Startup and Shutdown Settings

Using Startup and Shutdown settings, you can:

Set whether Windows starts automatically when you open Parallels Desktop
Set which view mode (Coherence, Window, or Full Screen) Windows starts up in when you open it from Parallels Desktop Control Center.
Set what happens when you shut down Windows
Set what happens when you close the Parallels Desktop window
Work in Windows Without Saving Changes

To access Startup and Shutdown settings:

Do one of the following:
- Click the Parallels icon in the menu bar, press and hold the Option (Alt) key and choose Configure.
- If the Parallels Desktop menu bar is visible at the top of the screen, choose Actions > Configure.
Click Options and select Startup and Shutdown.

Set Whether Windows Starts Automatically

Choose one of the following from the Start Automatically menu:

Never: Windows never starts automatically.
When window opens: Windows starts automatically when you open it from Parallels Desktop Control Center.
When Parallels Desktop starts: Windows starts automatically when you start Parallels Desktop.

Note: Windows starts when you open a Windows program regardless of this setting.

Set the Startup View

This setting affects the Windows view mode only when you open Windows from Parallels Desktop Control Center. If you start Windows by opening a Windows program, it always starts in Coherence view.

From the Startup View menu, choose Coherence, Window, Full Screen, Modality or Same as last time.

Set What Happens When You Shut Down Windows

Choose one of the following from the On Shutdown menu:

Keep window open: If Windows is set to appear in a separate window, the window stays open when you stop or shut down Windows.
Close window: If Windows is set to appear in a separate window, the window closes when you stop or shut down Windows.
Quit Parallels Desktop: Parallels Desktop quits when you stop or shut down Windows.

Set What Happens When You Close the Parallels Desktop Window

These settings affect what happens only when Windows is set to appear in a separate window.

From the On Window Close menu, choose Suspend, Shut Down, Force to stop, or Ask me what to do.