Problem #1: My clipboard is not working; my clipboards in my host OS (OSX10.5.7) and guest OS (XP SP2) are not synchronizing, though they are working independently. This just started now, clipboards have worked just fine in the past.
Problem #2: Parallels Tools (re)install does not warn user of reboot: I did not want to reboot because it would cause me to lose my work. I clicked the "reinstall parallels tools" option in the Parallels menu bar. I SPECIFICALLY looked to see if there was a warning that I should close my windows or whether I would need to reboot. Seeing no such warning, I assumed that my programs could keep running during the Parallels Tools reinstall. Then all of a sudden my programs started closing without warning and I was unable to save any of my work, and my guest OS restarted. Either the restart and/or the parallels tools reinstall fixed the clipboard, but it shouldn't have broken in the first place. I would have tried restarting anyway if I didn't have work that I could not save until the clipboard problem was resolved, but only after I'd exhausted all options that didn't require restarting. Instead I lost the time of having to recreate that work.
Problem #3: Parallels Forums asks for invalid username: when I clicked on "new thread" on Parallels Forums to report the above two problems, it asked me for my username and password, which I diligently provided. It couldn't log me in, so I had to "reset" my password, which is an annoying enough process as it is. It turns out that the page asked me for my USERNAME when what I needed to enter was my EMAIL ADDRESS.
While the first problem is a software bug, the second two problems are the result of inexcusably poor UI design.
Problem #2: Parallels Tools (re)install does not warn user of reboot: I did not want to reboot because it would cause me to lose my work. I clicked the "reinstall parallels tools" option in the Parallels menu bar. I SPECIFICALLY looked to see if there was a warning that I should close my windows or whether I would need to reboot. Seeing no such warning, I assumed that my programs could keep running during the Parallels Tools reinstall. Then all of a sudden my programs started closing without warning and I was unable to save any of my work, and my guest OS restarted. Either the restart and/or the parallels tools reinstall fixed the clipboard, but it shouldn't have broken in the first place. I would have tried restarting anyway if I didn't have work that I could not save until the clipboard problem was resolved, but only after I'd exhausted all options that didn't require restarting. Instead I lost the time of having to recreate that work.
Problem #3: Parallels Forums asks for invalid username: when I clicked on "new thread" on Parallels Forums to report the above two problems, it asked me for my username and password, which I diligently provided. It couldn't log me in, so I had to "reset" my password, which is an annoying enough process as it is. It turns out that the page asked me for my USERNAME when what I needed to enter was my EMAIL ADDRESS.
While the first problem is a software bug, the second two problems are the result of inexcusably poor UI design.