Macintosh computers with Intels Processors can run Windows software by:
- Installing a virtual machine environment — such as Parallels Desktop for Mac
- Installing Apple’s Bootcamp software to divide your computer’s disk drive into two separate partitions — one for Windows and one for Mac
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Pros
Both of these strategies give you:
- Independence — you can use Windows applications at any time and from any location — whenever and wherever you have your computer with you.
- Flexibility — you can install the software you want to use.
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Cons
But, the tradeoff is that there’s a bit of setup required to make that possible.
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Parallels vs. Bootcamp — Which option should you choose?
- Virtual environments are more convenient to use. There’s no need to reboot your computer to switch operating systems. Mac and Windows software can be used at the same time.
- Virtual environments require more RAM memory:
- To use a virtual environment, you’ll need at least 8 gigabytes of RAM on your Mac (so you can allocate 4 gigabytes of RAM to the virtual machine when it is running).
- So, if your Mac has less than 8 gigabytes of RAM memory, you’ll need to use the Bootcamp option.
- Bootcamp typically requires more disk space. A Bootcamp partition is created by subdividing the free space on your Mac's primary disk drive. The disk space used to create the Windows partition will not be available for your work in the Mac OS partition.
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Requirements - To Install Parallels
To install a virtual machine environment, you’ll need:
- At least 45 GB for free disk space on your computer to host the Windows environment and applications.
- Note: Parallels can be set up on an external disk drive if your Mac's primary disk drive does not have space available. See: Running Parallels from an External Hard Disk
- A copy of Windows 10 or 11
- A Windows environment. For Apple Silicon Macs, the recommended environment is Parallels Desktop for Mac.
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Requirements - To Install Bootcamp
To install Apple’s Bootcamp software, you’ll need:
- At least 60 GB for free disk space on your computer to host the Windows environment and applications. Note that in practice you’ll actually need more disk space to have space available for the Mac OS.
- A copy of Windows 10 or 11 (which is available for free).
- Apple’s Bootcamp Assistant software (available in Mac OS 10.5 Leopard thru Mac OS 10.14 Mojave).
Steps to Follow
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Step 1: Create a Windows environment on you computer
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- On your Mac, go to: Applications > Utilities > Boot Camp Assistant
- Follow the prompts to repartition your Mac hard disk, giving at least 45 GB to the Windows partition.
- Navigate to the downloaded Windows ISO file when prompted by Boot Camp Assistant.
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- You can purchase Parallels Desktop for Mac for $69.99/year (for the Standard Edition, which is sufficient) or $79.99/year (for the Pro Edition).
- Run the Parallels Desktop Installer, then create a new virtual machine for your Windows installation.
- Choose the Get Windows 11 from Microsoft option from Create New window in the Parallels Desktop installer.
- The Windows 11 installation will not be activated, but you can still use it to run applications.
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Step 2 (Parallels Only / Skip if Using Bootcamp): Configure Your Parallels Virtual Machine
- After creating your Parallels virtual machine, configure it to provide at least 4 GB of RAM to the Windows environment. Configuring your Parallels virtual machine
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Step 3 (Optional): Activate Windows
- You can activate Windows at any time by:
- Opening the Activation Settings window, then:
- Entering a Windows 11 product key that you’ve purchased from any source.
- You can purchase a Windows 11 product key from many sources. Here are a few options to consider, or check the web for other deals.
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IMPORTANT: Choose any digital vendor carefully. If the price seems too good to be true, proceed with caution.
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