HELP!!!! No Windows Control Panels in PD4?

Everyone affected by this problem,
please refer to the KB5789 article.

Regards,
Max

 

This fix worked for me. Thank you.

 

Unfortunately, this fix did not work for me.

After I renamed the prl_boot file to prl_boot.bak, as per the instructions at http://kb.parallels.com/en/5789, I booted into the Mac OS and started up Parallels Desktop. I discovered that Vista's Control Panel was still empty.

I then booted back into the Boot Camp partition and found that the Control Panel there was also empty. Before renaming the prl_boot file, the Control Panel within Boot Camp had worked perfectly.

I then tried to repair my Vista installation as per the instructions at http://kb.parallels.com/en/5223, but this did not return the Control Panel within Boot Camp to normal. The Vista repair utility said that it could not find anything wrong with the installation.

So I have renamed the prl_boot.bak file back to its original name and now the Control Panel within Boot Camp is working perfectly again.

But the Control Panel within Parallels Desktop is still empty.

 

Further to my previous message, I have now got PD4 working properly on my computer (after many hours of experimentation and numerous failed attempts).

The steps I took to achieve this were as follows.

(1) I uninstalled PD4 (including, critically, the configuration settings) using the uninstall utility that is bundled with the PD4 installation dmg file.

(2) I then uninstalled Parallels Tools via the "Uninstall programs" function in the Windows Control Panel.

(3) Next, I renamed the prl_boot file to prl_boot.bak, as per the instructions at http://kb.parallels.com/en/5789.

(4) After these steps were completed I re-installed PD4.

Now the Windows Control Panel is visible in both native Boot Camp and also Boot Camp via PD4. Also, I can now connect to my printer via PD4.

 

I can see my control panel without issue in both PD4 and Boot Camp however get activation messages each time I boot which I need to do each day.

There has to be a fix for this asap it's cause serious issues for me!

 

Did you activate it at least once?

 

I have activated in boot camp and do not get the activation alerts when I'm in there, however when I run Vista through PD4 I keep getting the alert.

I understand why this error is occurring, is there a fix in the pipeline?

 

What build you are running ?
It was fixed in build 3540

 

I had to reactivate in Parallels as well, but I expected that I'd have to - the documentation suggested that even though I had activated in Boot Camp, I'd have to do it again in a virtual machine.

 

I am running that build and I unfortunately still have that problem

 

Tried Everything Mentioned in this Thread, Still No Luck

All the same issues originally as everyone else - upgraded to PD4 too fast and screwed myself. Tried the "official" cleanup fix posted in the KB5789 article on 11/26. No luck after a couple of attempts - same results as ajscorpio on 11/30. Tried the method he outlined on 12/3 as well. Still no dice. Even tried Fusion and had the same issue (activation problem in Fusion, not in native Boot Camp).

Periodically, while dorking around with the prl_boot file, I would mess up the native Boot Camp install as well and have to revert. Right now I'm back to a fully functional Boot Camp, and a Parallels that wants to be activated with reduced functionality.

I've got waaaaay to much software installed in Boot Camp to even think about reinstalling Windows and going through all the hassles with reactivating it all. I can live with it but it makes my OCD go wild... Any other suggestions?

 

intelli
Please create ticket in support we can check
http://www.parallels.com/support/desktop/request/

enos90
It looks that issue is coming from Windows side, not from VM,
Probably you can try repair Vista, or rollback to prior restore point

 

I doubt it's strictly a windows issue, since it doesn't happen when booting natively into Boot Camp - unless I start messing with the prl_boot file, at which point I can sometimes get the same symptoms in a native boot (Windows Activation screwed up). At the moment, my native Boot Camp install is stable - it's the Boot Camp-based VMs that are consistently fried.

I'm not interested in repairing Vista and risking getting my original install FUBAR'd. This has been going on since PD4 was released (or days after) so I'm not sure if I can roll all the way back there. Any better options?