Alexander13
Bit poster
Product: Parallels Desktop for Mac
Version: Latest (macOS 26 host support)
Description of the feature:
I would like to request support for Apple Sparse Image Format (ASIF) as a storage option for Parallels virtual machine disks.
Why it is useful:
My main scenario is backing up a macOS virtual machine to an external drive. Currently, if a VM has a virtual disk of 128 GB, the backup software copies the entire allocated size, even if only ~30 GB is actually used. With ASIF, the backup would only need to copy the real data footprint (~30 GB), resulting in faster backups and reduced storage requirements.
References:
Add ASIF as a supported format for virtual machine disk storage in Parallels Desktop, similar to how expanding or fixed-size disks are currently offered.
Version: Latest (macOS 26 host support)
Description of the feature:
I would like to request support for Apple Sparse Image Format (ASIF) as a storage option for Parallels virtual machine disks.
Why it is useful:
- Smaller file size: ASIF images only consume disk space for the data actually written, rather than the full allocated size.
- More efficient backups: According to independent tests, ASIF significantly reduces backup times and the amount of data copied, compared to other disk image formats.
My main scenario is backing up a macOS virtual machine to an external drive. Currently, if a VM has a virtual disk of 128 GB, the backup software copies the entire allocated size, even if only ~30 GB is actually used. With ASIF, the backup would only need to copy the real data footprint (~30 GB), resulting in faster backups and reduced storage requirements.
References:
- Apple documentation: macOS 26 release notes - Apple Sparse Image Format (ASIF)
- Independent testing: Eclectic Light Company - Should you use Tahoe's new ASIF disk images?
Add ASIF as a supported format for virtual machine disk storage in Parallels Desktop, similar to how expanding or fixed-size disks are currently offered.