Remove Parallels’ VMs & Applications Without Parallels Installed

Published on August 29, 2016

TL;DR: Skip to the solution.

I installed Parallels several months ago in an effort to get Windows 10 running smoothly on my Macbook Pro. Needless to say, it didn’t work out. I switched to VirtualBox several weeks ago and haven’t looked back.

After deleting the Parallels application, I noticed that Windows applications were still showing up in my Spotlight search results. This was not only annoying but also inefficient. I was constantly accidentally opening Windows applications and receiving the “Parallels Not Found” error.

After several days of this, and 10 minutes searching for an easy way to delete these applications and the VMs that were left behind,I found the two lingeringfolders that need to be deleted(even after you have deleted the Parallels application from your Applications folder.)

How to Delete Parallels VMs and Applications Without Using the Parallels OSX Application

  1. Open your Documents folder and delete the “Parallels” folder. This will delete the Parallels’ VMs.
  2. Locateyour root hard drive folder in Finderand delete the “Applications (Parallels)” folder. This will delete all of the Parallels-specific applications.
Meet the Author

Ethan Thompson is a Divisional Marketing Manager for a global safety company. He has worked in the digital marketing field for 13 years and loves the challenges the ever-changing field brings. When he isn't exploring new digital marketing tactics at his desk, he's out exploring Western New York. During the warmer months, he can often be seen riding his bike around the Empire State and sampling the local beer selection.