How To Run Windows 10 on Your Mac

If you prefer to use Windows but have a Mac because of the functionality, you’re in luck – there is a way for you to install Microsoft Windows on your Mac and switch between macOS and Windows when booting up your Mac. Before we jump into how you can install Windows 10, let’s explore why you might need Windows on your Mac –

Next, you want to ensure you have a device that can support Windows installation. Most MacBooks like Pro and Air, iMacs and iPads support this process. You can get the complete information from Apple’s website. M1 Macs launched in November 2020 with Apple M1 chip cannot run Windows.

Then, your system must meet these prerequisites:

Here are the steps to install Windows with Boot Camp Assistant:

1. Verify your Secure Boot setting

If you switched your Secure Boot Setting to ‘No Security’, change it to ‘Full Security’. After installing Windows, you can change this at will.

2. Partition your hard drive for Windows 

To create a Windows partition, visit Applications -> Utilities.

Follow the instructions you see on the screen suggested by the Boot Camp Assistant.

If asked to plug in a USB drive, do so. Boot Camp Assistant will use this to make the USB drive bootable for Windows installation. 

Next, you will be asked to choose the Windows partition’s size. Make sure you select the correct size because it cannot be changed later. Note: Set it as 64GB or 128GB, depending on your system. 

3. Prepare the hard drive for Windows partition

Your Mac will restart after the previous step. Now you will have to choose the location to install Windows. Select the ‘BOOTCAMP partition’ and hit ‘Format.’

4. Run Windows OS

Remove external devices like the mouse or keyboard that are not necessary for installation. Click ‘Next’ and go through the steps shown on the screen to install Windows. 

5. Follow the instructions to run Boot Camp in Windows

Once the installation is complete, you will see this message: ‘Welcome to the Boot Camp installer’. On the screen, you will see some instructions that will help you run Boot Camp and the drivers needed for Windows. Once it’s done, you will have to reboot your computer. 

Note: If you face an issue with the above, you can run it manually. 

Switching from Windows to macOS and vice-versa

Reboot the system, click the Option key for a few seconds to switch from one Operating System to the other. The slight disadvantage of Boot Camp is if you need to use Mac apps, you will have to reboot your system and then choose Mac. There is no way to switch the operating systems quickly with Boot Camp. 

Instead, you can choose a process called virtualization, which involves using virtualization programs like Parallels Desktop to create a virtual machine that runs Windows and Mac simultaneously without needing you to reboot. The pitfall of running two operating systems is that it requires a lot of processing power and slows down your system.

Can you run macOS on a PC?

The short answer is no. macOS is designed to work on a Mac and is not compatible with any other hardware. But, you can download skins on Windows to make it look more like Mac. It will not change the functionality, but you will be able to mimic how a Mac looks.

If you are really curious about installing macOS on a PC or how people commonly refer to this as Hackintosh, you can look at some advanced options like using virtual machine software. 

You should know that the license that comes with Apple’s macOS expressly forbids doing this, so you should only carry this out at your own risk.

A virtual machine software replicates the environment of a computer. Using VirtualBox or VMWare Fusion, it is possible for you to run macOS on a PC. 

To carry this out, you need a PC with an Intel processor that is 64bits. You will also need a ‘virtual image’ of the macOS version you are looking to run and a source that is reliable enough to provide this. But this is still an extremely complicated process and not one that is recommended for most people.