Parallels Desktop 11- Unwanted Suspending of Windows VM

D

DavidA4

Hunter
Hi,

I've got a mid-2015 MacBook Pro 15" with Parallels Desktop 11. I'm running CAD simulations overnight on a Windows 7 virtual machine - thanks to Parallels. Until today, I was able to run simulations in Parallels Desktop without the Win7 VM machine going into suspended mode. But, now I'm having issues with the Parallels virtual machine suspending. It seems like this may have something to do with my MacBook display going dark - but I'm not sure. My MacBook isn't sleeping or shutting down - the display is set to go dark after a period of inactivity. This hasn't been a problem in the past - so something has changed recently, but I do not know what that could be.

In my MacBook under the Energy Saver settings I have checked "Prevent computer from sleeping automatically when the display is off" - The display is set to turn off in about 14 minute. As I've said, this has not been a problem in the past - the display of my MacBook would darken, but the VM Win 7 machine would continue running my Windows CAD software simulations all night long without stopping (suspending).

I have the following settings in Parallels Desktop Control Center (under Options --> Startup and Shutdown)

Start Automatically: Never
Startup View: Same as last time
On VM Shutdown: Keep window open
On Mac Shutdown: Suspend
On Window Close: Suspend

I'm not sure what else I could check.

Any ideas why my Virtual Windows 7 Machine is suspending?

David
 
Last edited:
Hi,
Thanks for your help. Under Options -> Applications I found "Pause Windows when possible" This was already unchecked. I did not find "Pause Windows when no application are running" in this area.

I ran tests today.

First, for troubleshooting, I shortened the "turn display off off after:" to 1 min. - in the Energy Saver area of the System Preferences of my MacBook. I found that the display turning dark alone did not cause the Windows VM to suspend. Yet, preventing the display from turning dark/off (as described in my first post) will prevent the Windows VM from suspending. After waiting 1 minute for the screen to go dark I had to wait an additional 15 minutes (roughly) after the screen went dark before the Windows VM entered a suspended state. Perhaps the issue has something to do with logging into my Apple MacBook. In fact, from the login screen I can tell when the Win. VM has fallen asleep, because I see additional icons below the normal login area - sleep, restart, and shutdown. When I see this then I know the Windows VM machine has suspended. See the attached/embedded pictures below.

To be clear: "prevent computer from sleeping automatically when the display is off" is checked. Also, I did not have this problem of Parallel's Desktop suspending the running Windows VM even when the display darkened and I waited sufficiently long. Something is different either with my MacBook and/or Parallels - but I am not sure what settings I should check. Also, to be clear, the Windows 7 VM machine (suspends) is not set to sleep or hibernate.

Is there anything else I should check?

David

login_screen_20151220_122538.jpeg

login_screen_closeup_20151220_122611.jpeg
 
Apple was able to help me by having me change the following settings:
System Preferences --> Security & Privacy --> Advanced --> uncheck "Log out after 15 minutes of inactivity"

-David
 
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