I am totally new to Parallels. Just installed it on a trial basis, in fact. I've gotten Windows XP up and running in Lion with Parallels, and I installed WordPerfect 5.1 for DOS (don't ask why; it's too complicated). WordPerfect for DOS depends heavily on keyboard control and using the alt, shift, and control key in combination with function keys. Problem: Word Perfect understands a function key all by itself, but it doesn't recognize a function key in combination with the alt, shift, or command key.

In fact, Command-F5 initializes the Mac's voice over feature. I have now deactivated that keystroke combo in Mac, but Word Perfect still doesn't get the keystroke combo. Question: Is there a way to isolate the keyboard completely from the Mac environment so that Windows operates as if it is running via Boot Camp without the Mac in the background?

(I can't install XP via Boot Camp because Lion doesn't support anything but Windows 7. I also can't install Windows 7 because WordPerfect doesn't run in Windows 7, and I need to run the old Word Perfect.). Yes, there is, but... It seems only to emulate keystrokes that one might make on a PC's keyboard.

It does not seem to provide an option to divorce keyboard input from the Mac environment entirely--or to isolate the keyboard input within the Windows environment. Microsoft word reader for mac. If the keyboard control is the only place to go for such issues, then it looks like Parallels isn't the solution to my problem. That same issue with Fusion is why I wound up installing XP via Boot Camp on the older iMac.

Whereas the Alt key's most popular function is to control the menus in Windows programs, the Option key on the Mac is a “miscellaneous” key that triggers secret.

Alternatively I had hoped to create a FAT-formatted partition on my hard disk and clone my other iMac's Boot Camp contents to it, but I wasn't able to figure out how to pull that off and wasn't sure it would boot even if I managed to do it. _____ UPDATE: I think I just fixed the problem. It involved a keyboard setting on the Mac side of the house. While the key combos are a little different, I now seem to be able to access all the menus in WP that I was able to access in Boot Camp. Thanks for mentioning the keyboard settings, though, because that gave me an idea for a knowledge base search that led me to the solution. Didn't think of that. Figured I was one of the few on the planet that gave a rip about it.

From what I can tell so far, it's not a perfect solution but it's enough of one that I can still work with Word Perfect for DOS. I mean, how many people still use that program? I went to System Preferences on the Mac side, clicked Keyboard, and then checked 'Use all F1, F2, etc. Keys as standard function keys. When this option is elected, press Fn key to use he special features printed on each key.' Once I did that I was able to start WP 5.1 and get the Control-function key features by clicking option-function key. The function key by itself worked from the get go.

I haven't explored it fully enough yet two be able to offer a more complete assessment of the effectiveness of this little routine, but so far so good. Bought the program To conclude this thread, I've found that I can do everything in Windows XP via Parallels that I could do in XP itself in its native Windows/PC environment, including running WordPerfect 5.1 for DOS as if I were running it in XP or DOS. As a special bonus, both XP and Word Perfect for DOS run much faster in Parallels on my Mac than they ever did natively on a PC computer. The geniuses who were able to pull this off deserve special accolades that go far, far beyond their monetary compensation. Thank you, Parallels, for the staggering intellectual feat that your desktop emulation program represents. Didn't think of that. Figured I was one of the few on the planet that gave a rip about it.