There are three ways to install Windows on a Mac. How to install Windows on Mac: instructions for installing a new OS
In practice, there are two ways to install Windows on Apple Macintosh computers with Intel processors: using a virtual machine or using the Boot Camp Assistant program. The first method is most often chosen if you plan to use Windows to install games. The advantage of Boot Camp is that this program is a standard tool for the latest versions of Mac OS.
Let's look at the sequence of operations for installing Windows using the “Boot Camp Assistant” (BCA). We log into the computer using the system administrator account and launch the Assistant, which is located in the “Programs” → “Utilities” folder. Windows is installed using an optical drive or flash drive. If the system reports the absence of a drive (text with a yellow triangle), but it is needed, close the program, disconnect all external devices and restart BCA. If you plan to install from a flash drive, ignore the message and click the “».
Using the Boot Camp Assistant program to install Windows does not require any special knowledge and can be done by almost any user.
Hello dear readers.
There are several major operating systems that many users use. And Windows and Mac OS are considered among the most popular. The latter comes with computers from Apple. When purchasing such units, people try to use existing security. But sometimes some people need to switch to an OS from a “competing” developer. In the following article I will tell you how to install Windows on a Mac. This can be done in several ways - it all depends on the needs of the users.
There are several options for installing Windows on Apple computers. This could be a second system (installed on an SSD or external drive), built into the first, or even the main one. We will review each of these cases as they become popular.
So, one of the most common is the use of Win as a second system. Fortunately, the developers of the latest versions of Mac OS have foreseen a similar situation and have provided the appropriate tool. Therefore, this method describes the option of installing an additional OS via Boot Camp. The application is located in " Programs" In addition, it can be found in the search Spotlight.
For the procedure itself you need:
Download the image with the operating system from the official Microsoft website.
Availability of an empty 8 GB flash drive.
Sufficient amount of empty hard disk space.
It’s worth saying right away that this option is perfect for devices without a DVD drive, since the entire installation will take place from a flash drive.
So, now we need to do a number of actions:
To get back into the Microsoft environment after using Apple's OS, you need to reboot and hold down the Option button.
Parallels Desktop( )
In addition to the additional system, it is possible to place the required OS “inside” the main one. This can be done using a virtual machine. There are various software specifically that allow you to do everything you need. So, for example, you can install via Virtualbox- a good free solution.
But the most convenient and most suitable for OS X is considered to be placement via Parallels Desktop. At the same time, the application is also considered the best in terms of performance and battery life.
This option is perfect for users who need to use programs designed for Windows, but at the same time they only have a Mac at hand. It is perfect for clients who do not want to understand the tangle of settings.
True, there is one big drawback - the program is paid. Of course there is a trial version option. But it will end sooner or later. You can always find a demo version or buy the full version on the official website. It also provides detailed help on all features of the application.
So we need to do a few things:
As a result, users are offered a fully functional Windows that runs inside Mac OS. At the same time, in the future, users will be able to easily change various settings of the virtual machine.
If something suddenly becomes unclear to you, the application provides detailed help.
Computers from the well-known company Apple are very multifunctional and have a wide selection of specially designed software. But sometimes it happens that a Mac or iMac user wants to install the Windows operating system that is already so familiar to them. Sometimes OS Windows may be needed to install some programs so that you can play your favorite games, but there is no suitable alternative for Mac.
You can install the OS yourself. This can be done in several ways, for example, through a utility or using a flash drive. Let's look at the example of applications from Apple, which are called Bootcamp, Parallels Desktop and Virtual Box.
Preparing and installing Bootcamp
This option allows you to install an additional OS on Mac and iMac in a separately created partition on your hard drive. You can choose which system to boot into during startup. The advantage of this utility is that by installing the program through it, all the resources of your PC will be available to Windows, this will allow you to use the Mac’s performance to the maximum. The computer will easily play the latest games and perform complex tasks.
Before installing an additional OS, keep in mind that it will take up a lot of space on your hard drive. Make sure it has the required gigabytes. On average, you may need about 30 Gb.
Before you begin installing the operating system on your iMac or Mac, check and prepare Boot camp. First, make sure that all updates from Apple are installed on it. To do this you need to do the following:
When you launch the utility, you will have the opportunity to select the location where OS Windows will be installed. Before starting the software, you should close all open applications and programs.
Once the utility and flash drives for copying information are ready, you can proceed to the first steps:
Once all files have been copied, the iMac will automatically begin rebooting. Next, to display the boot manager, press and hold the Alt key. On the Mac, the disk menu will open, mark the partition with the name of the operating system. This will be followed by launching the OS and setting the parameters.
To install Windows 8 you need to do the same. Only in the window Selecting Actions"You should check the boxes next to the items " Download latest software" And " Create a disk to install Windows 7 or new».
Installing Windows on a Mac, or rather, setting up the program, begins with choosing a language. Select the correct language right away, otherwise you will have to do all the steps again. Having selected all the parameters in this window, click the Next button, which is located in the lower right corner.
To install the Windows operating system on a Mac, carefully follow all the instructions provided. Do not restart or turn off your computer during the process. The procedure cannot be interrupted in any way.
After your iMac reboots a second time, you can begin installing the necessary drivers. To do this, download them back from the flash drive, install and run the installation program.
Installing Windows via Bootcamp using a USB flash drive
Installation can be carried out either using a disk with the operating system or via a USB drive. To load a program from a flash drive onto a Mac, you must first download it. If we are talking about Windows 8, then the version of this system must be in iso format.
This installation option on Mac and iMac is no different from the previous one. Before you begin, you should also check bootcamp for updates and save all the necessary data. The following instructions will help you complete the task:
But it happens that when the installation media is a flash drive, the utility requires you to insert a disk with the program and refuses to continue downloading the software to the iMac. In this case, you can download the Daemon Tools Lite iMac driver. With its help, we mount the Windows iso image, it will serve as a virtual drive and then Bootcamp will complete the installation process of our OS without any problems.
Installing Windows on Mac and iMac via Parallels Desktop
In addition to Boot Camp, there are several other options for installing an additional operating system. For example, you can use the program Parallels Desktop, which is a virtual machine on the Windows installation. You will be able to run Windows programs without restarting your PC.
You can complete the installation by following the instructions below:
A special feature of Parallels Desktop is the high performance of the program. You can download a free trial version or buy Parallels Desktop using the link below:
Installing Windows using VirtualBox
VirtualBox is one of the popular virtualization programs. With its help, your PC will easily run two operating systems at once. Installing an additional OS via VirtualBox is quite simple.
To get started, enter the query VirtualBox into the search engine, go to the official website and download the program. Once installation is complete, click on the program icon and select “Create”. After this, you can begin installing Windows.
Sometimes it happens that after installing an additional operating system, problems with sound or video playback appear on the iMac. To solve this problem, you need to install on your Mac all the drivers that were previously saved to an additional storage device (disk or flash drive).
After all the steps taken, the installation of Windows on Mac is completely completed. Restart the program and everything will definitely work.
Video on the topic
Not long ago, Apple released a new version of the 13-inch MacBook Air. Contrary to the usual year difference, the new product came out just six months later, however, the changes in it are small: a slightly more powerful processor, and that’s all. Reviewers decided on a desperate experiment - installing the Windows operating system on a MacBook Air. You can find out more about the results below.
In the standard configuration of the new MacBook Air 13, the default Intel Core i5-4260U processor with a clock frequency of 1.4 GHz is installed instead of the Intel Core i5-4250U with 1.3 GHz in the six-month-old model. This gives a very small increase in performance, it can only be noticed in benchmarks, however, the new product is offered to customers for the same money, and the previous model is cheaper. It is difficult to find adequate competitors for the MacBook Air. Models that are more or less comparable in price tend to have lower performance (despite the higher clock speed, the Intel Core i5-4200U itself is less productive than the i5-4250U/4260U).
On the other hand, you can find Windows laptops similar in size and performance, but they will cost much more - it will be a completely different price category, and some characteristics will be noticeably better (screen resolution, for example), which is not always justified in such laptops.
Well, moreover, it is impossible to find a Windows laptop that would last as long as a MacBook Air on battery power. This is due, among other things, to the energy efficiency of the OS X operating system.
How to Install Windows on MacBook Air
It is very difficult to install the OS X operating system on a regular Windows PC, and even then it is not a fact that everything will work. In most cases, the so-called “Hackintosh” is used - a special build of OS X, which, after performing special rituals “with dances and tambourines,” is capable of running on a regular PC. However, if the user is lucky with the motherboard, then after flashing the BIOS and replacing the bootloader, you can even install a completely official OS X distribution, which will even receive regular updates from the Apple server. Some, however, also call this method hackintosh.
But installing Windows on any Mac is a piece of cake. No more difficult than installing Windows on any “regular” computer, perhaps a little longer. The simplest method of installing Windows on a Mac is to use the Boot Camp Assistant utility built into OS X, which will help you partition the disk, configure the bootloader and prepare a bootable USB flash drive with drivers and a distribution image (or without it, if you have a DVD at hand).
Note that even if you prefer virtualization to installing multiple operating systems on your computer, this is also not a problem in OS X: the most popular virtual machine for Mac, Parallels Desktop, allows you to work with Windows installed in Boot Camp and does not require additional manipulations: that is, you can use Windows both in virtualization mode and loading into it separately. But for the purposes of this article we will only work with Boot Camp.
So, we stock up on an external USB DVD drive, an image of 64-bit Windows 7 Home Premium and an 8 GB flash drive. Now it's time to do something small - launch Boot Camp.
First, the utility will ask what we are going to do. The top checkbox: “Create a Windows installation disk or later” can be removed immediately - we don’t need this, because There is already a disc (DVD). Click “Next”.
Since we have already inserted the flash drive into the USB, Boot Camp suggests using it to save drivers and other useful utilities that will be useful to us when working in Windows. The next stage is disk partitioning.
Usually programs that deal with disk partitioning are quite complicated for beginners, but here everything is elementary - you don’t have to do anything by hand. Maybe just pull the slider, choosing how much space on the built-in drive will be allocated for OS X and how much for Windows. We chose the “Divide into equal parts” option.
Basically, that's all. After clicking the “Install” button, Boot Camp will begin preparing the USB flash drive. At this time, you can go have tea, having previously connected a USB-DVD drive and inserted the Windows distribution into it. Boot Camp will work for about half an hour, it all depends on how much you have to download from the Internet. Remember the checkbox in the first step: “Download the latest Windows support software from Apple”? This is what it is. You could turn it off, but we prefer everything fresh. After Boot Camp finishes, the computer will reboot and Windows installation will begin as usual. Select your country, select your keyboard, sit back, enter your product code, sit back again, and so on. Unless you have to manually format the newly created partition (it will be called BOOTCAMP) in NTFS. But Windows will warn you about this.
When Windows installs and finally boots, it will install the very same Windows support software from Apple that it includes.
In total, Windows 7 was installed via Boot Camp in just over an hour with minimal user interaction. Even a child can handle it.
Running Windows on MacBook Air
Windows 7 feels great on the latest MacBook Air.
This is not surprising - the hardware of poppies is quite ordinary.
To help a Mac driver who has just left the friendly and familiar world of OS X and entered Windows - a world little familiar to him and therefore hostile, there is a “Boot Camp Control Panel”, which is automatically installed from a USB flash drive. The icon of this application is placed in the tray and you can always call it from there.
The application has three sections: boot volume selection, keyboard settings, and touchpad settings.
In the keyboard settings - only selecting the operating mode of the functional row of keys F1-F12. Unfortunately, there is no key mapping. By default, the Alt/Ctrl control keys correspond to their Windows counterparts, and Cmd turns into the Windows key (accordingly, to launch Explorer, for example, you need to press Cmd+E). If you connect an external Windows keyboard, it will work as expected from a Windows keyboard. As for the layout, the default will be “Russian (Apple)” - completely similar to the standard Russian layout in OS X, but you can simply select “Russian”, and then the button under Esc, to the left of the “1” key will turn into the letter “Ё” "
There are more parameters in the trackpad (touchpad) settings. In fact, they allow you to bring the use of the touchpad in Windows as close as possible to OS X - almost all the usual multi-touch gestures will be available.
By the way, the logical disk with OS X (which is formatted in HFS+) is also accessible from Windows. True, only for reading. You won't be able to delete anything from it, just like you won't be able to create a folder or file.
By the way, formatting will also not work - the system will throw an error. But it’s still better not to do this - after we tried to format the OS X partition from Windows, it crashed and we had to restore OS X via Recovery. In general, this is the only bug that we found. Although quite unpleasant.
From OS X, the Windows disk (formatted in NTFS) is also readable, but not writable.
Downloading and selecting OS
On a Mac, there is no “traditional” OS selection menu. By default, after installing Windows in Boot Camp, the laptop will boot into OS X without issue when rebooted or turned on. If you want to boot into Windows, you need to hold down the Alt button while booting - then a menu for selecting a boot partition will appear. If you have not installed anything else, there will be three sections: recovery (OS X recovery), OS X and Windows. Select the third one and boot into Windows.
And since Windows will reboot much more often than OS X, which generally rarely requires a reboot, it makes sense to configure the Boot Camp utility on Windows to boot into Windows by default. Even if you very rarely use Microsoft operating systems, believe me, it will be easier. After all, you will have to turn off or restart your Mac under OS X even less often.
Performance test
Let's now see what MBA13 is capable of on Windows. First, a performance assessment based on the version of Windows 7 itself.
Everything is quite expected: fast RAM, a fast hard drive (which here, actually, is not a hard drive, but a solid-state drive), although the system clearly flattered the processor and graphics for games. But when working, as they say, with office applications, “everything really flies.”
We also ran PC Mark 7. The results are as follows:
Is it a lot or a little? See for yourself: Lenovo IdeaPad Yoga 2 Pro with Intel Core i3-4010U scored only 4286 points, and Acer Aspire S7-392-74508G25tws with Intel Core i5-4200U processor scored 5048 points.
But we have one more test left. As you know, the MacBook Air 13 is the longest-lasting thinnest laptop available today. Under OS X, it works for up to 12-13 hours without any “dim the screen brightness, turn off all wireless interfaces, move at least 10 steps away from the computer and try not to breathe.” Well, what about Windows? Easy to check. We carried out the following test: in each OS we launched a standard browser (Internet Explorer for Windows and Safari for OS X), opened three pages in the browser: Facebook, Twitter and Vkontakte (so that they were constantly updated), and also launched an MPEG video for loop playback. 4 with Full-HD resolution and expanded it to full screen. By the way, the screen brightness was set to maximum. In general - harsh conditions and no concessions.
In this mode, the MacBook running OS X worked for 9 hours and 32 minutes. Not a bad result, we approve. Well, what about Windows? Alas, the situation here is not so rosy: 5 hours 11 minutes. In principle, this is not so little compared to the same ultrabooks on Windows, whose manufacturers claim 6-7 hours of operation, but in reality they (if used approximately as we described above) are discharged after 4-4. 5 o'clock. But still, the difference is almost double with OS X. This, by the way, once again confirms the energy efficiency of OS X itself.
By the way, at first we wanted to test without launching the video player, but simply open the fourth page in the browser, from YouTube, where we could launch the Full-HD video. In OS X, MacBook Air 13 worked in this mode for 6 hours 26 minutes (such a low result is explained by the constantly running Flash Player - because of YouTube), and in Windows 7 - five hours, but for some reason in Internet Explorer it was impossible to select YouTube Full-HD resolution (1080p), only HD (720p), and when using Google Chrome, where there were no problems with Full-HD on YouTube, the laptop generally worked for 4 hours 15 minutes. We rejected this test - you can hardly trust its results, because... conditions were unequal. But, if anything, keep in mind: the Google Chrome browser drains your computer faster than Safari or Internet Explorer.
How to Remove Windows from MacBook Air
What should you do if you no longer need Windows on your Mac and need to remove it? Apple took care of this too. Boot into OS X, launch “Boot Camp Assistant” and select “Remove Windows 7 or later.”
That's it, nothing else is needed - the program itself will erase the disk partition that is no longer needed and fill the remaining space with the main partition.
Removing Windows has never been so fast - the whole procedure took less than a minute.
Practice shows that Apple still produces the best laptops in the world. Reliable, powerful, lightweight, energy efficient. But even if the Windows world doesn't let you go, all is not lost. Apple took care of the user and provided him with an amazing opportunity to use Windows on a Mac, if necessary.
If you have never reinstalled an operating system in your life, much less installed several operating systems on one computer, Boot Camp will still not let you get confused. You won’t even have time to get scared - a minimum of questions and Boot Camp will already start working. Well, if you are an experienced geek, then you will certainly be surprised by the simplicity and ease of the process. Although, it is worth noting that not every geek is able to appreciate the simplicity and ease.
Installing Windows 7 on Mac is necessary in rare cases. Apple computers have quite decent functionality, however, you need to get used to it. Of course, if you started your journey as an experienced user with top platforms with Microsoft logos, then you will definitely have problems with Macs. Let's begin with Mac OS is a completely different operating system, which differs in many ways from the usual Windows. In addition, modern Macs have built-in programs for workstations, for example, a pumped-up analogue of “1C: Accounting” or a package of engineering tools with the CAD prefix in the name. A certain category of users liked this functionality, which is why computers with Apple logos are in the black.
MAC BOOK and its “Relatives” are also attractive with their design. Laptops of this family generally have a slightly different keyboard layout, an excellent display with a very decent resolution, a durable body... In general, there are dozens of advantages that justify the high cost of these devices.
Thus, many users, when buying a Mac, suffer for a long time, trying to get used to a different operating system. And it doesn’t matter at all how the Windows fan bought this machine, the main question is how to tame the original product from Apple. And the easiest way out of this situation is installing Windows 7 on MAC.
What should you have on hand?
In order to gain new skills in working with both platforms, we need to get a MacBook or another PC from Apple, a disk or flash drive with Windows 7, 10 GB of free GB on the hard drive, and we will also need the Time Machine program to backup data. Installing Windows 7 on a MAC will involve changing partitions on the hard drive, and this can damage or even delete all your pictures, music, and favorite movies. And the last tip, if your PC is equipped with USB version 3.0 ports, then you will have to use a flash drive of a similar version. Otherwise, most of the ports may fail altogether, and the wireless keyboard will also show no signs of life.
As for the hardware capabilities of the experimental MacBook, attention should be paid to the processor, which is installed under the metal case. Most modern computers from Apple are equipped with a standard line of processors - Intel. These same systems are ideally adapted to work with Windows 7. More detailed information about everything related to the minimum system requirements can be obtained in the description section of the operating system that you are about to download or have already downloaded.
Immediately before starting the installation, I recommend checking whether the Mac will support 32-bit or 64-bit Windows. The capacity of the future Windows may conflict with the capabilities of the MAC. More information on this topic can be found in the description of the Boot Camp program.
Lastly, after you have successfully completed today's lesson, you will need to configure drivers for the peripherals. By the way, if the system cannot independently find “firewood” for Bluetooth or a camera for video chat, then do not rush to despair. Such software can be found independently, and on various resources where the names of operating systems from Microsoft or Apple appear.
System update and next steps.
To search for updates for your MAC, you will need to click on the icon in the upper right corner, and then select “Software Update”. In this way, we will prepare the ground necessary for installing Windows. You can use standard utilities to backup your files, and you can transfer them to the built-in HDD, as well as a solid-state drive.
Installing Windows 7 on a MAC should not conflict with the system you are using. The Boot Camp program was released specifically to solve this problem. First of all, you need to download and then install this program. Immediately after this procedure, we must close all background applications that can take up computer resources, and then launch Boot Camp.
Immediately after launch, the application will ask us to select the amount of hard drive that needs to be allocated to Windows. Remember that for full-fledged work you should choose at least 20 GB. As we remember, Windows 7 itself requires a lot of memory, and besides, you will need additional space to install additional software, as well as drivers for the new system. This particular installation stage is presented just above - by dragging the partition from MAC OS to the Windows panel, we distribute memory between two operating systems. By the way, here you can split your hard drive into additional partitions by clicking on “Partition”. Next, you need to insert a USB flash drive or disk with Windows 7, then click “Start Installation”.
The main installation stage.
Installation of Windows 7 on Mac will continue immediately after reboot. If you don’t know how to install Windows 7 correctly, I recommend reading
By the way, in the future, the computer will reboot on its own. As soon as the system gives you the following window, select the partition to install the OS. The main thing is to select the section opposite which the inscription BOOT CAMP will be visible. And don't forget to format this section.
The hardest part ends here. True, it will take about 40 minutes to complete. Installing Windows 7 on MAC looks very boring, so don't waste time and do more important things. And if you don’t have such plans, then you can go to the nearest stall for beer in order to modestly “wash” another victory over insensitive hardware.
After about a couple of reboots, you will see a new settings window where you need to select a language, set the date and time, and also understand network procedures. In general, standard procedures await you.
Once the installation of Windows 7 on MAC is complete, do not forget to update the drivers for the video chip to get the picture in full resolution. You should do the same with all drivers. By the way, you can use the native disk with software for MAC OS. At the same time, Boot CAMP will start working again.
It may happen that the new system will not boot, giving a “screen of death”, and in the most unexpected place - immediately after turning on the power. Most often, such a problem occurs due to incompatibility of video adapters. Laptops with GeForce 7300 GT video cards and higher versions. To solve this problem You will need to update your graphics card firmware. You can familiarize yourself with such instructions in more detail on any third-party resources, as well as on forums.
After the next reboot, you can praise yourself and open a beer. You got a full-fledged 7 under the hood of the Mac, enjoy using it! Now you can switch between two operating systems, and also begin to master Mac OS, unless, of course, you have already lost such a desire.
Below, you can watch a video that shows in detail the installation of Windows 7 on a Mac. Good luck!
