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Instead, year-after-year, Parallels continues to offer different packages in ways that make selecting one somewhat confusing.Ī few years ago, Parallels switched to a subscription model that requires yearly payments to continue using the software. My biggest beef about Parallels Desktop 17 has nothing to do with the actual software. Parallels Versions (Image credit: Parallels)

Parallels desktop for mac big sur full#

However, for this to happen, Microsoft will need to offer a full ARM version of Windows 11.

Parallels desktop for mac big sur install#

Hopefully, they'll be fewer steps to install Windows 11 through virtualization prior to its general release. Once this step is completed, Parallels Desktop 17 works very well with virtual Windows 11. There are various workarounds available online that make this possible, each sometimes more painful then the next. Once M1 users get that version installed using Parallels Desktop 17, they must get past a nasty TPM 2.0 error before upgrading to at least a beta version of Windows 11.įor those with an Apple silicon-based Mac, there are a few more steps to take to install Windows 11 through Parallels Desktop 17.

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Unfortunately, Microsoft's only offering a free ARM Insider Preview version of Windows 10 Pro. To run any version of Windows through Parallels on an Apple M1 Mac, you need an ARM version of the operating system. Unfortunately, these steps aren't very pretty. Starting with Parallels Desktop 17, Parallels Desktop reports to Windows OS that it's running in a virtual environment so that Windows doesn't ask for the presence of a TPM 2.0 chip.įor those with an Apple silicon-based Mac, there are a few more steps to take to install Windows 11 through Parallels Desktop 17. As the company explains (opens in new tab):Ī virtual TPM chip isn't required for upgrading to Windows 11. Regardless, Parallels Desktop 17 lets you install Windows 11 through virtualization. The reason? Some Windows 10 computers (even some newer ones) don't come with TPM 2.0 and won't work with Windows 11. When Windows 11 was first announced, this requirement caused much anger in the Windows community. Short for Trusted Transport Module, TPM 2.0 is a hardware security feature found on most Windows-based computers and a requirement for Windows 11. However, upgrading to Windows 11 was a much rockier experience, although this had nothing to do with the virtualization tool and everything to do with Apple silicon.įirst, understand that Parallels Desktop 17 supports virtual versions of Windows 11, even though all the best Macs and older ones don't have TPM 2.0. Installing Parallels Desktop 17 on my MacBook Pro with M1 (and the latest version of macOS Monterey beta) worked very well, as well as adding a fresh virtual copy of Windows 10.

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The result is a PC gaming experience on Mac like no other and reason alone to upgrade to Parallels Desktop 17.

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There's also a new display driver in place that increases the frame rate. Parallel's improved performance mentioned above means smoother Windows UI and synchronized video playback. Until now, however, a poor performance made it difficult to do PC gaming through virtual Windows on a Mac. Gaming has always been popular for Windows users. Parallels Desktop 17 (Image credit: iMore)įinally, it's important to circle back around to the improved gaming performance on Parallels Desktop 17. Now you can have them both with no slowdown or disruption when moving between the two. This type of setup is important for anyone who doesn't want to choose between using macOS and Windows. Improvements make it nearly impossible to tell the difference between these and open macOS apps. When using this mode, the actual Windows desktop gets removed, keeping only active Windows apps in the foreground. Parallels also deserves kudos on making Coherence mode even better.

One impressive highlight: in macOS Monterey, you have the amazing ability to drag and drop content from Windows apps to Apple's new Quick Note feature. Shifting gears, although it's definitely not a technical term, cool is the best word to describe drag and drop between a virtual Windows desktop and your Mac. Additionally, disk performance is up 20% for Apple M1 users versus Parallels Desktop 16.5.Īcross the board, there are significant performance improvements that almost make you forget you're using a virtual desktop. The latest Parallels Desktop version runs Windows 38% faster than before, while graphics performance has increased 25% for 2D graphics and 28% for Directx 11. Across the board, there are significant performance improvements that almost make you forget you're using a virtual desktop. Speed isn't just left for the Parallels Desktop 17 installation.

Once you've downloaded Parallels Desktop 17, the installation process is a breeze that takes just a few minutes. It wasn't that long ago when installing Parallels Desktop required a lot of time and patience. MacOS Monterey and Windows 11 using Coherence mode (Image credit: iMore)