In a Windows guest OS

If you created your virtual machine using the Express Windows mode, Parallels Tools were installed automatically after the installation of the Windows guest operating system.

If your virtual machine was created in the Typical or Custom mode, do the following to install Parallels Tools in it:

1. Start the virtual machine and log in to the guest operating system.
2. When the guest OS boots up, connect the Parallels Tools ISO image by choosing the Install Parallels Tools option from the Virtual Machine menu.

   Note: If the Install Parallels Tools option is grayed out, make sure that Parallels Tools can be installed in your guest operating system. To see the list of guest OSs supported by Parallels Tools, refer to the Parallels Tools Overview section in Parallels Desktop Help available through the Help menu.

3. In the Welcome window, click Install. The wizard will start the automatic installation.
4. When the installation is complete, click Reboot to exit the wizard and restart the virtual machine.

You can also install Parallels Tools manually:

1. Start the virtual machine and log in to the guest OS.
2. Connect the Parallels Tools ISO image by right-clicking the CD/DVD-ROM icon in the virtual machine's window status bar and choosing Connect Image.
3. In the Finder window, go to the hard disk folder (normally named "Macintosh HD"), select the /Library/Parallels/Tools/ folder, select the prl-tools-win.iso file, and click Open to connect it to the virtual machine.

   Note: If you cannot find the /Library/Parallels/Tools/ folder, make sure that you selected the Library folder at the highest level of Macintosh HD, not in your user home folder.

4. In the virtual machine, open My Computer and double-click the Parallels Tools disc icon to start the installation. If the installation wizard does not launch automatically, right-click the disc, choose Open from the shortcut menu, and double-click Setup.exe to launch the installer.
5. Follow the wizard's instructions to complete the installation.

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

Reinstalling Parallels Tools

To reinstall Parallels Tools, start your virtual machine, and select 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 If Parallels Tools are outdated, you will see the Update Parallels Tools option instead.

How to check if Parallels Tools are installed

If you are not sure whether Parallels Tools are installed, you can easily check this. 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 are 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.

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