Running Windows on a Mac doesn’t have to be difficult. We show you how to do it using Boot Camp, Parallels and VirtualBox, and walk through some of the trickier glitches and problems to get you up and running quickly. Although MacOS is well supported with the majority of popular commercial applications, there remain occasions where it’s useful to run Windows on your Mac. It could be because you’re testing software for compatibility, or that you want to run a particular Windows-only app, or because you want to play a game. They’re all valid reasons, but the approach you take to each is likely to differ.
Here, I’m looking at the three most common ways to run Windows on a Mac: Boot Camp, Parallels Desktop and VirtualBox. This guide will help you choose the right method for your particular scenario, and show you how to get each one up and running. Related: Run Windows on a Mac – Choose your method Each method has its advantages and disadvantages.
The best way to run Windows on your Mac When it comes to running Windows on a Mac, there are two main players: Parallels Desktop 7. Parallels Desktop 7 makes Windows-on-Mac fast, stable.
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Boot Camp, provided by Apple for free, lets you run Windows natively on your Mac. It’s just like using a Windows laptop, in fact. Best web cam for mac 2017.
This method provides the best performance, as you can see below. The downside is that you have to reboot to change operating systems, and sharing files between operating systems is harder as neither OS can see the other. The other two methods run Windows inside a virtual machine, which although reduces performance means that you don’t have to reboot to switch OS. It also makes it easier to share files, with both using simulated network shares to do the job. Parallels Desktop 12 is the most convenient method of running Windows. It supports some light gaming, plus Windows apps can run in their own windows, so they look just like any other MacOS app. The downside is that you have to pay £65 for it.
VirtualBox is completely free. It isn’t as quick as Parallels, requires more setup time, and its version of running Windows apps in their own windows is a little flaky and doesn’t work with Windows 10 at the moment.
Still, for the occasional foray into the world of Windows, perhaps for a specific app, it’s a good choice. • Getting the right method is about picking what task you want to do and choosing the software that gives you the best performance and convenience. Below, the graphs compare 2D performance with Geekbench 3 and 3D performance with first-person shooter Overwatch. Run Windows on a Mac – Choose your Windows version All of the methods we demonstrate work with Windows 10, so we’re using that throughout. However, all support older versions of Windows, so if you want to run Windows 7 or Windows 8, you can. In all cases, you’ll need a full Windows licence.
That means a boxed copy of Windows, since the OEM version of Windows that ships with a computer or laptop isn’t transferable to a new computer. Related: To install Windows, you’ll need the ISO file of your version of Windows. For the latest version of Windows, this is easy, since you can just. For older versions of Windows, you’ll need the original installation media (disc or flash drive). Insert this into your computer, then run Disk Utility (press Command+Space, type “disk utility” and then select the matching application). Select your installation media, then click File New Image Image from (the bottom option).
Choose DVD/CD master from the Image Format menu, enter a file name and save location, and then click Save. If prompted, enter your username and password. When the process is complete, find the file in Finder and select it. Press Enter to rename it and change the extension from “.cdr” to “.iso”. You’ll be prompted to confirm the change, so click Use.iso.