Screen Flashing in Parallels

[chriskleeman]

So, I'm on a MBP 2.0 Quad-core i7, 8 GB RAM, running Lion 10.7.3.

I've got a Windows Partition, running Windows 7 Professional with Parallels 4. I'm only running one program on it, which is Java-based, a beverage ordering program that runs on Java, VIP. The latest Java updates have been applied.

There are many times, all at random, when my Parallels screen starts flashing and pixelating. I've been looking on the Parallels Forums and am not finding much so far. I have found some posts running Parallels with Ubuntu having this problem, but doesn't seem to apply here.

The only way it stops is to suspend the Virtual Machine, and even then, it comes back sometimes. I've run a virus/malware sweep, can't seem to find anything, wondering if anyone has any ideas.

The Windows Partition is only 50 GB, but I've got over 1/2 the space free. I don't really store any files in Windows, I just use it for the beverage program (VIP).

Any ideas out there?

Chris K

[Paddy]

Looks like it's been a longstanding issue:

http://forum.parallels.com/showthread.php?t=21247

I occasionally have redraw issues with VMWare Fusion - the worst was one time when it was like a blackboard - I moved the mouse, and as I did, that section of the screen would be redrawn. That was truly weird. I just restart VMWare Fusion when that happens. I have 18GB of RAM on this Mac, but VMWare manages to gobble lots of it and not release it. If things slow down, it tends to be the culprit, as quitting it solves the problem, no matter what Activity Monitor is showing.

Are you running the most recent build of Parallels? You could try uninstalling it and then reinstalling it...same with the tools. A pain, but it might work.

[chriskleeman]

Hi Paddy,

Guess I didn't dig deep enough into the Parallels forums, but jeez, most of those posts are from way back in 2008!

I've got the latest version of everything installed, even had an update from Parallels a month or so ago, restarting Windows seems to cure it for a while.

I was talking with a friend up in Ludlow today, he suggested maybe the video driver in Windows? I'll look in my Windows control panel and see wassup in there sometime soon.

This really is a pain in the butt kind of issue!

Chris  

[chriskleeman]

Re-installed Tools, seems to be gone for the moment. I'll keep you posted Paddy.

Chris