"Dynamic Resolution Tool"

Here's what the manual says about the "Dynamic Resolution Tool" in Chapter 5, "Parallels Tools Overview":

"With this tool, you can dynamically adjust the resolution for a Windows or Linux virtual machine while it's running. Drag the lower right corner of the virtual machine's window to resize the window and the resolution will change automatically."

The web site talks about this nifty ability as well.

Really? How? In what mode? I have yet to find this and although the manual also tells me that all tools were installed automatically for me, I don't see anything called "Dynamic Resolution Tool." I have yet to figure out how to resize resolution on the fly, and despite two formal emails to support -- as a registered user using the proper support form -- they have not responded.

The only way I know to change resolution is to change it in Windows' properties.

For the record, I'm using Parallels 3, Build 4560. My virtual machine is Windows XP Professional. And I'm on an Intel iMac with 3MB of Ram and plenty of hard drive space.

Parallels pretty much works well for me, but this would be a real eye saver to implement. Having the support people respond to paying customers would be nice, too.

 

I have never noticed the "dynamic resolution tool" either, but dragging the bottom right hand corner around does change the resolution on the fly. I never go to display properties. Only applies in Single Window mode of course. Not sure when this feature started..... certainly there on v3 build 5060, probably earlier.

 

Huh. Changing resolution by dragging a corner of the screen doesn't work for me under any scenario -- not full screen, not OS window, not Coherence.

 

OK, let me clarify what happens in detail for me.

In single OS window I normally have the VM window occupying about half the (30 inch 2560x1600) screen, and the display properties in XP show 1384x927.

If I drag the bottom right hand corner to make the VM window bigger the VM desktop expands, and the display properties say 2045x1425. and if I drag it to be smaller they go to 900x700. (just example numbers, depends where the corners actually go to). This is what I have assumed the dynamic resolution tool to be.

In each case the size of the text and icons remains the same, the desktop just got bigger. Changing the resolution in XP in fullscreen mode makes a small window with large black borders.

This is not the same as what happens on a an actual PC when you change the resolution in display properties, where the image is scaled to fill the monitor and a low resolution setting gives very large text and icons. Is this perhaps what you want to achieve and were expecting the "Dynamic resolution tool" to do?

If large text and icons are what you want, try changing the preference setting in Parallels (not XP). Go to "Parallels Desktop" menu heading, Prefernces, then Appearance tab, then tick the "Change Mac OSX resolution" box.

It does strange things on my dual monitor set up, but may be what you are looking for.

Mike

 

Mike Boreham has given a nice description on how the Dynamic Resolution Tool works. Indeed, it isn't listed as separate tool in Parallels Tools Center in Windows, it's more like Parallels special video driver feature that becomes available when Parallels Tools installs the driver. If you have some problems with resizing the Parallels window with Windows desktop stretching accordingly (black borders appear, for example) - try uninstalling and re-installing Parallels Tools in Windows.