Parallels is blooming with bug fixes with version 20.3 of its Parallels Desktop for Mac virtualization software. The release resolves an issue that prevented macOS 15 Sequoia users from authenticating the installation of Parallels Desktop with Touch ID, fixes a bug that required double authentication (TouchID and password) to change settings, adds support for automated pasting of dictated text from Nuance Dragon Medical One into macOS apps, resolves an issue that prevented dragging files from the macOS Finder to Outlook running in a Windows virtual machine, improves the Shared network mode for macOS virtual machines running on Apple silicon Macs, and fixes a bug that made deleting a snapshot of a macOS virtual machine take longer than usual. ($99.99/$129.99 for Standard Edition, $119.99 annual subscription for Pro Edition, $149.99 annual subscription for Business Edition, upgrades available, free updates for subscribers, release notes, macOS 10.14.6+)
I have used Parallels a lot. So awesome for running software that required an older or newer MacOS. But Parallels for the M1 M2 M3 M4 Apple silicon CPU chips apparently can’t run software that was designed for intel processors. Meaning that my use case of running older Mac software in a Parallels VM doesn’t work on Macs made in the past several years. Disappointing.
I for one, am greatly looking forward to the day when Parallels running on Mac with Apple Silicon can emulate an intel CPU and thus run a huge amount of Mac & Windows software. Until then, I’ll just have to keep an intel CPU Mac around.
EDIT: to specify running old intel based Mac software in VM on Apple Silicon host.
I don’t think that’s right. It’s probably true that Parallels on Apple Silicon can’t run an Intel version of Windows. But the ARM version of Windows includes its own x86 translator (their equivalent of Apple’s Rosetta 2) so you can run old (Intel) Windows software on Windows 11 for ARM. I’ve done this using 15-year-old Windows mapping software using Windows 11 ARM on UTM. It actually ran significantly better than on my old Windows XP virtual machine on my Intel Mac.
You might want to have a look at UTM in any case, as it can also emulate an Intel machine and run Intel versions of Windows. Performance-wise you’re probably better off running Windows 11 ARM and with its translation layer, but you can at least test both options.
That was my initial understanding too, however the kb states:
You can create new Windows 10 and Windows Server 2022 VMs. There are issues with creating a new Intel-based Windows Server 2019, Windows 10 22H2 (there is a workaround for these VMs). You won’t be able to create a Windows 11 or Windows Server 2025 VM (no workaround at the moment). Creation of other Linux VMs can be tested, but the process is quite unstable;
Yes, it’s important to distinguish between two scenarios:
Running Intel versions of Windows apps on an ARM-based Windows virtual machine. This generally works very well. I am running a few Intel apps (including Quickbooks and some very janky old database software) in a Windows 11 for ARM virtual machine via Parallels Workstation. The apps run with excellent performance using Win 11’s built-in Intel-to-ARM emulation.
Running the Intel version of Windows as a guest virtual machine on an ARM-based host. You can do it with Parallels, but it should not be considered suitable for anything except testing at this point. It is too slow to be usable beyond test cases and satisfying curiosity, and it is too buggy to be reliable. Worth keeping an eye on, though, for those who have legacy VMs.