Your projects do not really disappear. They are still on your hdd, where you have stored them. As you are working in an environment I do not know, the first what I would check is your file and storage system in Windows. Make sure you have it clean and do not store projects in Windows Documents folder. Create a decent file location, which will always be accessible from your Windows installation and store projects there.

If a project disappears from the list in Studio, go to the project location on your hdd and double click the file with the file name extension sdlproj. If you don't see it, use the command "Open project" from the Projects view in Studio and navigate from there to the folder where your project(s) is (are) stored.

And in the end of the day a use of a proper PC makes your life easier with Studio (just my opinion).

Thanks for the advice! Since I can reimport than restore the translation from a TM, I know it isn't actually vanishing, but it is vanishing from projects screen in Trados only. It appears that the issue has to do with trados not being able to find the original import package file the translation is running from. So, when I try to open the package, I get an error saying that "This project cannot be opened in the Studio edition you are using". Still trying to figure out how to fix this, though.

Thanks for the advice! Since I can reimport than restore the translation from a TM, I know it isn't actually vanishing, but it is vanishing from projects screen in Trados only. It appears that the issue has to do with trados not being able to find the original import package file the translation is running from. So, when I try to open the package, I get an error saying that "This project cannot be opened in the Studio edition you are using". Still trying to figure out how to fix this, though.

Not quite what you write. Trados receives the packages (or creates projects) as files on your hdd. You do not have to open the package again, when a previously edited project is missing in the list. You just need to use "open project", but then NOT try to open the package, but the project file (*.sdlproj) from the project location on the hdd.

Trados is loosing projects most probably due to some right conflicts in your Windows and Mac. Windows on Mac shall run properly, but you need to pay attention to your folder and file management. This is crucial for using Trados Studio. So please make sure you can find your files and folders from Windows at any time. Develop a system of storing files, don't let them be stored all around the place. Studio needs a systematical approach to that and hates chaos.

Yes, that makes sense. It's all a bit new to me as a lifelong Mac user...ideally, I will get a windows computer to translate on in the future, but that wasn't an option at this point and I needed trados immediately, so...

It is as you said, that I need to open the project file (not reopen the package), but, and this appears to be documented elsewhere, when the file path gets mixed up, trados then gives an error message when trying to open the .sdlproj file... I had a tight deadline so I haven't been able to troubleshoot this issue further, but am trying to make sure future projects are in a dedicated windows location to keep all this from happening, as it appears that parallels functionality, which enables shared locations, is not the right solution for using trados.

Thanks again!