Summary
For Mac users who also need to use a PC at work, home or just with specific applications, there is a solution. Using Boot Camp Assistant, you can install Windows 7 on your Intel-based Mac computer in its own partition. You’ll have a dual-boot system with your Mac OS on one partition and Windows on another. See the prerequisites below to see what you’ll need to do this.
Prerequisites:
Prerequisites:
How to install Windows 10 on Mac You can enjoy Windows 10 on your Apple Mac with the help of Boot Camp Assistant. Once installed, it allows you to easily switch between macOS and Windows by simply restarting your Mac. For details and installation steps, follow the instructions at https://support.apple.com/HT201468. Run Windows on your Mac With Boot Camp, you can install and use Windows on your Intel-based Mac. Boot Camp Assistant helps you set up a Windows partition on your Mac computer’s hard disk and then start the installation of your Windows software. UNetbootin is a Windows 10 USB tool Mac that is completely free to use and can be used in a scenario wherein you have to make bootable USB Windows 10 on Mac system. For this, you need to keep a USB with the.iso file downloaded in it. Follow the steps below to know how you can use this program to know how to make a bootable USB Windows 10 on Mac. Make sure you don’t turn off your Mac or press anything. Finally, you’ll see an “Installation Complete” message and hey presto, you’ve got Windows 10 on your Mac. When you use Windows for the first time, you will hear and see various pop-ups in Windows as Parallels automatically detects hardware on your Mac. Can't decide between a Windows PC or an Apple computer? Here's how to install Windows 10 on your Mac using Apple's built-in Boot Camp Assistant.
- All firmware updates installed on your Mac
- A Windows 7 installation DVD with a Product ID (Full version, not an Upgrade version)
If you do not have Windows 7 yet, you can purchase it online at the Microsoft Store. - A Mac OS X Snow Leopard or Mac OS X Lion installation DVD
- A copy of Boot Camp version 3.3 (4.0 for Mac OS X Lion)
More Information
To install Windows on your Mac using Boot Camp, follow the steps listed below in the order listed:
Notes:
Notes:
- Be sure to back up all your data before following the steps in this article.
- Print this article to use as a reference while installing Windows.
1. Open Finder and navigate to Applications -> Utilities and double-click Boot Camp Assistant.
2. Click Continue on the initial introduction window.
3. Set the partition size for the Windows installation. To change the amount of space to dedicate to Windows 7, click the small divider between Mac OS X and Windows, and drag it to the left.
Note: Windows 7 requires at least 16 GB of hard drive space to install but keep in mind that the this space will also need to accomidate any applications installed and your saved documents. a good starting point might be to set the size 40GB or more (depending on the number of applications you plan to install). Example: Microsoft Office 2010 Professional requires aroud 3GB to install.
3. Set the partition size for the Windows installation. To change the amount of space to dedicate to Windows 7, click the small divider between Mac OS X and Windows, and drag it to the left.
Note: Windows 7 requires at least 16 GB of hard drive space to install but keep in mind that the this space will also need to accomidate any applications installed and your saved documents. a good starting point might be to set the size 40GB or more (depending on the number of applications you plan to install). Example: Microsoft Office 2010 Professional requires aroud 3GB to install.
4. Once you’ve determined how much space you want to dedicate to Windows 7, click the Partition button, or simply click the Divide Equally button to devide the partitions equally.
5. Once the partition is created, you will have a new BOOTCAMP drive icon on your desktop.
6. Next, insert your Windows 7 DVD and click the Start Installation button.
7. Your Mac will restart and boot to the Windows 7 DVD. You’ll be prompted with a window asking which partition you want to install Windows on. Select the partition labeled BOOTCAMP. Then, click Drive options (advanced).
8. With the BOOTCAMP volume still selected, click Format.
9. Click OK when notified that files will be lost. Note: (The new partition will not contain any files).
10. Windows 7 will begin to install, during the installation your system will reboot, when this happens, you’ll need to remove the Windows 7 DVD.
11. With the Windows 7 DVD removed, your Mac will automatically boot back into Windows 7, and the installation will continue. You’ll be prompted to select your language, keyboard layout, Product ID, etc. Follow any additional instructions to complete the installation of the Windows 7.
12. When the Windows installation has completed, insert your MAC OS DVD and select RunSetup.exe when prompted.
13. Click Next when the Boot Camp installer launches.
14. Select I accept the terms in the license agreement and then click Next.
15. Make sure that Apple Software Updatefor Windows is checked, and then click Install.
16. The Boot Camp installer will install all the required drivers.
17. Notifications will pop up with each driver that gets installed.
18. Once the driver installation has completed, click Finish.
19. You’ll be prompted to reboot, remove your OS X DVD from the drive, and click Yes to restart.
20. When your Mac boots, hold down the ALT key to select which Operating System you want to boot to. (If you don’t press the Windows button, your Mac will boot to the Mac OS by default.)
5. Once the partition is created, you will have a new BOOTCAMP drive icon on your desktop.
6. Next, insert your Windows 7 DVD and click the Start Installation button.
7. Your Mac will restart and boot to the Windows 7 DVD. You’ll be prompted with a window asking which partition you want to install Windows on. Select the partition labeled BOOTCAMP. Then, click Drive options (advanced).
8. With the BOOTCAMP volume still selected, click Format.
9. Click OK when notified that files will be lost. Note: (The new partition will not contain any files).
10. Windows 7 will begin to install, during the installation your system will reboot, when this happens, you’ll need to remove the Windows 7 DVD.
11. With the Windows 7 DVD removed, your Mac will automatically boot back into Windows 7, and the installation will continue. You’ll be prompted to select your language, keyboard layout, Product ID, etc. Follow any additional instructions to complete the installation of the Windows 7.
12. When the Windows installation has completed, insert your MAC OS DVD and select RunSetup.exe when prompted.
13. Click Next when the Boot Camp installer launches.
14. Select I accept the terms in the license agreement and then click Next.
15. Make sure that Apple Software Updatefor Windows is checked, and then click Install.
16. The Boot Camp installer will install all the required drivers.
17. Notifications will pop up with each driver that gets installed.
18. Once the driver installation has completed, click Finish.
19. You’ll be prompted to reboot, remove your OS X DVD from the drive, and click Yes to restart.
20. When your Mac boots, hold down the ALT key to select which Operating System you want to boot to. (If you don’t press the Windows button, your Mac will boot to the Mac OS by default.)
Additional links
Visit the Microsoft Store to find Software packages or Updates to your current software, or to search for additional software.
Get Started with OneDrive, if you don't already have an account see: Get a OneDrive account.
If you would like to Migrate your files from a Mac to a PC, see Migrate your files from a Mac to a PC
If your new to the PC and would like to find out what applications work on a PC for what you do on a MAC, see: What applications do I use on Windows after moving from MAC?
Visit the Microsoft Store to find Software packages or Updates to your current software, or to search for additional software.
Get Started with OneDrive, if you don't already have an account see: Get a OneDrive account.
If you would like to Migrate your files from a Mac to a PC, see Migrate your files from a Mac to a PC
If your new to the PC and would like to find out what applications work on a PC for what you do on a MAC, see: What applications do I use on Windows after moving from MAC?
What you need to install Windows 10 on Mac
- MacBook introduced in 2015 or later
- MacBook Air introduced in 2012 or later
- MacBook Pro introduced in 2012 or later
- Mac mini introduced in 2012 or later
- iMac introduced in 2012 or later1
- iMac Pro (all models)
- Mac Pro introduced in 2013 or later
The latest macOS updates, which can include updates to Boot Camp Assistant. You will use Boot Camp Assistant to install Windows 10.
64GB or more free storage space on your Mac startup disk:
- Your Mac can have as little as 64GB of free storage space, but at least 128GB of free storage space provides the best experience. Automatic Windows updates require that much space or more.
- If you have an iMac Pro or Mac Pro with 128GB of memory (RAM) or more, your startup disk needs at least as much free storage space as your Mac has memory.2
An external USB flash drive with a storage capacity of 16GB or more, unless you're using a Mac that doesn't need a flash drive to install Windows.
A 64-bit version of Windows 10 Home or Windows 10 Pro on a disk image (ISO) or other installation media. If installing Windows on your Mac for the first time, this must be a full version of Windows, not an upgrade.
- If your copy of Windows came on a USB flash drive, or you have a Windows product key and no installation disc, download a Windows 10 disk image from Microsoft.
- If your copy of Windows came on a DVD, you might need to create a disk image of that DVD.
How to install Windows 10 on Mac
To install Windows, use Boot Camp Assistant, which is included with your Mac.
1. Check your Secure Boot setting
Learn how to check your Secure Boot setting. The default Secure Boot setting is Full Security. If you changed it to No Security, change it back to Full Security before installing Windows. After installing Windows, you can use any Secure Boot setting without affecting your ability to start up from Windows.
2. Use Boot Camp Assistant to create a Windows partition
Open Boot Camp Assistant, which is in the Utilities folder of your Applications folder. Follow the onscreen instructions.
- If you're asked to insert a USB drive, plug your USB flash drive into your Mac. Boot Camp Assistant will use it to create a bootable USB drive for Windows installation.
- When Boot Camp Assistant asks you to set the size of the Windows partition, remember the minimum storage-space requirements in the previous section. Set a partition size that meets your needs, because you can't change its size later.
3. Format the Windows (BOOTCAMP) partition
When Boot Camp Assistant finishes, your Mac restarts to the Windows installer. If the installer asks where to install Windows, select the BOOTCAMP partition and click Format. In most cases, the installer selects and formats the BOOTCAMP partition automatically.
4. Install Windows
Unplug any external devices that aren't necessary during installation. Then click Next and follow the onscreen instructions to begin installing Windows.
5. Use the Boot Camp installer in Windows
After Windows installation completes, your Mac starts up in Windows and opens a ”Welcome to the Boot Camp installer” window. Follow the onscreen instructions to install Boot Camp and Windows support software (drivers). You will be asked to restart when done.
- If the Boot Camp installer never opens, open the Boot Camp installer manually and use it to complete Boot Camp installation.
- If you have an external display connected to a Thunderbolt 3 port on your Mac, the display will be blank (black, gray, or blue) for up to 2 minutes during installation.
How to switch between Windows and macOS
Restart, then press and hold the Option (or Alt) ⌥ key during startup to switch between Windows and macOS.
How To Get Off Windows On Your Mac
Learn more
If you have one of these Intel-based Mac models using OS X El Capitan or later, you don't need a USB flash drive to install Windows:
- MacBook introduced in 2015 or later
- MacBook Air introduced in 2017 or later3
- MacBook Pro introduced in 2015 or later3
- iMac introduced in 2015 or later
- iMac Pro (all models)
- Mac Pro introduced in late 2013 or later
To remove Windows from your Mac, use Boot Camp Assistant, not any other utility.
For more information about using Windows on your Mac, open Boot Camp Assistant and click the Open Boot Camp Help button.
Run Windows On Your Mac
1. If you're using an iMac (Retina 5K, 27-inch, Late 2014) or iMac (27-inch, Late 2013) or iMac (27-inch, Late 2012) with a 3TB hard drive and macOS Mojave or later, learn about an alert you might see during installation.
2. For example, if your Mac has 128GB of memory, its startup disk must have at least 128GB of storage space available for Windows. To see how much memory your Mac has, choose Apple menu > About This Mac. To see how much storage space is available, click the Storage tab in the same window.
3. These Mac models were offered with 128GB hard drives as an option. Apple recommends 256GB or larger hard drives so that you can create a Boot Camp partition of at least 128GB.