--- title: Backing up a Parallels Virtual Machine on Mac description: I am using multiple computers for business and pleasure. Most time I work on a PC running Windows 10. Sometimes I use Mac for working with graphics and animation. Fro example, Keynote has some interesting animations that are easy to set up. But even when I use my Mac, I can’t work without Windows. I use a bunch of useful Windows tools not available on a Mac. So I use Parallels to run Windows on my Mac, and always have Windows open in another space. canonical_url: https://www.acronis.com/en/blog/posts/backing-parallels-virtual-machine-mac/ locale: en last_updated: 2026-10-27 --- [Acronis Blog](https://www.acronis.com/en/blog/) # Backing up a Parallels Virtual Machine on Mac I am using multiple computers for business and pleasure. Most time I work on a PC running Windows 10. Sometimes I use Mac for working with graphics and animation. Fro example, Keynote has some interesting animations that are easy to set up. But even when I use my Mac, I can’t work without Windows. I use a bunch of useful Windows tools not available on a Mac. So I use Parallels to run Windows on my Mac, and always have Windows open in another space. [Try Now](https://www.acronis.com/en/products/true-image/trial/) [![Image 2: Gaidar Magdanurov](https://staticfiles.acronis.com/images/content/5fdf40f1e96ea6f14a2264eab3f1ddf9.png)](https://www.acronis.com/en/blog/authors/gaidar-magdanurov/ "Gaidar Magdanurov") [Gaidar Magdanurov,](https://www.acronis.com/en/blog/authors/gaidar-magdanurov/)President 1 min read Last updated 07 September 2016 I am using multiple computers for business and pleasure. Most time I work on a PC running Windows 10. Sometimes I use Mac for working with graphics and animation. Fro example, Keynote has some interesting animations that are easy to set up. But even when I use my Mac, I can’t work without Windows. I use a bunch of useful Windows tools not available on a Mac. So I use Parallels to run Windows on my Mac, and always have Windows open in another space. **A challenge** Parallels Desktop is an amazing product, making working with Windows on a Mac very efficient. The only thing that was complicated – backing up the virtual machine. If you use Apple’s own Time Machine, it will try to back up the entire virtual machine every time, taking up a lot of time and a lot of space on backup media. **A solution (or is it?)** Parallels Desktop provides an optimization for Mac Time Machine. You can disable backup for the VM completely - a very bad idea. Another option is to enable SmartGuard, and then snapshots will be created every 48 hours. This may help performance issues, but this option still consumes a lot of storage on the backup media. **Much better solution to back up a Parallels VM on a Mac** Acronis True Image on a Mac is the only software that can back up Parallels Desktop VMs automatically and incrementally – it backs up changed blocks of data only, a dramatic savings in time and storage for backups. This may not seem like a big deal up until the moment you lose some important data on your VM because you ran out of storage and did not back up or discard some previously backed up files. Acronis True Image also comes with Dual Protection – the ability to backup both locally to an external or network drive, and to Acronis Cloud Storage. Using cloud storage, you always have a copy and will be able to restore all of your data even if your backup media fails, is damaged or is lost. Check out Acronis True Image 2017 for Mac and give it a spin for a 30 day trial. We are sure you’ll be impressed! [Cybersecurity](https://www.acronis.com/en/blog/tags/cybersecurity/) [Cyber protection](https://www.acronis.com/en/blog/tags/cyber-protection/) ## Written by ![Image 3: Gaidar Magdanurov](https://staticfiles.acronis.com/images/content/5fdf40f1e96ea6f14a2264eab3f1ddf9.png) Gaidar Magdanurov President As a President at Acronis, Gaidar is responsible for partner enablement, education, and Acronis marketing organizations. He joined Acronis in 2013 as a Business Manager to CEO, becoming Vice President of online business and General Manager for consumer business in 2016, Chief Marketing Officer in 2017, Chief Success Officer in 2020, and President in 2023. Previously an investment director at venture capital fund Runa Capital, Gaidar was responsible for seed-stage investments, advising and educating entrepreneurs, supporting the business development of portfolio companies, and maintaining relationships with startup incubators and accelerators. Before Runa Capital, Gaidar served in various roles at Microsoft, from a technology evangelist to a Microsoft Seed Fund managing director. Before Microsoft, he worked as a software engineer and IT administrator for various companies. Gaidar holds a master’s degree in chemistry. [Previous post](https://www.acronis.com/en/blog/posts/68-million-reasons-keep-consumer-grade-apps-dropbox-out-your-business/) [68 million reasons to keep consumer-grade apps like Dropbox out of your business](https://www.acronis.com/en/blog/posts/68-million-reasons-keep-consumer-grade-apps-dropbox-out-your-business/) [Next post](https://www.acronis.com/en/blog/posts/acronis-backup-12-closer-look-microsoft-azure-vm-backup/) [Acronis Backup 12 Closer Look - Microsoft Azure VM Backup](https://www.acronis.com/en/blog/posts/acronis-backup-12-closer-look-microsoft-azure-vm-backup/) About Acronis Acronis is a leader in AI-native cyber protection, unifying data protection, cybersecurity, IT operations and hybrid infrastructure to deliver business continuity, security and compliance with less cost and complexity. More than 21,000 service providers trust Acronis to protect over 750,000 businesses in 150 countries. Acronis is headquartered in Schaffhausen, Switzerland. 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