Network Issues with RC / Start Up Issues / Lack of Tech Support from Parallels

I have used each beta and have only had network issues with one or two of them. I recently downloaded the RC. I uninstalled the previous version and did a clean install. After launching the RC I can not get an internet connection. I have a 1.83 Ghz iMac and am running 10.4.6, Windows XP SP2 in Parallels, and am connected wirelessly. I've gone back and forth between the parallel and realtek driver and neither have worked. I also have problems with the RC upon restarting where it said Parallels could not be launched. The only solution was to reinstall.

To top it off my requests to Parallels tech service have gone unanswered. I've been waiting for the RC to come out to pay the $40 since when this program works it is really nice, but it seems Parallels is not interested in my money.

 

How long have you given parallels to reply? They are a little overwhelmed right now.

Did reinstalling fix your network problem?

 

I am having the same issue. I've tried everything

What did you reinstall?

 

Although it may seem like the real thing, RC versions are still beta software - no company in its right mind would fully support pre-release software.

Be thankful for the support you're getting - it's coming from the kindness of their hearts. When you finaly get to pony up your $50 is when you can start complaining.

 

Who is complaining. Just asking questions and trying to figure it out.

 

Sounds to me like Jason was complaining...

Perhaps Mac users aren't familiar with beta product cycles but there is often no tech support. I'm actually surprised with the level of tech support that Parallels is providing (eg, polls, answering questions, quickly releasing versions). They should be congratulated, not chastised for the "lack of tech support".

 

I'm sure if you paid $400 you'd get a more snappy response!

Just kidding. You do understand that this is a Release Candidate right? That doesn't mean a production release. It means, "I think this is pretty solid. Try it and let me know." IMO, Parallels is working and responding at near lightspeed. I write software for a living and my software is not released any where near this fast. These guys are cranking it out faster than I possibly could with my releases and responding to the community at the same time.

Now let's take a look at Adobe - MacroMedia - Flip4Mac - etc. The list goes on and on. Those guys can't even provide a Universal binary in less than 12 months nevermind the radical changes Parallels has put out in the last 8 weeks. How much does their product cost? Do they respond within 24 hours? Only with an automated response!

To put it another way, I'd rather have this RC as it is now and be $500 poorer than not have this product at all and be 1/2 tank of gas richer. Now, how much did you say you've paid already? Oh that's right - nothing. You know what they say - you get what you pay for...

Of course that's just my opinion, I could be wrong...

 

A week +.. I tried reinstalling parallels, windows XP, you name it i've tried it

 

Yes I am complaining. Um RC = Release Candidate, technically (depends on where you are at) this may still be beta, but there should be very little if any changes from RC to GM, basically just minor bug fixes. The fact that a major software requirement (its shouldn't even be seen as a feature) like internet connection is broke in a RC is a big deal. I've beta tested alot of software in my time an all software requirements should be funcitional in late betas and especially an RC.

The purpose of a beta cycle is to get all of the bugs out of the system. Its essentially free QC for Parallels. I don't feel as if they are doing a favor for me, its the other way around. Nobody should have to pay for a piece of software that doesn't meet the stated requirements by a company. If I purchase a piece of software that ends up missing a major requirement than I want my money back.

 

QC is never free.

If you feel so ripped off by Parallels perhaps you should stop using their software. I'm pretty sure you haven't paid for it yet.

 

The bug reports / feedback from public beta users are free. Sure they have in-house QC, but everything from the public is free, unless you are somehow being paid and no one else around here is. In all reality they could probably make more money off the software because of all of the input / bug report from all of the public beta users. If you release a dud to the public and call it a release you aren't going to do to well as a company

I already said I haven't paid for it because it doesn't meet what it says it meets. In all honesty it doesn't matter if I paid for it or not, its not just me that wants this to work, the paid users also want it to work.

 

Jason,

Calm down.. you joined the forum yesterday and have only posted in this thread, not asked the community for help.

You may have an answer lurking somewhere on our boards, or may be helped by someone here. post a rational question and see if it gets answered.

I'm confused that your state parallels doesn't 'meet what it says it meets.' Because it does great for me, esp . the pausing feature.

Surely you've backed up your computer prior to installing the RC so why not just revert to Beta 6 until this 'issue' is resolved?

Edd.

 

I have asked for help, but no one is really interested in helping. Most people are only interested in saying its a beta, deal with it. Should I phrased it more as a question when I wrote the first post, maybe, but my goal is to find a soultion. I looked through the forums and can't find a solution that works with my setup, but what I do see that many others have the same problem.

I no longer have the installer to beta 6. Also, with beta 6, I had the problem where sometimes on launch it would not start and basically say either try to restart or reinstall Parallels Desktop.

It doesn't meet what it says. It doesn't say hey this is a great virtual machine program, but that network doesn't work. This is not an advertised bug. When the program does/did work it was good and probably worth twice the price if it were free of bugs.

My other reason to post is to make a point with Parallels that they should respond to tech support or if they do not want to then don't give the option to post a problem on the support section of their website. This is misleading. I posed a couple of questions back in the early beta phase and they were also never answered.

 

This is a beta. That means we are supposed to help the Parallels team by providing bug reports, and the quid pro quo is that we get to use their software ahead of release. You seem to think it's an opportunity to score quality software at no cost and then complain about the lack of tech support. My goodness, are you for real? There is no tech support. There is doubly-so no tech support for you, because you haven't even paid for the software. If you get any help at all you should consider it a bonus.

 

Let's all tone it down.

The tech support might not be in the form of a personal reply. More likely it is in programmers working to fix the problems.

They have been remarkably quick at squashing bugs. I'm sure there will be an RC2, RC3, etc until it's release-worthy. I frankly think it's VERY close. If they elimianted the shared folders feature entirely, that would be a LOT faster than fixing it, but they've shown integrity by adding it and trying to make it work.

FWIW, I can now access my Mac's SMB networking from within the same Mac's Parallels Windows install, so my #1 issue after the kernal crashes that they've fixed is now resolved.

 

Hopefully you are better at articulating your problem to them than you have here.

Are you using DHCP? If so, it's broken in RC and they've said as much and given a work-around. If not DHCP then a wondering world is sitting out here perplexed why your system alone is having this problem.

I've installed this on a Mac Mini and it works perfectly. I've installed it on a MacBook Pro and it works perfectly. I don't use DHCP.

In a beta program (it is now beta and not alpha), you, not they, provide the information. As a beta tester (and you are one, you know) you give them feedback. They already know the product is not perfect - they need to know what is broke in your world. Tell them, provide important information like firmware versions, os versions, memory, etc., and the options you chose when creating the VM. They will try to reproduce and correct problems. They may even tell you they found a bug, or that you are doing something wrong. But they are not required to do so. You have no customer support agreement with them yet.

So - turn off the VM, configure your OS X networking without DHCP, start up the VM and do the same in Windows. Do not give both OS's the same IP.

dp

 

I *did* pay ...

I did the pre-buy a while back.

My networking problems still are unresolved. Deafening silence from Parallels after an intial tech support email syaing they were looking into the problem.

Sure, it's beta software, but so what? It's being sold.

In addition to networking, USB printers don't work, right click using the Ctrl-Click combination broke for me in RC1 (was working in B6 and B5)

So all in all, doesn't look too good.

 

I've heard USB printing works fine through Bonjour, and the control-click thing isn't a bug but an intentional design change.

 

Saying that the beta software is being sold is not really true. Parallels is pre-sellling the final release, which hasn't happened yet. The beta software is available for free.

I think that getting the $10 discount off of the eventual commercial software is a great deal. It's already better and faster than Virtual PC was.

 

Try shift-ctrl for a right click. Works for me.