Hello dear readers.

There are several major operating systems that many users use. And Windows and Mac OS are considered among the most popular. The latter comes with computers from Apple. When purchasing such units, people try to use the security they already have. But sometimes some people need to switch to an OS from a “competing” developer. In the following article I will tell you how to install Windows on a Mac. This can be done in several ways - it all depends on the needs of the users.

There are several options for installing Windows on Apple computers. This could be a second system (installed on an SSD or external drive), built into the first, or even the main one. We will review each of these cases as they become popular.

So, one of the most common is the use of Win as a second system. Fortunately, the developers of the latest versions of Mac OS have foreseen a similar situation and have provided the appropriate tool. Therefore, this method describes the option of installing an additional OS via Boot Camp. The application is located in " Programs" In addition, it can be found in the search Spotlight.

For the procedure itself you need:

Download the image with the operating system from the official Microsoft website.

Availability of an empty 8 GB flash drive.

Sufficient amount of empty hard disk space.

It’s worth saying right away that this option is perfect for devices without a DVD drive, since the entire installation will take place from a flash drive.

So, now we need to do a number of actions:

Launch the above application and click " Further" In the next menu, mark “ Create a Windows installation disc" We confirm. Now " Continue».



We indicate the path to the image with the new operating system. In addition, we mark the flash drive on which the recording will be made. In this case, the previous information will be deleted. " Continue».

Now we wait until all the elements are transferred to the USB drive. In addition, during this stage, all the necessary drivers will be automatically downloaded from the Internet - they will also be transferred to the removable memory.



Click " Install" The device will restart and prompt you to select the drive from which to boot. Mark the one you need.



If nothing happened as a result of the reboot, restart the device manually, only now hold down " Option».

The normal Windows installation process should begin.

When selecting partitions, you must specify the one that is signed “ Bootcamp" Click " Tune" And " Format" Only after this the installation option will open. Otherwise it will be closed.



After installing the system and starting it up, elements must be placed Boot Camp for Windows. Just follow the directions. As a result, the device will automatically install the necessary drivers and utilities.
If this does not happen, open the flash drive and the folder “ Bootcamp" - it won't work without it, and then we run " Setup.exe».

After the procedure, an icon of the above program will appear in the lower right corner of Win. It will help you set up the touchpad on your MacBook, change the system, and simply restart into OS X.

To get back into the Microsoft environment after using Apple's OS, you need to reboot and hold down the Option button.

Parallels Desktop( )

In addition to the additional system, it is possible to place the required OS “inside” the main one. This can be done using a virtual machine. There are various software specifically that allow you to do everything you need. So, for example, you can install via Virtualbox- a good free solution.

But the most convenient and most suitable for OS X is considered to be placement via Parallels Desktop. At the same time, the application is also considered the best in terms of performance and battery life.

This option is perfect for users who need to use programs designed for Windows, but at the same time they only have a Mac at hand. It is perfect for clients who do not want to understand the tangle of settings.

True, there is one big drawback - the program is paid. Of course there is a trial version option. But it will end sooner or later. You can always find a demo version or buy the full version on the official website. It also provides detailed help on all features of the application.

So we need to do a few things:

As a result, users are offered a fully functional Windows that runs inside Mac OS. At the same time, in the future, users will be able to easily change various settings of the virtual machine.

If something suddenly becomes unclear to you, the application provides detailed help.

Primary OS( )

Sometimes users still want only one operating system installed on their Apple devices, and it should be Windows. In order for the latter to be the main system, you need to complete a difficult but effective chain of steps:

On a computer with Win we place a flash drive. It is better that it be at least 8 GB. In the search we indicate “ cmd" Finds the appropriate program. Call the context menu on it and run it with administrator rights.

We type “ diskpart" It is a system program that allows you to manage disks.

Now here we perform several movements at once:

1) We write “ list disk" A list of disks will appear in which we find the flash drive. Letting it be " Disk 3».

2) Specify " Select disk 3" And then " Clean" This will take us to the portable device and clean it.

3) " Create partition primary"—the main section is created.

4) We go into the just marked area by writing “ Select partition 1».

All on the same command line we indicate “ E:"(I have this designation for a CD-ROM that already contains a boot disk with Win).

Then " cd\boot\" And " bootsect /nt60 F:", where the last letter denotes the flash drive.

Now you simply copy all the files from the disk to the flash drive in any convenient way.

We launch Boot Camp on Mac. The program will ask about the availability of drivers. We answer that there are none and ask you to download them from the Internet.



Then select “ Burn to external drive" Finally, close the application.

Computers from the well-known company Apple are very multifunctional and have a wide selection of specially designed software. But sometimes it happens that a Mac or iMac user wants to install the Windows operating system that is already so familiar to them. Sometimes OS Windows may be needed to install some programs so that you can play your favorite games, but there is no suitable alternative for Mac.

You can install the OS yourself. This can be done in several ways, for example, through a utility or using a flash drive. Let's look at the example of applications from Apple, which are called Bootcamp, Parallels Desktop and Virtual Box.

Preparing and installing Bootcamp

This option allows you to install an additional OS on Mac and iMac in a separately created partition on your hard drive. You can choose which system to boot into during startup. The advantage of this utility is that by installing the program through it, all the resources of your PC will be available to Windows, this will allow you to use the Mac’s performance to the maximum. The computer will easily play the latest games and perform complex tasks.

Before installing an additional OS, keep in mind that it will take up a lot of space on your hard drive. Make sure it has the required gigabytes. On average, you may need about 30 Gb.

Before you begin installing the operating system on your iMac or Mac, check and prepare Boot camp. First, make sure that all updates from Apple are installed on it. To do this you need to do the following:

When you launch the utility, you will have the opportunity to select the location where OS Windows will be installed. Before starting the software, you should close all open applications and programs.

Once the utility and flash drives for copying information are ready, you can proceed to the first steps:

Once all files have been copied, the iMac will automatically begin rebooting. Next, to display the boot manager, press and hold the Alt key. On the Mac, the disk menu will open, mark the partition with the name of the operating system. This will be followed by launching the OS and setting the parameters.

To install Windows 8 you need to do the same. Only in the window Selecting Actions"You should check the boxes next to the items " Download latest software" And " Create a disk to install Windows 7 or new».

Installing Windows on a Mac, or rather, setting up the program, begins with choosing a language. Select the correct language right away, otherwise you will have to do all the steps again. Having selected all the parameters in this window, click the Next button, which is located in the lower right corner.

To install the Windows operating system on a Mac, carefully follow all the instructions provided. Do not restart or turn off your computer during the process. The procedure cannot be interrupted in any way.

After your iMac reboots a second time, you can begin installing the necessary drivers. To do this, download them back from the flash drive, install and run the installation program.

Installing Windows via Bootcamp using a USB flash drive

Installation can be carried out either using a disk with the operating system or via a USB drive. To load a program from a flash drive onto a Mac, you must first download it. If we are talking about Windows 8, then the version of this system must be in iso format.

This installation option on Mac and iMac is no different from the previous one. Before you begin, you should also check bootcamp for updates and save all the necessary data. The following instructions will help you complete the task:

But it happens that when the installation media is a flash drive, the utility requires you to insert a disk with the program and refuses to continue downloading the software to the iMac. In this case, you can download the Daemon Tools Lite iMac driver. With its help, we mount the Windows iso image, it will serve as a virtual drive and then Bootcamp will complete the installation process of our OS without any problems.

Installing Windows on Mac and iMac via Parallels Desktop

In addition to Boot Camp, there are several other options for installing an additional operating system. For example, you can use the program Parallels Desktop, which is a virtual machine on the Windows installation. You will be able to run Windows programs without restarting your PC.

You can complete the installation by following the instructions below:

A special feature of Parallels Desktop is the high performance of the program. You can download a free trial version or buy Parallels Desktop using the link below:

Installing Windows using VirtualBox

VirtualBox is one of the popular virtualization programs. With its help, your PC will easily run two operating systems at once. Installing an additional OS via VirtualBox is quite simple.

To get started, enter the query VirtualBox into the search engine, go to the official website and download the program. Once installation is complete, click on the program icon and select “Create”. After this, you can begin installing Windows.

Sometimes it happens that after installing an additional operating system, problems with sound or video playback appear on the iMac. To solve this problem, you need to install on your Mac all the drivers that were previously saved to an additional storage device (disk or flash drive).

After all the steps taken, the installation of Windows on Mac is completely completed. Restart the program and everything will definitely work.

Video on the topic

Experts in the field of computer technology have long noted the priority of Apple in the field of personal computer development.

From the mid-70s of the last century to the present day, Apple has been confidently competing with IBM in the field of computer technology. In the old fashioned way, their computers are called “Macs,” despite the fact that real Macintoshes are already of museum value.

Their technical solutions are shamelessly copied by famous manufacturers. Macs are reliable and functional. At the same time, the Windows operating system is more familiar, so a number of users need to install Windows 7 on MAC OS.

Popularity of Apple computers

The main differences between Apple's developments:

• “closedness” of architecture;
• high reliability and ease of use;
• ease of working with graphics and printing;
• leader of new products in the computer industry.

The MacBook belongs to the family of popular laptops developed by Apple. The latest version of the MacBook laptop is distinguished by functionality, compactness and quiet operation. The dimensions are amazing: thickness about 13 mm, weight up to 1 kg. The developers were able to abandon the use of fans in the design and create a new motherboard with a high element density.

The keyboard has a highly stable press locking mechanism, and the keys have individual backlighting. The 13" Retina display is exceptionally thin and delivers high-resolution images. The touchpad panel is very sensitive to touch, capable of varying the degree of pressure when touched. The battery capacity has been increased by optimizing the housing design.

Aluminum parts create a strong and reliable mechanism for fastening the rotating part of the housing. The use of a new USB-C connector for charging, video and sound playback, and data transfer also makes it possible to ensure the declared geometric parameters of the product.

Two installation methods

There are two installation methods: using Apple's own Boot Camp software and using the Virtualbox virtual machine.

Boot Camp offers the user the following sequence of operations to install the Windows operating environment:

The virtualbox machine emulates the work:

• BIOS;
• random access memory;
• hard drive;
• peripheral devices.

For computers designed for the Windows platform, used to install a system other than MAC OSX. The program is distributed free of charge.

Installing Windows 7 on MAC OS X via Boot Camp

Installation requirements:

• the hardware platform must have a connection to the Internet;
• an OS X administrator account is used to access the “Boot Camp Assistant” program;
• have a working keyboard, mouse, trackpad;
• 2 GB or more of RAM and 30 GB or more of disk space must be available for the initial installation of Windows; to upgrade earlier versions of Windows, you will need 40 GB or more;
• An installation disk for Microsoft Windows is required when installing via a built-in or external DVD drive;
• You may need a USB flash drive with a capacity of at least 8 GB to install drivers.

What is necessary?

Installation requires:

System update

Installing Windows 7 usually requires version 4 of Boot Camp Assistant (BCA) on a 32-bit platform and version 5 for a 64-bit platform. Update your Boot Camp software to install the latest Windows drivers on your Mac.

This can be done in two ways:

Logging into the BCA program may require knowledge of an account with administrator rights.

Video: Installing Windows 7 on Mac

Installation steps

The installation is lengthy and will require connecting a source adapter. We assume that the updates have been fully installed. Seven requires the use of the NTFS file system.

First remove all disks with lower numbers if the installation is not on the first disk.

Once the OS installation is complete, the data disks can be recovered. If installation problems occur, use disk recovery and data erase utilities and restart BCA.

Installation procedure:

Install OS using VirtualBox

To install, you need to download the program file and run it on your computer.

Installing the program

Installing VirtualBox is carried out by performing the sequence of operations 1-15:

1. run the installation file;
2. agree to the requirements of the license agreement, click “Next”;

   

3. go through the windows sequentially by clicking the “Next” button, call the “Install” command and agree to additional software installation prompts;
4. wait for the installation to complete and complete the process by clicking on the “Finish” button;

   

   Photo: VirtualBox installation completed

5. launch the program by double clicking on the desktop shortcut;
6. launch the virtual machine (VM) creation wizard by clicking the “Create” and “Next” buttons in the main program window;
7. enter the name of the VM, in the “OS Type” section, define the values ​​for the OS “Microsoft Windows” and the version “Windows 7”;

   

8. Determine the size of RAM allocated to the VM to be at least 512 MB and more than 50% of the total memory size, or select the recommended size. Click "Next";
9. On the “Virtual Hard Disk” tab, make a checkbox for the bootable virtual hard disk. Set the switch to the “Create a new hard drive” position. Click the “Next” button;

   

   Photo: creating a virtual hard disk

10. select "Dynamically Expanding Image" as the file type because it takes up little space initially and expands gradually. Continue to the next section;

    

11. determine the location of the virtual disk to be installed. By default, a name is created that matches the name of the VM, and the disk is located in the same place where the real Windows 7 is installed;
12. set the virtual hard disk size. (The default is 20 Gigabytes.) Continue with installation;

    

    Photo: selecting the location, name and size of the virtual disk

13. click on “Finish” and we get the VM ready for use;

    

14. configure the VM, to do this, go to the “Properties” tab;
15. in the “Display” settings section, set the amount of video memory available for the VM from 26 MB. Check the boxes for 2D and 3D acceleration;

    

16. From the “Media” list, select the DVD disk icon.

Windows OS Installation Steps

Installation can take place via an installation disk or its ISO image. If the installation takes place using an installation disk, then it should be inserted into the DVD drive, in the “Attributes” column, select the “Drive” item from the drop-down list, and also check the “Allow direct access” checkbox.

Photo: Checking the Allow direct access checkbox

If there is an ISO image of the program installation disk, then the “Attributes” column is filled in through the “Virtual Media Manager” as follows:

Photo: Media item in Windows properties section

Next, you should exit to the main program window, where you click the “Start” button. When information windows appear, click the “OK” button. On the virtual machine screen, click the mouse and press the “Capture” button. Further installation of the OS on the VM does not differ from normal installation.

Once the installation is complete, VirtualBox will immediately launch the operating system. The VM blocks mouse and keyboard use when used in a host environment. Switching between VM windows and the main OS window is done using the Right Control host key. If you exclude the capture of the mouse cursor and keyboard of the VM, then you can use the mouse cursor in the virtual and main operating systems, and also have a common clipboard. To do this, use the “Devices” menu of the VirtualBox machine to go to the “Install Guest OS Add-ons” item.

Photo: installing guest OS additions

In the “AutoPlay” pop-up window, click “VBoxWindows Additions.exe” and follow the program settings.

You can exit the VM by performing the following sequence of operations:

• in the virtual machine menu, select “Machine”;
• then go to “Close”;
• go to the item turn off.

An already installed Windows 7 is started using the “Start” button in the main program window. There are two ways to install the Windows 7 operating system on mac os: using the Boot Camp tool, which is an Apple development, and using the VirtualBox virtual machine. A more transparent installation is carried out using Boot Camp.

Start: A comparison of installation methods is described in the article.

According to available data on the Internet, installing Windows 7 on a Mac via boot camp is possible with the following modifications:
32 bit version:

- MacBook, Mac mini, Mac Pro assembled on an Intel processor.

MacBook Pro, iMac released since 2007

64 bit version:

- Mac mini released since mid-2010

iMac (21.5", 27", starting in late 2009)

iMac (21.5", 2010 and later)

MacBook (13" since late 2009)

MacBook Pro (15" and 17" since 2008, 13" since 2009)

Mac Pro since 2008

OS X version must be at least 10.5 Leopard. Those. if you have OS X Mountain Lion, then it will work, because... came out later than OS X 10.5 Leopard.

Preparation:

What you will need:

- Windows 7 disk and an external drive, if the Mac doesn’t have one or the built-in one refuses to read it.
- Important to remember:
- Flash drive and Internet access to download drivers from the apple website.

1) We start by updating OS X by clicking on the apple icon in the upper left corner, then “Software Update”.

2) Before you start installing Windows 7 on a Mac via bootcamp, it is recommended to back up your data, for example using the built-in Time Machine utility or another method, to avoid losing information when the disk is partitioned.

4) We select 2 checkboxes: “Download support software” so that the drivers necessary for correct operation are copied to our USB drive and “Install Windows 7”. Insert the USB flash drive to copy the support software, click next.

Within 10-15 minutes. The necessary files will be copied from the apple website and the "WindowsSupport" folder will be created in which the drivers are located. After finishing, remove and remove the flash drive from the mac, if it has autorun, so that when the installation starts, it will boot from the DVD, not the USB.

5) The next step is to set the partition size, the size of which depends on how many programs and games you will use. For example, if your tasks are limited to ordinary office tasks, then 25 GB is enough, but if you would like to play, then 100 GB may not be enough, because... only 1 game can take up more than 15 Gb. The operating system itself takes 10-15 Gb.

We insert the installation disc, if there is no optical drive or it does not read the disc, which is not uncommon, connect the external DVD drive and click “Install”.

After partitioning, the device will reboot and the installation of Windows on the mac will automatically begin using boot camp, in about 5-10 minutes. A menu will appear with a choice of language. If you want to interrupt the process and go to OS X, then press "alt" after rebooting and go to the desired environment.

Start:

Important to remember: In order to select the required operating system during startup, hold down the “alt” key immediately after pressing the power button.

6) At the beginning, a window will appear with a choice of language, marking the language used in the next item, click “Full installation”.

We mark the section with the inscription "bootcamp" and click the "next" button, if at the bottom there is the inscription "Windows cannot be installed...", then select the section with the inscription "boot camp" and go to -> "disk setup" -> "format".

7) After installing Windows 7 on a Mac via boot camp, you are prompted to enter your username and computer name.

8) The password field can be left blank; the key is usually located in the product box and is a 25-digit code. This code can be entered after installing Windows 7 on a Mac via boot camp, but no later than within a month.

10) We indicate the preferred network settings, in our case it is “Home Network” and then the desktop should appear. Also, you may be asked to select a Wi-Fi network to connect to the Internet; if this window appears, you can skip it.

Settings

The installation of Windows 7 on a Mac via boot camp is complete, but all that remains is to complete the setup, namely, install the drivers and boot camp in a new environment so that the video card and other components function without errors and with all the provided functions, this is especially important for the video card so that it can be used was used at 100% of capacity.

11) Windows will boot by default if you do not press the "alt" button at the beginning of boot to select native OS X. After booting, insert our flash drive with drivers, go to the "WindowsSupport" folder, click "setup" and then accept the default settings, itself the process lasts about 7 minutes. Upon completion, you will be prompted to reboot, and then you can begin full use.

12) At the bottom right in the Microsoft environment, the “boot camp” icon will appear, by clicking on it, then “boot camp control panel” you can select the operating system that will automatically load when turned on. You can also make the default selection in OS X in the “System Settings” -> “Boot Volume” section.

Data exchange

13) In Windows, the OS X partition is visible, but you can only read from it, open files, copy, but you won’t be able to write to it, because. file system types differ. OS X also sees the Microsoft partition, but can only read and cannot write. It is, of course, possible to exchange files this way, but it is extremely inconvenient. To record data on one medium, you can use a flash drive with the fat file system or a special utility, such as Paragon. There are 2 applications from Paragon: 1) NTFS for Mac to write and change files on Windows disk from mac and 2) HFS+ for Windows to write data to OS X from Win.

After installing these utilities, you can easily work in different environments without difficulty, changing and editing files, the only drawback is that Paragon is paid; at the time of writing, there was a free analogue, but it only allowed you to work with the NTFS system, and it was called “macfuse”.

Many people who are used to working with Windows find it quite difficult to switch to a new operating system after purchasing a computer from Apple. In addition to non-standard controls and many functional differences, they are also not satisfied with the fact that the number of programs, games and various utilities developed for macOS is significantly smaller. For this reason, some users install Windows on Mac.

Is it possible to install Windows on Apple computers?

As a rule, the question about the possibility of installing Windows on a Mac computer appears in the first few days after purchasing it. Few people are interested in this issue before purchasing. But habits left over from the days of using Windows and a noticeable shortage of software force us to think about the possibility of using a more familiar and familiar operating system.

Fortunately, such an opportunity exists. Owners of Apple computers can install almost any Windows OS, and without the help of qualified specialists.

The Windows operating system does not replace the installed macOS; it is an additional independent program.

How to install Microsoft OS on Mac

To install Windows on Mac devices, the Boot Camp utility is most often used; virtualization programs are used less frequently. But first you need to choose the appropriate OS version and upgrade macOS, if necessary. Many users do not attach much importance to the issue of choice, which creates additional difficulties for themselves both at the stage of installing an additional OS and after it.

For example, Windows 10 cannot be installed on Mac computers released before 2012. This is due to higher system requirements and other features of the program. If you don't follow this rule, you will simply waste time. Here is a list of Mac computers that support Windows 10:

• the entire MacBook Pro lineup that appeared after mid-2012, including 13 and 15-inch versions;
• two 12-inch MacBook models sold in early 2015 and 2016;
• all MacBook Air models with diagonals of 11 and 13 inches that hit the market after mid-2012;
• Mac Pro, released in late 2013;
• Mac mini 2012 and 2014, including the Mac mini Server model introduced in late 2012;
• all iMac models since the late 2012 version.

As for earlier versions of Windows, they can also be installed on Mac computers released before 2012, but there are also some restrictions. Here is a small list of operating systems supported by Apple devices, indicating the appropriate version of the Boot Camp program:

• Windows 7 Home Premium, Professional or Ultimate (Boot Camp 4 or 1);
• Windows Vista Home Basic, Home Premium, Business, or Ultimate Service Pack 1 or later (Boot Camp 3);
• Windows XP Home Edition or Professional with Service Pack 2 or 3 (Boot Camp 3).

Before purchasing an operating system, make sure it is suitable for your computer.

Many users from Russia and post-Soviet countries prefer to download unlicensed operating systems instead of buying original boot disks. This is a gross violation of copyright law.

What you need to install Windows on Mac

In terms of installation requirements, all Windows OS releases can be divided into three categories:

1. Windows 7 and earlier.
2. Windows 8.
3. Windows 10

Requirements for the first category:

The external drive must support the method of storing and transferring data in FAT (MS-DOS) format.

Requirements for the second category (Windows 8):

• original image of the required OS version (flash drive, DVD or ISO image);
• Internet connection;
• at least 40 GB of free space;
• one Mac computer with technical characteristics that meet the system requirements of the eighth version of Windows;
• installed Mac OS X of the appropriate version.

If all the requirements are met, the Boot Camp utility will automatically install additional software to adapt Windows 8 to the technical features of your Mac.

To find out the version of your operating system, you need to go to the menu (the button with the Apple logo in the lower left corner of the keyboard) and select “About This Mac”.

The requirements for the third category are similar, except for one condition: the version of the OS used must be Mac OS X Yosemite or higher.

Installation using Boot Camp

Due to differences between different Windows operating systems, we will describe installation instructions for each category separately.

Windows 7 or earlier

To install Windows XP, Vista or Windows 7 on an Apple computer, you must:

1. Connect an external storage device and do not remove it until the installation is complete.
2. Create a virtual image of the boot disk. To do this, you can use programs such as Daemon Tools or Nero Burning Rom. The image will be required to work with the Boot Camp program.

   You can create a Windows boot disk image using Nero Express

3. Launch the Boot Camp program. It can be found in the "Utilities" folder. If you can't find the folder you need, use the search.
4. The installer will appear, where you need to check the box next to “Create a Windows 7 installation disk.” After this, click the “Continue” button.

   In the window that appears, check the box next to “Create a Windows 7 installation disk”

5. We insert the disk with the new OS or mount the image into the virtual drive and click “Continue” again.
6. After a few seconds, a message will appear indicating that you can download the appropriate software from the official Apple website. We confirm the action. The Boot Camp utility will automatically download the necessary software. If this does not happen, you need to download the archive with drivers yourself by selecting your Mac computer model and Windows version on the official website.

   Confirming that you have downloaded the latest Windows support software from the Apple website

7. After downloading additional software, you need to unpack it on an external drive (USB flash drive). The system will offer to copy files with replacement, confirm this action.
8. Once again, go to Boot Camp and select “Install Windows”.
9. The program will offer to divide the memory allocated for the additional OS into disks, after which it will reboot and begin installation.

   Set the required virtual disk size for Windows OS

Further actions must be performed based on the prompts of the installer program.

Video: install Windows 7 on Mac as a second OS

Windows 8

Installing Windows 8 is easier and faster than earlier versions of operating systems:

Boot Camp will install the necessary software and drivers on its own. No external USB storage required. This also applies to the latest release from Microsoft - Windows 10. All you need to do is install a boot disk or flash drive, launch Boot Camp Assistant, divide the disk space and follow the instructions.

Video: How to install Windows 8 on Mac as a second OS via BootCamp

Features of installing Windows OS using a flash drive

In fact, the process of installing an additional OS using a flash drive is the same as in the case of a DVD, the only difference is that you need to prepare a USB drive in advance so that it becomes bootable. If you simply burn the image to a USB drive, nothing will work; you need an additional program called UltraISO or similar.

In order to install Windows from a flash drive, you need to make it bootable

This program is shareware - there is a test period, which is quite enough to install Windows from a flash drive. Here are brief instructions for preparing a USB drive for installing an OS from Microsoft:

You can buy an operating system already stored on a USB drive. In this case, no additional actions need to be taken.

Using the instructions described above, you can install Windows OS as an additional and, importantly, independent program. Before each start of your computer, you will have a choice which of the installed operating systems to use.

Virtualize Windows OS on Mac

In addition to installing via Boot Camp, there is another method to use Windows on Apple computers - virtualization. It differs in that the Microsoft operating system is installed and used as an application running directly on macOS. In this case, it looks more like a regular program that opens in a small window than a full-fledged operating system.

When installed in virtualization mode, Windows operates more like a regular application

At the moment, the most popular virtualization programs are:

• Oracle VM VirtualBox, distributed free of charge;
• Parallels Desktop, which costs 3,990 rubles;
• VMware Fusion with a price tag of 5,153 rubles.

The difference in cost is dictated solely by the pricing policy of the development companies, since all programs work equally well. The only difference between a free virtualization program and its paid counterparts is that it cannot be used together with Boot Camp.

Installing virtualization programs is almost identical, so as an example, let's consider installing only one of them - Parallels Desktop:

When you start the program, a Windows window will open in front of you, which can be expanded to full-screen mode.

Video: how to install Windows XP on VirtualBox

Combined use of Boot Camp and virtualization

Some users have gone even further, developing a mechanism for combining the capabilities of Boot Camp and virtualization. Thus, they solved the problem of excessive consumption of computer resources with two operating systems running simultaneously.

To achieve the correct operation of the above circuit, you need to perform the following steps:

1. Install Windows on your computer using Boot Camp.
2. Install one of the virtualization programs (except Oracle VM VirtualBox).
3. When creating a new virtual machine, check the box next to “Use Windows via Boot Camp.”

Pros and cons of using Boot Camp and virtualization

Boot Camp was created by Apple developers to give users the ability to change operating systems at will. Moreover, databases have been created in the form of drivers and additional software designed to simplify the process of adapting Windows to Apple computers as much as possible. It is for this reason that Boot Camp is so popular among MacBook owners of various modifications.

Benefits of using Boot Camp:

As for the disadvantages, there is only one: not all versions of Windows are supported by Mac computers.

If we talk about the benefits of Windows virtualization on Mac, we can highlight the following points:

• the ability to use Windows without leaving macOS;
• quick work with documents and programs.

Disadvantages of virtualization:

• two operating systems running simultaneously consume much more system resources;
• Some Windows programs may not work correctly. The situation is similar with the screen resolution settings.

With utilities like Boot Camp and virtualization programs, users can work on familiar Windows operating systems while using high-performance, high-quality Mac computers. This is an excellent example of how two once-warring giant IT corporations are meeting each other halfway for the sake of the interests of their clients.