For most users, it might not matter if you use Mac or a PC to run Excel.  

However, for power users or anyone who needs to leverage the more advanced features of Excel, you probably want the Windows version. There are advanced features that are only available in the Windows version of Excel that simply aren’t replicated in the version made for Macs. So if you work in an all-Mac company or are otherwise devoted to Macs, this could be a problem.  

In summary: 

• Windows Excel offers more features, better support, and more comprehensive VBA code capabilities compared to Mac. 
• Windows provides advanced features such as forecasting, multi-item clipboard, and live preview that are not available in the Mac version. 

• The most important consideration when deciding between the two versions of Excel? Your individual needs plus how advanced your skills are. 

In this blog post, we’ll help you make an informed decision based on your needs by comparing the features, functionality, and user experience of Microsoft Excel on Mac versus Microsoft Excel on Windows. 

Excel versions: Mac vs Windows 

Primary difference: Windows offers more advanced features for power users of Excel.  

With Microsoft Excel, the Windows version generally offers more features, better support from Microsoft, and more comprehensive VBA code capabilities compared to its Mac counterpart. Experienced Excel users may encounter a range of differences between the two options, including the ability to connect to multiple data sources using the Windows version. 

The Windows version of Excel offers additional functionality such as the autosave feature, the “View Side by Side” feature, and the “smart tag” feature that are not available in the Mac version. Additionally, visual effects are only available for Windows users of Excel. 

Both versions can be acquired from Microsoft stores or common retail stores. The Office 2021 Home and Student version retails for $149.99 in the MS Store, while Office 2021 Home and Business edition retails for $249.99 in the MS Store. Both versions include the Quick Access Toolbar (QAT). Read on to compare various popular Excel features and capabilities and how they are different in Excel for Windows and Excel for Mac. 

Keyboard shortcuts and layouts 

Primary difference: Windows Excel offers advanced shortcuts and customization. 

Mac and Windows have distinct keyboard shortcuts and layouts, with Windows generally considered to offer more choices and simpler navigation. This can be beneficial for users with advanced Excel skills. Page Break View, for instance, is only available to Microsoft Office 365 users, and earlier versions of Excel do not include access to this feature. 

The Quick Access Toolbar (QAT) in Excel for Mac cannot be imported or exported, and installing a new version of Excel will erase any personalized modifications made to it. This can be a disadvantage for power users who rely on customizations to improve their workflow. 

Moreover, certain commonly used shortcuts, including “Paste only formulas” and “Paste Link”, are exclusive to PC and not compatible with Mac. 

Power Pivot and data analysis 

Primary difference: Excel for Windows includes fully functional Power Pivot and dynamic Pivot Charts and Pivot Tables. 

Power Pivot is a valuable tool for business intelligence that enables users to import large volumes of data into a single Excel workbook from various data sources, providing the ability to link heterogeneous data and formulate it into columns, charts, Pivot Tables, and Pivot Charts.  

Unfortunately, the Mac version of Excel does not support Power Pivot. This means users of Excel on Mac are unable to access this powerful and popular function. 

In contrast to the Windows version, Pivot Charts and Pivot Tables in Excel for Mac are static in nature and cannot be automatically adjusted to reflect changes made to their source Pivot Table. This means that they must be manually updated whenever changes occur. These graphs remain static, as if they were a screenshot; they don’t change dynamically with incoming data. Pivot Tables based on the Excel Data Model cannot be filtered if a Mac user opens the spreadsheet. However, this issue will not occur for Windows users. 

While Mac users can access files with Power Pivot exclusive functions, the Power Pivot exclusive functions may not be available. Navigate to File > Options in your Excel on Windows. Select the “Add-ins” tab and choose “Power Pivot” from the list. 

The ability to use pivot tables and pivot charts to perform data analysis and visual data is one of the most valuable features of Excel for many advanced users, making it an essential feature to consider when determining which version of Excel is best for you. 

Visual Basic Editor and VBA limitations 

Primary difference: the Windows version of Excel provides mass distribution and synchronization. 

Visual Basic for Applications (VBA) is a powerful programming language used to create applications within Microsoft products, including Excel.  Unsurprisingly, the VBA language in Excel for Mac is not as comprehensive as it is in Excel for Windows and it’s lacking in several key properties and functions. 

 For instance, extended ASCII characters in VBA typically differ in MacOS, certain macro keyboard shortcuts appear to be reserved, VBA animation is only available with Excel for Windows, and right-click context menus are not editable with VBA in Excel for Mac. 

Because using VBA for Excel on Mac has many drawbacks and lacks certain functionalities, making it more challenging to use than its Windows version. 

Form controls and ActiveX 

Primary difference: Form creation and customization in Excel for Windows.  

Form Controls and ActiveX are alternative form controls (or tools used to create forms) that are only compatible with the Windows OS, so they are not available or supported in Excel for Mac.  

When designing User Forms with Form Controls or ActiveX in Excel for Mac, for instance, the screen resolution discrepancy between Mac (96 dpi) and Windows (72 dpi) can result in reduced readability. This is due to User Forms appearing at only 75% of their size on the Mac. Moreover, Mac UserForms using frames containing list boxes do not always function as expected, with instances of frames changing to a white background and losing the frame surround. 

The most effective approach for Mac users is to create User Forms in Excel for Windows and verify that they appear as expected on a Mac. The issue of column widths in multi-column list boxes not resizing when constructing User Forms in Excel for Mac can be remedied with code. 

Data connectivity options 

Primary difference: the number of options available in Windows Excel.  

Data connectivity is practically essential to a solid Excel user experience. However, Excel for Mac has certain limitations in terms of the data formats it can read and receive data from. Excel for Mac offers a limited range of data connections in comparison to Excel for Windows; Excel for Mac only offers ODBC SQL, HTML, Text, and Database (Microsoft Query). 

On the other hand, Excel for Windows offers a wide range of data connectivity options, including web, tables/ranges, Access, ODBC SQL, PDF, JSON, XML, and more. Excel for Windows PC can import data from a wide variety of file formats, including PDF, JSON, XML, and many more, which are not supported by Excel for Mac. 

Customization and user interface 

Primary difference: The ability to fully personalize the UI in Excel for Windows.  

Windows offers more customization options and enhanced visuals compared to Mac. Windows provides a range of customization options, including the ability to adjust colors and fonts, as well as more advanced features. 

Mac users, on the other hand, are limited to the default pre-defined options for colors and fonts in Excel for Mac. This means that Windows users can enjoy a more personalized and visually appealing experience when using Excel, while Mac users have fewer customization options and fewer advanced features. 

Advanced features and compatibility 

Primary difference: certain valuable features are only available in the Windows version of Excel. 

Excel for Windows boasts advanced features such as forecasting, multi-item clipboard, and live preview, none of which are available in Excel for Mac. The forecasting feature in Excel for Windows offers a way to forecast seasonal changes and predict future values based on confidence factors. 

The multi-item clipboard allows users to copy and paste multiple items simultaneously, while the Live Preview feature enables users to preview the effect of a change or edit on their work prior to implementing it. 

These advanced features greatly enhance the user experience and functionality of Windows Excel, making the Windows version preferable for more advanced or power users. 

Best of both worlds: use Excel for Windows on Mac with Parallels Desktop 

hardware of choice.  Heavy Excel users or power users may find that the Windows version has more to offer them — it has more features, better support from Microsoft, and stronger options for VBA coding. However, if you only use the basic capabilities of Excel, the Mac version could be enough. 

But what if you didn’t have to choose? After all, you’ve probably already established yourself as a Windows or Mac user, and it’s unlikely that you are going to switch from your preferred operating system or hardware just to use one program.  

Which is why with Parallels Desktop, you don’t have to choose! There’s no need to give up your preferred OS and aesthetics to enjoy the superior features and functionality of Excel on Windows.  

Parallels Desktop allows you to run the Windows version of Excel right on your Mac, marrying the comprehensive functionality of Windows Excel with the smooth, intuitive Mac experience.  

You get the full suite of Excel for Windows features on a Mac, which ensures you can make the most of Excel’s capabilities without needing to switch to a PC. It’s a win-win situation: you get to stay in your beloved Mac environment while benefiting from the power-packed Windows Excel experience. 

Curious? Try Parallels Desktop today! 

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Is Excel different on Mac than Excel on Windows? 

Generally, the more recent versions of Excel work the same way on Windows and Mac, so most users won’t find any major differences. However, experienced Excel users or those who require more advanced functionality might come across some differences or distinguishing characteristics. 

As such, it is important to be aware of the minor discrepancies between the two platforms when working with Excel. 

Why does Excel not work well on Mac? 

 Excel does not work poorly on a Mac; however, the Windows version does offer features and capabilities that the Mac version does not.  

What are some key differences between Excel for Mac and Excel for Windows? 

There are some notable differences between these versions. Power Pivot, VBA capabilities, Form Controls and Active X, and data connectivity options along with more advanced features like forecasting, multi-item clip boarding, and live previews are among the elements which may differ between Mac and Windows platforms. 

Interested in getting the best of both the Mac and Windows worlds when using Excel? Try Parallels Desktop for yourself!  

The post Microsoft Excel on Mac versus Excel on Windows appeared first on Parallels Blog.

Parallels® Desktop for Mac is a fantastic way to run Power BI on M1 and Intel-based Mac computers. That said, because Microsoft has not yet released an official Power BI desktop for Mac, users must use Windows virtualization to run it.

Parallels Desktop for Mac supports Windows 11 on both M1 and Intel-based Mac computers, and delivers superior performance and compatibility with favorite Windows programs.

How well will Power BI run on an M1 Mac?

Before launching Parallels Desktop for Mac for M1 Macs we had more than 100,000 users test programs such as Power BI to confirm that it indeed does work on an M1 laptop. Mac applications that are originally created for Intel-based Mac computers work on Mac computers with Apple M1 chip out of the box by utilizing the Rosetta framework – a translation process that enables running Intel x86_64 applications on Apple M1 chip.  

Which version of Mac works best with Power BI?

Most users report that a minimum of 8 GB of RAM should be assigned to process data sets. We recommend Parallels Desktop for Mac Pro or Business editions since you can assign up to 128 GB of RAM to your setup.

Click here to download a 14-day free trial of Parallels Desktop for Mac Pro edition and try it for yourself!

The post How Do I Run Power BI on a Mac? appeared first on Parallels Blog.

“TPM” is not something talked about in the Mac community, so it is not surprising if you don’t know about it. However, that all changed this summer. 

In this blog post, I will present a short overview of TPM and explain why a Mac user – and, in particular, a Parallels® Desktop user – needs to know and care about TPM. 

What is TPM? 

The Trusted Platform Module (TPM) is a specification for a chip to be added to Windows PCs. The goal of TPM is to improve security on these PCs. When a TPM chip is available and enabled on a PC, a variety of security features can be added to Windows, including: 

• BitLocker –  A full volume disk encryption feature included with Microsoft Windows. 
• Secure Boot – A security standard designed to ensure that a device boots using only software that is trusted by the Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM). 
• Windows Hello – A set of Windows log-in technologies including fingerprint recognition and face authentication. 

Since the release of the TPM specification in 2009, more than 20 manufacturers have released certified TPM chips. Apple, of course, is not on this list. (Apple has alternate security technologies including FileVault, Touch ID, Face ID, and GateKeeper, all powered by the Apple T2 Security Chip — a secure enclave hardware chip.) 

Why should I care, and what changed in June 2021? 

In June 2021, Microsoft announced and previewed Windows 11 and included TPM as a requirement to run Windows 11, on a PC, or in a virtual machine. (Microsoft released Windows 11 on October 5^th, 2021.) 

Fortunately, Parallels Desktop added support for a virtual TPM (vTPM) in version 15, released in 2019. Like many other features in Parallels Desktop, vTPM is an implementation on the Mac of a Windows component or feature. vTPM uses several of the Apple security technologies to implement the features of TPM. As far as Windows is concerned, the Parallels virtual machine has a TPM chip, and thus Windows 11 can be installed and can be used in Parallels Desktop. vTPM was added to Parallels Desktop 15 because multiple enterprise customers needed TPM in their highly secured corporate environments, and some corporate applications require TPM support as a security requirement. The vTPM feature was not enabled by default in Parallels Desktop 15 or 16, because this feature was only needed by certain enterprise customers, and vTPM was only available in the Pro and Business Editions of Parallels Desktop. 

This is all changing due to Windows 11. 

All the editions of Parallels Desktop (Standard, Pro, Business, and the App Store Edition) starting with version 17.1.0 include the vTPM feature, and will enable vTPM by default for all virtual machines that must have it: 

• Intel-based Mac computers, for all Windows 11 virtual machines, both new and existing. 
• Apple M1-based Mac computers, for all Windows 10 and Windows 11 virtual machines, both new and existing. As Windows 10 Insider Preview Builds do expire eventually, we recommend upgrading a Windows 10 Insider Preview VM to a Windows 11 Insider Preview VM at the earliest convenience. This will also reportedly improve compatibility with “regular” (Intel-based) Windows applications. 

Consequences of enabling the TPM chip 

After adding a virtual TPM chip to a VM, Parallels Desktop creates an encrypted file within the virtual machine bundle that acts as a TPM storage. This storage must be secured, so Parallels Desktop encrypts this file using Advanced Encryption Standard (AES) with a 128-bit key length and puts the password in Mac System Keychain, which, in turn, is in encrypted physical storage, and only Parallels Desktop (or a Mac admin) can read the TPM password from the Mac Keychain. 

Such an implementation ensures that users don’t have to come up with a password and enter it every time they start a VM, plus we all have too many passwords to remember. Users can continue running their virtual machines as usual, up to the moment when one wants to transfer the VM to a new hardware.  

For a VM with TPM chip added, just copying the PVM bundle to a new Mac is not enough. The VM will NOT start without the corresponding record in the Mac Keychain that contains a password to decrypt the TPM file. It is not easy to copy this record to a new Mac, but it is possible. We have prepared detailed instructions on how to do it in this Knowledge Base article. 

Apart from the nuance above, virtual machines will not be affected in any other way – Windows will continue to work as usual, as well as all Windows applications.  

Here are some of the questions you might be asking: 

Because my Windows 11 VM in Parallels Desktop has a vTPM, does that mean that I can enable other Windows security features in that VM like BitLocker and fingerprint recognition? 

Yes, you can enable other Windows technologies that require a TPM. You can see the details about enabling fingerprint recognition in this blog post. 

Will an existing VM run slower after vTPM is enabled? 

No, adding a vTPM to a VM has no noticeable performance effect. 

Can I enable vTPM for my other VMs, macOS VMs, or Linux VMs? 

Yes, you can, but the vTPM feature will not be used by a macOS or Linux VM, so there is no reason to do so. The consequences listed above will still apply, even though the guest OS is not making use of the vTPM. 

The post “What is a ‘TPM’, and why should I care?” appeared first on Parallels Blog.

As the expression goes, “May you live in interesting times.”

This is such an interesting time to be a Parallels® customer: macOS Monterey release imminent, Windows 11 released on October 5^th, iOS and iPadOS 15 released, Parallels Desktop 16.5 and Parallels Desktop 17 released in 2021, Windows on ARM, TPM chips, M1 Mac computers, Intel Mac computers, high-priority security patches from Apple and Microsoft, and more – with what sometimes seems like daily changes. 

Here are just a few of the recent important points or changes: 

• Windows 11 released on October 5^th (Congrats to Microsoft!) 
• Windows 10 on ARM is no longer available from Microsoft 
• Windows 11 now requires a TPM chip, even in a VM (There are consequences of adding the TPM chip, please note, and be sure to read the vTPM section below.) 
• macOS Monterey release imminent 
• vTPM support in Parallels Desktop 16 – a Pro feature only on the Intel Mac 
• Parallels Desktop 17 vTPM support on Intel and M1, and in all Parallels Desktop 17 editions 
• Windows Insider Previews – usable or not? 

Note: Parallels Desktop 17.1.1 or newer simplifies the setup experience for Windows 11 with automatic download and installation. The process is similar to the installation on Mac computers with Intel processors. Download the latest version.

Parallels Desktop 17 Update Enables vTPM by Default 

Final changes to the system requirements for Windows 11 require a computer, both physical and virtual, with a TPM chip installed. Considering that virtual machines “will continue to work as long as the hardware requirements are met”, Parallels Desktop 17 (starting version 17.1.0) will enable the virtual TPM chip by default for all virtual machines that must have it: 

• On Intel-based Mac computers, for all Windows 11 virtual machines, both new and existing. 
• On Apple M1-based Mac computers, for all Windows 10 and Windows 11 virtual machines, both new and existing. As Windows 10 Insider Preview Builds do expire eventually, we recommend upgrading a Windows 10 Insider Preview VM to a Windows 11 Insider Preview VM at the earliest convenience. This will also reportedly improve compatibility with “regular” (Intel-based) Windows applications. 

Consequences of Enabling the TPM Chip 

After adding a virtual TPM chip to a VM, Parallels Desktop creates an encrypted file within the virtual machine bundle that acts as a TPM storage. This storage must be secured, so Parallels Desktop encrypts this file using Advanced Encryption Standard (AES) with 128 bits key length and puts the password in the Mac System Keychain, which, in turn, is encrypted physical storage, and only Parallels Desktop (or Mac admin) can read the TPM password from Mac Keychain. 

Such an implementation ensures that users don’t have to come up with a password and enter it every time they start a VM, plus we humans tend to forget and lose passwords. Users can continue running their virtual machines as usual, up to the moment when one wants to transfer the VM to a new hardware.  

For a VM with TPM chip added, copying the PVM bundle to a new computer is not enough. The VM will NOT start without the corresponding record in the Mac Keychain that contains a password to decrypt the TPM file. It is not quite easy to copy this record to a new Mac, but it is possible. We have prepared detailed instructions on how to do it in this article. 

Apart from the nuance above, virtual machines will not be affected in any other way – Windows will continue to work as usual, as well as all Windows applications.  

Here are Some of the Questions You Might Be Asking 

Should I install Windows 11 in Parallels Desktop? 

Most Parallels Desktop users run a VM with the latest Windows release, and that is now Windows 11, so the answer is “Yes”, you should have a Windows 11 VM. 

Should I upgrade an existing Windows 10 VM to Windows 11? 

Again, here the answer is “Yes”, for the reasons stated above. 

Should I upgrade from Parallels Desktop 16 or 16.5 to Parallels Desktop 17? 

The new features and the performance improvements in Parallels Desktop 17 are compelling reasons to upgrade. If you currently have an active subscription to Parallels Desktop, upgrading to a new version, at no cost, is one of the main benefits of a subscription, so the answer to this question is also “Yes”. 

Let us know in the forums how the Windows 11 VM in Parallels Desktop is working for you. 

The post Windows 11 in a Parallels Desktop VM: An Update appeared first on Parallels Blog.

Age of Empires, Overwatch and many other games play well. 

On an M1 Mac, operating systems in Parallels® Desktop virtual machines must be ARM-based operating systems, and this has led to many misconceptions. I have seen people make the following statements: 

“Only ARM apps can run in an ARM operating system.” 

“Some Microsoft apps may run in an ARM OS, but no others will.” 

Both these statements are false. 

Even more false statements abound about Windows games. So, in this blog post I will set the record straight about games, and I will show you several Windows games running on an M1 MacBook Pro in a Windows 11 VM in Parallels Desktop 17. 

I won’t keep you waiting any longer: this short video shows four different Windows games running on an M1 Mac. 

I purposely made sure you could see the Mac desktop in the video, and included the launch of Parallels Desktop 17, the launch of Windows 11, and the launch of each game to emphasize the environment in which each game was running. To keep the video short, I only included enough game play so that you could see that the game was working fine. (Full disclosure: I also only included a small amount of game play so that you couldn’t see my poor game skills in some of the games!) 

Here are all the configuration details of the setup I used to make this video: 

Mac
Parallels Desktop
VM operating system
Game versions	Age of Empires II Definitive Edition,  version: 101.101.51737.0 7126076  Overwatch version: 1.63.0.0.85660  Kingdom Run Frontiers version: kr2-desktop-5.4.07  Ori and the Blind Forest Definitive Edition version: 5.3.29582331

Here are some of the questions you might be asking: 

Do all games run in a Windows 11 VM? No, for many of the same reasons that all games don’t run on the Windows PC you bought last year: 

• Some games require a specific video card. 
• Some games require high-end features in a video card. 
• Some games require specific Windows libraries that may not be in your system. 
• Some games require more memory than you have in your system. 

Will the game I want to play run in a Parallels Desktop VM? Unfortunately, there is no easy way to predict this with complete accuracy, but here is a loose guide you can follow: 

Does the game require DirectX 12? If so, then the game probably won’t run in a VM. 

Does the game require one of a few specific video cards? If so, then the game probably won’t run in a VM. 

Was the game released in the last few months? If so, the game may not run in a VM nor on the Windows PC you bought last year. 

Otherwise, it is likely that the game will run in a VM.  

Can I get a refund if the game I want to play doesn’t run or doesn’t play well in Parallels Desktop? Even better than a refund, you can test the game without any payment to either Parallels or Microsoft. There is a 14-day free, full-featured trial of Parallels Desktop 17. If you are using an M1 Mac, no payment is required to use the Insider Preview of Windows 10 on ARM or Windows 11 on ARM during this 14-day trial. (If you are using an Intel Mac, you already know that at first launch Parallels Desktop will offer to download Windows 10 for you.) If the game you want runs and plays well, then you can purchase both Parallels Desktop and Windows. 

I hope this sets the record straight about playing Windows games on an M1 Mac in Parallels Desktop. Please let us know in the Forums about your game play experience in Parallels Desktop – whether it is positive or negative, and on either an Intel Mac or an M1 Mac. 

The post Yes, you can play Windows games on an M1 Mac using Parallels Desktop appeared first on Parallels Blog.

I really like using the Apple Touch ID feature on my MacBook Pro: instead of having to type my long and complex macOS password, I just tap my finger on the Touch ID sensor in the upper right of the MacBook Pro keyboard. In this blog post I will show you how to set up an inexpensive USB fingerprint reader to get the same functionality for a Windows 10 virtual machine (VM) running in Parallels Desktop on any Mac. 

This 9-second video (Video 1) shows the final result: logging into a Windows 10 VM on my iMac running macOS Big Sur with my fingerprint, not with a password or PIN. 

Here are steps to get the same result for your Windows 10 VM: 

1. Purchase a USB fingerprint reader 

I wish I could tell you that any fingerprint reader will work, but that is unfortunately not the case. I tried to use one fingerprint reader on three different computers but it did not work for me on any of them. 

I did have success using another reader that is featured in the above video 1: PQI My Lockey Mini USB Fingerprint Reader for Windows 7, 8 & 10). The current price for this reader is $40. 

2. Get your VM ready to use the USB fingerprint reader 

The group of technologies used to sign in to Windows is called Windows Hello. Windows Hello includes support for passwords, PINs, and advanced features like facial and fingerprint recognition, and security keys. (Figure 1). To use fingerprint recognition, you need the following set up in your VM: 

• Login password 
• Login PIN
• Trusted Platform Module (TPM) 

When you first setup a VM in Parallels® Desktop, the VM is configured with the same username as on your Mac and a blank password. If you haven’t already created a real password, you will need to do so now. Then also set up a PIN. You can accomplish these first two tasks from the Sign-in options window shown in Figure 1. 

Setting up TPM  is a little trickier and has some significant implications for your VM. On a PC, TPM is a hardware component that is used to implement security-related features like BitLocker and Secure Boot. Parallels Desktop implements support for TPM with a virtual TPM (vTPM), an advanced feature in Parallels Desktop Pro Edition and Parallels Desktop Business Edition. The vTPM support is not enabled by default in a new VM. 

To add vTPM to an existing VM, shut down the VM and open its Configuration window and click on the Hardware tab. At the bottom of the list of hardware in your VM, click on the “+” sign and choose “TPM Chip”. You will see a “Are you sure…?” dialog. (See the next paragraph about this dialog.) When you click on the “Add” button, you will see that a TPM Chip has been added in the list of virtualized hardware of this VM. (Figure 2). 

So, why is the “Are you sure…?” dialog before a vTPM chip added? Once a vTPM chip has been added to a VM, that VM won’t work on any other Mac. In addition, if you later remove that vTPM chip, the VM may fail to boot on any Mac. You can read more about this in the Knowledge Base article about vTPM chips. 

3. Connect the USB Fingerprint Reader 

The fingerprint reader must be connected only to the VM, and not shared with the Mac. In addition, be sure to check “Remember my choice” so that the USB fingerprint reader will be correctly connected to the VM when Windows reboots. (Figure 3.) 

4. Configure the USB Fingerprint Reader 

In the Sign-in options window, click on the Windows Hello Fingerprint. In the area that opens, you will see the “Set up” button. (Figure 4.) Clicking on this will begin the process of registering your fingerprint(s).

You will be instructed to repeatedly lift and rest your finger on the reader.  When you do this, a stylized fingerprint will gradually fill in. (Figure 5.)

5. Reboot Windows 10 

You should see fingerprint as one of the choices when you click on “Sign-in options”. Choose the fingerprint option (Figure 6.) and use your finger to login to Windows 10. 

Let us know in the Parallels Forums, on Facebook or Twitter how the process of setting up a fingerprint reader went for you, and if you like having this option to log into Windows 10. 

The post How to Use a “Windows Hello” Fingerprint Reader in Parallels Desktop appeared first on Parallels Blog.

Chrome is the most popular browser in the world, according to ComputerWorld. Two years ago, Microsoft announced that it would move its Microsoft Edge browser over to Chromium, the open-source foundation on which Chrome is based. That effort has finally come to fruition with the release of a new version of Microsoft Edge, available for Windows (10, 8 and 7), macOS®, iOS and Android. (There was actually a rumor that Apple® was going to do a Chromium-based version of Safari, but this turned out to be false.)

I have installed this new Microsoft Edge Chromium-based browser on my Mac®, iPad®, iPhone® and in my Windows 10 virtual machine. (See figures 1, 2 and 3).

Microsoft Edge browser on Mac, iPad, iPhone and in a Windows 10 VM

This new version does feel “snappier” than the other browsers I have used. That speed plus its nifty features is making me consider setting Microsoft Edge as my default browser.

This blog post is not a full review of any of the new versions of Edge. (For full reviews of Edge, please see PCWorld, PureInfoTech, or Digital Trends). I have spent several hours with the Windows 10 and the macOS versions (and a bit less with the iPadOS version). The functionality and features of the Windows 10 and macOS versions appear to be identical. Personally, I like the macOS version better mostly because I just find the user interface of the Mac more natural and intuitive than that of Windows. However, I can easily see how others might prefer the Windows 10 user interface. The good news is that you will get the same Edge functionality regardless of your user interface preference.

While this is a new version and has lots of differences from older versions, it is still Microsoft Edge. So, if you install this new Edge in your Windows 10 VM in Parallels Desktop for Mac, it will replace the existing Edge. As expected, all your bookmarks and other settings can be easily imported from other browsers you have installed.

There are several ways to get this new Chromium-based Edge, but the best way is to download it directly from Microsoft.

What do you think: will this new browser tempt you to change from your current default browser? Let us know in the comments. 

Want to test the new Chromium-based Microsoft Edge browser on your Mac? Try Parallels Desktop for free for 14 days and test it in your Windows 10 virtual machine.

The post Chromium-Based Microsoft Edge Browser Released appeared first on Parallels Blog.

Almost all users who purchase a subscription for Parallels Desktop do so with one goal in mind: to install Windows on Mac. Parallels Desktop Mac Business Edition will help you and your employees easily work with Windows programs on Mac, running even the most demanding applications effortlessly. 

Before proceeding, you should have already signed up for Parallels My Account. In this article, you’ll learn how to how to install and activate Parallels Desktop. Only then can you install Windows on Mac. 

How do you install Windows on Mac?

Installing Windows on Mac is a crucial step to being able to run Windows applications on a macOS® device. To be able to do this, you first need to install a Windows virtualization tool on your Mac computer, such as Parallels Desktop. Parallels Desktop is not only perfectly compatible with any Windows program—it’s also fast, secure, and designed for rapid mass deployments.

How to install Parallels Desktop 

1. Download the Parallels Desktop installer to your Mac.
2. Double-click the .dmg installation file to mount it in Finder, then double-click Install.
3. Read through the Software License Agreement and click Accept.
4. Once prompted, enter your local Mac user password to finalize the installation.

Next, you’ll activate Parallels Desktop Business Edition.

How to activate Parallels Desktop Business Edition

1. Start Parallels Desktop by double-clicking the icon. 
2. If the first screen that opens is the Installation Assistant, Skip it for now. The Installation Assistant helps you install Windows—you can run this at a later time. 
3. Go to the Parallels Desktop dropdown menu, and then click Account & License.

4. This opens the Sign-in dialog box.

5. Click on the Business Edition button at the lower-left corner, which opens the Enter Business Key dialog. This then prompts you to enter your Parallels Desktop Business Edition license key. After entering it, click Activate.                                

6. If your activation was successful, you’ll see a confirmation message.

And just like that, your Parallels Desktop Business Edition is installed, activated and ready for Windows installation!

Read “How to Install Windows 10 in Parallels Desktop for Mac” for the complete instructions on how to install Windows on Mac.

Experience how easy it is to install Windows on Mac

With Parallels Desktop Business Edition, you can install Windows on Mac across your organization without breaking a sweat. Try it out yourself. Download the free trial now.

References:

• Parallels Desktop Business Edition Quick Start Guide: Read more
• Parallels Desktop for Mac Business Edition product page: Read more
• How to Install Windows on Mac blog: Read more
• Install Windows on your Mac using Parallels Desktop: Read more
• Does Windows come with my purchase of Parallels Desktop for Mac? Read more

The post How to Activate Parallels Desktop and Install Windows on Mac appeared first on Parallels Blog.

With macOS Catalina, Parallels Desktop for Mac users have even more powerful ways to run Windows, Linux and other OSes on Mac.

Sidecar

There are two new features brought to Parallels Desktop with Sidecar. First, you can now extend your Mac display on your iPad®. Second, there’s now Apple Pencil® support within Microsoft Windows applications. With our latest version of Parallels Desktop, users are now able to use their favorite Microsoft Windows applications on iPad. 

Extending the Mac display on your iPad is incredible—it allows Parallels Desktop users to view their virtual machine in full screen on their iPad. Not only does this leave your native Mac screen available for whatever your needs may be, but it also feeds directly into the second benefit of Sidecar and Parallels Desktop. 

Parallels Desktop users can now run a virtual machine as full screen on their iPad as an external display. This macOS integration allows designers, CAD experts and more to use their favorite stylist on their favorite Windows programs. With Sidecar and Parallels Desktop, users have full support with the Apple Pencil or your favorite stylist. 

Note: Sidecar will work with any macOS application that supports stylists and turns your iPad into a professional creative tool, such as a Wacom tablet. 

Personally, Sidecar is my favorite macOS feature announced in the last few years. Using Sidecar with Parallels Desktop? It’s simply magic.

Screenshot Preview to Windows

Drag and drop like never before! Apple® has entirely reworked the way screenshots are done in macOS Mojave and Catalina, and you may notice that you can’t use their previews in Windows applications. 

Parallels Desktop now makes this possible—plus, it provides the ability to drag images right from Safari, Photos and your other favorite Mac applications.

Security

The security benefits of macOS Catalina can be broken up into three major components: hardware, system volumes and data. 

Hardware

The Apple T2 Security Chip keeps your Mac secure by ensuring you’re running software that’s from a trusted developer and automatically encrypts your stored data. If you’re utilizing macOS Catalina, you’ll have a rich encryption on your host OS with the T2 chip. Plus, your virtual machine can also be encrypted to protect any unauthorized use. Learn how to encrypt your virtual machine.

Additionally, Microsoft Windows 10 Pro Edition has BitLocker encryption support, making your data even more protected.

System Volume

A dedicated system volume within macOS Catalina allows the volume to be read-only, so it’s separate from all other data on your Mac. Apple implemented this so that nothing can accidentally overwrite your system files. 

Data

All Mac models with the Apple T2 security chip support an iOS feature, Activation Lock. This is beyond helpful if your Mac is ever lost or stolen—with Activation Lock, you can easily erase and reactivate.  

Screen Time

macOS Catalina brings a popular iOS feature to the Mac: Screen Time. Screen Time monitors where a user spends their time when using their iPhone. Now, macOS Catalina makes it easy for Mac users to monitor their usage with individual applications. 

While Parallels Desktop is in Coherence view mode, Screen Time will individually monitor Windows programs, too.

64-bit Applications

macOS Catalina is the first version macOS to exclusively support 64-bit applications. This means any 32-bit applications will no longer be supported if your Mac is on macOS Catalina. With Parallels Desktop, users can run an older macOS as a virtual machine to support the 32-bit applications you need. In order to continue using your favorite 32-bit applications on macOS Catalina, please read our blog post: 32-bit vs. 64-bit and why it matters. 

Our engineering, sales, social, support and marketing teams closely monitor what our users need from Parallels Desktop. If you’re looking for known issues with macOS Catalina and Parallels Desktop, feel free to read the testing that engineering has already completed. 

If you’re looking to try the latest version of Parallels Desktop, download a free 14-day trial and get started now. Let us know what you think, or if you have any feedback to help us make the experience better. You can reach us on Facebook or Twitter, 24/7. 

The post macOS Catalina and Parallels Desktop for Mac appeared first on Parallels Blog.

With macOS Catalina dropping support for 32-bit, some users may find themselves without their favorite applications. Now, macOS will warn users prior to upgrading to macOS Catalina and showcase the incompatibility:

In order to continue using your favorite 32-bit applications on macOS Catalina, the software developers will need to update the software to support 64-bit. If the software developer chooses not to do this, users can utilize a virtual machine with Parallels Desktop to run their favorite applications on their Mac.

What is a bit?

By means of Lifewire’s definition, a bit is shorthand for binary digit. In laymen’s terms, this is where you see units of measurements regarding 1s and 0s and can apply to computer networking or memory. Sometimes you’ll see the formatting as “32-bit” or “x32.” These two formats represent the same thing. 

32-bit and 64-bit operating systems

The 32-bit processor was the most popular processor used by computers until the early 1990s. Both Intel Pentium and AMD processors were 32-bit, which means Microsoft’s Windows 95, 98, and XP are all 32-bit operating systems. However, a slight shift occurred in 2003 when Microsoft released a 64-bit version of Windows, and then in 2005 shifted the internal processor to a 64-bit AMD processor.  

Microsoft Windows utilizing a more powerful processor in combination with a more powerful operating system unlocked a lot of potential with improved security, better game performance, and the ability to allocate more memory as needed. Why does this matter? Every personal computer (whether a Mac® or PC) has a 32-bit OS or 64-bit OS, and this dictates the user experience. The OS and the software used is the underlying foundation for our productivity. 

Difference between 32-bit and 64-bit CPUs

Simply put, a 64-bit processor is more capable than a 32-bit processor because it can handle more data in any given moment.

The most popular consumer reference to a x64 processor in CPUs or hardware is the Nintendo 64. Hence, the name. Personally, I always thought this was due to 64 games being released with the Nintendo 64 (haha). Nope, it’s due to the processor. Additionally, through a popular HowStuffWorks article, I’ve learned that this specific processor was a customized chip system that was named the 64-bit R4300i “Reality Engine.” (Insert an oooh and an ahhhhh here.)

What’s the difference between 32-bit and 64-bit software?

HowToGeek outlined a very helpful article: “Why are most programs still 32-bit on a 64-bit version of Windows.” It provides useful information about why users should care about the difference and how it effects their productivity. 

The biggest and most simple way to answer what the difference is between 32x and 64x software is that the 64x version will be more secure and reliable. 

How to check if a macOS application is 32-bit or 64-bit

If you’re on macOS® Mojave, it’s quite easy to see if any application on your Mac is either 32- or 64-bit. Follow this pathway:

Apple menu > About This Mac > System Report

From the System Report, scroll to Software > Applications> Select your desired Application

Depending on the applications on your Mac, you may see mostly 64-bit, some 32-bit, or all 32-bit. This is entirely dependent on your personal setup. 

How to run older 32-bit operating systems and applications on your Mac

Running older 32-bit operating systems or software on your Mac is quick and easy. With Parallels Desktop® for Mac, you can virtualize any 32-bit operating system in a virtual machine and run your needed application. 32-bit operating systems could be either macOS or Windows. For example, this is what a 32-bit macOS virtual machine looks like in Parallels Desktop:

Running a macOS virtual machine on the macOS with Parallels Desktop may seem a bit redundant, but it is absolutely necessary for users who need older 32-bit operating systems or applications. It’s also necessary for developers to code, test, and deploy without buying secondary machines. 

Downloading a free trial of Parallels Desktop is easy! Simply download the .dmg, create a new virtual machine with the operating system needed, and run the application to get started. 

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