Brian's Brain

May 14 2008 3:51PM | Permalink | Email this | Comments (2) |
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Monday, I decided to uninstall Parallels Desktop from the OS X partition of my MacBook, since:

• I hadn't run Windows virtualized in many months, only native via Boot Camp, and
• The currently installed Parallels v2 software wasn't compatible with my pending Windows XP SP3 update...I'd be forced to drop $50 on a v3 upgrade if I wanted to continue using the program (sigh).

Parallels Desktop includes a Windows-based driver suite called Parallels Tools, which improves the virtualization experience (making mouse movement seamless between the foundation OS X desktop and guest Windows UI, for example). Parallels Tools can only be uninstalled when Windows is being run virtualized, however, so I gritted my teeth, crossed my fingers (like I said, it'd been a while) and booted virtualized Windows (as a reminder, I ran virtualized Windows from the same O/S build that resided on my Boot Camp-created NTFS partition).

Everything seemed to go fine, including the auto-launch-and-login-on-boot of Yahoo! Messenger. I uninstalled Parallels Tools, rebooted virtualized Windows as I was instructed to do in order to complete the uninstallation, then shut down virtualized Windows, shut down OS X and natively booted Windows. My first indication of Parallels' previously deep hooks into my Windows Boot Camp partition came when the Add New Hardware wizard popped up and reinstalled my webcam drivers. Then Yahoo Messenger auto-launched...and was unable to log in to my account. Then I fired up Yahoo Music Jukebox, the foundation of my long-praised subscription music service...and it froze partway through launch.

Hmm. Rebooting the O/S, and uninstalling and reinstalling both apps (repeatedly), didn't improved the situation; I got lockups, DCOM server registration error messages in Event Viewer, and other underwhelming results. Even more worrisome, other programs would subsequently lock up or refuse to fully launch, until I rebooted Windows and explicitly avoided the Yahoo software dross...and I was also getting spontaneous Windows reboots and other undesirable experiences. I barely used Yahoo Messenger, my Yahoo Music Unlimited subscription was a week away from requiring renewal, and the company's fading support meant I'd eventually be shuttled over to RealNetworks' Rhapsody instead...so I decided to cut my losses and cancel the Yahoo Music Unlimited auto-renewal. I don't know what sordid relationship Parallels' and Yahoo's software had, which I apparently untidily (and inadvertently!) severed, but I haven't yet found any other post-Parallels Tools removal application nastiness. Fingers crossed...

Instead, I've just downloaded and run the installer for the Microsoft Zune software application; perfect timing from a review standpoint, as the program and underlying service just received a substantial update. So far, I'm pretty impressed; although the installation routine didn't find any available updates on its initial inspection, and although it demanded that I reboot Windows after installation completed (grumble), I got prompted to auto-update immediately upon first program launch. The UI is sleek and easy to navigate, and (reflective of what I suspected was flagging label support for Yahoo's service) I was able to find several recently released albums that hadn't been available on Yahoo Music Unlimited; specifically the latest offerings from Keller Williams, moe., and Umphrey's McGee. Plus, everything that I'd previously downloaded from Yahoo seems to be available from the Zune Marketplace, too.

My Zune portable player is in storage a few miles away, and gas is back up to $4.09 a gallon here, so it'll probably be a few days until I expand my Zune ecosystem experience by tethering some toteable hardware and transferring some tracks. Until then, I'd appreciate tips-and-tricks ideas from any of you 2 million knowledgeable users (assuming, of course, that most of you have only purchased only one unit so far!). I'll also be combing the Zune Thoughts archives for suggestions.

p.s...anyone want to buy a used, gently handled Sansa Connect? Or a never-used Sansa E260? Sigh...