Where does Parallels store data on a Mac?
By default virtual machine files are saved either to the Documents/Parallels folder inside your user folder, or at /Users/Shared/Parallels .
By default all virtual machines are stored in /Documents/Parallels or in /Users/Shared/Parallels folders .
To enable this feature, open the virtual machine's configuration, and click Options > Sharing > Share Mac > check Mirror Mac and Windows user folders.
Parallels virtual machines have expanding disk feature enabled by default. The expanding virtual hard disk is designed to expand automatically until it reaches the maximum of current capacity specified in the virtual machine configuration.
On your Mac, click the Finder icon in the Dock to open a Finder window. Choose View > Show Path Bar, or press the Option key to show the path bar momentarily. The location and nested folders that contain your file or folder are displayed near the bottom of the Finder window.
Most Mac games are found under a hidden Library folder within your user home folder. A quick way to access this folder is to open Finder, then select "Go" from the menu bar at the top of the screen. While in the drop-down menu, hold the Alt/Option key to display the Library folder, then select it.
Select the Parallels icon in the macOS menu and choose Configure. The virtual machine configuration opens. Select Hardware, select the Add button and then select Hard Disk.
In order to recover data, you need to find where the virtual machine files are stored, copy them to a Windows computer, and then install and run the program. After that, upload the files to the program and scan the virtual hard disk. The virtual machine files are in the Parallels folder.
To do this, simply open the file browser on the host to where you would like to drop the files and drag the files from the virtual machine into the file browser of the host. File transfers should be pretty quick; if the virtual machine seems stuck when transferring, simply cancel the transfer and try again.
Note: The Windows disk disappears from the desktop and the Finder, but you can still access all of the Windows files and folders via the Windows PVM file and Terminal ( /Volumes ). By default, the PVM file is either in / Users/<Username>/Documents/Parallels/ or / Users/Shared .
How do I access system data files on Mac?
Open a system report
On your Mac, choose Apple menu > System Settings, then click General in the sidebar. (You may need to scroll down.) Click About on the right, then click System Report. Tip: You can also press and hold the Option key, then choose Apple menu > System Information to open the system report.
- Double-click to Open Files. ...
- Drag and Drop to Open Files. ...
- Open Files from the Keyboard. ...
- Open any File from an Open Dialog. ...
- Re-Open a File from the Open Recent Menu. ...
- Open Files from a Dock Icon. ...
- Open Files from the Recent Items Menu. ...
- Use Spotlight to Open Files.

Also, Parallels needs resources of its own, so whenever the Parallels app is running, it will eat some of your RAM and CPU time as well. It is quite meager in usage though, unless you actually have a VM running.
It is recommended to assign not more than half of your Mac's memory (RAM) to a virtual machine. And if you want to run multiple virtual machines simultaneously, it applies to all of their memory combined.
Running Parallels (or VMWare) is no more taxing than using any other piece of software and won't damage your computer. If you run Windows in Parallels, you should treat that VM as if it were a physical computer with regard to anti-virus software.
On your phone, you can usually find your files in the Files app . If you can't find the Files app, your device manufacturer might have a different app. Learn how to get help for your specific device.
Saved files are stored on a computer's hard disc. The hard drive is a data storage system that uses magnetic storage to store and receive digital data with a rapidly spinning disc coated with magnetic material. In 1956, the hard disc was introduced and quickly became a popular secondary computer storage unit.
By default, Parallels Desktop stores virtual machines in ~/Documents/Parallels. To change the default location for new virtual machine installations: Do one of the following: Click the Parallels icon in the menu bar and choose Preferences.
- Shut down your virtual machine and quit Parallels Desktop.
- Open your Applications folder and drag the Parallels Desktop icon into the Trash.
- Empty the Trash.
- Reboot your Mac.
- In the Finder on your Mac, choose Go > Connect to Server, then click Browse.
- When you locate the shared computer or server, double-click it, then click Connect As. ...
- If necessary, enter your user name and password, then select volumes or shared folders on the server.
Where is virtual machine located?
The Machine Folder. By default, each virtual machine has a directory on your host computer where all the files of that machine are stored: the XML settings file, with a . vbox file extension, and its disk images. This is called the machine folder.
Choose Apple menu > System Settings, then click General in the sidebar. (You may need to scroll down.) Click Transfer or Reset on the right, then click Erase All Contents and Settings.
Open Finder, go to Applications and right-click on Parallels Desktop for Mac App Store Edition. Select Move to Trash. Alternatively, you can also hold down the app's icon in Launchpad until all the icons start to jiggle, and then click the app's delete button (x) to uninstall the app.
- Open the desired virtual machine.
- Choose Remove from the File menu. ...
- Select the Delete option and click Continue.
- The assistant finds all files related to the virtual machine and displays the list of them in the Files Selection dialog.