Parallels Tools for Windows

Parallels Tools can be installed in the following Windows guest operating systems:

• Windows 11
• Windows 10
• Windows 8, 8.1
• Windows 7
• Windows Server 2008
• Windows Vista
• Windows XP
• Windows Server 2003
• Windows 2000

Installing Parallels Tools

If you chose Express Installation when you first installed Windows, Parallels Tools were installed automatically after the installation.

If you didn't choose Express Installation, do the following to install Parallels Tools:

1. Start Windows.
2. When Windows boots up, choose Install Parallels Tools from the Virtual Machine menu.
   Note: After you choose Install Parallels Tools in Windows 7 and Windows Vista, User Access Control (UAC) may ask you whether to allow or deny the Parallels Tools installation. In this case, you need to allow the installation.
3. Click Continue to connect the ISO image with Parallels Tools for Windows to the virtual machine's CD/DVD-ROM drive.
4. Click Install Parallels Tools to start the installation.
   Note: After you click Install Parallels Tools in Windows 7 and Windows Vista, User Access Control (UAC) may ask you whether to allow or deny the Parallels Tools installation. In this case, you need to allow the installation.
5. When the installation is complete, click Restart to restart the virtual machine or wait for about 2 minutes and it will be restarted automatically.

If the Parallels Tools ISO image doesn't autoplay after you click Continue, the CD/DVD autorun must be disabled in your virtual machine. In this case, do the following to install Parallels Tools:

1. Open My Computer, right-click the Parallels Tools disc and choose Open.
2. Double-click the PTAgent file to start the installation.
3. When the installation is complete, click Restart to restart the virtual machine or wait for about 2 minutes and it will be restarted automatically.

To edit the settings of Parallels Tools installed in your virtual machine, use the Options tab in the Virtual Machine Configuration dialog.

Reinstall or Update Parallels Tools

To reinstall Parallels Tools:

1. Start Windows.

   Once Windows starts, if Parallels Desktop is in Coherence mode, click the Parallels Desktop icon in the menu bar and choose Exit Coherence.

2. When Windows boots up, choose Reinstall Parallels Tools from the Virtual Machine menu.

   This option is available only if Parallels Tools are up-to-date. If Parallels Tools are outdated, you will see the Update Parallels Tools option instead.

Check Whether Parallels Tools Have Been Installed

You can easily confirm whether Parallels Tools were installed. Start your virtual machine and look at the status bar of its window. If the tip "Press Ctrl + Alt to release the mouse and keyboard" appears in the status bar of the virtual machine's window, this means that Parallels Tools were not installed. When Parallels Tools are installed, you do not need to press any key to release the mouse and keyboard - they are released automatically.