Parallels 16 upgrade issues - multiple problems, dont upgrade!

No, I got a refund and made sure the subscription service was cancelled. The release notes for 16.1.0 do not mention any issues I had with Catalina 10.15.7 (unable to complete install, loss of Mac folder connections, unstable apps, forced closed apps, hard Mac reboot recoveries). Maybe there is a better list of 16.1.0 fixes for non-Big-Sur Macs, release notes seemed fixated on Big Sur (not released).

 

I am not a computer maven, just a business consultant who uses Mac iOS Catalina 15.7 including MS Office 365 for Mac. I use Parallels to run Windows 10 for my accounting software Sage 50 2020. Since downloading Parallels 16, am having multiple problems with almost all apps even though they're running on iOS., not Windows 10. Mostly relating to printing Word documents, pdf documents, Sage financial reports. Have latest drivers for my HP Color Laser Jet Pro MPF M477fnw. Fact is, I have no idea what has gone wrong because I was instructed to download multiple updates on MS Office, Mac iOS, Parallels, Windows 10 all about the same time. Can anyone help me go back to what was running before so that the various software companies can get they're act together and play nice???

 

Not sure why Office is impacted. Hopefully, you were using TimeMachine. I assume you are using a Virtual Machine (VM). Parallels restore with BootCamp may be different.

• Backup where you are.
• Use Finder and open the Applications Folder, Select TimeMachine from the top bar, Enter Time Machine and scroll back before the DT16 install and recover Parallels Desktop and Parallels Toolbox (15).
• Use Finder to open the location for your Parallels VM (likely Users/yourhomedirectory/Parallels), Select TimeMachine, Enter TimeMachine and restore the last DT15 copy of the VM. You might be able instead to just step back to a Snapshot dated before the DT16 install from the Parallels Control Center. Depending on options you set, you may have excluded the VM from TimeMachine BU, it's a BIG file ~~300GB. Or recover the VM file from another backup.
• Not sure how to recover if using BootCamp, maybe just restoring DT15 will work. There might be a smaller VM in the Parallels folder for BootCamp to recover.
• Re-try Office, if still corrupt, delete and re-install.
• If you are successful, make a new backup copy of your recovered VM on some external media.
• You may also uncover an issue with the Parallels license key, my DT15 restore grabbed the new DT16 license key which then got cancelled when I asked for a refund!

 

MacBook Pro (16 Zoll, 2019), MacOS 10.15.7, 2,3 GHz 8-Core Intel Core i9, 32 GB 2667 MHz DDR4, AMD Radeon Pro 5500M 8 GB, Intel UHD Graphics 630 1536 MB
Parallels Desktop 16.1.0 (before: 15)
Lumion 10.5.1 Student (before 10.3.2)
Several months ago i used Lumion 10.3 with PD 15 - no problems, now had to use it again and Lumion crashed, was very slow. I upgraded to PD 16 and Lumion 10.3 - that did not change anything. Upgraded tu Lumion 10.5 - no change. It seems as if PD does not recognize the Radeon at all, and believe me i tried every setting mentioned. Is there any trick? I think the problems began with an update of PD 15 between June and now. Before everything worked fine, now the benchmark test takes hours.... thanks for your help!

 

I installed Parallels Desktop 16 upgrade on to Mac with Big Sur. When I start Parallels I get a blue Recovery screen (image attached). Parallels then suspends after a minute. When I boot the Mac into Bootcamp (Parallels shut down) Windows 10 runs perfectly and all Windows apps work. Problem is with Parallels and I should not need to perform Recovery. I submitted Technical report 354526928.

 

Should it be video.gl3=2 not =0 that was previously stated?

Does this fix work on Big Sur?

 

Nope. Didn't work. Tried all variations gl3, g13, =2, =0

 

That is a huge problem!!
And afaik PD + W10x64 VM will not work on Apples M1. Parallels is dead as far as I'm concerned.

 

@Maria@Parallels
Any official comment about Big Sur and the video.gl3=x fix?

 

Anyone tried the PD 16.1.1 release on Big Sur and Solidworks 2020?
The release notes states "Resolves an issue with graphics artifacts in SOLIDWORKS 2020" but don't say if it is on Big Sur or not.

 

Update:
The 16.1.1 does NOT fix the graphics bug. I have to use the bootflag fix.

 

LoveK, I posted on other thread: What have you done to OpenGL in PD16?
here my posts:
I use Parallel 16.1.1, mac OS BigSur and SOLIDWORKS 2020 SP.5
"just upgrade to 16.1.1. Removed the flag "video.gl3=0". Graphics is fluid and Good job with splines, now are visible, but construction lines still have visualization problem. More, sketches are still very very thin and quite difficult to see. Attached an image. Please solve the problem, thank you!"
One more thing: SOLIDWORKS 2020 added the possibility to improve graphics performance with a flag in "performace" menu. (see attached image). I tried it on a certified solidworks machine and this option really improve the visualization and rendering with realview. Unfortunatelly solidworks on parallel does not allow to activate the option...... can you solve also this problem?

 

OK, the construction line problem is my biggest issue actually. The bootflag fix does work with 16.1.1 on Catalina but does it work on Big Sur? Have you tested it?
I think the "improve graphics performance" is only available when OpenGL 4.5 is used, PD does not support 4.x and Solidworks does not like OpenGL 3.x that is probably why the bootflag "video.gl3=0" works, forcing PD to use only OpenGL 2.x or what ever it does Maybe it forces OpenGL 3.0 and not 3.3? I don't know.

 

Yes the bootflag works with BigSur infact I reactivate it. Just to test I used "video.gl3=3" and not 0 in order to force using OPEN GL 3.3 (i suppose).
Just to test it I installed SW 2020 on bootcamp and "improve graphics performance" works OK, so I suppose the problem is the video driver parallel use.
My machine is MACBOOK PRO (15-inch 2018) 2,9 GHz Intel Core i9 6 core processor and RADEON PRO VEGA 16 4G

 

What was the result with =3?
Does the construction lines look ok with the bootflag fix on Big Sur? I really need to know for sure, I will not upgrade to Big Sure before I know if construction lines is "dashed" like they should on Big Sur Above someone stated that the fix did not work on Big Sur.

 

Yes, it works for sure.... see the image

 

Great! I know what I'm doing tonight, Big Sur upgrade!!

 

Prompted to upgrade to PD16 for a free trial and I did. Everything works fine, but something is off with the scrolling, I am using Magic Trackpad 2 / Magic Mouse 2 and Logitech G502 (with G Hub installed but didn't make a different and I stopped running it either).

Scrolling is unbearable with Magic Trackpad / Mouse, you have to scroll a lot to get past 3 lines of text, on the other hand the Logitech scrolling skips like 15 lines in one go.

PS. In PD15 I had smooth scrolling enabled in the VM options before the upgrade. When I upgraded this setting was hidden but I could easily edit it from the config.pvs file to on / off (0 / 10) but didn't make a huge change, it's still worse than PD15. The Apple peripherals seem to have the biggest issue.

Disappointing really, as tomorrow is the last day of the BF sale and I can't justify the upgrade this year.

 

Have the upgrade issues been addressed and in what release of Parallel DT ... I was waiting till after tax season before taking another chance at upgrading.
What is the least problematic upgrade path to upgrade the VM (not bootcamp install) ? Upgrade to OS X Big Sur first and then DT 16 or DT 16 first and then BigSur ???

 

Parallels fixed the crash I reported almost immediately. Since then Parallels Desktop 16 has always worked well; it worked fine in macOS Catalina and works great, like a bolt of lightning , now that I have Big Sur installed, although my 27 '' (late 2013) iMac is not supported and I had to use Micropatcher to install.
An important tip: if you have a Fusion Drive try to transform it into an SSD as soon as possible. After eliminating Fusion Drive, so, replacing the internal mechanical HD with a great 2TB SSD, I used Apple's original internal SSD, 128GB, to place the Windows 10 Pro VM.
YOU HAVE NO IDEA how Winzozz now start-up immediately and runs fastly!!! Before, instead, with the Fusion Drive, loading was very heavy since Fusion Drive must first transfer the VM to the 128 GB SSD. If a Mac is nearly empty, the VM stays in the Fusion Drive SSD, but if you have a lot of data ... then the VM goes from Hard Disk to Solid State Disk and it's pains.