Parallels is one of the best virtual machine apps to run your Windows operating system on top of any operating system. It’s fast, efficiently integrated, and offers a straightforward UI. But it’s not infallible, and your Windows can freeze on Parallels every once in a while.
Let’s look at the best ways to fix your hanged Windows on Parallels.
Stuck With a Hanged Windows on Parallels? Here’s Why
The Virtual Machine app market is diverse. For Windows, the most popular operating system in the world, the competition is even more intense. It’s littered with quality tools, and in our opinion, Parallels beats them all.
But, even with all its shiny features and design, it will land you in trouble every once in a blue moon—a frozen Windows is one such bug. Though your Windows can get hanged on Parallels for various reasons, we must state from the outset that no single cause will be true for everyone who encounters this error. That said, here are a few of the reasons:
Whatever the reason, we’ve rounded up some tricks to help you fix your app and get everything back on track.
1. Restart Parallels
Whether it’s your smartphone or a personal computer, restarting a computer has been and stays the recommended tip that first comes to mind for most abrupt bugs. And it’s not without reason—a simple reboot will free up your memory, freeing your computer from all previous tasks or processes, thus giving you a fresh start once again.
So do it. Go to the top of your host operating system, click the Parallels icon, and select Actions > Restart. Click on Yes to reboot your computer right away. When you boot back again, your Windows won’t be frozen any longer.
2. Boot Windows in Safe Mode
In some cases, instead of the regular hanging Windows where you can’t move anything around, you might get stuck in instances where you end up with a black screen.
Here, you must repeat another famous Windows troubleshooting tip: booting Windows in Safe mode. Since you’re running Windows on Parallels, the steps will slightly differ, but the underlying logic stays the same.
Of course, this requires that you can first access your Settings Windows. In some cases, you might be able to do this; in others, you probably won’t. Nevertheless, it’s worth a try either way. Here's how you can get started:
- Right-click on the Start menu and select Settings.
- Head to System > Recovery.
- Under Advanced startup, click on Restart now.
- On the reboot, click on Choose an optionscreen, and select Troubleshoot > Advanced options > Startup Settings.
- Select Restart.
On the next restart, click on 4 (F4) or 5 (F5) from a list of options to reboot your Windows into Safe mode. After you’ve accessed your Windows in Safe mode for the first time, you can try to find the issues (and then fix them) similarly as you would on a Windows computer.
3. Force Quit the Parallels App
In case the above two steps couldn’t fix your unresponsive Windows on Parallels, go for the nuclear option: force quit your Parallels app from Mac.
Like most people, if you’re using Parallels to run Windows on a Mac, your best bet for this is Activity Monitor. Think of Activity Monitor as Apple’s own Task Manager. It’s what you go to when a process or app starts behaving badly or sluggishly. In this case, you can terminate the Parallels app from the Activity Monitor. Here’s how:
That’s it—your hanged Windows will be terminated. Now restart the Parallels app and boot up your Windows afresh.
4. Use Task Manager
Task Manager is popular on Windows, and you’ve probably used it many times as well. Task Manager can sometimes be used on virtual Windows to bring it back from its frozen slumber as well. Here’s how you can access Task Manager on Windows on Parallels:
That’s it—terminate all the processes until there aren’t any left, and then see if you can use your Windows normally. If you can’t, head to the next method below.
Alternatively, you can also click on the Switch user from the main menu after the above-mentioned first step. From there click on Power > Restart to boot up your PC again.
5. Update or Reinstall Parallels
Whether it’s because you forgot to update the Parallels app, got an error due to an abrupt shutdown, or something else—a problem with the Parallels app can naturally lead to various issues down the line in your virtual machine. A slow Windows that freezes every now and then is one of them.
Although Parallels comes with an automatic update, you can also update the app manually. Head to the top, click the Parallels icon, and select Check for Updates….
The app will check for new updates and install them if it finds any.
Alternatively, if all fails, you can reinstall the Parallels app and start everything fresh. Here’s how:
- Shut down your application.
- On your Mac, head to Finder > Applications.
- Now drag the Parallels Desktop icon to Trash.
- Empty the trash and then reboot your Mac.
Finally, download the Parallels app again, set up your Windows on it, and begin everything from a clean slate.
Use the Above Tips to Fix your Hanged Windows on Parallels
Parallels is an excellent app to run your Windows computer on Mac. It works fine for the most part, but in rare cases, it can throw errors at you. Getting hit by an unresponsive Windows on Parallels boot up in one such error. Try out the above methods to get your Windows to work again, and if you have other handy tricks, don't forget to leave them in the comments below.
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