Too many cursors

On a fairly regular basis, I will be working in Photoshop or Flash or Word in WindowsXP, and a second cursor will appear. It seems to be the Mac (solid black) cursor.

The Windows cursor (in the Windows desktop and windows) seems to control the Mac cursor in the Mac desktop.
If I click the Windows cursor and the Mac cursor is over a Mac desktop item - or a Dock icon - the Mac item is also clicked!
I don't know what action - if any - makes the extra cursor appear. Since I'm concentrating on what I'm doing in Windows, I often am not aware of it until some Mac file or software is activated. Sometimes the Mac cursor isn't visible - but I can "see" it by the effect it has on Mac desktop items.

Once I notice the extra cursor, I can usually make it go away by moving the Windows cursor to the edge or corner of the window I happen to be in... but it's only a temporary fix. Rebooting Windows seems to be the only way to deal with it. Very much a nuisance.

While on the subject of cursors: it's annoying, when switching back and forth from Windows to Mac (control+alt), to have to go looking for the Mac cursor; having it appear near the spot the "old" cursor was last located would be so much handier.

 

which versions of Windows, Mac OS and Parallels?

Parellels tools manages this much better and eliminates the "Windows to Mac (control+alt), " stuff

Hugh W

 

I have a MacBook Pro running OSX 10.5.2
Parallels Desktop 3.0 - Build 5582
Win XP Home 2002 with SP2

Maybe I missed something re Parallels Tools and using it instead of CTRL+ALT. I'll have a look, but maybe you could give me a quick heads-up?
Thanks.

 

I am sticking with 10.4.11 for now to avoid issues with application updates

PD >> Menu >> Actions >> Install parallels tools

also creates a shared clip board
and drag and drop either way

PD >> Menus >> Devices >> shared folders >> add

I add Mac >> Users >> You >> desktop
AND
Macintosh Hard Disk
AND
all firewire and other external disks

never ever save data in a VM
Win Xp Sp2 "my documents" for example

search
Hugh housekeeping
on these forums for more basic care and repair ideas

above all clone your VM at least once ( or twice as I do) each week

So if a VM becomes a problem just delete it and use a clone (after cloning that clone)

I have used PD for 20 months and am very happy with it

I keep things simple
I ignored Bootcamp because it was in unsupported beta then

enjoy

Hugh W

 

Hugh, thanks for your help -- I think.
I'm wondering if you might be telling me more than I want to know. I got Boot Camp and Parallels in order to use some of my Windows software without having to buy new versions for my Mac.

Being a non-programmer, non-tech person, I had thought it would be a fairly simple process. Aside from the few glitches I mentioned in my first post, it seemed simple enough...
I'm an artistic type -- easily frustrated when "help" information and error messages assume far more knowledge of programming and computer technology than I posess. I'm the person "Plug And Play" was created for.

You've got me looking deeper into the Parallels Help -- and realizing just how much I don't know. Looks like lots more 'ReadThe***Manual' ahead of me.

I hope I'm not abusing your generosity, but I keep finding more questions.

I installed Parallels Tools, but I don't understand why it was necessary. From what I understand, the features in Tools seem desirable enough they ought to be part of the Desktop package.

Some of the features seem to work for me; some don't. For example,
"...Mouse Synchronization Tool
Mouse Synchronization Tool provides automatic capture of the mouse input each time the pointer goes over the guest OS window and automatic release of the mouse input when the pointer moves out of the guest OS window. This tool also makes pointer movements smoother..." doesn't seem to work for me.

I've cloned my Virtual Machine as you suggested ("My Boot Camp")... but now I wonder what you meant when you said you ignored Bootcamp. Do you run PD without using Bootcamp?

I've avoided experimenting with trying to boot only in Windows, after having to reactivate XP twice -- if that makes a difference.

 

the real experts are on holiday

I am just a very satisfied user
I took about a hundres photos today

connected my videophone to the mac

created a folder on my La Cie external disk
drag and dropped them into that

(cntrl a then ctrl o to look at them)


Win Xp already running
started Flickr uploaded

drag and dropped them from the Mac to the PC / uploader

gave them some tags and made a set
clicked upload and away they went to http://www.flickr.com/photos/hughw36/


into this set
http://www.flickr.com/photos/hughw36/sets/72157604220071285/

If Parallels tools is not working I have to browse in "my computer" to the shared folder

(View as slide show recommended)

I then use flickr as an image server and make my blog for today

the second cursor you see is frozen until you go back into Windows but the Tools automates th change over according to the "mouse over"

search the Forums for

hugh housekeeping
to find out some more good habits to adopt

Hugh W

y