Windows not starting

S

Steve and ChrisS

Bit poster
We have a Intel Macbook Pro with OSX 10.5 and all latest updates. Also Parallels 5. We were running Parallels 4 with WIN XP Pro with no problems but since we have upgraded to Parallels 5, we get the following problem. As a clue, I did try to unsuccessfully install Ubuntu that is no longer on the PC and it was around this time that my problems started.

Our problem, we click on Parallels and we get the black screen with Windows XP, Click to start. We then click to start and the screen goes black with the cursor busy - and there it stays forever. Now we have to a force quit of Parallel (also have a message on the same menu grayed out - application not responding). After the force quit, then we go back into Parallels and Windows appears and works fine. It only appears in a Window and any setting we have for appearance has disappeared.

Help before I completely re-install Parallels 4.

We have done a time machine restore from as old as we have but that has not worked. We have also re-installed Parallels tools WIndows restore and restored Windows snapshops - nothing has worked.

Stevesub
 
Same Problem, with more info

I'm having the same problem, and this isn't the first time I've seen it. Unfortunately, I don't remember the circumstances (it would certainly have been with a previous version), nor what I did to fix it, but prior to upgrading from v4 to v5 it hadn't plagued me in quite some time.

In the case described here I'm using Win XP SP2 on PD v5, but a brief foray into a Solaris VM showed the same behavior described here.

The symptoms I see are that the UI freezes up, but clearly the VM does not. After a force quit of PD, restarting PD brings up the VM, which has obviously been running during the whole process as it's either still booting or waiting at the login screen, depending on how long it's been since start (progress seems to have been at normal speed).

Some help would be appreciated.
 
Having dealt with this a bit more, it appears the common factor (in my case) is that this happens whenever I start a VM that doesn't have Parallels Tools properly installed. Alas, the definition of "properly installed" seems less than concrete, as I've run the installer multiple times without errors and still apparently not had everything working, or conversely, had everything working and Parallels still reporting that the tools aren't installed.

I have found, though, that even with multiple VMs running, when the UI locks up and I have to force-quit PD then restart it, all of the VMs seem to come through running unscathed.

- Ted
 
Similar problem

I just had a similar problem. Am running Parallels 4 on a MacBookPro and Snow Leopard. When I open Parallels desktop, I get the black screen. Everything is grayed out in the pull down menu except Stop which is checked.

I can't believe I can't even email tech support for an answer. I upgraded in the summer (and now they want another $50 to upgrade again) and there is just no free support. If this problem isn't solved easily, I sure won't continue to use this software.
 
May have solved the problem

I was the originator of this thread and now have Parallels and Windows working fine. I have re-installed Parallels Tools - several times. Also when I shut down Windows, I always use the old press the Start Icon on Windows, then shut down - I never use the Parallels buttons.

Windows always comes up in the Windows mode and I am also not changing that even though I would prefer Coherence. Any changes I make to the mode while Windows is running are not saved like they used to be - but at least, I am now up and running.

I am still not convinced that all is OK as it was when I had Parallels Ver 4 which was rock solid.

That will teach me to upgrade when all is working OK, now I have to wait for some of my other applications be updated to run on Snow Leopard so I can upgrade to that - again, but that is another story.

Stevesub
 
Similar problem without additional guest OS, no resolution

I now have the same problem since upgrading to PD 5 - I was busy copying some large files in Windows yesterday when it seems my expanding parallels disk image didn't expand and windows stopped functioning. Stupidly I asked parallels to resume rather than shutting down and whilst doing so PD got as far as the black screen with 'Windows XP' and a spinning disk - where it remained. I can quit PD normally but when I start it again I can only get as far as the 'Window XP' floating logo and a spinning disk. The Vm menu only shows 'Stop' which is checked. I can view but not modify the configuration for this machine.

Just to confirm - I have only one guest OS installed.

Any thoughts welcome.

Chris
 
Update - 5.0.9310 no help

I had hoped this problem would get fixed in this update, but no joy.
 
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