To shut down a Parallels virtual machine normally, save your work in the guest operating system, then use its usual shutdown controls—or select Actions > Shut Down in Parallels Desktop. Wait for the guest OS to close. Don’t choose Stop for a routine shutdown: it forcibly halts the VM and can discard unsaved work.
Shut down the VM normally
- Save your work and close anything you do not want left open.
- In the virtual machine, use the guest operating system’s normal shutdown procedure. For Windows, use its standard power or shutdown controls.
- Alternatively, in Parallels Desktop, choose Actions > Shut Down. Depending on the interface and version, you may also see a Shut Down toolbar button.
- Wait for the guest OS to finish closing. The VM is shut down when the operating system has stopped, rather than merely paused or suspended.
The menu-bar route documented by Parallels is to click the Parallels icon in the Mac menu bar and choose Actions > Shut Down, or choose that command from the Parallels Desktop menu bar when it is visible. Labels and controls can vary by version. Parallels’ instructions cover the Standard, Pro, Business, and App Store editions. See Parallels’ explanation of VM power operations.
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Choose the right power operation
Parallels offers several controls that may sound similar, but they leave the VM in different states:
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1Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minute2Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problems3Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitches| Operation | What happens | When it fits |
|---|---|---|
| Shut Down | The guest OS closes applications and shuts down through its ordinary process. | Use for a normal shutdown after saving work. |
| Stop | The VM is halted immediately, like cutting power to a computer. Unsaved data may be lost. | Use only if the guest OS cannot shut down normally and you accept the risk. |
| Suspend | The current VM state, including running applications and processes, is saved so the session can resume later. Parallels compares it to putting a computer to sleep. | Use when you want to pick up where you left off later, including before restarting the Mac. |
| Pause | VM execution pauses while its memory remains loaded in RAM. Resuming is faster than resuming from suspension. | Use for a temporary pause when you expect to resume soon. |
Parallels warns that forcibly stopping a VM may cause loss of unsaved data. That is why Stop is a recovery option, not an alternative name for Shut Down. Details are in Parallels’ support article.
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Shut down before backing up
Parallels recommends keeping a virtual machine shut down during backup. Its guidance also recommends backing up before operations such as changing a virtual disk, upgrading macOS, or upgrading the guest operating system. See Parallels’ VM backup instructions.
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