Customize Keyboard Shortcuts

By default, Parallels Desktop maps common Mac OS X keyboard shortcut key combinations to the equivalent Windows key combinations. That way if you're used to, for example, pressing Command-C to copy text in Mac OS X, you don't have to switch to the Windows equivalent, Control-C.

You can also use and customize keyboard shortcuts for switching between Coherence, Full Screen, and Window view modes, and for showing and hiding Parallels Desktop.

Customize Keyboard Shortcuts

1. Do one of the following:
   • Click the Parallels icon in the menu bar and choose Preferences .
   • If the Parallels Desktop menu bar is visible at the top of the screen, choose Parallels Desktop > Preferences .
2. Click Shortcuts
3. Select Windows from the Virtual Machines list in the sidebar.

   Or if you're using another operating system with Parallels Desktop and you want to customize keyboard shortcuts for it, select it in the sidebar.

   

   When you're using a Windows application, pressing a key combination in the From column above triggers the key combination in the To column.

4. If the lock icon is locked, click it and enter an administrator password.
5. Do one of the following:
   • To edit an existing key combination, double-click the key combination or select it and click the Edit button . Click modifier keys to select or deselect them. If you wish, change the character in the text field.

     

   • To delete a key combination, select it and click the Remove button .
   • To add a new key combination, click the Add button .

If you're using multiple operating systems with Parallels Desktop, you can create keyboard profiles for each OS .

Note: 1. Some key combinations can't be edited or deleted.

2. There are Mac shortcuts that do not have similar shortcuts in Windows For example, you can use the F11 key or Fn+F11 combination to see your Mac OS desktop with Expose, but in Windows there are no keys or key combinations that enable you to perform the same action, because there is no Expose in Windows.

Enable or Disable Mac OS X System Shortcuts

In Mac OS X the function keys on your keyboard (F1, F2, F3 and so on) control functions like activating Dashboard and Mission Control, adjusting screen brightness, and controlling the volume. By default, when a Windows application is active the function keys and other Mac system shortcut key combinations (such as pressing Cmd + Tab to switch between open applications) continue to activate Mac OS X functions.

To set whether function keys and OS X system shortcut key combinations activate functions in OS X or Windows:

1. Click OS X system shortcuts in the sidebar.
2. Select one of the following from the Send OS X system shortcuts menu:
   • Always : When Windows or Windows applications are active, function keys and other system shortcuts always trigger functions in Windows.
   • Never : Function keys and other system shortcuts always trigger functions in OS X.
   • Auto : If you're working with Windows, system shortcuts that don't function in Windows (for example, Control-Up Arrow button to display Mission Control) trigger functions in OS X. If you're using OS X as a guest OS and a guest OS or its application is active, system shortcuts that are typical only to OS X trigger functions in the guest version of OS X.

Customize Keyboard Menu

In Window mode you can enter key combinations by choosing Devices > Keyboard and then choosing a key combination. To customize available key combinations, do the following:

1. Do one of the following:
   • Click the Parallels icon in the menu bar and choose Preferences .
   • If the Parallels Desktop menu bar is visible at the top of the screen, choose Parallels Desktop > Preferences .
2. Click Shortcuts > Keyboard Menu .
3. If the lock icon is locked, click it and enter an administrator password.
4. Do one of the following:
   • To add a new key combination, click the Add button .
   • To remove a key combination from the Keyboard menu, select it and click the Remove button .
   • To edit an existing key combination, double-click the key combination or select it and click the Edit button . Click modifier keys to select or deselect them. If you wish, change the character in the text field.