Hi all Not sure when this issue appeared for me but I have no control of the mouse (trackpad) in Windows XP via Parallels. I think it followed a recent update of VMTools after update of Parallels. Bad news is that Windows boots to its log in screen and doesn't (like the mac) allow keyboard selection of the user to log in. Machine is macbook pro. Core Duo. Parallels is Build 1970. Win is XP Service Pack 2 and updates. Resources list contains usb devices auto on. Any suggestion how I can get control of the VM ? Ta Regards Eric
eric wrote: "I have no control of the mouse (trackpad) in Windows XP via Parallels." --- The only thing I can think of is to uninstall Tools from the XP virtual machine, then uninstall Parallels completely by running the install program again (it will ask to remove it or re-install it), and then re-install Parallels again. The problem if I can remember it, when it happened to me, was that even in Bootcamp natively, the mouse and keyboard were froze. But fortunately for me I had made a backup of the Bootcamp partition just days earlier, with Drive Image XML, and restored it to the state it was in before I installed the 3094 beta. There is a thread on this already, but I don't think any fix came from it. I certainly recommend you backup your Bootcamp partition next time, before you install BETA Parallels software.
Hi Atom I would unistall tools but without mouse control I can't log in to start with. There is I think Alt F8 during the windows boot process but I don't get the opportunity to have keyboard control soon enough to use it. Boot camp is not an issue. Never used it. Went with Parallels from day 1. Not keen on starting the windows install all over again. Had a look at the other thread but it assumes you've got vnc server running on the VM, so you're right no fix there. Also just upgraded to the latest beta. No improvement. All round :-( Thanks any how. A word from our sponsors would be nice. Kind Regards Eric
eric wrote: "I would unistall tools but without mouse control I can't log in to start with." === Do you have keyboard control still? You can navigate around without the mouse using TAB to move from spot to spot. Use the Space Bar to press a button. You should initiate the uninstall of Tools from Parallels Action menu, not within the VM itself. Since you aren't using Bootcamp, your problem doesn't sound as serious as I thought.
Hard to tell re keyboard functioning. I get to the WinXP log in screen which requires the user to "Click your user name" to begin. Tabbing doesn't highlight anything, space bar doesn't activate anything which may indicate no keyboard function but I'm not that familiar with WinXp login interface and don't have a Win box handy to test so it may not be an option. Action Menu only offers Install Tool not Unistall that I can see. Install message says "instal only if guest OS is running and you are logged in" Catch 22. I can't log in without mouse control at this point. Regards Eric
How about Help Mode. Can you get into Help Mode, or is keyboard/mouse function gone for that as well?
Eric, look in the Universal Access preferences pane in the System Preferences and see whether the option "Enable access for assistive devices" is checked or not. If it is checked, uncheck it and see whether or not that makes the problem go away, then report back here.
alkalifly, Unchecking the "assistive devices" box does not affect the problem with my Bootcamp VM. I don't have the problem at all in my standard Virtual Machine, so I can't report on what it does for that one. I'm also using the BETA 3094.
Hi Alkalifly Reporting back sir [dutifully salutes] (Too much MASH) Things have got interesting. Launch Parallels threw an error messge about not being able to load its drivers. With a Button 1 to click. I guess later that wiil read OK. Relaunching as the dialog instructed still showed the same problem but...I noticed the cd light and hard drive light flickering on Parallels which led me to think it may be completing the driver update process in the background of the Win log in screen. Had a look at the USB icon next door and selected Apple Trackpad. It too then began to flicker furiuously. This was encouraging. Turned away to continue reading stuff on my desktop machine. Swung back and moved the track pad and realised the Win cursor moved. Momentary rejoicing before the screen sleep cut in. Move the track pad...no wake from sleep. That is no mac wake. Hit the power button to wake and get the mac login (screen is set to require passwords) but no mac keyboard or mouse now. Presumably it hasn't released from Parallels and within Parallels you can't wake the mac . Tried moving the mouse to somewhere where Control Option will release the track[pad back to the mac but no luck. Just going to give it time in the background now before hitting the reset button. Hmmmm Will report back later. Regards Eric
Not so great. Tried to reconfigure Win away from Welcome screen and requiring passwords but it didn't stick when I had to reset the mac. Found then that once in Windows I couldn't get the mac control back. Further reset has no Win cursor at all. Choosing Appletrackpad from the usb ppopup in Parallels locks up the cursor on the mac side requiring reset of the machine. Where now Alkalifly ? Seemed to make a little progress there. Kind Regards Eric
So here's where it's at. I don't know how to make Windows auto login an administrator on startup. On launch Paralleles tells me I need to update the Tools but Ineed to be logged into the VM to do so. When I click to capture input in Win to login I can't then get back out to run the Tools installer. Anyone know how to configure Windows to auto login ? Regards Eric
it may be an MS security issue I log on manually to all my own machines these days and on the mac all installs are password protected on set up i create two logons my own and a lesser for guests A friend regularly has to clean her machine becasue she trusts her grandchildren and the being teens add stuff an auto log on as admin is dangerous Hugh W
I use Powertoys to do that, myself. You can download it from doing a web search for "download powertoys" but it doesn't do you any good if you can't use at least your keyboard. Powertoys also lets you disable/enable other stuff that makes the XP experience better/worse for you, depending on your personal prefs. So it's one of the first things I install after a fresh XP installation.
Hi Eric, I hope I did not mislead you into thinking that I am some expert with solutions for you. I am trying to troubleshoot my own mouse control issues that I have determined only occur when the "Enable access for assistive devices" is checked (but not always). Unfortunately, the problems you are having are way beyond my area of expertise. The one potentialy helpful suggestion I could make is to try making a fresh brand new VM and install some free OS on it (get one of the great Parallels ready linux distros from our friend GFBurke) and see if you continue to have these issues. If you do continue to have these issues, then you know there is something wrong with either your Parallels installation (in which case you need to uninstall and reinstall Parallels), or possibly with your Mac OS installation (in which case you need to back up your personal data and reinstall the OS from scratch). If you do not have these problems with the other OS (which is the more likely outcome), then that means the problem is definitely somewhere in your Windows VM, most likely some glitch with the Parallels tools. In this case, you might want to just cut your losses, erase your VM, and start over with a new installation of Windows. When it comes time to authorize, call the 800 number for Microsoft registration (it will pop up on the screen), and tell them that your previous installation of Windows was on a hard disk that got destroyed, so now you want to start over, and they should take care of you. Good luck with this! I wish for you a speedy and complete resolution...
Hi Atom and Alkilifly Thanks for the assist. At present I can get into the WIn world but not back out. Underlying problem I suspect is aan incomplete tools installation in the VM harddisk file which would nescessitate starting from scratch. A couple of hours installing Windows all over again, service pack 2, offcie etc etc etc. I'll give the auto login tool a go and if not start again. Kind Regards Eric
Eric, I wonder what would happen if you just went in the Hardware manager and manually uninstalled all the drivers that Tools installed, and then restarted your VM. Have you do anything like this?
Right click to get cursor I had the same problem. When I installed the newest parallel tools, I lost the cursor. But, what I did by accident was right-click (control-click) after moving the cursor into the window and the cursor appeared. I have not lost it, yet.
Resolved Finally got it all working neatly. In the end I uninstalled Parallels. Moved the HD image to the desktop. Removed everything (prefs etc) that was on my mac except the HD image and the pvs. Restarted. Reinstalled Parallels and pointed it to the HD image. Let the installer do all its own setup and I got to the update tools. Ran them and they ran fine. All is now working beautifully. A sit stands tghe cursor switches to Win or mac based on moving over the window to the VM. Very neat. Thanks all for the assists Kind Regrads Eric.
Damn spoke too soon No sooner had I written as resolved than I went to shut down the VM. It asked if I wanted to run updates. I chose not to. Rebooted and voila no mouse control again. Back to square one. Seems to me that it installs the tools but as a soon as Windows relaods it loses the plot. Tried creating a new VMwith same image but looks like I have to do the compete unistall trash everthing to get to the Install Toiols request again. Help anyone ? Regards Eric
At Last a Consistent fix For those poor souls who tread this weary path.... First I upgraded to the new beta but I don't think that's particularly relevant because the problem remained. In Parrallels setup I set the Floppy Disc vmtools to auto mount. Started the VM with the usual result of no mouse. Choosing Apple Trackpad/mouse from the USB icon or menu activates the keyboard in Win but locks you out of the mac side so make sure your machine doesn't sleep. On earlier attempts I had set Win to no password so I could login with the enter key. Once in the Win world I was able to use the arrow keys, tab abd enter to navigate to Control Panels (the Apple Key pops up the Start Menu) and get to the mouse panel, et to drivers and reinstall the drivers. Because the floppy (Tools) had auto mounted it could re-install the drivers and on restart all has come up good. Restarted a couple of times, quuit parallels, relaucnhed etc and I now have the full functionality in Win and can switch back to the mac. At last. So problem seems to be incomplete intsallation of the tools initially. Get to the floppy any oway you can to complete the installation. Regards Eric
