The new version of Parallels 17 offers support for Windows 11 for the first time and even offers this natively on Apple’s M1 Macs – at least for the ARM versions of Windows. If you as a Mac user rely on Windows – for example, because there is special software only for the PC, there are four alternatives to choose from on Intel Macs: Bootcamp and one of the virtualization solutions Virtual Box, Parallels and VMware Fusion. Bootcamp is ruled out on the M1 Mac, and Virtual Box and VMware have not yet presented an ARM version of their apps. Here, Parallels ahead and began offering Parallels Desktop 16.5 M1 native support. The new version 17 goes one step further: In addition to numerous improvements and new functions, the upcoming Windows 11 is also supported for the first time – on both Intel and M1 Macs.
Parallels 17 Desktop: Run Windows 11 on Mac
When the final version is released, ParallelsDesktop can be run on a Mac with macOS 12 Monterey, and the upcoming Mac version will also be able to be used as a virtual system – for example, to test the functions in advance. The currently available preview versions of Monterey and Windows 11 can even be installed and used directly via the Parallels installation wizard. However, there are still limitations to the support of Monterey. The recently introduced Windows 11 operating system is supported on both Intel and M1 Macs. A problem that the developers had to solve: The new ARM platform required a lot of adjustments, and some hurdles also had to be overcome for compatibility with Windows 11. Windows 11 requires a hardware module called TPM, which increases system security. This module has been around in the Intel version for a long time.
In addition to supporting the new systems, the new feature provides improved performance. The OpenGL graphics performance, which is important for many Windows programs, is said to have improved by up to a factor of 6, and according to the manufacturer, 2D graphics processing has also been accelerated by 28 per cent. A new display driver should also improve the gaming experience: Many games now run at a higher frame rate, which significantly improves the gaming experience.
Daily tasks such as resuming Windows, Linux and macOS should also be 38 per cent faster. On M1 Macs, Windows 10 ARM started up by 33 per cent, data storage performance by 20 per cent and DirectX11 performance by 28 per cent. DirectX 12 is not yet offered.
Good for notebook users: In the new version, a virtual system can detect the battery level and activate its energy-saving mode if necessary. The TPM chip, which is also available on M1 Macs for the first time, enables Bitlocker and Secure Boot to be used. Further improvements concern productivity: The so-called Coherence mode has been expanded, so you can now exchange content between the (virtual) Windows app and a Mac app using drag-and-drop.
Also new is the support of USB 3.1, so far only USB 3.0 was supported, which makes other peripheral devices compatible. The space requirements of so-called snapshots can now also be displayed for the first time: These snapshots save older system states and were previously able to occupy a large amount of storage space undetected. When configuring a virtual machine, a user can choose the number of CPU cores and RAM himself, with support from a new automatic system: the app analyzes the guest system and suggests a specific configuration.
There are additional new functions for the Pro and Business versions aimed at companies. For the first time, you can convert linked clones into an independent machine and now also use a special Visual Studio plug-in from Parallels on M1 Macs – with which you can, for example, conveniently test a new app on Windows 10 and Windows 11 machines.
For the first time, Desktop Business also supports a company providing pre-configured virtual machines for both M1 Macs and Intel Macs. Parallels Desktop itself can now also be deployed with a single package.
Where to Buy Parallels 17 Desktop License/Activation Key?
Parallels 17 Desktop is available in three versions: Desktop, Desktop for Mac Pro and Desktop for Mac Business Edition. The standard version costs $79.99 per year, the better equipped Pro Edition and Business Edition $99.99 per year. The standard version is the only one available as a perpetual license and then costs $79.99. An upgrade from an earlier version is available for $49.99.
- Parallels Desktop 17 Standard Edition Activation Key: Buy License HERE
- Parallels Desktop 17 Pro Edition Activation Key: Buy License HERE
- Parallels Desktop Business Edition Activation Key: Buy License HERE
How to Create a Parallels Account and Activate License?
- Visit Parallels My Account at https://my.parallels.com
- On the Welcome to Parallels My Account page, click Sign Up.
- Provide your first and last name, email address and password.
- Read the Parallels Terms of Use and if you agree, choose the I agree with Parallels Terms of Use option.
- Now click Sign Up to continue.
- In the dialog that opens, input your Parallels RAS license key that you received with your subscription and click Register.
- In the Provide your business details dialog, you need to enter your company name, address, and phone number.
- Now click Register to activate the Parallels license.
- You will now be taken to Dashboard, which is the home page of your Parallels account where you can see your registered subscription(s).
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