Escape From Auto-Start/Auto-Shutdown

RCF2616 · Feb 5, 2007

Add options to the Parallels 'Preferences' menu 'General' pane to turn auto start-and auto-shutdown 'ON' or 'OFF' for the next Parallels session. (Would it be possible to also turn of the auto-shutdown for the current session as well?). This would help avoid a user getting stuck in the 'auto' mode with no obvious way to get out.

I've noticed a few posts in the forums regarding this issue. The common advice is to make the '1' to '0' changes in the .PVS file. Newbies may be a bit squeamish about changing configuration files along with the danger that if they use anything other than a text-only editor (such as the Mac TextEdit or MS NotePad) they may corrupt the file because of the stuff word-processors may add to the file.

Thanks,

RCF

joem · Feb 5, 2007

There's always the option of holding down the shift (or is it option) key while launching Parallels. Isn't that enough?

titetanium · Feb 5, 2007

That would only work in a session. What the op wants is a more permanent way of toggling it.

drval · Feb 5, 2007

titetanium said:
That would only work in a session. What the op wants is a more permanent way of toggling it.

What am I missing here? You can do that by editing the PVS files, as has been documented elsewhere, and/or by using the menu interface when the VM is stopped, which has also been documented elsewhere.

joem · Feb 7, 2007

titetanium said:
That would only work in a session. What the op wants is a more permanent way of toggling it.

Huh? Once parallels is running and the VM isn't, just uncheck the box(s).

debshep · Feb 18, 2007

Stuck in autoland

joem,

That sure sounds simple, but you are not grasping what the problem is here. The OS starts automatically - I can't GET to my configuration menu. AND when I shut down WinXP or STOP the VM, Parallels exits automatically. It does not stay open. No menu. No boxes to uncheck.

I have edited the .pvs file and set start auto to '0' and auto shutdown to '0', but the behavior hasn't changed - still no access to Parallels without the VM running. I reopen the .pvs and see the changes I made still in place. Any other ideas?

btw, this only started after I installed RC3.

drval · Feb 18, 2007

debshep said:
joem,

That sure sounds simple, but you are not grasping what the problem is here. The OS starts automatically - I can't GET to my configuration menu. AND when I shut down WinXP or STOP the VM, Parallels exits automatically. It does not stay open. No menu. No boxes to uncheck.

I have edited the .pvs file and set start auto to '0' and auto shutdown to '0', but the behavior hasn't changed - still no access to Parallels without the VM running. I reopen the .pvs and see the changes I made still in place. Any other ideas?

btw, this only started after I installed RC3.

Are you certain that you don't have multiple instances of VMs somewhere?

debshep · Feb 18, 2007

Fixed the auto start / stop loop

drval said:
Are you certain that you don't have multiple instances of VMs somewhere?

I am certain I have no other VMs or VM files.

This may sound strange, but I finally got out of the auto start and auto shutdown loop. With parallels running and my VM running (like I had a choice), I utilized the main menu to open a new VM. I left it blank (no OS or devices - and parallels scolded me for it) and stopped it. I then went back to my Win XP VM and stopped it. Since the blank VM was still there, parallels did not close. So I could edit the configuration using the GUI. Funny thing was, all the settings were already set to NOT auto start or shut down. So I turned them back on and then back off again, and, after deleting my paperweight of a VM, I closed parallels.

Now comes the freaky part -

After some trial and error, I found that opening Win XP from the desktop icon (Mac desktop) created by parallels at install kept me in the "auto everything loop", BUT opening from the program itself ran the config as it should. I have no idea why this was the case, but it was repeatable numerous times. The icon pointed directly to the .pvs file, so I am clueless as to the difference. I deleted the desktop icon and just kept the link to the app on my dock and no more problems.

The only kwerky thing now is I either have to disconnect/reconnect my printer (accomplished by powering off and on) to be recognized in parallels or manually connect. No big deal, but the autoconnect is not perfected, as it is set to autoconnect.

joem · Feb 19, 2007

If you double click a .pvs file, or click a shortcut pointing to one, it will launch Parallels and start the VM and there's nothing you can do about it since it's by design. If you want to edit configurations, you need to launch the Parallels application from your applications/parallels folder.

When you attempt to launch a document (the .pvs file is a document from OSX's point of view), the Mac standard is to launch the application and tell it to open the document (the VM in this case). to change this behavior would be a violation of the Apple standards, and is probably not a good idea.

The automatic behavior you can turn on or off in Parallels applies to automatically starting the last VM when the app is launches, and that can be stopped by holding down a key (shift or option, I forget) when launching Parallels directly (not via selecting a document / VM).

bkaupe · Feb 22, 2007

same problem

I tried this method to get to the config screen for my XP VM.
Yes, Parallels stays open because I have a second VM running.
My problem is that the XP VM window CLOSES and DISAPPEARS when I stop it or shutdown from within Windows so I never get a chance to edit it.

debshep said:
I am certain I have no other VMs or VM files.

This may sound strange, but I finally got out of the auto start and auto shutdown loop. With parallels running and my VM running (like I had a choice), I utilized the main menu to open a new VM. I left it blank (no OS or devices - and parallels scolded me for it) and stopped it. I then went back to my Win XP VM and stopped it. Since the blank VM was still there, parallels did not close. So I could edit the configuration using the GUI. Funny thing was, all the settings were already set to NOT auto start or shut down. So I turned them back on and then back off again, and, after deleting my paperweight of a VM, I closed parallels.

Now comes the freaky part - After some trial and error, I found that opening Win XP from the desktop icon (Mac desktop) created by parallels at install kept me in the "auto everything loop", BUT opening from the program itself ran the config as it should. I have no idea why this was the case, but it was repeatable numerous times. The icon pointed directly to the .pvs file, so I am clueless as to the difference. I deleted the desktop icon and just kept the link to the app on my dock and no more problems.

The only kwerky thing now is I either have to disconnect/reconnect my printer (accomplished by powering off and on) to be recognized in parallels or manually connect. No big deal, but the autoconnect is not perfected, as it is set to autoconnect.

bkaupe · Feb 22, 2007

OK, found the command key method and it works