Why won’t my copy of Windows Vista load onto my virtual machine?
Check your version of Windows Vista. Only Windows Vista Ultimate, Vista Enterprise, and Vista Business are licensed to function in a virtual machine. Vista Home Basic and Vista Home Premium are not licensed to run in a virtual machine.

Can I create a Parallels virtual machine with a Windows Vista operating system from a Boot Camp partition?
Parallels is currently compatible with Boot Camp partitions running Windows XP. Development is underway to support Vista partitions. However, you can run your licensed version of Windows Vista in Coherence mode, which enables you to run your guest operating system without having to manage two desktops.

I’m using Coherence, how do I shut down my virtual machine properly?
If you’ve chosen to keep your Windows taskbar on your Mac’s desktop, select Shut Down from the Windows Start menu. If you’ve chosen not to display the taskbar on your Mac’s desktop, go to View-> OS Window and select Shut Down from the Windows Start Menu. Alternatively, if the taskbar is hidden, you can double-click the Parallels icon to view the Windows Start Menu, and select Shut Down from the Windows.

I’m having problems using copy/paste and drag and drop between my Parallels virtual machine and my Mac.
Sometimes Windows closes or compromises applications that aren’t operating properly, and does so without alerting the user. This may have been the case with Parallels Tools, and you may need to reinstall Parallels Tools.
How to fix it:

1. Right-click on the Parallels icon in the Windows tray, and choose Exit.
2. Go to C:/ - Program Files - Parallels - Parallels Tools, and run ParallelsToolsCenter.

My iSight camera doesn't work in Parallels Desktop for Mac.
You need to install your Mac iSight drivers into your virtual machine.
How to fix it:

1. Install Boot Camp drivers:
   1. Download and install Apple Boot Camp 1.1.2 from http://www.apple.com/macosx/bootcamp/.
   2. On your Mac, go to Macintosh HD -> Applications -> Utilities.
   3. Right-click Boot Camp Assistant, and select Show Package Contents.
   4. Go to Contents –> Resources, and click DiskImage.dmg.
   5. Find the Install Macintosh Drivers for Windows XP.exe file, and copy it to your VM.
2. Shut down (do not restart) your Parallels virtual machine from the Windows Start Menu.
3. Shut down your Mac.
4. Turn your Mac back on.
5. Start your Parallels virtual machine.
6. In the Parallels menu bar, go to Devices -> USB -> Built-in iSight to turn on iSight. Windows will tell you that it has found new hardware, and the Hardware Wizard will display.
7. Follow the Hardware Wizard’s prompts.
8. Go to Devices -> Built-in iSight to turn off iSight.
9. Go to Devices -> Built-in iSight to turn on iSight again.

Note: If you want to use iSight on your Mac OS X operating system, go to Devices -> Built-in iSight to turn off iSight in your virtual machine.

I’ve upgraded Parallels Desktop for Mac. How do I get from Full Screen to windowed mode?
Press Alt+Return on your keyboard.

When I check for updates for my Parallels Desktop for Mac 3186, it tells me that my software is already up-to-date.
Check your version of Parallels Desktop for Mac. You may have an International version, which was released on March 29, 2007. Try updating again, or contact the reseller who sold you your copy.

I want to change my virtual machine settings in Configuration Editor, but Windows immediately launches when I start my Parallels virtual machine.
Press and hold the Command key on your keyboard and double-click the Parallels icon. Hold the Command key for 20-30 seconds until you see Configuration Editor.