The best free option for Microsoft and Apple computers. If you want to run Windows, say, in a virtual machine, then you need to pay for another copy of it. We’re concentrating on the. Instead of having to use a second computer, it’s much easier to just run Windows on my Mac. In this article, I’m going to talk about the different ways you can install Windows on a Mac and the advantages/disadvantages to each method.
As Mac users, it’s easy to turn our noses up at running Windows, but the truth is that it sometimes can’t be avoided. Be it for work or for playing video games, running Microsoft’s operating system on Apple hardware isn’t nearly as hard as it seems like it would be.
There are two main ways to go about this: virtualization and Boot Camp. The former involves running a macOS application that allows you to run Windows within, while the latter equips you to reboot your Mac fully into Windows.
There are several factors involved in picking the correct path, including price, ease of use, and flexibility. It’s also important to consider what sorts of tasks you need to achieve with your Windows installation, as that may make the right decision more clear.
If you need access to a couple of Windows apps while you’re running macOS, it’s best to virtualize. Running Windows in a virtual machine (dubbed a “VM”) also allows you to store it all on something like an external SSD, as Boot Camp requires a chunk of your boot drive.
For that trade, Boot Camp offers direct, native access to your Mac’s hardware. If you want to game in Windows on your Mac, it’s the way to go.
Bonus! One more thing…
The Complete Guide to Managing Tasks in Things (Video)
If you struggle to keep up with all your tasks, we can show you some organization tips that may help you.
We put together a video that shows you everything you need to know about a task in Things:
- The difference between start dates and due dates and how to use them effectively.
- How to set up reminders so you never forget an important task again.
- How to use checklists for tasks that require more than one step.
- How to configure daily, weekly, monthly, or even annual repeating tasks.
- And more…
You don’t have to use any of these things in your tasks if you don’t want to. But knowing what they are and how they all work will help you be more organized, save time, and ensure you are using Things in the way that suits you best.
This video is something we have made available for free to our email subscriber community. You can get it right now. By joining the Sweet Setup community you’ll also get access to other guides, early previews to big new reviews and workflow articles we are working on, weekly roundups of our best content, and more.
Virtualization Apps
There are three virtualization apps worth considering.
Parallels Desktop and VMware Fusion are very similar options. Neither are free, but they come with great customer support if you need help:
- Parallels runs anywhere from $79.99/yr to $99.99/yr, depending on your needs. That subscription means your software is always up to date, ready for new versions of both macOS and Windows.
- Fusion follows a more traditional model. The current version is $79.99 for a new license, while an upgrade license will set you back just $49.99.
The third option is VirtualBox, an open-source (and free) option. While there is a vibrant online community around this application, if you are virtualizing Windows for work, I think it’s more than worth the price of admission to pick up Parallels or Fusion.
Parallels
Parallels Desktop is the best way to run Windows on your Mac. It offers lots of flexibility when it comes to which operating systems it can run and it offers a customizable experience to make it your own.
Set-up & Settings
Installing Windows 10 from an .iso downloaded directly from Microsoft’s store took just a few minutes. While most people will probably be installing Windows, Parallels can host all sorts of operating systems:
You can install Windows from an ISO, as I did, or even download a trial of Windows from Microsoft within the application. Additionally, Parallels can download a bunch of Linux distros and even download Modern.IE virtual machines, which are helpful when you need to test websites in old versions of Internet Explorer.
Parallels can transfer information from an existing PC, including that computer’s operating system. You can boot your Boot Camp partition as if it were a VM.
For my purposes, I installed the 64-bit version of Windows 10. After installation, I was prompted to create a Parallels account. This ties the app to Parallels’ website, keeping your license keys and subscriptions updated. After logging in, I was greeted with my Windows 10 VM:
There are a whole bunch of settings that can be tweaked. Things like how much RAM is allocated to the VM and what sort of network access it has can be adjusted. You can grant access to hardware like your Mac’s SD card slot, USB ports, and more as needed.
Parallels comes with a bunch of creature comforts too, though.
It can automatically share the contents of your Mac with the VM and vice versa. This means if you create a text file and save it to your Desktop, it will appear on the desktop of your macOS virtual machine:
It can open Mail.app on your Mac if you click an email link within the VM itself, and even automatically pause the VM when you aren’t using it, giving macOS more resources when possible. Parallels can even sync your clipboard across your Mac and its VMs and add your printer to your VM’s operating system automatically.
For those of us with macOS shortcuts engrained into our hands and brains, Parallels can pass those to your VM so you don’t have to hit
Ctrl + C
to copy when you are used to Cmd + C
.If you want your VM to be completely isolated from its host Mac, you can enable that, too.
Coherence Mode
The integration between host is even visual with Parallels. Running Windows apps can appear in your macOS dock, for example:
By default, Parallels VMs are in their own windows, but in Coherence mode, the lines are blurred. Here’s Finder and File Explorer, side by side, for example:
There’s no Windows background anymore. My Windows apps still look like Windows, but they operate like macOS apps. They appear in the Dock and even the
Cmd + Tab
switcher. Task bar items are even added to the Mac’s menu bar:The clever features don’t end there. The Windows start menu can be opened via the VM’s Dock icon or the Parallels menu bar item when in Coherence mode.
In this mode, Parallels truly blends the VM into the macOS experience. If you need access to a single Windows app and don’t want the visual clutter of actually seeing Windows, this mode is for you.
Personally, I like to think about VMs as being contained islands. I don’t mind some limited sharing, but I want there to be a clear separation.
Performance & Utility
It’s hard to measure the speed of virtual machines. Your mileage will vary based on what computer you have, how much RAM it is equipped with, and more.
In measurable aspects, like VM boot time, Parallels was faster than VMware Fusion across the board on my iMac Pro.
Parallels comes with a bunch of virtual machine management tools. You can create snapshots of your VM to restore to at a later time if a software update goes poorly.
The application comes with Parallels Toolbox, a collection of utilities. I’m not sold on the value of these tools, but they come with a subscription to Parallels.
VMware Fusion
Fusion is the big competitor to Parallels, and while it does not require an annual subscription, it lacks some of the polish of its rival. That said, comparing the two applications side by side, there is very little difference in terms of features.
For some users, it may come down to price. Some users simply don’t want an annual subscription. I understand that, but I have more faith in Parallels’ future. VMware is a huge company, owned by Dell. Fusion is just one product in their catalogue, and a few years ago, it was rumored that Fusion may not be long for this world. VMware denied the report, but I can’t shake the feeling that Parallels is a better long-term bet.
Fusion includes a feature named Unity, which is very much like Parallels’ Coherence mode. The Windows backdrop goes away, and Windows apps show up directly in the macOS interface, including the Dock and App Switcher. However, not all of the resources used are Retina quality, leading to blurry icons in places. Worse, the entire system feels slower than Parallels. Even on an iMac Pro, Unity mode will stutter and have to redraw windows instead of smoothly animating them.
Boot Camp
As virtualization — running Windows inside a macOS app — lets you use both macOS and Windows at the same time, it’s probably the best option for most people. The convenience of having your one or two must-have Windows apps right next to the data and apps on your Mac is hard to beat.
However, virtualization comes with a price: computational overhead. You’ll be sharing your Mac’s CPU, GPU, and RAM across what is effectively two computers. Most modern Macs have more than enough horsepower for this, but if you want to run Windows on your Mac for gaming, Boot Camp is your best bet.
Boot Camp is built into macOS, and supports Windows 10, Windows 8.1 and Windows 7, depending on the age of the host Mac. If you’re running a Mac built in 2012 or later, you should be set for Windows 10.
Be sure to visit Apple’s support pages to verify which version of Windows your machine will support via Boot Camp before you run out and buy something. There’s a lot of fine print here.
Installing Windows via Boot Camp is pretty straight forward. There’s an app in your Mac’s Utilities folder named Boot Camp Assistant. You’ll need it, as well as a disk image file (.iso) of the Windows installer. If you purchase Windows online from Microsoft, you can download an ISO directly from the company’s store.
Boot Camp Assistant will walk you through selecting how much disk space you want to allocate to Windows. This will become a new partition on your Mac’s SSD; the space will be removed from the free space you can access in macOS.
Once the partition is created, you may be prompted to insert a USB drive for Boot Camp Assistant to download the necessary Windows drivers and the OS will install.
Once everything is complete, you can select which OS you’d like to boot into via the Startup Disk preference pane in macOS or the Boot Camp system tray item in Windows.
Boot Camp gives Windows direct access to your Mac’s hardware, meaning it’s a great option for things like gaming or heavy rendering, but for most users who may need access to one or two Windows-only apps, it’s simply too much trouble to reboot between operating systems.
Bonus! One more thing…
The Complete Guide to Managing Tasks in Things (Video)
![Best Way To Run Windows On Mac Best Way To Run Windows On Mac](/uploads/1/2/5/7/125737384/574170035.jpg)
If you struggle to keep up with all your tasks, we can show you some organization tips that may help you.
We put together a video that shows you everything you need to know about a task in Things:
- The difference between start dates and due dates and how to use them effectively.
- How to set up reminders so you never forget an important task again.
- How to use checklists for tasks that require more than one step.
- How to configure daily, weekly, monthly, or even annual repeating tasks.
- And more…
You don’t have to use any of these things in your tasks if you don’t want to. But knowing what they are and how they all work will help you be more organized, save time, and ensure you are using Things in the way that suits you best.
This video is something we have made available for free to our email subscriber community. You can get it right now. By joining the Sweet Setup community you’ll also get access to other guides, early previews to big new reviews and workflow articles we are working on, weekly roundups of our best content, and more.
In Closing
To wrap this up, Boot Camp is great if you need the full hardware capabilities of your Mac to be funneled into your virtual machine. If not, Parallels is an excellent choice. It’s fast, easy to use, and comes with a lot of features that make living in two operating systems easier than ever.
Apple finally refreshed their MacBook Pro lineup in late 2016 with refreshed designs, a new Touch Bar and many controversial decisions when it comes to ports. Despite most reviews being ho-hum about the new hardware many users are still tied to the Apple ecosystem and feel obliged to continue with their hardware.
Nonetheless, if you do have a new MacBook Pro, you can still try the zesty new world of Windows 10 for free and little effort. Today, I'll show you how to do that and give you some tips on what to expect!
Update 29 January 2017: With new MacBooks comes a new guide. With Touch Bars and giant trackpads, there's now more to configure for an optimal Windows 10 experience.
Why Windows?
Apple knows the allure of Windows and PCs, which is why they build Boot Camp right into the OS. Boot Camp lets macOS users create a partition and install Windows directly on a dual-boot system. Seeing as that Apple hardware is just a refined (and pricey) PC, any modern Intel-powered MacBook from the past decade can run Windows.
One of the main reasons Mac users want to use Windows is for the superior gaming experience. Additionally, there are still many Windows-only desktop apps that some users may want or need to run. Finally, there is just the allure. Windows 10 is making many headlines these days and what better way to nab some Apple fans than with a (virtually) free new operating system?
Apple makes the process of installing Windows 10 very comfortable. In this video, I'll show you how in about 45 minutes, you can load Microsoft's latest OS on any new MacBook Pro.
In this case, we are using a 13-inch late-2016 MacBook Pro with 512 GB of storage, Touch Bar, and Intel Iris Graphics 550 for the article. In the video posted below, we're using a mid-2015 MacBook Pro 15-inch with Intel HD graphics. Nonetheless, the same principles apply.
Installing Windows 10 on a new MacBook Pro is very easy. You need two things to get started: a USB drive with at least 4 GB of space and the Windows 10 ISO.
Of course, you should also back up macOS just in case.
How to get the Windows 10 ISO
- Plug your USB drive into your MacBook.
- In macOS, open Safari or your preferred web browser.
- Go to Microsoft's website to download the Windows 10 ISO
- Select your desired version of Windows 10.Most users should choose Windows 10 or Windows 10 Single Language ISOs.Note: The KN and N versions just have reduced (non-baked in) media capabilities due to legal challenges in South Korea and the European Commission from a ruling in 2004. They are best to skip.)
- Click Confirm.
- Select your desired language.
- Click Confirm.
- Click on 64-bit download.
- Save the ISO onto your USB drive. It is a large file (around 4GB), so the download may take a while depending on the speed of your internet connection.
How to set up Boot Camp and install Windows 10 on a Mac
Before continuing with the next steps, save anything you're working on, complete a backup of your Mac, and quit all running apps. Leave your ISO-carrying USB drive plugged in.
- Open the Boot Camp Assistant app. You'll find it in the Utilities folder in Applications.
- Click Continue. Boot Camp Assistant will automatically locate the ISO file on your USB drive.
- Click and drag on the partition slider to adjust how much space will be allocated to the Windows partition.By default, 49GB will be set aside. You can leave the majority to macOS if that is your primary OS, or give most of it to Windows 10 — it's up to you, but you cannot resize the Windows 10 partition at a later point without deleting the entire Windows 10 install and starting over.
- Click Install to start the process of partitioning the drive and installing Windows 10.You computer will restart automatically and without warning. You may see a black screen for several seconds as the partitioning process takes place. After the partitions are set, the Windows 10 installation will begin. The display drivers will not yet be scaling Widows 10, so everything will be tiny (we'll fix this later in this guide).
- Select your language, number formats, and keyboard if prompted.
- Click Next.
- Click Install Now.
- Enter your product key to activate Windows 10. If you do not have a product key, select 'Skip' instead.
- Select the Windows 10 version you want to install. Most users will be fine with Home instead of Pro.
- Click Next.
- Accept the license terms
- Click Next.
- Select the partition labeled Drive 0 Partition X: BOOTCAMP and that its size matches the size you set earlier with the Boot Camp Assistant. Do not select any other partition, as you could overwrite your macOS installation.
- Double check that you've selected the right partition.
- Seriously. Drive 0 Partition X: BOOTCAMP. Nothing else.
- Click Format. The Windows 10 Installer will reformat the partition.
- Click Next to begin installing Windows 10.
- Follow the on-screen prompts to install Windows 10. It will take several minutes to copy the Windows 10 files off the USB drive and install the OS.
- The computer will reboot after finishing installation and prompt you to again enter your activation key.If you do not have an activation key, you can instead click 'Do this later'. You do not need to Activate Windows 10 to install it, but you can activate later.
How to set up Windows 10 on a Mac
- Set up your Windows 10 Account. You will have to enter a username, password, and password hint.Windows 10 will then set up the account and install some additional files, which will take several more minutes.
- On first boot, the Boot Camp Installer will open in Windows 10. Click Next.
- Accept the license terms.
- Click Install. This will install various drivers and bits of software to ensure compatibility with the MacBook Pro's hardware, including the display, trackpad, and Wi-Fi.
- After the installation is finished, click Finish.The new Boot Camp app will be in the Windows 10 taskbar. With this app you can reboot back into macOS and change some settings for the keyboard and trackpad.
How to update Windows 10 on a Mac
Although you are downloading the latest version of Windows 10, you want to do an immediate update. Doing so will get you the most recent security updates and the necessary Intel Iris Pro graphics drivers for the computer. This update fixes any graphics stuttering you may have noticed.
- Click on the Start menu.
- Click on Settings. It is the gear icon in the left column.
- Click on Update & Security.
- Click on Windows Update.
- Click on Check for updates. Windows will automatically search for, download, and install any available updates. You will likely have to restart your computer when prompted to complete the installation.
How to update Windows apps on a Mac
In Windows 10 many of the core apps like Groove Music, MSN News, Weather, and more are Windows Store apps. These are updated through the Windows Store.
- Click on the Start menu.
- Click on the Store button.
- Click on the user icon in the top right corner.
- Click on Downloads and updates
- Click on Check for updates. The Store app will automatically download and install any available updates.Note: The Store app itself may receive an update, and it will automatically close itself to install the update. If this happens, simply reopen the Store app and it will continue to install the remaining updates.
How to reverse trackpad and mouse scrolling on Windows 10 on a MacBook
If you use macOS, you are likely accustomed to the way the trackpad scrolls. Apple calls it 'natural' scrolling, where dragging two fingers up on the trackpad scrolls the content up on the display. This is the opposite from most PCs (and mouse scroll wheels), which typically use 'inverted' scrolling (drag down, scroll up). You can fix that on the MacBook by using a registry modification (directions originally found on waded.org)
![Mac Mac](/uploads/1/2/5/7/125737384/453462128.jpg)
- Click on the Search bar on the left side of the task bar.
- Type Regedit.
- Press Enter.
- Answer Yes to the security prompt.
- In Regedit expand the folders on the left through HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE SYSTEM CurrentControlSet Enum HID.
- Under HID, you'll see some folders that start with VID. Expand each VID folder to Device Parameters. (Note: only one VID folder has it, so you have to try them all.)
- Click each Device Parameters until you find the one that contains FlipFlopWheel in the right pane.
- Double-click FlipFlopWheel.
- Change the value from 0 to 1.
- Click OK.
- Repeat steps 5-8 for FlipFlopHScroll.
- Close Regedit.
- Restart Windows. Logging off and back on does not enable this entry.
Alternatively, you can download the free app flipflop-windows-wheel from GitHub that automates this task. Just download the file, run it and hit 'Flip.' Once again you need to reboot (not log off) to make the settings work.
Use Trackpad++ for a real Windows trackpad
Although you can reverse the scrolling by using the methods above, you won't get Microsoft's trackpad gestures like 3- and 4-finger taps. That's unfortunate, as those gestures by default are used to call up Cortana and the Action Center respectively.
Luckily, there is a free third-party app called Trackpad++ that lets you add those gestures and more through a very easy user interface. Trackpad++ has been updated to support the late-2016 MacBook Pro, giving users the following abilities:
- 2, 3 and 4-finger gestures, such as pinch-to-zoom, back / forward, middle mouse button, new Windows 10 gestures, and more
- 3-finger drag with unique option to increase the pointer speed when dragging (classic '2-fingers with click' drag also available)
- User-customizable option to ignore accidental input when typing, and many more useful tweaks/enhancements
- Improved 2-finger scrolling experience: accelerated / natural scrolling model is implemented, and 3 optimal presets provided
- Improved pointer ballistics (i.e. how the pointer speed depends on the finger speed, comes with 6 built-in optimal presets)
- Trackpad++ Control Module for adjusting the trackpad settings. All possible settings put together conveniently, see screenshot
- Full, native support of the Microsoft Windows 7 (32-bit / 64-bit), Windows 8 / 8.1 (32-bit / 64-bit), and Windows 10 (64-bit)
As a hardcore Windows 10 user, I think Trackpad++ does a solid job of approximating native Precision Touch gestures and the feel of a native Windows 10 machine. It's not perfect, and sometimes there are quirks, but overall it's a fine experience.
You can read more and download Trackpad++ from their website. If you're already a Windows user, I highly recommend using it (and donating to the project if you rely on it).
So How Is It?
Overall, Windows 10 runs fantastic on the MacBook Pro (late-2016). Battery life is great, performance is outstanding, and there is nothing that doesn't work. Even the trackpad experience is quite solid. Heck, even Cortana and the voice-activated Hey Cortana work as well.
From my experience, if you wanted, you could make this a primary Windows 10 machine, albeit a very expensive one.
However, if you are already a Mac user and are curious about Windows 10, I see no reason to not download the Windows 10 ISO and give this a shot. As a warning, older Apple hardware may have more complications, but newer devices should be A-Okay.
Stay tuned for my full experience write-up of using Windows 10 on the MacBook Pro including some more tricks.
More Info!
If you are an Apple and Mac user make sure you check out our sister site iMore for all of their Windows 10 info. It is the best spot to ease your way into the Microsoft world if you mainly use macOS.
- Windows 10 on Mac: Help and discussion forum
For more basic info on Windows 10, including some tips and our vast array of how-to articles, make sure you head to our main Windows 10 help page or jump into our forums!
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