Parallels VM window is disappearing

Discussion in 'General Questions' started by mjs, Dec 21, 2007.

  1. mjs

    mjs Member

    Messages:
    26
    Hi,

    under some conditions it may happen that the Parallels VM window cannot be shown:

    1. Make sure that no other GUI application is running
    2. Produce the problem described here: http://forums.parallels.com/showthread.php?t=18632
    3. Switch from Coherence to Single Window

    Now the VM window doesn't show up and things are getting worse when I click on "Quit" of the dock icons context menu. It seems that something quits but I'm not sure what and how.

    Regards,
    Mark
     
  2. Eli B

    Eli B Bit poster

    Messages:
    7
    This is happening to me too. Once the window disappears, there seems to be no way to get it back -- I've tried switching to full-screen, choosing Hide from the Dock and then Show again -- Parallels will become the frontmost application but all I see is its menu bar. If I click on the dock icon for an app running within Parallels, I get a menu bar with nothing in it but the Apple menu and the application name. I can shut down Parallels by choosing Quit from the Dock, as long as there's no application running that will interrupt the shutdown, but there's no way to interact with it otherwise.
     
  3. bmeissner

    bmeissner Member

    Messages:
    25
    Same here. Happened for several times (and still happens), and no other "cure" than force quitting Parallels (cmd + alt + esc). It happens in full screen mode as well as in other modes (I rarely use coherence). There are two different situations:

    1. Hide Parallels (cmd + h): Parallels disappears as expected and doesn't come back once switching to Parallels again.

    2. Hiding Parallels (using cmd + h or the menu command) does not hide Parallels. It just sits there on the screen as before. But when switching to an other application, Parallels disappears and gets lost as in #1.

    Specs: Parallels build 5582; Mac Pro 3.0; OS X 10.4.11, 5 GB RAM

    Any idea?

    Bernd
     
  4. Alicia

    Alicia Parallels Team

    Messages:
    683
    Hello,

    could you please update you Parallels build and check if the issue still persists?
     
  5. bmeissner

    bmeissner Member

    Messages:
    25

    Alicia,

    obviously there is no update for my (German) version 5582 yet.

    Bernd
     
  6. Eli B

    Eli B Bit poster

    Messages:
    7
    I've been using 5584 for about 2 weeks now and the problem hasn't recurred. It was always unpredictable though, so I don't know if it's resolved or if I've just been lucky. I'll let you know if it happens again.
     
  7. Alicia

    Alicia Parallels Team

    Messages:
    683
    Hello,

    bmeissner, please, try to reinstall Parallels Desktop. Will it solve the issue?
     
  8. Ben Chong

    Ben Chong Bit poster

    Messages:
    4
    Problem persists with 5584 and after re-install

    I have the problem with build 5584 in two different environments: MacBook with Tiger and WinXP VM.

    When I migrated over to a Penryn-based MacBook Pro running Leopard, I had to re-install Parallels because I upgraded the RAM to 4GB.

    The problem still occurs.

    It is particularly predictable if I launch a second VM (in this case, Vista). At least one of the VMs will lack the full Parallels menu bar.

    Is there a way to suspend the VM without the menu bar? I hate shutting down Windows.
     
  9. bmeissner

    bmeissner Member

    Messages:
    25

    Hello Alicia,

    meanwhile I've installed the German version 5584, and the problem just happened again. I've been switching between applications (Parallels was one of them), and suddenly the Parallels window wouldn't come to front/visible again. Still running (as the dock icon indicates), but no way to get back to the application window. Parallels was running in a window (neither coherence nor fullscreen).

    Bernd
     
  10. Ensorceled

    Ensorceled Junior Member

    Messages:
    11
    I've had this happen a couple of times. I updated but not reinstalled.

    It just happened again tonight and I have a new theory. Every time this has happened I have been running a Mac Office 2004 app at the same time. I rarely run Mac Office 2004 (I have 2007 and outlook on windows, hence ||s :). I have noted for several years how ill behaved Mac Office 2004 is (especially when doing a sleep/awake cycle).

    The disappearance was triggered by me clicking on the || outlook icon on the Mac dock.

    I was running in Full Screen Mode, Intel Power Book, Dual monitor setup. || owned the monitor, Mac OS on the laptop.

    Hope this helps ...
     
  11. bmeissner

    bmeissner Member

    Messages:
    25

    This is something I'll have an eye on… I also use Mac Office 2004, and it is quite possible, that either Word or Excel have been running at the time when Parallels disappeared. Thanks for the hint.

    A new observation here: every day, the first time I launch Parallels, the "Hide" (CMD+H) command doesn't work. This is the Mac app, doesn't have anything to do with Windows being started or not. After quitting and restarting CMD+H works again. Day by day...

    Bernd
     
  12. worksology

    worksology Bit poster

    Messages:
    1
    Possible cause: Spaces?

    Hi,

    I've been dealing with this exact same problem for weeks. Almost every day, the Parallels window would completely disappear (didn't matter what View I was in). And the only way to get the window back would be to either Restart or Log Out and back in. And that's a pain in the butt.

    So today I noticed that even though the window disappeared, all the activity I had going on in Parallels was still working. Downloads were completing, for example.

    Somehow, I had the idea to check Spaces. So I fired up System Preferences, opened the Spaces config (which was not even enabled). I enabled spaces, and then tabbed over to Space #2 and there was my Parallels window, fully operational.

    Something has apparently been triggering Parallels to go back to Space 2, where I had had it once upon a time (but no more, obviously, since I didn't even have Spaces enabled).

    Maybe this will help others?
     
  13. bmeissner

    bmeissner Member

    Messages:
    25
    Well, I am (and have been) using Parallels running Tiger… there are no "Spaces".

    Bernd
     
  14. pendolino

    pendolino Member

    Messages:
    75
    i am having the same problem and i am running leopard with spaces active. parallels is tied to its own space and it happens intermittently.

    i have build 5584 so i am up to date as per the last check just now.
     
  15. MEADIAsolutions

    MEADIAsolutions Bit poster

    Messages:
    1
    Spaces is the Problem with Disappearing Parallels window

    I also had Parallels regularly disappearing from view. There seems no way to get it to return without force Quitting which I didn't want to do. Spaces was not active, but if I opened Spaces preferences, clicked in on, then off, it would reappear. This was on a fresh system and I had not installed many other applications. I would have to do this several times a day and sometimes every few minutes. I had added Parallels to the Spaces Applications Assignments and when I removed it from a preferred space, it worked properly. Interestingly, Spaces would still work as though spaces was activated, even though spaces was turned off. Control + Right arrow would slide spaces into view. This only seemed to be a problem when I had a second monitor attached (23" Cinema Display). FYI i am running Leopard 10.5.2 on a 2.33 GHz MBPRo with 3GB RAM. Parallels 3.0 build 5584.0 I hope this helps.
     
  16. pendolino

    pendolino Member

    Messages:
    75
    interesting observations. will try some of them to see how it works with me and thank you for sharing.
     
  17. Mtyvol

    Mtyvol Bit poster

    Messages:
    1
    Re-install Fails, with the following error:
    "The following install step failed: run preupgrade script for ParallelsHypervisor. Contact the software manufacturer for assistance."
     
  18. asbjornu

    asbjornu Bit poster

    Messages:
    5
    This is what helped me, but on Mavericks, there is no "Spaces" anymore, so this has to be done through "Mission Control". Just open up Mission Control with whatever shortcut you have it bound to (touch gesture, F3 or whatever) and you'll most likely see Parallels there. Just drag it from the space it's on to another one, then back and it should appear. Weird, but it worked for me.
     
  19. MohamedE1

    MohamedE1 Bit poster

    Messages:
    5
    has anyone found a solution for that ?!
     
  20. DennisA2

    DennisA2 Bit poster

    Messages:
    3
    I really wonder about a product when all of a sudden the VM window simply disappears - you can see it in the control center. It is running!,, BUT YOU CANNOT GET THE WINDOW TO DISPLAY!!!!! WHY! It takes a call to Parallels to get it open. The thing happens again. WHY?
     

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