents'.
3. Find the file with Windows icon and corresponding name (VM name.app) > right click it > choose 'Duplicate' > put the duplicated icon to the place where you usually kept it.
4. Start the VM using this icon.
Looking forward to your reply with results.

 

Done, but doesn't work. After double click on the duplicate icon nothing happened.

 

If you have already created a desktop VM alias as per the steps provided by us earlier...

...then please reproduce the issue wherein you just have the Control Center window appearing after giving a double-click on the desktop alias, generate a Problem Report ID and reply with the same.

 

Same issue. I currently have 6 PVM's. I want the PVM I've double clicked on to start automatically when I double click on it. I don't want any of the other PVM's to automatically start. It doesn't matter which PVM I've double clicked on, I want it to start automatically. Additionally when I shut down a PVM and it's the only PVM running, I would like Parallels to shut down. If I have multiple PVM's running, shutting down the 1 PVM should not impact the other PVM's. This worked in previous version of Parallels. However it is not newly broken in Parallels 12. It's been broken for a couple of releases now.

Thanks.
Ed

 

Hello @edwardd20, if you have created a desktop alias for your VM's which only gives you the Control Center window when double-clicked on, then please reproduce the issue, generate a Problem Report ID and reply with the same.

 

I have submitted a problem report with the ID number 183059918.

I seriously hope that you do not really require an alias on the desktop to be able to directly launch a PVM. I like to keep my desktop clean and have few if any alias's cluttering up my desktop.

For others who may be in the same situation, I run in Coherence mode. Parallels says to click on the red menu icon. You must first turn that on in the Parallels preferences (General). This option is not in the PVM preferences.

 

Actually, you don't. As suggested earlier in this thread, you can start the Windows virtual machine and then, after its icon appears in the Mac Dock, right-click on the icon and select Options -> Keep in Dock. You can then, henceforth, use this icon to start the VM directly.

Thanks for the report ID. Please stand by while we check for the resolution internally concerning the issue. Once we receive an update, we will get back to you with further instructions.