Can running a virtual machine be automatic on Parallels launch?

D

dognose

Bit poster
In a MacIntel school lab, I want to automate the launch of Parallels and Windows, to make the user experience simple for novices.

I've put Parallels Desktop in Login Items for the users. When a user logs in to a Mac, Parallels Desktop launches, but pauses at the configuration window. The status of Windows is Suspended, which means that the user has to learn to manually start the virtual machine. This is trivial for power users, but it's going to be a hang-up for newbies.

Can I set a default for Parallels so that when it launches, it automatically runs the guest OS?
 
Have you tried putting the VM.pvs file in start up items instead of the Parallels app?

Doubling clicking the .pvs starts the VM without pausing at the config window so should work.

Mike
 
.pvs works, but now new problem: need to load drivers before launching Parallels

Thank you, launching the .pvs file does in fact run the guest OS without stopping at the Parallels configuration window.

However, putting the .pvs file in Login Items introduces a timing error: the system attempts to launch Parallels and the guest OS before the necessary drivers have been loaded. The error msg says, in part, "Note that Parellels drivers require a short time to be properly started and initialized. So you may need to wait a minute before trying to launch the application."

How can I build a delay into launching a Login Item?
 
Timing problem solved using AppleScript delay command

I've solved the timing problem by writing an AppleScript to launch the .pvs file. In the script, I used the Delay command, which takes as an argument the number of seconds to wait before proceeding to the next command. I saved the script as an application, and referenced it in Login Items for the appropriate user. Here's the script for my environment:

tell application "Finder"
delay 13
activate
open document file "Windows XP.pvs" of folder "Windows XP" of folder "Parallels" of folder "Documents" of folder "student" of folder "Users" of startup disk
end tell
 
dognose said:
I've solved the timing problem by writing an AppleScript to launch the .pvs file. In the script, I used the Delay command, which takes as an argument the number of seconds to wait before proceeding to the next command. I saved the script as an application, and referenced it in Login Items for the appropriate user. Here's the script for my environment:

tell application "Finder"
delay 13
activate
open document file "Windows XP.pvs" of folder "Windows XP" of folder "Parallels" of folder "Documents" of folder "student" of folder "Users" of startup disk
end tell
Click to expand...

So okay I am a bit of a MAC newbie as well. When I start the .pvs file or the desktop and start the VM that way I am presented with a MAC OSX Window asking me to put my password in to authorize Parallels to start the VM. How do you get around that?
 
It's very simpel :

1) go to configuration screen off parallels, and enable "start vm ...." See screenshot 1

2) go to accounts on the mac .....See screenshot 2 (sorry it is dutch version off mac os)
Just find program " parallels desktop " in + (no .pvs.....this won't work)

When you start mac os, parallels will automaticly start windows (works for me)

Greetings,

Jacky
 

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Sorry for the temporary hijack, but how do you do the opposite of this problem? If I want to edit the VM configuration and the VM is set to quit Parallels when the VM stops and the VM starts automatically when Parallels starts, how can I ever access the VM's configuration? The config is only available when the VM is not running but Parallels won't run without the VM running?
 
Pleiades,
Please tell me what the answer is to getting to that VM Configuration file?? I have the same problem. Parallels just hops right to XP. No chance to configure stuff.
 
Hold down the command key when starting Parallels or when you select your VM if you have more than one to stop it from booting.
 
Same error when starting VMs automatically on bootup

Same thing happens for me! If I automatically boot the VMs at startup the drivers haven't loaded and I get the aforementioned error.

I think they really need to build in this delay time and recheck before bringing up the error dialog!! What a pain in the arse to have to script around this. Would take them 1 hour to fix the problem.
 
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Eru,

I don't see any "auto-start" line in my .pvs. I see "Start auto=1", which probably reflects what I set in the GUI.

The problem is that when you launch the .pvs as a startup item on a mac user account that is set for auto-login, the .pvs gets launched before the parallels drivers are fully loaded and the result is an error dialog and the VM does not start.

Try it: Make your mac user automatically login at startup, and add your .pvs to the user's startup items. I am running a 2.0ghz core 2 duo machine and see this problem.

There is the workaround mentioned in a post above: write a script to delay a few seconds before auto-launching the .pvs.

This is a bug with parallels that needs to be fixed, affecting everyone who wants to launch their VMs automatically when the computer is booted, which is especially desirable if the VMs are used as servers that should recover after a power failure.
 
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Eru, um... I think that would turn off automatic vm startup altogether, whereas I would like Parallels' automatic vm startup to actually *work* when the .pvs is mac os x startup item. Right?

Oh, you must have been replying just to an earlier post about how to turn it off.
 
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