Running Windows 10 on a Mac has ever been easier, faster and better performing with Parallels for Mac. One of the issues that is distinct for Mac owners are the high-resolution (retina) display sometimes doesn’t actually provide the best user experience when running Windows 10.
Jun 13, 2017 Sometimes, Mac users need to run Windows software. Maybe there’s a program you need for work that doesn’t offer a Mac version, or maybe you occasionally need to test websites in Internet Explorer. Whatever you need Windows for, Parallels is the best tool for the job. Apr 30, 2020 If your Mac doesn't start up all the way or needs you to do something during startup, it might stop at one of these screens. Circle with a line through it Learn what to do if your Mac starts up to a circle with a line through it (prohibitory symbol).
A question that I am regularly asked is:
“Will an old Photoshop Version for Windows work in Parallels Desktop on the Mac?”
(with the named app being almost any type of app: line-of-business app, educational app, productivity app, or game, among many other categories).
My standard response is:
“It is highly likely that this app for Windows will run just fine in Parallels Desktop, with the following exceptions…
…apps that require you to insert some special hardware in the PC, since there is no way to insert PC hardware in a Mac, or
…the latest PC games. The latest PC games sometimes won’t even launch in Parallels Desktop, and sometimes run too slowly to be usable. Overwatch from Blizzard is the rare exception to this. Older games, on the other hand, often run just fine in Parallels Desktop. (My favorite game of all time, Age of Empires, runs great in Parallels Desktop on my home iMac.)”
However, even if it is “highly likely” that the app in question will run just fine in Parallels Desktop, many people would like an absolute guarantee before they spend any money. If you are one of these people, then this blog post is for you.
You can get this absolute guarantee—and for FREE—if you do the testing yourself. There are four quite different ways to do this, each with their own pros and cons. However, each of these four uses the Parallels Desktop trial, a 14-day, no-cost trial of full-featured Parallels Desktop. The four ways differ in where and how you get Windows for the test.
Method 1: Use an un-activated Windows 10
You can download, install, patch, and use Windows 10 for about a week or so before you need to activate it with a purchased Windows 10 product key.
Download from here: https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/software-download/windows10ISO
The options you should choose on this page are:
Select Windows 10
![Load Parallel Apps On Mac Screen Load Parallel Apps On Mac Screen](/uploads/1/2/6/5/126504442/299414777.png)
Select language
Select 64-bit download
This will download a 4.4 GB file, Win10_1607_English_x64.iso, which you can use in the Parallels Desktop trial to create a Windows 10 virtual machine on your Mac. (Need detailed instructions for creating a Windows VM? Look here.) When setting up the Parallels Wizard to create this VM, be sure to uncheck “This version requires a product key” in the Parallels Wizard (Figure 2).
Figure 2
You have several days to install and test any Windows app before Windows 10 requires activation. During the three days, you will see reminders to activate (Figure 3),…
…but these will not interfere with your testing. You activate Windows by purchasing a Windows 10 product key and entering it in the Activation Wizard dialog (Figure 4).
Figure 4
Method 1 Pros | Method 1 Cons |
Can be changed to a perpetually licensed copy of Windows by purchasing and adding a Windows 10 product key | Only a week or so trial period |
The work on installing the Windows app you are testing is not lost if you eventually enter a Windows 10 product key. | |
If you need a little more testing time, you can install Windows in a new VM and get more days. |
Method 2: Use a 90-day Windows 10 trial
Within Parallels Desktop, you can download a ready-to-use Windows 10 VM. This VM contains a 90-day trial version of Windows 10. Figure 5 shows you the easy steps. Note that there is no install of Windows 10, since you are downloading a ready-to-use VM. On my home network, this download took about an hour.
Figure 5b
Figure 5d
When you start up this VM, you may see a rather crowded desktop. Just set Shared Folders to None in the Sharing Options to get the desktop you see in Figure 6.
Note that you might also want to reclaim storage on the VM to recover a couple of gigabytes on your Mac disk (Figure 7).
Figure 7
You will have 90 days to install and test any Windows app before the Windows 10 trial runs out. After the 90 days are over, this VM will no longer work, and there is no way to change this. Buying a Windows 10 product key and attempting to change this VM to a licensed copy of Windows will not work.
Method 2 Pros | Method 2 Cons |
The trial period is long (90 days). | No way to continue using this VM after the 90-day trial |
No installation of Windows required | Big download |
The 14-day trial of Parallels Desktop is now the limiting factor. | |
If the application you are testing requires its own activation, this may cause problems when you install the application again in another VM. |
Method 3: Migrate a PC into a VM
Within Parallels Desktop, you can migrate a PC into a VM (Figure 8).
Of course, this only works if you have a PC with Windows on it. The version of Windows that is on the PC will be the version of Windows that will be in the new VM, and this may not be what you want for your test. This will not modify or harm the PC that is being migrated. This Knowledge Base article gives you all the detailed instructions.
Method 3 Pros | Method 3 Cons |
No trial period for Windows | Only applicable if you already have a PC with Windows installed. |
May require reactivation of Windows | |
The 14-day trial of Parallels Desktop is now the limiting factor. |
Method 4: Use your Boot Camp Windows in a VM
Within Parallels Desktop, you can set up a VM that uses your Boot Camp installation of Windows (Figure 9). Note that you will only see this option in Parallels Desktop if you have previously created a Boot Camp partition and installed Windows in it.
Figure 9
Method 4 Pros | Method 4 Cons |
No trial period for Windows | Only applicable if you have already installed Windows in Boot Camp on your Mac |
“My Boot Camp” VM is tiny (about 300 MB). | May require reactivation of Windows |
The 14-day trial of Parallels Desktop is now the limiting factor. |
Mac Parallel Free
I hope one of these four methods will show you that the application you are interested in works fine in Parallels Desktop. In the very unlikely event that the application has problems, please let our Support team know.
Have you tried one of the four described methods above yet? Share your experience with us in a comment, or reach out to us on Facebook or Twitter.
Try Parallels Desktop for free for 14 days!
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At the login window, enter your user account password to log in to your Mac. If FileVault is turned on, this also unlocks your disk. You might see a default desktop picture in the background, which might change to your chosen desktop picture when you select your account.
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Load Parallel Apps On Mac Screen Mac
A large Thunderbolt , USB , or FireWire symbol against a dark background means that your Mac is in target disk mode.
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