Parallels 10 isn't compatible with 10.6 according to the web site.
Mac Requirements
- A Mac computer with an Intel Core 2 Duo, Core i3, Core i5, Core i7, or Xeon processor (Core Solo and Core Duo processors are no longer supported)
- Minimum 2 GB of memory (4 GB of memory is recommended to run Windows 7 in a virtual machine or if your host OS is Lion)
- About 850 MB of disk space on the boot volume (Macintosh HD) for Parallels Desktop installation
- About 15 GB of disk space for each virtual machine
- OS X Yosemite 10.10 or later
- OS X Mavericks 10.9.4 or later
- Mac OS X Mountain Lion 10.8.5 or later
- Mac OS X Lion 10.7.5 or later
Check that your computer is compatible with Mountain Lion/Mavericks/Yosemite.
To check the model number hold down the option/alt key, go to the Apple menu and select System Information.
- MacBook (Late 2008 Aluminum, or Early 2009 or newer) model number 5,1 or higher
- MacBook Pro (Mid/Late 2007 or newer) model number 3,1 or higher
Your Mac needs:
- OS X v10.6.8 or OS X Lion already installed
- 2 GB or more of memory (More is better - 4 GB minimum seems to be the consensus)
- 8 GB or more of available space
Check to make sure your applications are compatible. PowerPC applications are no longer supported after 10.6.
Application Compatibility
Applications Compatibility (2)
Do a backup before installing.
If you can/do upgrade, I recommend you make a copy of the installer and move it out of your Applications folder. The installer self-destructs. The copy will keep you from having to download the installer again. You can make a bootable USB stick to install using this free program.
