While many new Mac users find they have no need for a PC running Windows after making the move to a Mac, there are still a good many that need to access Windows due to work requirements, or the need to access Windows only apps and files. In this article we’ll quickly cover how to automatically run Parallels Desktop and the virtual machine of your choice when booting up your Mac.
This works in Parallels Desktop, versions 9 and 10.
First, let’s set your virtual machine to startup automatically when the Parallels app runs.
- After loading the Parallels Desktop app, while in the Parallels Desktop Control Center, click the Configuration icon (it looks like a gear) for the virtual machine you want to automatically start when you run Parallels.
- Click the Options tab, then click Startup and Shutdown in the Options menu. Now, for the option marked Startup Automatically, select “When Parallels Desktop Starts” from the pull-down menu.
- Close the Configurations dialog box.
Now, we’ll set the Parallels Desktop Application to run automatically whenever you start your Mac.
- Log in as the user who wishes to have Parallels Desktop run at startup, or as an admin user.
- Choose System Preferences from the Apple menu.
- Choose Users & Groups from the System Preferences menu.
- Click the name of the user you want Parallels to automatically run for.
- Click the Login Items tab.
- Click the “Add (+)” button at the bottom of the list.
- Navigate to the Applications Folder. (You’ll see it listed in the left-hand pane of the dialog box that pops up.)
- Click the “Parallels Desktop” app, and then click the “Add” button.
- If you don’t want Parallels to show on screen when it runs, click the checkbox next to it in the Login Items screen. This will allow Parallels to load in the background.
- Close the Users & Groups window.
Now, the virtual machine you selected will automatically load and run in Parallels the next time you log into your Mac.
(Via the Parallels Knowledge Base)
