You’re busy working, studying, or maybe just browsing your favorite websites, and then — the dreaded spinning pinwheel cursor pops up on your screen, and your clicks do nothing. Nada.  

While unresponsive apps can be frustrating, the Mac “force quit” feature resolves that issue. 

Like using Ctrl>Alt>Delete to access the task manager on Windows devices, force quit allows Mac users to force an unresponsive app to close so they can get back to work quickly.  

In this post, I’ll explore several different ways to use force quit to close unresponsive apps, explain why this happens, and provide tips on how to prevent it.  

Want to make the most of your Mac? Parallels Toolbox  unlocks a world of productivity on your computer.  

How to force quit on a Mac using the Apple menu 

One way to force quit unresponsive apps is by using the Apple menu. While this isn’t the simplest method, it is straightforward.   

1. Click the Apple logo in the upper-left corner of your Mac screen  

2. Click “Force Quit Finder” from the drop-down menu 

3. A window will pop up displaying currently open apps. Select the app you want to force quit.  

4. Click the “Force Quit” button at the bottom of the window.  

The unresponsive app will be forced to close. If you still need to use it, you can reopen the app, which will likely solve any issues.  

If this doesn’t work for some reason (or if your entire screen is frozen), you can use a few other tricks to force quit.  

How to force quit on a Mac using keyboard shortcuts 

If you were a Windows user in another life, this is like the Ctrl>Alt>Delete shortcut.  

The force quit shortcut is especially useful if several apps are not responding or if you’re not sure which app is causing the issue.  

1. Press the Option + Command + Escape buttons at the same time 

2. Choose the unresponsive app 

3. Tap the “Force Quit” button  

That’s it! This shortcut is quick and satisfying (especially when you’re frustrated by apps not responding!), but if Apple has you covered if need another option.  

How to force quit on a Mac using the Activity Monitor 

The Activity Monitor on your Mac provides detailed info about your computer’s hardware and software.  

It’s very similar to the Task Manager on a Windows device — and it’s another way you can access force quit. Here’s how:  

1. Open Finder (generally located on your toolbar.)  

2. Look for the Activity Monitor app icon or use the search function. Click to open. 

3. Under the Process Name list, locate the app that is not responding. Click to highlight the app.  

4. At the top of the Activity Bar window, tap Stop, then Force Quit.  

This action will force the app to close immediately. Remember that you might lose some data if you have files open or fields within the app filled out.  

While the Activity Monitor is useful for forcing unresponsive apps to close, it does a lot more. You can also monitor system performance, see how much memory is available, and troubleshoot by seeing which apps are hogging resources.  

Why do apps freeze on my Mac? 

There are multiple reasons why an app might freeze.  

Sometimes, you must give your computer the old “turn it off and turn it back on again” treatment.  

However, if apps are constantly freezing, there’s a good chance your computer is running out of memory.  

If your Mac is running low on RAM or has a high CPU usage, you might need more resources to run certain apps. Deleting apps and files you no longer need will solve this issue.  

We recommend using the Parallels Toolbox to clean up junk files, delete temporary files, and eliminate applications you aren’t using. These actions will free up RAM (memory), which will get rid of that pesky spinning beach ball of death.  

Unfreeze your Mac with force quit  

While force quit is a valuable tool for closing unresponsive apps, use it with caution. Closing an app that is frozen can cause you to lose some data.  

For example, if you’re using Word, you may lose some of your work. If you were filling out a form, you may need to start over.  

To prevent apps from freezing, restart your Mac regularly and ensure your OS is up to date. Use the Activity Monitor to keep an eye on your RAM and delete old files regularly.  

The Parallels Toolbox (included in the Pro Edition of Parallels Desktop) makes it easy to keep your Mac clutter-free and prevent unresponsive apps from derailing your day.  

The post How to Force Quit Unresponsive Apps on Your Mac appeared first on Parallels Blog.

Get more out of your Mac with an exclusive, all-encompassing software bundle available to new and current eligible Parallels® Desktop for Mac customers.  

Parallels is offering a new premium bundle of nine top-rated Mac apps with every new purchase and upgrade to Parallels Desktop 17 for Mac, at no additional cost, now through February 28, 2022. Purchasing this bundle will save users 92% over MSRP—USD 559 in value.    

The Exclusive Mac Apps Bundle With Parallels Desktop for Mac Includes:

Parallels Desktop 17 for Mac: A trusted virtualization software to run native Windows applications on Mac computers with Apple M1 and Intel chips—all without rebooting. The latest version of Parallels Desktop for Mac, 17, is packed with must-have performance and graphic improvements, enhanced Windows gaming experience, and is optimized for Windows 11 and macOS Monterey operating systems. 

Parallels Toolbox for Mac and Windows: Whether you need to clean your hard drive, download an Internet video, create a quick barcode, or give a presentation without distractions, Parallels Toolbox is an all-in-one solution with more than 40 tools for macOS and Windows that simplify common tasks to just one-click. Unlock the potential of your Mac or PC with all popular productivity utilities without learning complicated system settings or a need to pay for dozens of individual apps. A one-year subscription is included. 

Parallels Access: Remotely access up to five computers—PC or Mac—and work easily via any HTML5 web browser, or from an unlimited number of iPads, iPhones, or Android tablets and phones using familiar native touch gestures. Parallels Access delivers peace of mind to remote and mobile workers with its ability to provide access to all the files and apps on their computers via the Internet—anytime from anywhere. A one-year subscription is included. 

MindManager® Essentials: A visual productivity & mind mapping software, MindManager simplifies the way you process and manage information. Turn scattered ideas and data into clear visual maps that are easy to build, organize, evolve, and share. Organize your workday with MindManager Essentials, the web version of MindManager for individuals. Valid for new MindManager customers only. Includes a one-year subscription. 

Ad Remover: Enjoy unlimited blocking of all online ads with this popular ad-blocking extension that puts you in complete control of your browsing experience. Not only does Ad Remover block all types of ads, but it also blocks tracking cookies so that your privacy is protected, increases website loading speed, and decreases data usage per page load by 19 percent on average. Includes a one-year subscription. 

1Password Families: Protect your family with 1Password. 1Password is the easiest and safest way to share passwords, credit cards, and anything else that is too important to email. It helps your family practice smart online security by generating strong, unique passwords for all your online accounts. 1Password remembers everything for you, keeps it safe, and automatically signs you in to your favorite sites with a single click. 1Password Families includes five family members (for one year). Valid only for new 1Password customers. 

Fantastical Premium: Fantastical Premium is a calendar and tasks app for Mac, iPad, iPhone, and Apple Watch with many features including events, tasks, weather, interesting calendars, meeting proposals, instant conference call joining, quick conference call creation, calendar sets, 14 widgets, and much more. A single subscription (for one year) includes all features, all services, and all platforms. Valid only for new Fantastical customers.  

Cardhop Premium: Add new contacts or edit existing contacts with unparalleled ease and simplicity. Just enter the name of the contact along with the new details and Cardhop will do the rest. Use your iPhone or iPad camera to quickly scan a business card or printed address from a document. Cardhop will parse the printed information and instantly convert it into a new contact. Interacting with your contacts has never been easier, or this fast! 

Intego Mac Internet Security X9: This award-winning Mac anti-virus and firewall software offers 24/7 antivirus and antispyware protection, intelligent firewall for home & hotspot network protection, stops third-party apps from collecting your data, and its intuitive design allows you to adjust the best security level against malware and network attacks. A one-year subscription is included. 

Acronis Cyber Protect Home Office Premium Edition: A single cyber protection solution that keeps your digital world safe from all threats— from coffee spills to hardware failures to cyberthreat attacks—with a unique integration of data protection and cybersecurity in one. Unifies reliable backup and advanced anti-malware in one full feature solution. Delivers peace of mind knowing your devices and backups are protected. A one-year subscription for 3 Mac/PCs with 1TB of cloud storage is included.  

Get this Premium Mac App Bundle and start getting more out of your Mac! 

Frequently Asked Questions: 

Q: I already own an older version of Parallels Desktop. Can I buy this?  

A: Absolutely! We offer this discount to Parallels Desktop users who own a previous version and are eligible for an upgrade. To upgrade to the latest version of Parallels Desktop and instantly access the apps mentioned in this promotion, click here. 

Q: What if I want to gift this promotion to a friend or family member?  

A: Forward your Parallels Purchase Confirmation Email to the recipient. Your email will contain download instructions and license keys for each product. 

Q: Are these macOS or Windows 10/11 applications?  

A: Each vendor offers its applications in macOS versions for the Parallels Premium Mac App Bundle 2022 promotion. 

Q: How do I contact Parallels Support?  

A: Our support team is happy to help you. Please reach out to the support team on Facebook, Twitter, or any of our other support channels. 

Notes: Promotion ends February 28, 2022, at 11:59 p.m. PST. 

All statements made herein respect of third-party software, technologies and applications are in accordance with the information currently available at such third parties’ websites. Parallels does not assume any liability for the accuracy, reliability, or validity of those statements. 

The post Parallels Premium Mac App Bundle 2022—Buy or Upgrade to Parallels Desktop 17 for Mac and Get Nine Apps FREE! appeared first on Parallels Blog.

The Hide Menu Icons tool in Parallels® Toolbox can help you manage these icons and hide the ones that you don’t need all that often. In this blog post I will show you how to use this tool.

Using the Hide Menu icons tool, you can just drag the icons that you don’t need to see all the time to a “Hidden icons” area. This is very easy to do as you can see in Video 1. As also shown in the video, quickly accessing these hidden icons is also easy to do.

While it is possible in the macOS to hide some of these menu bar icons (Figure 2), this is a separate, individual action for each icon, and to unhide the icon, even momentarily, requires undoing this action. This can quickly become tedious. The Hide Menu Icons tool handles this in a uniform action for all the tools, and momentarily unhiding an icon only requires you to move the cursor to the top of the screen.

I hope this tool helps you take control of the menu bar icons on your Mac.

Do you have an idea for another tool that can be added to Parallels Tools? If so, let us know in the Parallels® Forums.

The post How to Control the Icons in the Mac Menu Bar Using Parallels Toolbox appeared first on Parallels Blog.

Whether you’re a macOS lover or a Windows fanatic, chronic multitaskers often have several applications or programs running at the same time—not to mention the dozens of tabs open in your web browser. Don’t worry, we’re right there with you. 

It’s quite easy to get lost in the real estate of your screen if you self-identify as a multitasker. Additionally, it’s almost too easy to forget about an open window if you minimize and move onto another task. I have found myself lost in the window abyss far too many times than I would like to admit.  

However, this is where the excellent Parallels Toolbox comes in handy—particularly the Window Manager tool. Easily use Window Manager to size a window on your Mac to your predefined dimensions and position. Simply drag a window to a screen’s edge and it will automatically resize to half a screen, a third of a screen or even a quarter.  

Our engineers designed Parallels® Toolbox as an all-in-one suite for creative individuals, students, small-business owners, chronic multitaskers, IT managers and everyone in between. Multitasking is not bound by a specific industry or skill set. Now more than ever before, there are incredible humans constantly accomplishing more during an average workday. Therefore, it felt natural that we create Window Manager to be added to the productive toolset that is Parallels Toolbox. Window Manager is honestly an incredible tool for multitasking between several windows and programs due to its customizable interface.  

Tips and tricks: 

• In the tool’s preference settings, easily disable snapping for the individual application that you’re currently using in the Window Manager tool or for all applications.  

Parallels Toolbox is our all-in-one solution with over 30 tools for macOS and Windows 10. With just one click, you can save space on your hard drive, create high-quality content, quickly optimize your computer for a presentation and so much more. Our economical suite of tools replaces the need for multiple applications and programs. Try a free 7-day trial of Parallels Toolbox for macOS or Windows 10 from the links below! 

Helpful resources: 

Automatic Download for Parallels Toolbox for macOS 7-day Free Trial (.DMG) 

Automatic Download for Parallels Toolbox for Windows 10 7-day Free Trial (.EXE) 

Parallels Toolbox for Mac Updates Historical Summary 

Parallels Toolbox for Windows Updates Historical Summary 

The post Easily arrange and manage macOS apps with Parallels Toolbox one-click tool Window Manager appeared first on Parallels Blog.

Dedication: The clipboard is the unifying concept behind cut, copy, and paste. The individual responsible for cut, copy, and paste, Larry Tesler, passed away this month. Larry wrote the preface to my book, Object-Oriented Programming for the Macintosh, and was the person who hired me at Apple so many, many years ago. The computing world lost an important pioneer, and this blog post is dedicated to his memory. You can read more about Larry in The New York Times and the Washington Post.

When it was first released in 1984, one of the defining features of the Macintosh user interface was the clipboard. The clipboard was great! You could copy any kind of data to it and then later paste that data into a new location. You could put text, graphics and entire documents or folders on the clipboard. Later on, you could put video clips, equations, spreadsheets and more on it. While the Mac was not the first computer with a clipboard—the Apple Lisa also had one—the Mac made the clipboard a widely known user interface (UI) concept.

There were, however, a couple of issues with the Mac clipboard. First, it only stored one piece of information at a time. Copy something else to the clipboard, and whatever was there before got removed. Second, it was invisible. The only way you could see what was on the clipboard was to paste the clipboard’s contents into a document. Lastly, the clipboard worked great on a single Mac, but there wasn’t any way to get the clipboard information to another Mac. Over the years, a variety of apps and extensions have tried to solve these issues, but none really caught on because none were as simple to use as the clipboard itself.

The Parallels engineers decided to solve these issues—the result is the new Clipboard History tool in Parallels® Toolbox for Mac. In this blog post, I’ll show you how to use this new tool. If you’re like me, you’ll find it so useful that you’ll set it to start up whenever you turn on your Mac.

The Clipboard History tool is one of forty tools in Parallels Toolbox for Mac (see Figure 1).

When running, it has a separate icon in the Mac menu bar—and when it’s open, its window shows you items that have been placed on the clipboard. (Figure 2)

Video 1 (3 minutes) introduces the Clipboard History tool and shows its use on a single Mac:

Video 2 (1 minute 30 seconds) shows how Apple’s Handoff works with the Clipboard History tool on two Mac devices.

Even though there is no Parallels Toolbox for the iPad, the Clipboard History tool can work with an iPad on the same network as your Mac. Video 3 (1 minute 30 seconds) shows an example of this:

I hope these examples show you the power of Parallels Toolbox. If you’re a subscriber of a recent version of Parallels Desktop for Mac, Parallels Toolbox is available to you at no charge. If you don’t have Parallels Desktop, you can download a free 7-day trial of Parallels Toolbox.

The post The Clipboard History Tool – Parallels Toolbox for Mac appeared first on Parallels Blog.

Empower your Mac with this massive, all-encompassing bundle of software. With every purchase of Parallels Desktop, you’ll get this premium macOS app bundle. This bundle includes 10 top-rated apps to help you save space on your hard drive, visualize data, manage passwords, create stunning web content, recover lost files, and much more. This bundle totals well over $1,000 in savings—but this offer will only last a few days! Promotion ends February 29, 2020, at 11:59 p.m. PST

Parallels Desktop for Mac

Efficiently run Windows, Linux, and other popular operating systems on your Mac without rebooting with Parallels Desktop. This award-winning virtualization solution has been the #1 choice from millions of users globally.

Parallels Toolbox for macOS or Windows

Whether you need to clean your hard drive, download a YouTube video, or present without distractions, Parallels® Toolbox is the best one-click option. Packed with over 30+ tools, this all-in-one app has the right tool for every job—all in one easy-to-use interface. Unlock the potential of your computer without remembering messy key combinations or paying for dozens of individual apps.

Parallels Access for iOS or Android

Remotely access your PC or Mac with the most reliable option on the market: Parallels Access®. Available for iOS or Android, this app is a must-have for anyone who travels and needs to access applications or files from anywhere, 24/7. 

MindManager 12 For Mac  

Capture, organize and share information with MindManager 12 For Mac. Transform scattered ideas and unstructured data into dynamic visual maps quickly. Rearrange ideas as fast as you formulate them, then effortlessly structure the output into clear, concrete plans. If you’re a new user, choose to either start a diagram from a blank slate or use one of the prebuilt templates.

1Password Families (One-Year Subscription)

Protect your family with 1Password. 1Password is the safest, most comfortable way to share passwords, credit cards, and anything else that’s too important to email. It helps your family practice smart online security by generating strong, unique passwords for all your online accounts. 1Password remembers everything for you, keeps it safe and automatically signs you into your favorite sites with a single click. This license includes up to five family members.

Hype 4.0 Professional 

Hype is an award-winning tool used by leading designers. Create animations that add a “wow” factor to webpages, infographics, presentations, digital magazines, ads, iBooks, educational content, app prototypes, portfolios, animated GIFs, videos, entire websites and much more. From prototype to production, anyone can create rich interactive media.

Twist (One-Year Subscription)

Twist is a thread-based Slack alternative that keeps team communication organized, on-topic, and easily searchable (forever). Loved by 100K+ companies and ranked by PCMag as the #1 communication app for distributed teams.

Roxio Toast 18 Titanium  

The preferred CD and DVD burning software for Mac deliver everything you need to perfect all your digital media projects. Discover the easiest way to capture, convert, edit, secure, and publish your videos, photos, music, and files—to disc, accessible file format or online.

Intego Mac Internet Security X9 (One-Year Subscription)

Get award-winning Mac anti-virus and firewall software. Mac Internet Security X9 contains two of Intego’s bestselling security products that protect your Mac against malware and network attacks: VirusBarrier X9 and NetBarrier X9. Together, they ensure your Mac protects against adware, malware, strangers, and unknown applications trying to get in. 

Data Rescue 5

Data Rescue 5 is a data recovery software that recovers your deleted or lost files. It can even attempt to recover data from drives that are no longer showing up in Finder. Data Rescue understands a broad spectrum of different file types. You can install it on one system and scan and recover up to five internal or external drives with this standard license. Compatible with macOS 10.10 and later. Recovery drive does not support macOS 10.15. Note: Requires secondary storage device and Internet connection.

PDFpen for Mac  

PDFpen is your dependable, comprehensive solution for PDF editing on macOS. Cover your basics: fill and sign forms, correct typos, draw and highlight, combine documents, reorder or extract pages, and use optical character recognition (OCR). For users who need more capabilities, PDFpen also includes tools for redaction, exporting to Word, page numbering (including Bates numbering), and bookmarking. PDFpen is an ideal option for anyone seeking long-term value which needs more PDF editing power than Preview.

Get this Premium Mac App Bundle and take control of your Mac—and save over $1,000!

Frequently Asked Questions:

Q: I already own an older version of Parallels Desktop. Can I buy this?

A: Absolutely! We offer this discount to Parallels Desktop Upgrade users. To upgrade to the latest version of Parallels Desktop and get the above apps included with your purchase, please an upgrade here. 

Q: I have an existing subscription to 1Password. Will the subscription from this bundle extend my current subscription? 

A: Yes. If customers have 1Password and then purchase the bundle, they should email support@1password.com​ with their activation key from the Parallels Purchase Confirmation Email. The 1Password team will then be able to apply this discount to their account after a short verification process.  

Q: What if I want to gift this promotion to a friend or family member?

A: Forward your purchase confirmation email to the recipient. Your email will contain download instructions and license keys for each product. 

Q: Are these macOS or Windows 10 applications?

A: Each vendor offers its applications in macOS versions for the Parallels Premium Mac App 2020 Bundle promotion. 

Q: How do I contact Parallels Support?

A: Our support team is happy to help you. Please reach out to the support team on Facebook, Twitter, or any other of our support channels.  

Note: Promotion ends February 29, 2020, at 11:59 p.m. PST

The post Parallels Premium Mac App Bundle 2020 – Up to 96% off and Over $1,000+ in Savings! appeared first on Parallels Blog.

There are at least 800 million videos uploaded to YouTube, meaning there are millions of hours of videos available for viewing.  

Sometimes you might wish to have one of these videos on your own computer or phone—maybe your internet connection is frustratingly unreliable, or you want to save the video and watch it later during a flight.  

Whatever the reason, with Parallels Toolbox, you’ll be happy to know that it’s possible to effortlessly download a YouTube video for watching offline.  

Parallels Toolbox presents the ultimate solution for downloading YouTube, Vimeo, and other web-based videos directly to your computer.  

With compatibility for both macOS and Windows, the Parallels Toolbox Download Video tool stands unrivaled among competing utilities with similar capabilities.  

You don’t have to worry about sacrificing quality; with one click, you can save YouTube videos in high resolution up to 4k. 

In this blog post, I’ll uncover how Parallels Toolbox transforms how we watch and appreciate our favorite YouTube content.  

Keep reading for a step-by-step guide on downloading YouTube and other web-based videos to your computer. Can’t wait to try it out? Download a free trial of Parallels Toolbox now.  

How to download a video from YouTube on a Mac 

Ready to start downloading YouTube videos to your Mac with Parallels Toolbox? Here’s a quick step-by-step guide. 

1. Download, install, and open Parallels Toolbox. 

2. Search and launch the Download Video tool from the dashboard. 

3. Copy and paste the video link or drag and drop the video to instantly download your favorite video. 

4. Open your new video file and enjoy! 

If I download a video from YouTube using the Safari web browser, is there a difference? 

Using the Safari’s web browser, you can make the process even easier and utilize the Safari plug-in to save your favorite video instantly. Here’s a quick step-by-step guide. 

1. Download, install, and open Parallels Toolbox. 

2. Search and launch the Download Video tool from the dashboard. 

3. Enable the Safari extension and use the Safari plug-in to instantly download your favorite video. 

4. Open your new video file and enjoy! 

Is it safe to download a video from YouTube to my Mac? 

Using a trustworthy application is the key to minimizing the risk of malware or security issues.  

If you use reputable software or services, such as Parallels Toolbox, downloading a YouTube video to your Mac is safe. 

YouTube offers its own service: the “Add to Offline” feature.  

The downside is that this feature is exclusively available with their premium subscription, YouTube Red, at the cost of $12 per month ($144 per year).  

On the other hand, Parallels Toolbox has over 30+ versatile tools, all for a mere $24.99 per year.  

So, if you’re looking to download YouTube videos for offline enjoyment, Parallels Toolbox emerges as a safe, reputable, and far more wallet-friendly option that also comes packed with a plethora of handy tools designed to enhance your Mac or PC experience. 

How to download a video from YouTube on a Windows 10 

Ready to start downloading YouTube videos on your Windows 10 PC with Parallels Toolbox? Here’s a quick step-by-step guide. 

1. Download, install, and open Parallels Toolbox. 

2. Search and launch the Download Video tool from the dashboard. 

3. Copy and paste the video link or drag and drop the video to instantly download your favorite video. 

4. Open your new video file and enjoy! 

Is it legal to download videos from YouTube? 

The simple answer is that it depends. 

Navigating the legal landscape* of downloading videos from YouTube isn’t completely black and white.  

YouTube’s Terms of Service make it clear that you’re not allowed to download content from the platform unless you have explicit permission from the content creator or YouTube provides a built-in “download” button. 

Here comes the gray area—Some content creators do grant permissions or offer their videos under a Creative Commons license.  

This generosity makes this content open source and allows you to share and reuse the content under certain conditions, making downloading videos for personal use legal. 

When downloading YouTube videos, keep in mind that respecting copyright laws and sticking to the platform’s terms of service is a must.  

Unauthorized downloading, sharing, or distributing copyrighted content can result in legal repercussions that nobody wants to face.  

If you find yourself uncertain about the legality of downloading a particular video, it’s always better to play it safe and refrain from downloading. And remember that you are doing so at your own risk!  

Start easily downloading YouTube videos with Parallels Toolbox 

In the past, there was a lengthy series of steps required to download videos from YouTube. Parallels Toolbox simplifies the process into four easy steps.  

Parallels Toolbox is the most convenient way to watch videos offline since it works with both Mac and Windows computers and supports resolutions up to 1080p.  

Not to mention, for a fraction of the cost of YouTube Red, you can enjoy over 30+ versatile tools that are designed to enhance your overall computing experience. 

So, what are you waiting for? Download Parallels Toolbox now and start enjoying your favorite YouTube content offline. 

*Note that the information in this post should be considered general in nature and not considered legal advice. 

The post How to download a YouTube Video with Parallels Toolbox: A step-by-step guide appeared first on Parallels Blog.

Digital spring cleaning: Seven tips for more storage and space.

Does this spark joy? That’s the question countless people around the world are asking themselves. Since Marie Kondo has shown us how to clean out wardrobes, kitchens, and documents, the cleaning hype has been omnipresent.

But the digital world is missing out. Just like in a household, countless things accumulate in the digital space: from documents, photos, and videos, to endless chat sequences and programs. This is not only confusing, but it could also jeopardize the security of your laptop and smartphone. Here are seven tips on where to use the virtual rag and how to make digital cleaning easier.

1. Sort out programs and applications.

Unused software not only clogs the hard drive, but it also poses a security risk; it often doesn’t have the latest updates and can, therefore, be a gateway for viruses. Typical examples are games or applications that are downloaded on recommendation but never used.

Under Control Panel or Settings, you’ll find a list with the installed software on most devices. It can be cleanly deleted, and the newly won storage space can be inspected immediately. However, there are also tools (like Parallels Toolbox) that help you delete and display all programs quickly and clearly—and remove them with one click.

2. Delete superfluous files.

Most people are real collectors when it comes to digital data. They hoard countless files on their computer or smartphone and usually don’t even know what they have stored. The only thing that helps is to look through all the folders and sort them out thoroughly. But not everything has to be done by hand. Applications like Parallels Toolbox for Mac and Windows can help you clean up your drive. They remove temporary operating-system and application files and automatically find the largest files for scanning—all with a single click.

3. Detect data twins.

Old files aren’t the only problem. Music, photos, or text documents are often duplicated or tripled. There are various tools to help you find duplicates and review them for deletion. Once everything is selected, the doubles or triples are sent to the trash can (which should also be emptied regularly).

4. Clean up your mailbox.

The same thing applies to the mailbox. There are often masses of old messages in the inbox or different subfolders. Especially on mobile phones, it can consume a lot of memory. Also Once you’ve thoroughly sorted out the messages, you should unsubscribe from any unnecessary emails to help keep things uncluttered.

5. Check chat history at WhatsApp and other messengers.

If you need space on your smartphone, take a closer look at your chat processes with WhatsApp or other messaging apps. Often countless voice messages, pictures, or videos accumulate there, which together consume several gigabytes of memory. The same process applies here: Delete useless and duplicate messages.

6. Complete a virus scan.

Once you have your freshly cleaned computer, it’s time for a complete virus scan. This should be done at least once a month in addition to the background scan.

7. Create backups.

Almost every user has searched desperately for a particular document. Nevertheless, most users do not perform backups very often. Spring cleaning is a good opportunity to make up for lost data. With a smartphone, this can be done easily by syncing with your computer. For your computer, use external hard disks or cloud storage to help protect important information from loss.

Try Parallels Toolbox for Mac or Windows for free if you like to test out some of the tools to help you do the digital cleaning.

How do you do your digital spring cleaning? Let us know in the below comments, on Twitter or Facebook.

The post Digital Spring Cleaning: Seven Tips for More Storage Space and Speed appeared first on Parallels Blog.

From our humble beginnings as a small startup, we envisioned and created solutions for virtualized computing. Our constant focus on innovating better customer experiences generated dozens of industry firsts, which were introduced with every new product release over the years. Today, the Parallels family of software solutions make it simpler than ever to securely run the applications you need on any device—anytime, anywhere.

This unrivaled leadership in innovation began in 2006 with the introduction of mainstream virtualization on Mac® computers; we utilized the Apple®-Intel architecture to create Parallels Desktop® for Mac.

Figure 1: First ever released version of Parallels Desktop for Mac

This innovation has continued thanks to all our employees, partners, and customers who make Parallels the success it is today!

Now, Parallels continues to operate independently as part of the Corel family of software brands—so it’s business as usual for our team, partners, and customers. Corel’s plans for significant investments in Parallels will enable us to accelerate our work at innovating software solutions that benefit businesses and consumers worldwide. Although I can’t share details yet, we look forward to delivering brand-new Parallels software in 2019, as well as further enhancing the features and performance of our family of quality software solutions.

As we integrate our businesses, our #1 priority is continuing to deliver the best-quality products and services for our customers. With Parallels being an independent business unit of Corel, this is an easy, business-as-usual transition. We’re learning each other’s best practices, sharing technologies, and leveraging our strengths to accelerate profitable growth that benefits our customers.

Figure 2: Corel and Parallels employees at the Parallels Partner Conference in Malta in March 2019

We would like to say thank you to our entire community for being part of the Parallels evolution and we look forward to continuing our innovations as part of the Corel family.

Check out the latest and greatest Parallels solutions for business and home. Download free trials and experience how easy it can be to save time and be more productive from any device.

Best,

Nick

Co-founder and Vice President of Parallels

The post Parallels Innovations Continue as Part of the Corel Family appeared first on Parallels Blog.

It can be quite handy to keep your Mac awake and avoid your display from dimming or going to sleep. According to Apple® support pages, you can set your Mac to go to sleep after a specified duration of activity or to wake up at a specific time. You can also use a terminal command to achieve this. However, what if you need to keep your Mac awake for a very specific amount of time, or keep it from going to sleep occasionally versus indefinitely? This is where one-click tools included in Parallels® Toolbox come in handy, like Do Not Sleep and Presentation Mode. 

Parallels Toolbox is our all-in-one solution with over 30 tools for macOS® and Windows. With just one click, easily problem-solve to save space on your hard drive, create high-quality content, and quickly optimize your computer for a presentation. Our economical suite of tools replaces the need for multiple applications. 

Do Not Sleep is an easy-to-use tool included with the full Parallels Toolbox suite for macOS or Windows.

Presentations, transferring data, or rendering a video are just a few reasons why you may need your Mac to stay awake. This tool will stop the Mac display from sleeping, and you can customize the duration of the Do Not Sleep tool, too. 

The customizable duration allows users to work worry-free. However, Do Not Disturb just prevents your display from going to sleep. If your needs are a bit more complex, we have another fantastic tool in the Parallels Toolbox suite. 

Presentation Mode disables all distractions to provide a better presentation. Students or employees alike can gain tremendous value to their presentation with this tool. 

While the screenshot above shows Presentation Mode with the duration set to “Until the end of the day,” you have control over the duration:

The ability to customize the duration is helpful for getting set up for your presentations, ensuring you’re hyper-focused, and disabling potentially embarrassing notifications. 

With its economical value and subscription benefits, Parallels Toolbox beats the competition for providing a solution to keep your Mac awake. Not only is it more economical (you receive over 30 additional tools), you also receive more tools on a regular basis added to the annual subscription. With 24/7 support, you’ll always be working with peace of mind with Parallels Toolbox.

Are you looking to download Parallels Toolbox and try it for free for 7 days prior to deciding if you’d like to buy it? No worries, download it for macOS or Windows! 

The post How to Keep Your Mac Awake appeared first on Parallels Blog.