Here at Parallels, we would like to thank our millions of users for choosing our software, Parallels Desktop® for Mac, the #1 choice for Mac® users for over a decade. With pirated licenses on the rise in every software market, we want to encourage curious users to read this blog post thoroughly before hunting for a Parallels Desktop for Mac cracked license key. We dive into security risks and concerns and explore why users should be cautious about using a crack/torrent version of Parallels Desktop from unidentified sites—or simply put, the pirating sites. 

Are you searching for a cracked license key of Parallels Desktop for Mac? Globally, millions of users are turning to installing bootleg versions of software as more companies either increase their prices or change to a subscription model. In the software ecosystem, there has always been a dense market for pirated or cracked licenses to obtain the software illegally. While users may save a penny or two, the dangers of using pirated copies grossly outweigh the benefits. 

According to 2018 Revulytics, the top 20 software license misuse and piracy hotspots are not only in the United States, but also China, India, Russia, Germany and many more. Funny enough, there are only nine countries in the world that have no reports of unpaid software! In recent years, Google has been asked to remove over 100,000 pirated links every hour. The reality is that the market for pirated software continues to grow, regardless of efforts from software companies or search engines. 

Potential risks that users face when utilizing pirated or illegally cracked licenses for Parallels Desktop (or any macOS or Windows software) are:

• Malware – Malware is shorthand for “malicious software.” By Bullguard’s definition, it is a computer program that is designed to infiltrate and damage computers without the user’s consent. 
• Keyloggers or spyware – These are usually used in identity or financial threats. They’re designed to steal passwords or banking information. This can cause years of difficult loopholes to get your identity or financial health back up to speed.
• Ransomware – An extortion-based threat that is considered a cryptovirology because it locks a user out of software or hardware until a ransom is paid. CSOOnline outlines the 6 biggest ransomeware attacks of the last 5 years. While the commonality of this threat has gone down in recent year, ransomware is still very much considered to be a concern for both individual users and enterprise companies. 
• Viruses and worms – Kaspersky released an educational article outlining the difference between the two: “An important distinction between computer viruses and worms is that viruses require an active host program or an already infected and active operating system in order for viruses to run, cause damage and infect other executable files or documents, while worms are standalone malicious programs that can self-replicate and propagate via computer networks, without human help.”
• Bloatware – Bloatware is software that is downloaded without the user’s knowledge. It eventually utilizes hardware’s memory resources to cause a device to become so slow it is eventually unusable.

Not to mention, you also lose all future benefits of functionality, security, support and updates—and your cracked Parallels Desktop for Mac license can be disabled at any time. Almost every software company has backend intelligence to check if a license is registered, and they regularly do this check throughout the lifecycle of their product. 

The Parallels End User License Agreement states that users may use one copy of the software activated by a license key on a single instance owned, leased or controlled by the user. In accordance with the End User License Agreement terms and conditions, a Parallels Desktop retail license can only be used for activation of Parallels Desktop on a single Mac machine at a time.

Note: To use Parallels Desktop on several Mac machines, users will need to purchase the corresponding number of licenses. If you’d like to move Parallels Desktop from one computer to another, you don’t need to buy a new key. Simply uninstall the software from the Mac it’s currently installed on before installing on a new one.

If you have feedback you’d like to provide surrounding Parallels and the Parallels family of products, please reach out to us! We sincerely are open to improving our policies for global users. 

We encourage users to buy their software directly from the manufacturer or directly from authorized resellers. This directly benefits the teams of real humans who pour hard work into their product to provide an excellence experience for the end user.

If you’re looking to download a free copy of Parallels Desktop, feel free to download our 14-day trial and run Windows, Linux and other popular OSes on your Mac, without rebooting. 

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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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