parallels hangs the machine about every 4th start.

[happybunny]

3 out of 4 times, parallels works perfectly. about 1 in 4, when I start the VM, OSx freaks out, with 100% CPU usage on both cores (MBPro 2.33 GHz, 3GB ram, latest Parallels and OSX)

When It hangs the machine, if Im lucky, and wait long enough, I can get the activity monitor up. This shows 3 processes using all the CPU between them:

Parallels Desktop (not responding)
WindowServer
kernel_task

The VM is a bootcamp XP SP2 setup. I always wait for the tools to initialize before doing anything. If I wait long enough (about 10 minutes), I can sometimes kill the Parallels process, and the computer comes back to life.

I never boot in XP, only use parallels (at the moment).

Here is the pvs:
[System]
Parallels VM Name = bootXP
VM Id = {60023b10-b2dc-4ae2-a516-cdec8c59530f}
VM Description =
Boot = c
OS Type = 135
Memory = 916
Video Memory = 16
Memory block size = 10
Acceleration level = 2
Enable write-back disk cache = 0
VT-x support = 1
Start auto = 0
AutoShutdown = 0
Start full screen = 21
Start dashmode = 0
Start full screen warning = 1
PC Speaker enable = 1
Window Mode = 0
Multi frame = -1
Guest Tools Status = 2
[Shared folders]
Shared folders enabled = 1
Sharing enabled = 0
Shared folders count = 0
[Video]
Video resolutions enabled = 1
Video resolutions count = 0
[Coherence]
Show taskbar = 1
Relocate taskbar = 0
Exclude Dock = 1
Multiple displays = 0
[Floppy disks]
Floppy 0 enabled = 1
Floppy 0 = 1
Floppy 0 image = /Library/Parallels/Tools/vmtools.fdd
Floppy 0 connected = 0
[IDE devices]
Disk 0:0 enabled = 1
Disk 0:0 = 1
Disk 0:0 media = 1
Disk 0:0 connected = 1
Disk 0:0 image = Boot Camp
Disk 0:0 cylinders = 0
Disk 0:0 heads = 0
Disk 0:0 sectors = 0
Disk 0:1 enabled = 1
Disk 0:1 = 2
Disk 0:1 media = 1
Disk 0:1 connected = 1
Disk 0:1 image = Default CD/DVD-ROM
Disk 1:0 enabled = 0
Disk 1:0 = 0
Disk 1:1 enabled = 0
Disk 1:1 = 0
[Serial ports]
COM1 enabled = 0
COM1 = 0
COM2 enabled = 0
COM2 = 0
COM3 enabled = 0
COM3 = 0
COM4 enabled = 0
COM4 = 0
[Parallel ports]
LPT1 enabled = 0
LPT1 = 0
LPT2 enabled = 0
LPT2 = 0
LPT3 enabled = 0
LPT3 = 0
[Sound]
Sound enabled = 1
Sound = 1
Sound connected = 1
Sound device = Default Audio
Mixer device = Default Audio
[Network]
Network enabled = 1
Network = 3
Network connected = 1
Adapter No = 0
Adapter name = Default Adapter
Adapter type = 4
Port = 0x00000300
IRQ = 3
MAC address = 0061b216fea2
Network2 enabled = 0
Network2 = 0
Network3 enabled = 0
Network3 = 0
Network4 enabled = 0
Network4 = 0
Network5 enabled = 0
Network5 = 0
[Usb]
USB enabled = 1
USB = 1
USB autoconnect = 0

 

[John@Parallels]

Disable Screen Sharing, VNC, virus scan on Windows side

 

[happybunny]

On windows, its just a plain install + stuff like office and outlook. I havent installed a virus scanner or VNC. I assume the screen sharing is a VM option? If so, I cant easily change it, as when I douple click on the short cut to the pvs, it always automatically starts the VM, even though the "automatically start the VM" is not checked, which now hangs the machine always.

 

[John@Parallels]

Try to disable Shared Folders.
Screen Sharing is Mac OS feature
System Preferences- Sharing