Installing windows on macbook air. How to Install Windows on a Mac in 3 Ways

Installing Windows 7 on a Mac is rarely necessary. Apple computers have quite decent functionality, however, you need to get used to it. Of course, if you started your journey as an experienced user from top platforms with Microsoft logos, then you will definitely have problems with Macs. Let's begin with that Mac OS is a completely different operating system that differs in many ways from the usual Windows. In addition, modern "Macs" have built-in programs for workstations, for example, a pumped analogue of "1C: Accounting" or a package of engineering tools with a CAD prefix in the name. A certain category of users liked this functionality, which is why computers with Apple logos are in the black.

MAC BOOK and its "Relatives" also attract with their design. Notebooks of this family generally have a slightly different keyboard layout, an excellent display with a very decent resolution, a durable case ... In general, here you can give more than a dozen pluses that justify high cost these devices.

Thus, many users, when buying a Mac for a long time suffer, trying to get used to another operating system. And it does not matter at all how the Winda fan bought this car, the main question is how to tame the original product from Apple. And the easiest way out of this situation - installing windows 7 on mac.

What should be on hand?

In order to gain new skills in working with both platforms, we need to get a Macbook or another PC from Apple, a disk or USB flash drive with Windows 7, 10 free GB on the hard drive, and we will also need a program time machine for data backup. Installing Windows 7 on a MAC will involve changing partitions on your hard drive, and this can damage or even delete all your pictures, music, and your favorite movies. And the last tip, if your PC is endowed with USB ports version 3.0, then you will have to use a flash drive similar version. Otherwise, most ports may fail altogether, and wireless keyboard also shows no signs of life.

As for the hardware capabilities of the experimental macbook, here you should pay attention to the processor, which is installed under metal case.Most modern computers from Apple are equipped with a standard line of processors - Intel. These same systems are perfectly adapted to work with Windows 7. More detailed information about everything related to the minimum system requirements, can be obtained in the description section of the operating system that you are about to download or have already downloaded.

Just before starting the installation, I recommend checking whether Mac will support 32 or 64 bit Windows. The bit depth of the future Windows may conflict with the capabilities of the MAC. More detailed information on this topic can be found in the program description. boot camp.

And finally, after you successfully complete today's lesson, you will need to configure drivers for peripherals. By the way, if the system cannot independently find the "firewood" for Bluetooth, cameras for video chat, then do not rush to despair. Such software can be found independently, and on various resources, where the names of the operating system from Microsoft or Apple appear.

System update and next steps.

To search for updates for your MAC, you will need to click on the icon in the upper right corner, and then select "Software Update". Thus, we will prepare the ground necessary for the installation of Windows. You can use standard utilities, in order to execute backup your files, and you can transfer them to the built-in HDD, as well as a solid state drive.

Installing Windows 7 on a MAC should not conflict with the system you are using. To solve this problem, the Boot Camp program has been released. First of all, you need to download and then install this program. Immediately after this procedure, we must close all background applications that can take up computer resources, and then start Boot Camp.

Immediately after launch, the application will ask us to select the volume hard drive, which must be given to Windows. Remember that for full-fledged work, you should choose at least 20 GB. As we remember, Windows 7 itself requires a lot of memory, besides, you will need extra bed to install additional software, as well as drivers for a new system. This installation stage is presented a little higher - by dragging the partition from MAC OS to windows panel, we allocate memory between two ops. By the way, here you can break HDD to additional partitions by clicking on "Partition". Next, you need to insert a USB flash drive or a disk with Windows 7, then click "Start Installation".

The main stage of installation.

Installing Windows 7 on Mac will continue immediately after the reboot. If you do not know how to install Windows 7 correctly, I recommend reading

By the way, in the future, the computer will reboot on its own. As soon as the system gives you the following window, select the partition to install the operating system. The main thing is to select the section opposite which the inscription BOOT CAMP will be visible. And don't forget to format this partition.

The hardest part ends here. True, it will end in about 40 minutes. Installing Windows 7 on a MAC looks very boring, so don't waste your time and get on with more important things. And if you don’t have such plans, then you can drive to the nearest stall for beer in order to modestly “wash” another victory over insensitive iron.

After about a couple of reboots, you will see a new settings window where you need to select a language, set the date, time, and also deal with network procedures. In general, standard procedures await you.

After the installation of Windows 7 on MAC is finally completed, don't forget to update your video chip drivers to get the full resolution image. Do the same with all drivers. By the way, you can use the native software disk for MAC OS. At the same time, Boot CAMP will start working again.

It may happen that new system will not load, giving a "screen of death", and in the most unexpected place - immediately after turning on the power. Most often, this problem occurs due to the incompatibility of video adapters. Notebooks with Geforce graphics cards 7300 GT and cooler versions. To solve this problem you need to update the firmware of your graphics card. More detailed information about such instructions can be found on any third-party resources, as well as on the forums.

After the next reboot, you can praise yourself and open a beer. You got a full-fledged 7-ku under the hood of the Mac, enjoy using it! Now you can switch between two operating systems, as well as start mastering Mac OS, unless, of course, you have already lost such a desire.

Below, you can watch a video that shows you how to install Windows 7 on a Mac in detail. Good luck!

Some produced for Windows programs, have no analogues on OS X. In this case, you need to install an additional OS on your computer. Regarding Apple laptops, there are two main options: using a dedicated disk partition through the Boot Camp utility and creating virtual machine. Next, we will describe step by step the installation of Windows on a MacBook by each of the indicated methods, highlight their advantages and disadvantages.

Selecting an installation option

The first method of using an additional operating system is suggested by the developers of OS X and is standard. Boot Camp technology - installing Windows on a dedicated partition. Switching between OS is performed at the moment of rebooting or turning on the laptop. The tool is built into your MacBook, so you don't have to pay for additional software.

The benefits of using Boot Camp include:

• High performance computer. All hardware resources are allocated for the operation of one operating system.
• No search needed special program as well as her purchases. Boot Camp is free and comes standard with OS X.
• Technology certified by Apple. There is user support.

• You need to allocate enough disk space to the partition with the additional OS. Apple developers recommend at least 64 GB, optimally - 128 GB.
• Switching between systems requires a PC restart.
• There is no way to run OS X and Windows side-by-side.

The second method of installing Windows on a Macbook is virtualization. He means Windows launch inside OS X. In other words, the operating system from Microsoft opens as an application.

• No need to allocate a separate hard disk partition.
• The size of the space allocated under Windows changes dynamically.
• To switch to a second OS, you do not need to restart the laptop.
• A virtual machine is easy to copy, move or delete.
• It is possible to install several additional operating systems at once, such as Windows and Linux.

• Less performance. Computer resources are allocated for the work of two operating systems at once.
• It is not possible to boot under Windows when working with demanding programs or games.
• Virtualization programs require the purchase of a license. Free is only VirtualBox, which is inferior in functionality to paid counterparts.

It's important to know

The presented positive and negative sides will help determine the method. If a second system is needed to run games or complex graphic editors, then preference should be given to the method using Boot Camp. Using conventional application programs(for example, office or accounting) is better to implement through the creation of a virtual machine.

How to install Windows on a Mac using Boot Camp

Recent versions of OS X have a built-in tool for Windows installations to a dedicated drive partition. You can find Boot Camp in the Programs menu, the Utilities section, or through Spotlight. Before starting the procedure, you will need to download an image of the operating system and allocate a USB flash drive with at least 8 GB of memory. Also on the laptop disk should be enough free space to create a new partition.

After completing the preparatory steps, you can proceed to the main part of the procedure:

This completes the procedure. The “Boot Camp” icon will be displayed in the system tray, after right-clicking, you can open the settings and set the operation parameters touch panel, select the default boot system, etc.

Apple products will undoubtedly please any person if he receives it in a gift box or allows himself to purchase a brand new device. However, the Mac OS platform from the specified manufacturer is very uncompromising in terms of supporting popular applications, games, etc. But what about those users who cannot live without OC Windows? For this case, a number of applications have been developed that allow you to install this system together with the familiar Mac OS X devices.

A number of software, which allows you to install OC Windows on such a picky platform using a flash drive or pre-installation special utility. The article will focus on three the most popular programs from Apple itself.

Programs for installing Windows on Macbook

Parallel Desktop.

First of all, we will talk about one of the programs, the principle of which is based on running a virtual machine. Such software allows you to change the real disk space to a virtual one and already perform various operations in it, including the installation of OC Windows. After downloading the appropriate software, you must follow the sequence to complete the installation process.

1. We start the program - the menu "File" - the line "New ...".
2. In the new window, click "Install Windows or another OS from DVD or image file".
   
3. After selecting the specified partition, determine the source used to install the new operating system.
4. After confirming your choice, enter the activation key for the particular version you are installing.
5. In the next menu, select how the installed system will be used.
6. Enter the name of the OS to be installed and the directory on the computer where it will be located. Here it is worth considering that it will take about 30 GB of space, only for a full-fledged Windows work 7, but it is better to make a margin for installing games and applications. In addition, other settings can be adjusted in the menu at the discretion of the user.
7. Finally, confirm your choice and wait for the installation of the operating system to finish.

Thus, the process of installing and operating a new OS is quite simple and does not require special knowledge in the field of computer science. The advantages of using this software is that the performance is very high, as if not using a virtual version, but the one that was obtained by direct installation to the hard drive.

Another application for creating a virtual space that emulates the work of a real operating system is VirtualBox. The program is very popular and very often included in the basic course of study for students who have connected their lives with computer science. It has Russian localization, a user-friendly interface and the simplest algorithm for installing the system on a virtual machine.

The program is freely available on the official website of the developer. After installing and running the program, you must click "Create" and select the following algorithm of actions.

1. The next window also does not require display, because in it you only need to check the box "Create a new virtual hard disk".

Nuances and alternative software

Among the software for installing Windows on Mac OS, special attention is paid by professionals to the Boot Camp program. However, this software is multifunctional and requires additional steps to configure it, therefore the installation process is significantly delayed, and if the user is familiar with the technique, then it is even better to use the simpler applications described above. As for Boot Camp, using it to install familiar Windows on Mac OS requires a separate review, which can be studied on the Internet.

Images for installing operating systems can be downloaded from the Internet or obtained from the official Microsoft website. Drivers for such a system should be downloaded and installed in the same way as these actions are performed in a real Windows OS.

From the foregoing, it becomes clear that with due diligence and following the entire sequence of actions, installing Windows on an Apple computer can be difficult, but quite possible. If there are certain problems with understanding the algorithm of actions, then it is best to contact a professional.

Installing one operating system in parallel with another is standard practice in computer field. You can install both Mac OS on a Windows computer and vice versa. On our information portal you will find instructions for the computer. The following are detailed steps that will help you get the answer to the question: how to install Windows on a Mac?

Possible ways

To install the OS, you do not need special skills or professional help. Installing Windows 7 or 10 on a Mac is done in the following ways:

• through ;
• Parallel Desktop software;
• the built-in Bootcamp utility.
• Let's analyze each case in more detail.

Using the emulator

To install Windows on a Macbook in this way, you need to download free utility Virtual Box and install it. After that, follow the steps as instructed:

• launch Virtualbox;
• click the "Create" button;
• select the type and version of the operating system;
• determine the amount of RAM that will be allocated for the use of the OS through the virtual machine;
• then click on "Create a new virtual hard disk";
• select type virtual disk and volume;
• then click the "Start" button;
• after the installation is completed, you can install Windows on Mac and use it.

How to install Windows on Macbook air or pro?

The second method requires the Parallels Desktop utility. After downloading the program on Mac, follow the guide below:

• run the program;
• press the File button and in context menu select New;
• then click the install item;
• select the installation source (image with operating system);
• click the "Continue" button;
• in the new window, enter the software activation key;
• enter the name of the virtual machine and select a location;
• click "Continue" to start the installation.

You can use as free trial version, and full version Parallel Desktop. For normal use of the software, it is enough and standard version.

How to install Windows 10 on Mac using Boot Camp?

With the help of BootCamp, Windows will be able to use all Mac resources to the maximum, so this option is considered the most profitable and optimal. In recent Mac versions OS this program installed by default. Run the utility after closing all running applications and open files:

• check the boxes next to the items "Download the latest software ..." and "Install or remove Windows 7 or later";
• click the "Continue" button;
• then select one of the options: make a copy of the support software to disk or save to external media;
• Next, set the size of the hard drive that will be used for Windows. 20-30GB is sufficient for normal software operation;
• wait for the files to finish copying, after which the Mac will restart automatically;
• during the reboot, press the Alt button to open a window with the choice of OS;
• select the Windows section;
• now wait for the final installation and adjust the settings.

Now you know how to install windows 7, 8 or 10 on a macbook or imac. All the instructions described are suitable for any OS, starting with the "seven" and newer.

Installation Features

After installation, you may experience compatibility and driver issues. To fix this, you must download the drivers to a USB flash drive in advance, so that you can then install on a clean OS.

On many Mac computer absent today optical drive: it just doesn't come bundled on macbook air and mac mini, on some MacBooks/iMacs it has been replaced with an optional 2.5" drive, and on some computers the drive may simply not work.

Newer Macs can boot from a flash drive, but I don't own new ones (2010), and this guide will be useful to those who want to fast install Windows from image to any poppy.

I tried many ways - tried to install from a USB flash drive / disk, everything was in vain (not every mac boots from a USB flash drive or external drive). also gave nothing - there was a dark screen. This method was just a lifesaver.

So what is needed:

Step 2.4: Convert VDI Image to WinClone Image

1. In VirtualBox go to File->Media Manager. Click Copy our Windows partition, be sure to use the option fixed size. Starting copy will be called win7_copy. Waiting for this operation
2. We go to the Terminal, move to the folder where you saved the copy and enter: sudo VBoxManage internalcommands converttoraw win7_copy.vdi win7.raw Wait for completion again
3. Enter another command in the terminal:
   sudo hdiutil attach -imagekey diskimage-class=CRawDiskImage win7.raw After that, you should mount the image Untitled
4. We go into WinClone, make a copy of this mounted Untitled disk in the first tab Image
5. The image is ready!

Step 3: Upload the WinClone Image to the Boot Camp Partition

We use the second tab restore in the WinClone program and upload the image created in the previous step to the already physical Boot Camp partition.

For future installations, you now only need steps 1 and 3, the second only needs to be done once.

I am not the author of this know-how, this is a free translation into Russian (with minor additions and improvements). The original of this article is available. The method was personally tested by me on 2 macs - iMAC MC508 2010 and Mac Mini 2011 junior model, it works wonderfully, for which thanks to the author, who also said that hundreds of people have tried the method, and it just works.

PS. Please do not kick strictly, this is my first post here. Thank you.