MASSIVE decrease in performance after upgrading to 3.0

Discussion in 'Windows Virtual Machine' started by dschmidt, Dec 11, 2007.

  1. Eru Ithildur

    Eru Ithildur Forum Maven

    Messages:
    1,954
    Does it make a difference if you toggle between modes?
     
  2. randall

    randall Member

    Messages:
    20
    Although this problem was happening daily for a couple of weeks, it hasn't happened now for the past few days. I'll come back here if it does, but for now something seems to have fixed it.
     
  3. MattBaker

    MattBaker Junior Member

    Messages:
    17
    It's happening for me tonight. It seems to be triggered when I try to close a window (whether clicking the X in the top right corner, clicking Send on an email I typed in Outlook, or doing something else as long as it causes a window to close).

    For me, the realization that it's triggered by closing a window is new info. But I saw another thread here a few days ago that mentioned a similar problem, so maybe you all already know this?
     
  4. randall

    randall Member

    Messages:
    20
    it was only happening to me when closing a window (the situation you describe)
     
  5. randall

    randall Member

    Messages:
    20
    It started happening again today! :(

    I noticed that Parallels Tools wasn't running today. It frequently crashes and I never notice until I go to copy/paste something from Mac OS to Windows or vice versa.

    Anyway, I launched Parallels Tools and the next time I went to close a Window I had the exact problem again of the virtual machine locking up for about 5 seconds.

    I exited Parallels Tools as a test, and bingo!! I didn't have the problem anymore.
     
  6. Eru Ithildur

    Eru Ithildur Forum Maven

    Messages:
    1,954
    Interesting, sounds like a glitch with Parallels tools. I would send Parallels a trouble-ticket.
     
  7. randall

    randall Member

    Messages:
    20
    I would be curious if anyone else can confirm this is what's causing their problem, too.

    I'm going to try troubleshooting now that I've narrowed the scope. I may try uninstalling and reinstalling Parallels Tools, for example.
     
  8. MattBaker

    MattBaker Junior Member

    Messages:
    17
    Testing variations this morning:

    It doesn't happen if I use Coherence. But the whole system seems slow in Coherence. For instance, the screen is always a couple of keystrokes behind when I'm typing fast.

    If I go to Full Screen, then it beachballs when I'm looking at a screen. I don't even have to close a window.
     
  9. randall

    randall Member

    Messages:
    20
    This could change, but as of now I am no longer having the issue after uninstalling and reinstalling Parallels Tools. I'm still running in Full Screen mode and Parallels Tools is running, too.
     
  10. JohnO

    JohnO Junior Member

    Messages:
    15
    I am still having this issue. It started after my archive and install upgrade to Leopard, and with Build 5582, although I am now using Build 5584.

    I am using a MacBook Pro with 2 GB of RAM.

    Running OS X 10.5.1

    Parallels VM is set to automatic, with 1.4 GB allocated according to the slider under Preferences.

    I have 384 MB memory allocated to Windows XP.

    Main observation is a 3-10 second lag in closing windows. Usually get the Mac OS spinning cursor, yet Mac OS CPU or Windows VM utilization do not spike during the event. Some applications are worse than others. Outlook 2003 is one example program where window closing takes many seconds.

    This happens both when using an external monitor, and when displaying a single window on my MacBook Pro without an external monitor, with Coherence, or full screen.

    Any new suggestions greatly appreciated!
     
  11. randall

    randall Member

    Messages:
    20
    I'm still getting this, too. It's happening without an external monitor. I thought at first that having an external monitor was related, but I reproduced the problem yesterday without an external attached.

    I still feel the problem is linked to Parallels Tools, because I'm able to shut down Parallels Tools and the problem immediately goes away. When I open Parallels Tools the problem resumes. I thought it was fixed by uninstalling and reinstalling Parallels Tools, but the problem happened again yesterday.

    Maybe the Leopard 10.5.2 update that's coming in the next few days will help in some way.
     
  12. JohnO

    JohnO Junior Member

    Messages:
    15
    Same here - if I quit Parallels Tools, the problem goes away!

    John
     
  13. MattBaker

    MattBaker Junior Member

    Messages:
    17
    Same for me on a MacBook with an external monitor. If I un-install Tools, the problem goes away.

    5584 on 10.5.1
     
  14. Richard Goulding

    Richard Goulding Bit poster

    Messages:
    1
    I have had exactly the same experience

    I am running Windows XP in Parallels on a Macbook Pro 2.4 GHz with 4 GB ram (1.5 GB allocated to the VM) and an external monitor. I'm still running Tiger, v10.4.11, but am encountering exactly the same problems reported by the others in this thread.


    I just upgraded from build 5160 to 5582 and experienced a huge decrease in performance. Even the audio breaks up due to the slowdown. I found that when I uninstalled Parallels Tools that at some point in the de-installation the response improves dramatically. When I re-installed Parallels Tools the performance again dropped to the previous basically unusable level. I de-installed it again, and then downgraded Parallels back to build 5160. I reinstalled Parallels tools but did not encounter the problem again.

    It definitely has something to do with Parallels Tools in build 5582.
     
  15. JohnO

    JohnO Junior Member

    Messages:
    15
    FYI - Since upgrading to Mac OS X 10.5.2 from 10.5.1, this problem has gone away for me (with Parallels Tools installed).
     
  16. martin82

    martin82 Bit poster

    Messages:
    1
    the same probleme for me... leopard and 5584... i think the hung up is because of the ethernet adapters...
     
  17. AndyKorth

    AndyKorth Bit poster

    Messages:
    3
    I upgraded from a build in the 3000s to 5584. I'm running Windows XP as my guest operating system. I have allocated 660 MB of ram to it.

    My system is a new Quad Core mac pro with 5GB ram, running 10.5.2.

    I am experiencing very poor performance after my upgrade. About every 500 ms there is about a 400ms pause that affects the entire virtual machine. This affects audio playback, it cuts in and out. It also destroys any chance of me talking on the webcam with my friend. It also notably affects typing... If I hold down a key, the key repeat rate is not constant- I get about 4 characters and then a pause... 4 characters and a pause during the lockup.

    This occurs in full screen, windowed, and coherence modes.

    I have two displays attached to my macpro and use the ethernet adapters constantly.

    I have installed parallel tools on windows xp. Since other people are suggesting their removal fixed the problem, I'll try that tonight. I'll also remove my second display.

    There was definitely no problem until I upgraded to Parallels build 5582.
     
  18. AndyKorth

    AndyKorth Bit poster

    Messages:
    3
    How do I downgrade to an older version? Where can I get installers for earlier builds?
     
  19. lithe951

    lithe951 Member

    Messages:
    90
    FWIW I did a clean install of build 5584 and created a brand-new XP vm (OSX 10.4.11), and I'm having the Outlook slow email windows problem. Almost any action in Outlook, closing an email, sending an email, creating a calendar item, etc., will result in a spinning pinwheel for several seconds before the action is completed. I kept Activity Monitor running and there was no increase in CPU activity while it was pinwheeling. I also kept Windows Task Manager running and no increase in CPU or Network activity, but it DID freeze the task manager display until the pinwheel went away.

    I turned off Parallels Tools and the problem went away. I turned it back on and the problem reappeared. Looks like the bug is still there.

    Mark
     
  20. randall

    randall Member

    Messages:
    20
    I haven't seen the problem lately. I know that one thing I did was uninstall Parallels Tools through the Windows "Add or Remove Programs", then reinstall it by choosing "Install Parallels Tools" from the "Actions" menu.

    I also installed the Leopard update. I noticed you're using Tiger, so that wouldn't help you, of course. :)
     

Share This Page