There are many other great features in Parallels Desktop too, including the possibility to use Spotlight to find Windows files and applications. Why this is a separate component I have no idea because it makes running of Parallels far smoother and more realistic but it doesn't take much time to download. You may notice that the mouse runs sluggishly (among other niggles) but this can be easily remedied by going to the Actions menu and downloading Parallels Tools.

In this way, version 7 has blurred the line between Windows and OS X so that switching between the two has never been easier. Alternatively, just double click on the file you want to use and Parallels Desktop will automatically open it in Windows or OS X depending on the file type. Either launch it from your dock, it will ask you which version of Windows you'd like to launch (if you've installed more than one) and allow you to change settings such as the amount of RAM allocated to Parallels, hard disk space and hardware acceleration. To launch Parallels Desktop you have two choices. However, version 7 of Parallels includes a security barrier to ensure there is absolutely no risk. There's no need to worry about viruses on your Mac by running Windows in Parallels Desktop - any viruses will be restricted to the virtual environment that Windows operates in and won't affect your Mac in any way. The Transporter feature guides you through the whole setup process, asking you if you'd like to be able to share files between OS X and Windows and use external devices amongst others.

Parallels Desktop will then install Windows in about the same amount of time that it would take to make a fresh install of Windows on a PC. You'll either need a copy of Windows on CD to install it or an ISO image will also suffice. Setting up Parallels Desktop is a breeze.

Parallels for mac without reboot