Warning - Parallels 8 Unusable on Retina with External Display

If you upgrade to Parallels 8 and use an External Display it is pretty unusable. If you have Retina support on the External display is GIANT and you can't do anything. If you turn off Retina support and use it on your laptop screen it is SUPER tiny.

Parallels 7 was better with use of multiple displays. Obviously nobody tested this scenario.

Brad

 

Hi,
thank you for your feedback. We're working on this problem now.

Regards,
Hanna

 

Poor product

why was this released with so many bugs - how do I go back to 7?

I cant copy and paste either

 

Exactly the same problem here - Windows and office applications look so fine on the retina display with Parallels 8, but Parallels 7 was perfect with a second monitor connected to the MBP Retina - Parallels 8 is unusable. As well as the resolution issues digitalc mentions, application windows and dialogue boxes dragged to the second monitor (where they can be seen clearly because they're do huge) spring straight back to the retina display as soon as they are let go...

 

Hi All,

A hotfix has been released to address most Retina issues. If you are not automatically prompted to install the update, go to Parallels Desktop Menu - click Check for Updates... and install the fix.

This release was made available September 6, 2012.

Chris

 

Comedy of Errors

One screwup after another. Where on earth is this so called "Hot Fix". I am unable to locate it. Parallels says I have the latest version of the software. Do you guys even given a **** about anything?

 

it's here, see screenshot

 

I'm having the same problem. I upgraded this morning (because the marketing info said that version 8 worked much better with retina MacBook Pros) and the product was unusable on my second monitor (where I do my Windows work).

Using the menu item listed above ("Parallels Desktop>Check for Update...") as well as checking for an update in my preferences, and I come back with "You have the latest version of Parallels Desktop". "Parallels Desktop>About Parallels Desktop" informs me that I'm running Build 80.18101 (Revision 797180; September 5, 2012).

Is there any way to get this hotfix? I'm pretty much unable to work.

 

Lowell, as of September 7 the build 18101 is the latest, you're up to date.
Now can you elaborate which "same" problem you're having.

 

I'm seeing the same resolution problems digitalC and Infotools are seeing.

 

Build 18101 added downscaling on external monitor when retina is on for full screen and windowed modes. This should resolve windows disproportions on retina and non-retina displays.
18101 also fixed guest windows dragging between displays, dialogs don't jump back any more.
Can you reproduce the exact problem you're having and generate a problem report via Parallels Help menu and post your report ID here. Additional comments and screenshots may also be helpful.

 

In coherence, Windows sees my 1920x1200 external monitor as being 3840x2400, which is causing issues (esp. with the Remote Desktop client). Report ID 17847027 (also creating a help ticket).

 

Never mind, found the "Optimize for Retina" workaround.

 

Lowell,

Now I see, your problem is actually with MS Remote Desktop client, which displays tiny text on retina display and on external monitor too. Is that correct?

The problem with RDC is that it doesn't support high DPI displays well. You could have set high DPI in a remote session, but its a bit tricky. Microsoft has a KB article about that here http://support.microsoft.com/kb/2726399. As you already found out, the quick solution is to uncheck Enable full resolution in VM Configuration > Hardware > Video.

 

Office Applications

Using parallels 8 on mbp retina - before & after downloading the update, Visio doesn't display the shapes pane & word doesn't display the navigation pane. Any ideas how to fix?

 

In defence of Parallels here, the issue with the things appearing huge on external monitors is down to windows more than anything. It's not Microsoft's fault either though, it's not common to have two monitors with such different pixel density.

Windows doesn't allow for different DPI scaling on a per monitor basis. I've not bought a Thunderbolt to VGA yet so can't try multiple displays, but the fix that downscales on external monitors sounds like something that isn't necessarily easy to implement.

Unfortunately it does sound like it's not working that well for some people, but i'm eager to try it myself. The Retina issues are mostly new problems that won't have been encountered before, so i'll accept they will take time to iron out.

Just so long as they are fixed in PD8 and we don't have to wait for PD9 of course ;-) If the downscaling on external monitors doesn't work well i'll just resort to using two external monitors with "normal" pixel density for Windows when I can so it won't need scaling at all.

Would be interesting to see a photo of somebody stretching a window between the retina and an external monitor to see how the downscaling is handled when something is across two screens.

I've not tried any other Mac virtualisation software, but I would imagine other vendors have the same issues in these areas.

Has anybody got the fixed built and tried the downscaling on external monitors? Does it work well in the slightest?

 

Scaling!!!

(Sorry, my english is not very good)

Parallels 8 don't work otherwise than version 7, it scales it up to double of the Resolution you have set.
On my retina i use the equivalent to 1920 x 1200 so windows scales up to 3840 x 2400, if i set (in Windows) 2880 x 1800 it looks bad. If I use FreeRez and set the resolution to 2880 x 1800 for OSX, Windows on Paralles 8 has a Resolution of 5760 x 3600. When I set 2880 x 1800 on my Windows, then it looks awesome. Much better then 3840 x 2400 (when 1920 x 1200 set on OSX).

The performance with AutoDesk Inventor is very bad with 3840 x 2400. I can not work so the Update to Parallels 8 is useless.

 

Frank,

Since you're setting OS X resolution to something other than Best for Retina, then I suggest you uncheck VM Configuration > Hardware > Video > Enable full resolution. This will make PD8 behave the same as PD7.

 

Jer087,

can you reproduce Visio issue and submit a problem report via Parallels Help menu, post you report ID here.

 

Thanks Parallels Guys, last week's update fixed quite a few issues I had with PD8 running on my rMBP with an external display. But, I still can't use it with my external display - text and graphics are displayed all blurry to such an extend that I cannot work like that. Unchecking VM Configuration->Hardware->Video->Enable full resolution is still the only way I can use PD8 with my external display.

Am I the only that is experiencing this?

Cheers,
Gawie