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Nov 20, 2018 - This depends on the version of Windows you're trying to install, but any recent Mac should be able to run Windows 10. In fact, most Macs since. Jan 30, 2017 - Curious to see how an Apple MacBook can run Windows 10? We walk you through the steps of installing Windows 10 on the late-2016.
Installing Windows 10 on your Mac isn’t as straightforward as you might think. Boot Camp Assistant doesn’t work very well, particularly when it comes to creating bootable USB installation media.
Fortunately, help is at hand. You can create your own bootable USB installer, grab the drivers you need, and let macOS take care of the partitioning for you. Then it’s a case of sitting back and waiting for the installation to complete.
The Problem With Boot Camp Assistant
Boot Camp Assistant is Apple’s own dual-boot helper tool. It comes bundled with macOS, and is meant to help you create a bootable USB driveHow to Create and Boot From a Linux USB Drive on MacHow to Create and Boot From a Linux USB Drive on MacThere are a few ways to get a create a live Linux USB drive that will boot on your Mac: you can do it with freeware, or get your hands dirty with the command line.Read More, download the necessary drivers, and re-partition your internal drive for use with Windows.
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Due to the size of the latest Windows 10 disk images, this helper no longer works. Boot Camp Assistant formats your USB installation media to the FAT32 file system. The problem with FAT32 is that it can’t store files larger than 4GB.
The latest Windows 10 disk images are around 5GB in size, and contain a single install.wim file that clocks in over 4GB. Microsoft offers tutorials for splitting this file into multiple parts, but they require Windows. On a Mac, you’re out of luck.
If you try to create a regular USB installer using Boot Camp Assistant, you’ll receive an error telling you there’s not enough space on the disk. This is a confusing error that doesn’t make a lot of sense if, like me, you’re using a 32GB USB stick.
The solution is to create your own USB installer and ditch FAT32 entirely.
Download Everything You Need
First, grab yourself a legitimate copy of Windows from Microsoft. You can download Windows 10 on Microsoft’s Software Download website. For security reasons, you should only ever download Windows from Microsoft.
You’ll also need Apple’s drivers for Windows. The downloads available on Apple’s own website are out of date, so download them using your Mac:
- Launch Boot Camp Assistant.
- In the menu bar click Actions > Download Windows Support Software.
- Select a location to save the file, then wait for the download to complete.
Now you’re ready to move on and create an installer. If this sounds like too much for you, check out other ways to run Windows apps on macOSThe Easiest Way to Run Windows Programs on MacThe Easiest Way to Run Windows Programs on MacRunning Windows software on your Mac isn't as tough as you'd think. Here are the most popular ways to run Windows programs on macOS, including the best method for most people.Read More without a full install.
Create Your Own Bootable USB Installer
Microsoft recommends an install medium of 5GB or larger. Some users recommend using an 8GB USB 2.0 drive. I used a 32GB USB 3.0 drive with no problem, but your mileage may vary.
Insert your USB drive and launch Disk Utility. Select your drive from the list on the left and click Erase (make sure there’s nothing on it you haven’t backed up). From the dropdown box, select exFAT as your file system. Give your USB drive a name like WININSTALL and click Erase.
Next, double-click the Windows ISO you downloaded to mount it. The image you mounted should open automatically (otherwise look in your Finder sidebar). Click and drag to select all the Windows 10 installation files, then copy them (Cmd + C).
Now paste those files onto the USB drive you just created (Cmd + V). Navigate to the drivers that you downloaded earlier. Copy the contents of the WindowsSupport folder to the root directory of your USB installer. Don’t just drag the WindowsSupport folder to the drive—copy the contents instead.
Your Windows 10 installation USB is now ready. If you run into issues, check out our Windows 10 installer troubleshooting guideCan't Create a Windows Installer on Your Mac? 4 Troubleshooting TipsCan't Create a Windows Installer on Your Mac? 4 Troubleshooting TipsThings can get tricky when using a Mac to create a Windows 10 installer, so here's what to do if you encounter trouble.Read More.
Prepare Your Mac’s Internal Drive
With your USB drive still connected, launch Boot Camp Assistant again. Click Continue to begin the process, then uncheck Create a Windows 7 or later install disk and Download the latest Windows support software from Apple. You’ve already done both of these.
Leave Install Windows 7 or later version checked, then click Continue. On the next screen you’ll be asked to assign space to your Windows partition. Click and drag the slider (or click Divide Equally) to decide how this space is shared between your macOS and Windows partitions.
Click Continue when you’re ready to start the process, then input your administrator password. macOS will start partitioning your drive. Input your administrator password one more time, then your Mac will restart and begin the Windows installer.
If you receive an error about missing Windows support software, make sure you’ve copied the contents of the WindowsSupport folder you downloaded to the root of your USB drive. If folders like $WinPEDriver$ and BootCamp aren’t in the root USB folder, Boot Camp Assistant will refuse to repartition your drive.
Now Install Windows on Mac
Your Mac should restart and launch the Windows installer automatically. If it does not, or you canceled for some reason, you can restart the process:
- Insert your Windows 10 USB installer.
- If your Mac is running, restart it.
- While your Mac boots, press and hold Option on your keyboard to reveal the boot menu.
- Select EFI Boot and click on the arrow to begin the installer.
Be patient while the installer loads. When prompted for a product key, you can click I don’t have a product key to install Windows 10 regardless. You’ll also need to select a version of Windows to install. Find out how to choose the right version of Windows 10 for youEvery Single Windows 10 Version You Must Know AboutEvery Single Windows 10 Version You Must Know AboutWindows 10 comes in over 10 different versions. We compare them all and explain what they're for and who their intended users are.Read More.
Eventually, you’ll need to specify where you want to install Windows. You should see a partition called BOOTCAMP in the list. Click on it, then click Format and proceed. Once you’ve formatted the partition, you should be able to click Next and continue installing Windows.
The installer will restart your Mac a few times while the installation takes place. Make a cup of coffee and sit back while it completes.
Configure Windows and Install Drivers
Eventually Windows 10 will restart and you’ll be asked for some more information, including your region and keyboard layout. It’s likely your wireless adapter won’t work with Windows natively, so when you’re prompted to connect to a network, click Skip for now.
Now create a user account, select a password, add a few security questions, and wait for Windows to finish configuring your desktop. After a few restarts, Windows will be ready for use. The first thing you should see is the Boot Camp installer.
Click Next followed by Install to begin the driver installation process. Its normal for your screen to flicker during this installation process. Once the drivers have installed, you’ll see a prompt to restart Windows.
By the time you’ve rebooted Windows, everything should work as expected. You’ll be able to connect to a wireless network, scroll with two fingers on the touchpad, use the media keys to adjust screen brightness, and so on.
Windows 10 on Mac: The Best of Both Worlds
Many Mac users buy Apple computers primarily because of the macOS user experience, but the convenience of having both Windows and macOS is undeniable. It’s a shame that Boot Camp Assistant doesn’t work quite like it should, but there’s almost always a workaround to any such issues.
Now that you’ve got Windows 10 up and running, why not check out some of the best Windows software to install right awayNew PC? 15 Must-Have Windows Applications You Should Install FirstNew PC? 15 Must-Have Windows Applications You Should Install FirstGot a new computer or just reinstalled Windows? These essential apps are must-have software for Windows 10, no matter what!Read More?
Explore more about: Disk Partition, Dual Boot, Mac, Windows 10.
- Two things that I found:– the latest Boot Camp Support Software (v5.1.5769) does not have a WindowsSupport folder but I think the files in the root of the image are what you need to copy. Not sure because...– When I run Boot Camp Assistant, uncheck the two boxes, and click continue I get an error that 'the installer disc could not be found' and I can't continue.this could be user error but I think I've done everything as you explained
While Mac hardware is perfectly matched to the macOS, but it is not the only operating system that can be run on your Mac's hardware.
Regardless of the reasons you'd want to, plenty of other operating systems, including many of the Window and Linux operating systems, are able to run on your Mac. That makes the Mac among the most versatile of computers you can buy. Here's what we'd use to install Windows on a Mac.
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Boot Camp
Perhaps the best-known option for running Windows is Boot Camp. Boot Camp, included free with your Mac, allows you to install Windows and then lets dual boot between Mac or Windows when you start up.
Because Boot Camp runs Windows directly on your Mac's hardware (there is no virtualization or emulation to be performed) Windows can run at the best possible speed your Mac is able to deliver.
Installing Windows on your Mac is no more difficult than installing Windows on any PC. Apple even provides the Boot Camp Assistant to partition the startup drive to make room for Windows as well as to install all the drivers Windows will need for all of the special Apple hardware.
- Supports Windows 7, 8.1, and 10.
- Windows runs natively on the Mac hardware for best performance.
- Requires full Windows license for the initial install.
- Can't run Windows and Mac OS concurrently.
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Virtualization
Virtualization allows multiple operating systems to run on computer hardware at the same time or at least for practical purposes it seems like the same time. Virtualization abstracts the hardware layer, making it look like each operating system has its own processor, RAM, graphics, and storage that it needs to run.
Virtualization on the Mac makes use of a software layer called hypervisor to emulate all the underlying hardware. As a result, the guest operating system running on the virtual machine does not run as fast as in Boot Camp. But unlike Boot Camp, both the Mac operating system and the guest operating system can be running at the same time.
There are three primary virtualization apps for the Mac:
- Parallels: The first to bring virtualization to the Mac. Parallels supports a wide range of guest OSs including Windows, Linux, and Mac.
- VMWare Fusion: Fusion is the Mac virtualization app offered by VMWare (a long time leader in virtualization technology.) Fusion supports the installation of many different operating systems including Windows, Linux, and Mac OS.
- VirtualBox: Oracle supports an open source virtualization app known as VirtualBox. This free virtualization app runs on multiple computer systems including the Mac. Like the other virtualization apps, VirtualBox can be used to run many different operating systems including Windows, Linux, and the Mac OS.
Installing the virtualization apps themselves is similar to any other Mac app you install through the installation of the guest OS can be a bit more involved with a bit of customization required to obtain the best performance. All three apps have lively forums and support services to help with tuning the performance.
- Concurrent operations let you run both the Mac OS and any guest OS you wish side-by-side.
- You're not limited to just Windows, a large number of guest OSes are supported.
- Performance tuning and customization is needed to achieve the best performance.
- May impact the performance of your Mac.
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Wine
Wine takes a different approach to running Windows apps on your Mac. Forgive us, this gets a bit nerdy: Instead of virtualizing the Mac hardware and running Windows in the virtual environment, Wine forgoes using the Windows OS completely; instead, it converts on-the-fly Windows API calls made by the Windows app to POSIX (portable operating system interface) calls that are used on Linux and Mac operating systems.
The results is the Window app being able to run using the host operating systems API instead of those used by Windows. At least that’s the promise, the reality tends to be a bit less than promised.
The problem is that trying to convert all of the Windows API calls is a huge undertaking, and there is no guarantee that an app you want to use has had all of its API calls successfully translated.
Although the task seems daunting, Wine does have quite a few app success stories, and that's the key to using Wine, checking the Wine database to make sure the Windows app you need to use has been successfully tested using Wine.
Installing Wine on the Mac can be a challenge for those not use to installing open-source Linux/UNIX apps. Wine is distributed via tarballs or .pkg though I would recommend using the .pkg method which includes a semi-standard Mac installer.
After the installation is complete, Wine has to be run from the Terminal, though once a Windows app is up and running you will be using the standard Mac GUI.
- Free and requires no Windows license.
- Large database for checking app compatibility.
- Not all Window apps will run.
- Apps may break when the Mac OS is updated.
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Crossover Mac
Crossover Mac is an app from Codeweaver designed to make the best use of Wine translator (see above) in a Mac environment. It includes an easy to use installer for both the Crossover Mac app and for installing Windows apps on your Mac.
There is no need to venture into Terminal as is required with Wine, Crossover Mac hides all the underlying UNIX bits and bobs behind a standard Mac user interface.
While Crossover Mac is a better user experience, it still relies on the Wine code for translating Windows APIs to their Mac equivalents. This means Crossover Mac has the same issues as Wine when it comes to apps actually working correctly. Your best bet is to use the database of working apps in the CrossOver website to ensure the app you want to run will actually work.
And don’t forget you can use the trial version of Crossover Mac to make sure everything works as expected.
- Easy installation of the Crossover Mac app and Windows apps.
- Not all Windows apps will run.
- Some Windows apps run but may have features that will not work.
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Microsoft Remote Desktop
This option is listed last because you aren't actually running Windows on your Mac. Once Windows Remote Desktop is set up, Windows is actually running on a PC and you are connecting to it with your Mac.
The results are the Windows desktop appearing in a window on your Mac. Within the window you can manipulate the Windows desktop, launching apps, moving files around, even playing a few games, though graphic intensive games or app are not a good choice due to the limits of how fast the remote Windows desktop can be sent across a network connection to your Mac.
Installation and setup is easy enough, you can download the app from the Mac App Store. Once installed you need only enable remote access on the Windows system, and then select the Windows system within the Remote Desktop app to access and use its apps.
- Free.
- Easy to set up and use.
- Performance limited by network bandwidth.
- Possible security concerns with allowing connections to a remote PC.
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