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Parallels 16 Tech Guarantee, parallels desktop 15, Parallels Desktop for Mac, Parallels Desktop for Mac Business, Parallels Desktop for Mac Pro Edition, parallels desktop OEM, parallels desktop retail, parallels desktop student license, Parallels Desktop Tech Guarantee, parallels tech guarantee, Support How To’s, User experience

Parallels Desktop 16 Tech Guarantee

The Parallels team is excited to bring our users Parallels® Desktop 16 for Mac, which is packed with new features. Qualifying users who recently purchased a license to Parallels Desktop can upgrade to version 16 for free. 

With the Parallels Desktop Tech Guarantee, users who purchased and registered a copy of Parallels Desktop 15 from the Parallels online store (parallels.com) or an authorized reseller between August 1 and September 30 are eligible to upgrade to Parallels Desktop 16 at no additional charge, subject to certain conditions.

The conditions covering eligibility for an upgrade include:

  • Upgrade to the next version of Parallels Desktop at no additional cost if you purchased and registered Parallels Desktop 15 for Mac between August 1, 2020, and September 30, 2020.
  • Product must be a qualifying product, as mentioned in #1 below. Non-qualifying Parallels Desktop products are explained in #3 below.
  • Must be purchased from an authorized retailer. Non-authorized retailers are detailed in #4 below.

1. The following Parallels Desktop 15 for Mac products qualify for the Tech Guarantee:

  • Parallels Desktop 15 for Mac Full Version (New Licenses)
  • Parallels Desktop 15 for Mac Upgrade (Upgrade Licenses)
  • Parallels Desktop 15 for Mac Student License
  • Parallels Desktop 15 for Mac Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) Version when purchased together with hardware or other approved software products (OEM License)

Additionally, your product must be registered on or after August 1, 2020, and before or on September 30, 2020.

2. How do I receive my upgrade key?

Eligible Parallels Desktop users who purchased and registered their product after August 1, 2020, and before September 30, 2020, will have upgrade keys automatically added to their Parallels MyAccount. The upgrade license key will be sent to the email used to register your license for Parallels Desktop 15. You should receive the Parallels Desktop upgrade key within seven (7) days after the new version of Parallels Desktop becomes available. 

3. The following Parallels Desktop for Mac products do not qualify for the Tech Guarantee:

  • Trial versions of Parallels Desktop for Mac
  • Licenses sold under the Volume License Program, including PIK/PIKA, Parallels Desktop for Mac Pro Edition licenses and Parallels Desktop for Mac Business Edition licenses
  • Not-for-resale (NFR) versions
  • OEM versions that are purchased unlawfully without hardware or qualifying software
  • Parallels Desktop for Mac versions purchased and registered before August 1, 2020, or after September 30, 2020

4. Non-authorized retailers and resellers include but are not limited to: 

Due to the sheer volume of global Parallels Desktop users, please follow the steps above before contacting the Parallels Support team. Key(s) will be automatically sent to your email address, so check the spam/junk folder. Again, we ask for users to please allow up to seven (7) business days for your key to be delivered. 

Parallels Desktop subscription users: Don’t worry, if you have an active annual subscription of Parallels Desktop, Parallels Desktop Pro Edition or Parallels Desktop Business Edition, you’re already eligible for an upgrade to the latest version. Parallels Desktop subscription users automatically get access to the newest version at no additional cost. 

If you’ve read the above but still have questions about the Parallels Desktop 16 tech guarantee, please don’t hesitate to reach out to our teams. We’re here to help with your questions or concerns via our social support on Facebook or Twitter, 24/7. 

– The Parallels Team

The post Parallels Desktop 16 Tech Guarantee appeared first on Parallels Blog.

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Parallels Desktop 16 System Requirements and Supported Guest Operating Systems

The system requirements and supported guest operation systems (OSes) for Parallels Desktop 16 for Mac are fully detailed below. We encourage every potential or existing user to explore the requirements prior to downloading or purchasing Parallels® Desktop. Users may be pleasantly surprised at the incredible performance of Windows, Linux, and other popular OSes on their Mac with Parallels Desktop. 

Supported Apple Mac hardware configurations:

Check your Mac hardware to ensure you can run Parallels Desktop without experiencing compatibility issues. Our team would love to make sure every user gets the most out of Parallels Desktop and the virtual machines (VMs) they create. 

Minimum Requirements Recommended for Best Performance 
Processor Intel Core 2 Duo, Core i3, Core i5, Core i7, Core i9, Intel Core M or Xeon processor Intel Core i5, Core i7, Core i9 or Xeon processor
 
Memory 4 GB of RAM 16 GB of RAM or more
Storage 500 MB for Parallels Desktop application installation Additional disk space for the guest operating system (at least 16 GB is required for Windows 10) Solid-state drive (SSD)
Graphics Intel, AMD Radeon or NVIDIA AMD Radeon Pro graphics card
Operating System macOS Big Sur 11.0 (when released) macOS Catalina 10.15.3 or newer
macOS Mojave 10.14.6 or newer
macOS High Sierra 10.13.6 or newer		 macOS Big Sur 11.0 (when released) DirectX 11 requires at least macOS Mojave 10.14, but works best on macOS 10.15.3 Catalina or newer

Important Note: Internet connection is required for product activation, updates and select future features.

Supported guest operating systems that can be created as Parallels Desktop virtual machines:

  • Windows 10
  • Windows 8.1
  • Windows 8
  • Windows Server 2019
  • Windows Server 2016
  • Windows Server 2012 R2
  • Windows 7 (SP0-SP1)
  • Windows Server 2008 R2 (SP0-SP2)
  • Windows Vista Home, Business, Ultimate and Enterprise (SP0-SP2)
  • Windows Server 2003 R2 (SP0-SP2)
  • Windows XP (SP0-SP3)
  • Windows 2000 Professional SP4
  • Windows 2000 Server SP4
  • Boot2Docker
  • Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) 8, 7 and 6
  • CentOS Linux 8, 7 and 6
  • Fedora Linux 32, 31, 30 and 29
  • Ubuntu 20.04, 19.04, 18.04 LTS and 16.04 LTS
  • Debian GNU/Linux 9 and 8
  • Debian GNU/Linux 19
  • SUSE Linux Enterprise 15
  • openSUSE Linux 15.1 and 15
  • Linux Mint 20, 19 and 18
  • Kali 2019 and 2018
  • Elementary OS 5.0
  • Manjaro 18
  • Mageia 7 and 6
  • Gentoo Linux **
  • Solaris 11 and 10 **
  • openBSD 6 **
  • FreeBSD 12 and 11 **
  • openVZ 7
  • eComStation 2 and 1.2 **
  • ReactOS 0.4 **
  • Android OS*
  • macOS Big Sur 11.0 (when released)
  • macOS Catalina 10.15
  • macOS Mojave 10.14.x
  • macOS High Sierra 10.13.x
  • macOS Sierra 10.12.x
  • OS X El Capitan 10.11.x
  • OS X Yosemite 10.10.x
  • OS X Mavericks 10.9.x
  • OS X Mountain Lion 10.8.x
  • OS X Lion 10.7.x
  • OS X Lion Server 10.7.x
  • Mac OS X Snow Leopard Server 10.6.x
  • Mac OS X Leopard Server 10.5.x
  • and many more…***

*Only the version downloaded with the Parallels Desktop Installation Assistant

**Parallels Tools are not available for this operating system

Note: Parallels Desktop emulates PC hardware, so operating systems that are not present in this list can work as well. We encourage users to download a free 14-day trial of Parallels Desktop first to install the OS of your choice. If it doesn’t work and you believe it should be supported, let us know at Parallels Forum.

Parallels Tools for Linux requires X Window System version 1.15-1.20 and Linux Kernel version 2.6.29-5.1.

Moving your PC?

Below are the Windows PC system requirements to move a PC to your Mac and use it as a Parallels Desktop VM (using Parallels Transporter Agent):

  • 700 MHz (or higher) x86 or x64 processor (Intel or AMD)
  • 256 MB of RAM
  • 50 MB of available hard disk space for installation of Parallels Transporter Agent
  • Ethernet or WiFi network adapter for migrating over network
  • External USB drive for migrating via external disk
  • Supported Windows: Windows 10, Windows 8.1, Windows 7, Windows Vista, Windows XP, Windows Server 2003 and Windows 2000*

*To migrate Windows Vista or older, Transporter Agent from Parallels Desktop 13 should be used.

We sincerely hope this resource helps you navigate your experience with Parallels Desktop. Since 2006, Parallels has delivered excellence by being the #1 choice of Mac users to run Windows on Mac without rebooting. Please don’t hesitate to reach out if you need help. The Parallels support team can be contacted on Facebook or Twitter, 24/7. 

The post Parallels Desktop 16 System Requirements and Supported Guest Operating Systems appeared first on Parallels Blog.

Parallels Toolbox for Windows

Pin an app window in Windows 10 with Parallels Toolbox one-click tool Window on Top

When working between multiple programs or windows in Windows 10, you might want to pin a window on top and be able to continue working with other programs.  

Some programs in Windows 10 have built-in intelligence to accomplish this. However, not all programs are created equal and most do not have this functionality.  

It’s quite easy to force your desired window to float on top regardless of the program’s individual ability with the Parallels® Toolbox tool Window on Top.  

Window on Top is a simple one-click solution to get around the pesky Windows 10 programs that don’t have a pin or float functionality. If you need a window to always be on top of other programs, start this tool and select the window you want. It will always be displayed above other windows for immediate access. 

This tool is a better solution than remembering multiple keyboard commands or buying an individual third-party app to accomplish this.  

Parallels Toolbox is a helpful suite of one-click tools that is here to help manage your productivity. Our engineers designed this all-in-one suite for creative individuals, students, small-business owners, chronic multitaskers, IT managers and everyone in between to ensure everyone can use their PC to its maximum potential.  

Parallels Toolbox is our all-in-one solution with over 30 tools for macOS and Windows 10. With just one click, you can save space on your hard drive, create high-quality content, quickly optimize your computer for a presentation and so much more. Our economical suite of tools replaces the need for multiple applications and programs. Try a free 7-day trial of Parallels Toolbox for macOS or Windows 10 from the links below! 

Helpful resources: 

Automatic Download for Parallels Toolbox for macOS 7-day Free Trial (.DMG) 

Automatic Download for Parallels Toolbox for Windows 10 7-day Free Trial (.EXE) 

Parallels Toolbox for Mac Updates Historical Summary 

Parallels Toolbox for Windows Updates Historical Summary 

The post Pin an app window in Windows 10 with Parallels Toolbox one-click tool Window on Top appeared first on Parallels Blog.

Parallels Toolbox for Mac, Parallels Toolbox for Windows

One-click for currency or unit conversion for macOS or Windows 10 with Parallels Desktop tool Unit Converter

Trade is growing at a rapid rate and has changed our world’s economy. Converting a familiar measurement or currency to a new form is now a common task—and can be overwhelming. It can also become tiresome to download multiple apps and programs across your devices to ensure the conversions you need are available to you.  

Unit Converter in Parallels Toolbox is easy to use and supports a wide array of measurement units and global currency. See how easy this tool is to use for yourself: 

One-click quickly launches the Unit Converter tool. Instantly convert different units of measurement and currencies by simply typing your query. 

Additionally, one of the best things about our Unit Converter tool is the dozens of immensely helpful tools that are also included with Parallels® Toolbox for macOS or Windows at no additional cost. 

Parallels Toolbox is our all-in-one solution with over 30 tools for macOS and Windows 10. With just one click, you can save space on your hard drive, create high-quality content, quickly optimize your computer for a presentation and so much more. Our economical suite of tools replaces the need for multiple applications and programs.

Try a free 7-day trial of Parallels Toolbox for macOS or Windows 10 from the links below! 

Helpful resources: 

Automatic Download for Parallels Toolbox for macOS 7-day Free Trial (.DMG) 

Automatic Download for Parallels Toolbox for Windows 10 7-day Free Trial (.EXE) 

Parallels Toolbox for Mac Updates Historical Summary 

Parallels Toolbox for Windows Updates Historical Summary 

The post One-click for currency or unit conversion for macOS or Windows 10 with Parallels Desktop tool Unit Converter appeared first on Parallels Blog.

Parallels Toolbox for Windows

One-click closes all your open programs in Windows 10 with Parallels Toolbox Close Apps

Windows users who are diligent about shutting down their open programs and PCs every day often look for the fastest way to quit everything.  

If you’re like most Windows users, you likely have several or dozens of programs running at any given time. Manually closing these applications everyday can take up more time than you might like to volunteer toward task management. It becomes irritating when you’ve already mentally quit your task at hand.  

Does this look familiar to you? 

Luckily, it’s easier now than ever before to quit all the programs you’re running on Windows 10 with the Parallels Toolbox tool Close Apps. 

Close Apps is the best solution for shutting down multiple applications in Windows quickly.  

Use this tool to immediately clear up the desktop by closing or minimizing all apps and windows with just one click. Close Apps frees up a lot of time when it comes to shutting down your PC for the day. 

Not to mention, you also receive dozens of wildly helpful tools included with Parallels® Toolbox. Our engineers designed Parallels Toolbox as a simple suite for creative individuals, students, small-business owners, chronic multitaskers, IT managers and everyone in between.  

Tips and tricks: 

  • In the preferences for Close Apps, you can choose to conceal apps with the following options: closing the app, minimizing the app or force-closing the app.   
  • Choose to “hide” your desired app instead of closing, minimizing or force-closing the program.  
  • Warning: when choosing to force-close a program, all unsaved data is lost. 

Parallels Toolbox is our all-in-one solution with over 30 tools for macOS and Windows 10. With just one click, you can save space on your hard drive, create high-quality content, quickly optimize your computer for a presentation and so much more. Our economical suite of tools replaces the need for multiple applications and programs. Try a free 7-day trial of Parallels Toolbox for macOS or Windows 10 from the links below! 

Helpful resources: 

Automatic Download for Parallels Toolbox for macOS 7-day Free Trial (.DMG) 

Automatic Download for Parallels Toolbox for Windows 10 7-day Free Trial (.EXE) 

Parallels Toolbox for Mac Updates Historical Summary 

Parallels Toolbox for Windows Updates Historical Summary 

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Parallels Toolbox for Mac, Parallels Toolbox for Windows

Automatically schedule break reminders on macOS or Windows 10 with Parallels Toolbox Break Time

Are you feeling burned out at work or lacking motivation during long stints on the computer? Whether you’re working remotely or back in the office, keep reading to learn what you can do when you need a break from screen time to protect your mental and physical health.  

Burnout at work can feel like: 

  • Constantly struggling to concentrate 
  • Lack of satisfaction from work accomplishments 
  • Change in sleep habits 
  • Excessive stress or anxiety 
  • ..and many more symptoms based on your lifestyle 

Parallels Toolbox sweeps into the rescue with an incredible suite of one-click utilities. It’s filled with helpful tools to help manage the health of your computer, your productivity and your own wellbeing. Our engineers designed this all-in-one suite for creative individuals, students, small-business owners, chronic multitaskers, IT managers and everyone in between.  

Included with Parallels® Toolbox is an incredible tool called Break Time that schedules break reminders to avoid burnout and promote productivity. Additionally, Parallels Toolbox is available for either macOS or Windows 10 with dozens of additional helpful tools included. 

The Break Time tool is simple. Our tool allows for customized breaks with automatic reminders to keep your schedule optimized for your needs during the day.  

Nourish and promote your own productivity by using the Parallels Toolbox Break Time tool as a reminder to take regular breaks from your computer. When it’s break time, our tool encourages you to spend some time away from the computer screen. 

We’ll leave medical advice to the experts, but it’s safe to say it’s not optimal to sit in the same position for long periods. Not to mention, a break from screen time does wonders for promoting positive mental health habits.  

In the tool’s preferences, you can set how often to take a break and how long the break should be. When the time comes, you’ll be reminded to take a break. Your break duration will be counted if there is no use to the keyboard or movement to your computers mouse.  

Parallels Toolbox is our all-in-one solution with over 30 tools for macOS and Windows 10. With just one click, you can save space on your hard drive, create high-quality content, quickly optimize your computer for a presentation and so much more. Our economical suite of tools replaces the need for multiple applications and programs. Try a free 7-day trial of Parallels Toolbox for macOS or Windows 10 from the links below! 

Helpful resources: 

Automatic Download for Parallels Toolbox for macOS 7-day Free Trial (.DMG) 

Automatic Download for Parallels Toolbox for Windows 10 7-day Free Trial (.EXE) 

Parallels Toolbox for Mac Updates Historical Summary 

Parallels Toolbox for Windows Updates Historical Summary 

The post Automatically schedule break reminders on macOS or Windows 10 with Parallels Toolbox Break Time appeared first on Parallels Blog.

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Easily arrange and manage macOS apps with Parallels Toolbox one-click tool Window Manager

Whether you’re a macOS lover or a Windows fanatic, chronic multitaskers often have several applications or programs running at the same time—not to mention the dozens of tabs open in your web browser. Don’t worry, we’re right there with you. 

It’s quite easy to get lost in the real estate of your screen if you self-identify as a multitasker. Additionally, it’s almost too easy to forget about an open window if you minimize and move onto another task. I have found myself lost in the window abyss far too many times than I would like to admit.  

However, this is where the excellent Parallels Toolbox comes in handy—particularly the Window Manager tool. Easily use Window Manager to size a window on your Mac to your predefined dimensions and position. Simply drag a window to a screen’s edge and it will automatically resize to half a screen, a third of a screen or even a quarter.  

Our engineers designed Parallels® Toolbox as an all-in-one suite for creative individuals, students, small-business owners, chronic multitaskers, IT managers and everyone in between. Multitasking is not bound by a specific industry or skill set. Now more than ever before, there are incredible humans constantly accomplishing more during an average workday. Therefore, it felt natural that we create Window Manager to be added to the productive toolset that is Parallels Toolbox. Window Manager is honestly an incredible tool for multitasking between several windows and programs due to its customizable interface.  

Tips and tricks: 

  • In the tool’s preference settings, easily disable snapping for the individual application that you’re currently using in the Window Manager tool or for all applications.  

Parallels Toolbox is our all-in-one solution with over 30 tools for macOS and Windows 10. With just one click, you can save space on your hard drive, create high-quality content, quickly optimize your computer for a presentation and so much more. Our economical suite of tools replaces the need for multiple applications and programs. Try a free 7-day trial of Parallels Toolbox for macOS or Windows 10 from the links below! 

Helpful resources: 

Automatic Download for Parallels Toolbox for macOS 7-day Free Trial (.DMG) 

Automatic Download for Parallels Toolbox for Windows 10 7-day Free Trial (.EXE) 

Parallels Toolbox for Mac Updates Historical Summary 

Parallels Toolbox for Windows Updates Historical Summary 

The post Easily arrange and manage macOS apps with Parallels Toolbox one-click tool Window Manager appeared first on Parallels Blog.

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Hide windows and reveal your desktop with one click with Show Desktop tool from Parallels Toolbox

Do you manage your files, screenshots or shortcuts on your Mac desktop? If so, then you probably find yourself needing to clear away your open windows and applications quickly to access your desktop. I find myself needing to do this multiple times during my workday. If you manage the real estate of your Mac like me, your screen might look like this:

messy desktop macos
Do not be like me.  

Luckily, there’s a way to easily hide windows so you can see your desktop on macOS—with one click. The Show Desktop tool in Parallels Toolbox enables you to hide or close all opened windows at once.  

When a window is hidden, it can easily be accessed by clicking on the application icon in the macOS dock.  

Parallels Toolbox tool Show Desktop in action.

Our engineers designed Parallels® Toolbox as an all-in-one suite for creative individuals, students, small-business owners, chronic multitaskers, IT managers and everyone in between. The helpfulness of Show Desktop is not restricted to a specific industry. A wide variety of users in the digital workplace often find themselves stuck minimizing, closing, quitting and deleting files that were needed to get their task done.

Our goal with the Show Desktop tool is to save those precious files, save your time and provide peace of mind knowing you never have to click more than once to get this job done.  

Tips and tricks: 

  • In the tool’s preferences, the default “hide” can be changed to “quit” to quickly wrap up what you might be working on.  
  • To see which applications will be quit by this tool, use CMD + Tab as a shortcut. 

Parallels Toolbox is our all-in-one solution with over 30 tools for macOS and Windows 10. With just one click, you can save space on your hard drive, create high-quality content, quickly optimize your computer for a presentation and so much more. Our economical suite of tools replaces the need for multiple applications and programs. Try a free 7-day trial of Parallels Toolbox for macOS or Windows 10 from the links below! 

Helpful resources: 

Automatic Download for Parallels Toolbox for macOS 7-day Free Trial (.DMG) 

Automatic Download for Parallels Toolbox for Windows 10 7-day Free Trial (.EXE) 

Parallels Toolbox for Mac Updates Historical Summary 

Parallels Toolbox for Windows Updates Historical Summary 

The post Hide windows and reveal your desktop with one click with Show Desktop tool from Parallels Toolbox appeared first on Parallels Blog.

Parallels Desktop for Mac

Successful Affiliate Story: How a Hobby Can Become a Business

by Guest Blog Author, Anastasia Barbashina, Affiliate Marketing Manager at Parallels Parallels Desktop® for Mac is the #1 award-winning virtualization software in the world, enabling users to run Windows, Linux, and other OSes on a Mac® without rebooting.  Today, I want to spotlight the Parallels Affiliate Program, which allows anyone to earn extra money by […]

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Apple’s Event 2018: iPhones, iPhones, & one more iPhone.

Grab your black turtlenecks, hotspots, and cold brew because I’m covering the latest Apple event. Our setting is the gorgeous Steve Jobs Theater, named after the co-founder and former CEO of Apple, the is located on the Apple Park Campus in Cupertino, California. It is an underground, 1,000-seat auditorium intended for Apple product launches and […]

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