Parallels Toolbox for Mac and Windows gets cool new features

Parallels Toolbox for Mac and Windows -- a suite of easy-to-use tools that turn tedious everyday computing tasks into a few clicks -- gets an update.

Written by Adrian Kingsley-Hughes, Senior Contributing Editor Feb. 20, 2018 at 6:00 a.m. PT

Parallels, the company best known for developing a tool that allows Mac users to run Windows alongside macOS, has launched Parallels Toolbox 2.5 for Mac and Parallels Toolbox 1.5 for Windows.

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This updated suite of easy-to-use tools streamlines all routine computing chores that you do many times a day and turn them into actions you can carry out with a click or two, massively boosting their productivity.

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The updated suite contains new tools, and some updated tools:

New tools in Parallels Toolbox 2.5 for Mac include:

Screenshot Page - Capture and print lengthy web pages that don't fit into your screen This is a super easy way to screenshot long web pages into a flat image. It doesn't matter if the page is way longer than the screen because the tool will auto-scroll to make the capture possible.
I've been a long-term user of SnagIt for years now, but this feature is fast becoming my go-to tool.

Full suite of capture settings.
Free Memory - Reclaim RAM memory and optimize its consumption on your Mac Need a little more RAM to carry out a task? The Free RAM tool can offer you a little relief, although in testing I find that this tool can be a bit hit-and-miss - sometimes it frees up a lot of RAM and other times not much at all. But what have you got to lose?
I find that macOS is already very good at managing RAM, but if you do a lot of switching between resource-hungry applications, this can be a way to free up memory without having to reboot.

Before and after running Free RAM
Resize Images - Batch convert images to your desired file size and format
I work with a lot of images in a day, and being able to carry out batch resizing or switch between file formats easily is a massive time saver. I've used this to batch convert well over 100 images and it handled it quickly, easily and effortlessly, and was much better than my previous workflow that involved either Photoshop or using SnagIt.

Resizing a handful of images

New tools in Parallels Toolbox 1.5 for Windows include:

Presentation Mode - Avoid embarrassing disruptions Put an end of a cluttered desktop, random notifications, emails popping up and your PC going to sleep ruining your presentation. A single click of a button can put an end to all this!
Clean Drive - Reclaim disk space before you run out
Find duplicate files, uncover what the largest files on your hard drive are, and send them to oblivion with a couple of clicks. Deleting files is not necessarily the safest way to free up disk space, but the ability to root out huge files or duplicates is one of the safest. The ability to find duplicate files -- even if they've been renamed and moved to a different folder -- is especially useful.
Switch Resolution - Instantly make your screen easy on the eyes
A quick and easy way to switch screen resolutions without having to dig in the bowels of Windows.

Parallels Toolbox Business Edition

IT admins get total control with Parallels Toolbox Business Edition, so they can configure licensing and have control over what features users get access to.

Don't want people deleting files? No problems? Block screenshotting? Easy. Remove the ability to download videos or make GIFs? I don't blame you!

"Many employees lose valuable time every week struggling with how to get basic things done simply and quickly -- like prevent presentation disruptions, clean the drive, record video of their screen to share or convert to the right format, securely archive files and more. Available solutions are unnecessarily complex, and manual steps can be hard to remember," said Jack Zubarev, President of Parallels. "With Parallels Toolbox, users and businesses can quickly accomplish common tasks in just a click, and it provides an ever-growing suite of tools at their fingertips to get things done and be more productive."

Parallels Toolbox 2.5 for Mac and Parallels Toolbox 1.5 for Windows are available today as a stand-alone product and cost $19.99 per year per seat.