prl_vm_app yomping all my cpu time

Hi,

I've just upgraded to v4. On my MacBook Pro I have this problem...
http://forum.parallels.com/showthread.php?p=130435#post130435

But on my desktop it all works OK apart from prl_vm_app using all the CPU time it can. I currently have my Windows XP VM running on 1 CPU (I have dual core) and in activity monitor I can see it using 100% CPU, but if I enable both cores, it uses 200% CPU and the entire computer becomes almost unusable.

Any ideas?

Thanks...

 

This seems to be a real issue... is it being addressed?

I am a critical user of Excel and Microsoft Project (no choice due to my clients) and I am an extensive battery user.

I cannot afford to have this prl_vm_app running at 100% (or 200% if I allowed 2 CPU support in the VM config)... it kills my battery life (and no doubt physically as well).

Windows task manager shows virtually no activity at all... but I still get 100% from this process.

PLEASE HELP!

 

I created a new VM in Parallels 4 and that seems fine. I still want a fix though, so I can use my upgraded ones.

 

Yes, I've just done the same thing to test (I guess I am a little anal, had an hour to spare this morning, and don't really want to uninstall 4, get my backups of my old HDD back out, etc...)... so a new install seems to work fine.

So the conversion bit really stinks. Also, considering the change wasn't that dramatic in terms of disk structure (it didn't rebuild the whole HDD file, then I'm also really pissed off at having to reactivate both Windows and Office.

But, as above, it still makes my primary VM unusable. HELP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

A response from Parallels would be nice here I think...
I know you are busy because of the launch, but we are paying customers asking for advice... Thanks.

 

I also have an outstanding support ticket for this that I opened yesterday...
#612880: [PD4] prl_vm_app CPU usage

 

Step back to one CPU

On my 17" Dual-core MBP, I had the same problem when I had Adaptive Hypervisor on and set up the VM to use 2 CPUs, assuming that my dual-core would count as two. I presume Parallels thought that it had 2 processors exclusive to the VM then.

With one CPU selected, and using Adaptive Hypervisor, my VM now runs fine.

FWIW.

 

Thanks for the tip... but surely a dual-core does count as 2, it is 2 complete execution cores inside 1 physical unit. I want to be able to tell Parallels to use both cores...
As it is set now, can you tell me what the prl_vm_app process uses when your VM is idling?
Thanks!

 

I am having the same problem. I upgraded a VM and now this prl_vm_app is just chewing all my CPU all the time. Parallels, please acknowledge this problem, your product is suddenly unusable.

 

Same here...

I little difficulty in upgrading only problem was Parallel tools install didn't go so well and from the first boot my machine maxed out on the CPU usage.

If i'm using the one processor goes up to 110% and if I use two 200%. Parallels is not usable on my MacBook Pro. I fear my machine will sustain some damage as the machine temperature goes through the roof 87+ celsius until I kill Parallels. Try placing that on your lap!!

I eventually uninstalled and reinstalled Parallel Tools. Apparently during the update they were not installed properly. A couple of things I noticed:

1. When I uninstalled the Parallel Tools my vm (bootcamp XP) ran a lot faster - also the prl_vm_app went back down to more sane levels.
2. When I reinstalled Parallel Tools the machine was still running as fast but the prl_vm_app was taking up all the CPU time.

I haven't had time yet but I'm going to uninstall Parallel Tools again and see if that's problem.

I usually don't buy application software when first released there are usually so many problems with it. But I use Parallels for running some DOS programs that I need. Under the version 3 DOS programs also sent the CPU usage through the roof even if it was running in the background. Ah well I'll know better next time.

I can still use Bootcamp (no problems) but kinda defeats the purpose of a MAC especially when it means I spend more time using XP.

 

same problem here

Macbook Pro running bootcamp. If I wait a while then the CPU usage goes down to something more normal. High CPU usage only happens on boot and for a few (e.g. 3-5) minutes after.

 

On my current gen iMac, any and all VMs (bootcamp, Fedora 9, Win98, DOS 6.22) all chew 100% CPU.

On an INTEL MacBookPro from a year ago, everything was fine until trying to installed Win98 - CPU use is massive - haven't yet tried my other VMs again yet.

I reckon there will be some small glitch (a loop?) that can be easily fixed if it can be tracked down.

As an aside, PD4 at home won't run Win98 (even clean, brand new VM - screen corrupts and shows pink squares). PD4 here at work (the MBP) is it fine apart from the CPU use.

Weird!

 

Have you looked at task manager in the VM to see if some Windows process is causing the VM to consume CPU ? Windows search indexing or something ? Just a thought.

E

 

Me too!!! It´s the same.... puuuf... any solution???

 

Solved?

Here is my response to Parallels support today... I managed to solve my issue ... no help to them!

Basically, it is an issue with the processor driver in Windows (go to Device Manager, and reinstall the driver or roll-back the driver).

--------------------------------------------------------------------------

Hello,

Thank you for your response... I'm sorry I couldn't get back to you over the weekend, or today due to work commitments.

I have actually managed to solve the problem, but would you be interested how?

1. I reconverted the backup of my VM in order to test.
2. It worked just fine... until... I made it dual processor in the config.
3. I then tested a brand new VM with no problems (even with dual procesor)
4. So, I went back to the newly converted main VM, and found the issue in Windows Device Manager
1. Even though Windows Task Manager showed NO excess processor
2. Device manager showed the yellow exclamation mark on the processor (and only showed on)
3. I went to properties of that item and clicked on roll-back driver... and then all was fine!
(I am sure that even just reinstalling the driver would do the same, because it is using the same
driver now as my test machine, so I think it was the driver install process, not the version itself).

So, there is an issue with the driver for processors... when converting from an old VM and then requesting dual processor.

But it took me quite a bit of time, and I lost productivity. So, it's not been a good journey, but then I suspect you already know that!

Regards,

Nic.

P.S. I was going to ask for a refund for the hard work I had to do to get this to work... but I'm not sure I have the energy...

... HOWEVER... I do expect to see this issue in the Knowledge Base within a day or so, because then you can genuinely share this info. I will be most upset if you simply consider this case closed without doing so!!!

------------------------------------------

On 15 Nov 2008, at 06:07, Andrey Polienko, Parallels wrote:


Hello Nic,

I understand you feelings and should say that we are aware of the issue and our developers and testers work hard in collaboration with technical support team to eliminate this issue. It is not a overall one and I suppose that is why it was not discovered during the testing. Could you please tell me if you tried to play with optimization settings in VM configuration? Try to use Adaptive hypervisor, Optimize performance for Mac or VM, and change power optimization.

Please write us back about the result. We will update you with appropriate solution as soon as it will be available.

Thank you,
--
Andrey Polienko
Technical Support Engineer
Parallels

 

Can you explain better please? I like tu know the solution..
thanks!

 

I think he is saying, for Windows guest OSes, make sure the driver for the processors in the device manager are installed properly.

If you have a yellow exclamation mark, try a driver rollback (or upgrade I suppose). This implies that if you have the drivers setup correctly in your guest for the processors, they won't kill CPU. I have found that getting Parallels Tools installed properly seems to help - probably the source of the CPU drivers.

 

thanks for your help.. but i haven´t a yellow exclamation mark! that´s incredible... i cant use parallels, 85º and 110% cpu is so much...

 

Guys,

Thank you for reporting this. May ask you to post here output of "prl_perf_ctl -a -l 10" command?

Just do the following:

1. Run PD4 and reproduce 100% CPU usage issue.
2. Run Terminal and execute "prl_perf_ctl -a -l 10" command.
3. Copy and paste its output here.

Thank you very much in advance!

 

My Solution Updated

Hello,

You asked for me to clarify my "solution" although I think another member has done so reasonably well already.

However, please note: There appear to be TWO DIFFERENT problems in this thread. The thread was opened for Parallels Desktop 4 taking 100% of a single processor or 200% (almost) of two processors at ALL TIMES windows was running.

Some other people have noted just a problem on boot, which was not my issue (although I note that boot times are much longer and do take more processor then PD3... but I can easily live with this).

It turned out my issue was that the windows driver for the Processors was not installed properly. When I re-converted my VM, it turned out to be fine UNTIL I added TWO proessor support to the Config... this is what caused the problem. But it didn't resolve itself for me even when going back to one processor and uninstalling and reinstalling parallels tools made no difference.

Simply rolling back or asking windows to look for the latest driver seemed to do the job.

Regards,

Nic.