If you own Intel-based Macs, you can run OS X and Windows on one machine. In fact, it’s been possible to run Windows on a Mac for some time — with agonizing limitations. Near-extinct Mac models were loaded with Virtual PC emulation software could do Windows, too, but the program was painfully slow. Even if you find an old copy of the software, it won’t work with any current Macs.
Boot Camp software from Apple shook up the computing public upon its apocalyptic arrival in April 2006. Boot Camp graduated from beta, or near-finished, status with the arrival of Leopard. Boot Camp Assistant software is stored in the Utilities folder inside the Applications folder.
How To Run Mac Software In Windows
Boot Camp itself is free. You have to supply your own single-disc or downloadable full-install version of Windows; an upgrade disc won’t cut it.
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It’s also important to note that you can use a 64-bit version of Windows, Windows 7 (Home Premium, Professional, or Ultimate), Windows 8, or Windows 8.1. Consult Apple support to see which Mac models are compatible with which versions of Windows. In its current incarnation, Boot Camp isn’t compatible with 32-bit versions of Windows.
Other requirements follow:
- An Intel Mac with OS X version 10.6 or later
- At least 2GB of RAM and 20GB of available space on the Mac’s storage drive that you want to donate to Windows
- A blank CD or USB storage device that you’ll use for Windows software drivers
If you don’t run into snags, the entire installation should take about an hour.
Windows 8 and Windows 8.1 are optimized for a touchscreen environment, though you can use it with a standard mouse and keyboard. For now, Macs don’t support touchscreen computing.
To install Windows 8 via Boot Camp, you still must have a legitimate Windows 8 license from Microsoft and a Win8 installation disc, assuming that you have an optical drive. If you don’t have an optical drive, you may be able to create a Windows installer from an ISO file downloaded from Microsoft on a USB flash drive that’s 8GB or larger.
Because snags are possible, back up all your important information on the Mac’s startup disk.
Basic training
Following are the basic steps to get through Boot Camp:
- Run Boot Camp Assistant (in the Utilities folder inside the Applications folder) to make sure that you have the latest firmware on your computer and to install any support software from Apple that you might need.You’ll find any updates at Apple support. If you’re using a portable computer, make sure to connect the power adapter. You will also be given the option to create a Windows 7 (or later version) install disk for which you’ll need a USB flash drive and an ISO image downloaded from Apple.
- Follow the prompts in Boot Camp Assistant to create a partition for Windows.You’re essentially carving out an area of your hard drive for the Windows operating system,. This partition must be at least 30GB and can swell to the total free disk space on hand minus 30GB. If you don’t plan on doing much in Windows, keep the partition small.Drag the divider to set the partitions for both OS X and Windows, or click Divide Equally to make equal partitions. You can’t resize a Windows partition after creating it, though you can replace it with a larger Windows partition.If you have a Mac Pro with more than one internal hard drive, you can select which drive to partition. If any of this makes you nervous, know that you can remove the Windows partition later and go back to a single-partition Mac.
- Insert the Windows CD or a USB flash drive with the Windows ISO file and then click Start Installation.If you exited Boot Camp Assistant before installing Windows, open it again, choose Start the Windows Installer, and click Continue.
- When you’re asked to choose the Windows partition, select the partition that says BOOTCAMP.You may have to scroll down to see it.Don’t erase any partitions that you see or create a new partition here. Failure to heed this warning could wipe out your entire Mac OS X startup disk.
- (Optional) If you see a listing for Drive Options, click it; otherwise, proceed to Step 6.
- Reformat the partition by using the Windows installer: Click Format.You’re using the reliable and secure NTFS file system, but you won’t be able to save files to Windows from Mac OS X, at least not without a techie workaround.
- Follow the onscreen instructions to finish installing Windows.Boot Camp 5.1 includes several Mac drivers so that Windows will recognize your trackpad, Thunderbolt, USB 3.0, the iSight (or FaceTime) camera, the Eject key on the Mac keyboard, networking, audio, graphics, and so on.A Boot Camp Control Panel for Windows and an Apple Boot Camp system-tray item will be added.
As with any new Windows computer, Microsoft requires that you activate your Windows software within 30 days.
Switching operating systems
You can go back and forth between OS X and Windows on your Mac, but you can’t run both operating systems simultaneously under Boot Camp. Instead, you have to boot one operating system or the other — thus, the name Boot Camp.
Restart your Mac, and hold down the Option key until icons for each operating system appear onscreen. Highlight Windows or Macintosh HD, and click the arrow to launch the operating system of choice for this session.
If you want OS X or Windows to boot every time, choose app → System Preferences, click Startup Disk, and choose the OS you want to launch by default.
You can perform the same function in Windows by clicking the Boot Camp system-tray icon and selecting the Boot Camp Control Panel. Click either the Macintosh HD or Windows icon, depending on your startup preference.
Have you ever found a piece of amazing software, only to realize it is Mac-only? With such a vast range of software available for Windows machines, it is a rarity. But, at times, there are just some apps that are better on macOS.
If you have a Windows 10 system, there are very few ways you can run Mac apps on your device. However, it isn’t impossible.
Here’s how you run Mac apps on your Windows 10 machine, for free.
Step 1: Create a macOS Virtual Machine
The easiest way to run Mac apps on your Windows 10 machine is with a virtual machine. While it is the easiest method, it is also a lengthy process. Don’t worry!
Follow my tutorial on How to Run macOS on Windows in a Virtual Machine How to Run macOS on Windows 10 in a Virtual MachineUnsure if you will get along with a Mac? Learn how to run macOS on Windows 10 with the help of a virtual machine. Read More .
The tutorial will guide you through the virtual machine download and installation process, how to download the macOS operating system, and how to install it in the virtual machine.
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Once your macOS virtual machine is up and running, return to this tutorial to find out how to install your Mac apps.
Step 2: Log Into Your Apple Account
From here, downloading and using an Apple app is very similar to the regular macOS experience. You still need to log in to your Apple account to download and use apps from the App Store.
Run Mac Program On Windows 10
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Step 3: Download Your First macOS App
Once you sign into your account, you have the run of the App Store. You can install almost any macOS software you want in your virtual machine.
Select the App Store from the Dock at the bottom of the screen. You may well have to enter your Apple ID credentials again.
Browse to the macOS app you want to download. Hit Get, then Install. After installation completes, select Open, and you’re good to go. For instance, here’s an example where I am using Downlink to put an automatically update my background with satellite images.
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Step 4: Save Your macOS Virtual Machine Session
Saving the state of your macOS virtual machine session is easy. Why? Well, you’re using a virtual hard disk. The changes you make to the virtual machine save in the virtual hard drive, ready for the next time you want to open the macOS virtual machine and continue using the Apple Apps on your Windows machine.
The best way to shut down the macOS virtual machine is from within macOS itself. Both VirtualBox and VMware have an option to power down on command, but as with physical hardware, this can cause an issue. In fact, a sudden shutdown on your virtual machine can corrupt the virtual drive.
Select the Apple logo in the top-right corner, then Shut Down. The operating system will close in the correct sequence, then the virtual machine will close.
Snapshot or Power Off?
VirtualBox users also have the option to take a snapshot. A snapshot saves the current state of the virtual machine, allowing you to create a string of snapshots as you use Apple apps and the macOS operating system.
Run Mac Program Windows
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Snapshots are handy if you are about to attempt something that might damage your virtual machine. A snapshot allows you to restore the virtual machine to the previous state, picking up where you left off.
The free version of VMware doesn’t have the same functionality, unfortunately.
Still, you shouldn’t rely on a snapshot to back up your virtual machine activities, nor are snapshots suitable as an alternative to shutting down your virtual machine using the macOS Shut Down option.
The Apple Apps Aren’t Very Fast
Your macOS virtual machine isn’t working well? Or are the macOS apps you’re downloading not running as you expect?
The thing to remember is that your virtual machine doesn’t have the same processing power as your host machine. That is because your virtual machine is sharing the system resources of the host. You may well have a very powerful host machine, with incredible amounts of RAM and multi-core Intel i9 processor. But the vast majority don’t.
What I’m saying is, don’t expect too much from the software you install. It isn’t the same as installing and testing on a dedicated Mac.
Updating Your macOS Virtual Machine
In a word, don’t.
If you update your macOS virtual machine on either VirtualBox or VMware, there is a very strong chance your macOS virtual machine will stop working.
Due to the nature of the configuration of the virtual machines, the update process is not the same as a regular macOS installation on proper hardware. The patches and workarounds that make the macOS virtual machine work with a particular version may not work with the update.
Of course, you are welcome to try, but know that you could lose everything in the virtual machine in the process.
MacinCloud: A Cloud-Based Alternative?
Running a macOS virtual machine to use Apple apps isn’t an option for everyone. While you can get away with running your macOS virtual machine with 4GB RAM, your experience will suffer. Older machines certainly won’t handle the requirements.
One alternative is to use a cloud-based macOS environment. macOS cloud environments are predominantly for Apple app and macOS development, but you can still run an app if you wish. The downside is the cost of the cloud service and the latency between your system and the cloud server.
Using Apple Apps on Windows 10
The vast majority of Apple apps now also have Windows equivalents or alternatives. Many have a Linux equivalent, too. All it takes is a quick internet search, and you will find the equivalent app, perhaps saving you a heap of time in the process.
Do also note that using macOS on non-Apple hardware is against Apple’s End User License Agreement (EULA).
Running a macOS virtual machine to test an app is handy, but only if you have the correct hardware and a little time to get it all set up. Of course, you can also consider installing Windows your Mac 4 Reasons Why You Should Install Windows on Your MacLots of people install Windows on their Mac, but why? Here are the best reasons to install Windows on your Mac. Read More . Plus, you can use a virtual machine to test other operating systems, too. Here’s a guide on how to install Linux in Windows with a virtual machine How to Install Linux in Windows With a VMware Virtual MachineDo you want to install Linux, but can't leave Windows? Try a virtual machine to run your favorite version of Linux inside Windows. We show you how to set up VMware Workstation Player. Read More .