Question

Parallel 4 shift, alt, ctrl key not working

Asked by: pupdak

I'm using Parallel 4, the newest version, to run Windows 7 and XP.  Host OS is OS X 10.5.6, Parallel build is 4.0.3810.  This issue occurs for ALL of my Windows guest OS's.  The Shift, Alt and Ctrl keys are not recognized.  This makes it difficult when passwords have capital letters in them.

I have opened a ticket with Parallel, however, the only thing i get from them is to uninstall and re-install parallel tools on the guest os.  That doesn't work!  I've completely uninstalled Parallel, reinstalled it, and reinstalled the guest OS.  Still the same thing.  SOMETIMES the keys work fine, but there is no rhyme, reason or pattern to when it does / does not work.  Most of the time it just doesn't work.

Any ideas?

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Asked On
2009-01-22 at 11:24:50ID24075218
Tags

Parallel 4

,

keyboard

Topics

Parallels

,

Apple Software

Participating Experts
2
Points
250
Comments
8

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Answers

 

by: MiniDevoPosted on 2009-01-22 at 12:20:20ID: 23443182

Does this issue occur when just Windows XP is installed without Windows 7?

 

by: pupdakPosted on 2009-01-22 at 12:59:06ID: 23443590

I do not remember, but i've found some more useful info on this.  I"m working on the solution right now.  It appears as though, at least in Windows 7, the keybaord is being detected as a standard PS/2, not an HID Device.  I figured this out when i attached an external USB keyboard to my computer and set it to be used completely with the virtual machine, it installed as an HID device.  and worked completely.  The SAME USB keyboard, if i had it set to be connected to the Mac, not Windows, it only detected it as a Standard PS / 2.

So, where i go from here, not sure.  I have a support ticket in with Parallel, as well.

 

by: MiniDevoPosted on 2009-01-22 at 13:10:21ID: 23443684

Well, off the bat Windows 7 isn't support due to various drivers issues that have already been experienced. I've experienced something similar with Windows 2k and Parallels. I ended up using a bluetooth/wireless keyboard as it was seen through the bluetooth control panel.

 

by: pupdakPosted on 2009-01-22 at 13:17:19ID: 23443752

I understand it's not supported, but i don't see how it's a Windows 7 issue.  I mean, Parallels won't even recognize the key's to release the keyboard and mouse from the virtual machine, at all.  And even so, how would installing Windows 7 break the use of the keyboard in Windows XP, too?  They're COMPLETELY different Virtual Machines.  This is a Parallel wide issue.  NOT just with Windows 7.  It's with every single virtual machine i have.  I have 3 XP and one Windows 7.  All of them do the same thing.

It's almost as though there's something wrong with the keyboard translation in Parallels between the Host and Guest Operating Systems.  LIke i said, when i have it connected DIRECTLY to the guest OS, it works fine.  And detects the keyboard as an HID (USB) device.  If i have the keyboard attached to the Host OS, parallels passes the keyboard over as a Standard PS/2 keyboard, and that's when the shift, ctrl, alt keys don't work.

All 3 of my XP machines worked fine with Parallels 3.  But were broken when i upgraded to 4.

 

by: IIMSExpertPosted on 2009-03-09 at 13:14:00ID: 23840312

I know it sounds weird but we had a similar problem and fixing the file permissions in OSX through the Disk Utility helped. Try it out and see if it helps.

 

by: IIMSExpertPosted on 2009-03-09 at 13:45:52ID: 23840671

I found this in the Parallels forum:

"this is a known issue. We are sorry for the inconvenience caused.
You can try the following to get rid of this strange keys behaviour: hide Parallels (Command + H), then restore again.
Parallels developers are working to fix the bug.

Best regards,
Xenos "

Hope it helps.

 

by: pupdakPosted on 2009-03-10 at 06:55:13ID: 23846676

Thanks.  Repairing permissions didn't help, though i didn't even think of trying that.  Thanks for that help.

At this point, i HAVE to be able to use it.  so i've switched to VMWave Fusion, which works SO much better than Parallels at this point.

Thanks for your help and ideas!

 

by: pupdakPosted on 2009-03-10 at 06:56:39ID: 31537841

Thank you!  I kept looking on the Parallels site, but they appeared stumped.  I must have caught this issue when it first reared it's ugly head!  Thanks for posting that!

20120131-EE-VQP-002

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