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 the habits left over from the times using Windows, and a noticeable shortage software force you to think about the possibility of using 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:

• all the lineup MacBook Pro, which 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 a method for storing and transferring data to FAT format(MS-DOS).

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 of the Mac computers with technical characteristics, corresponding system requirements eighth Windows versions;
• installed Mac OS X of the appropriate version.

If all requirements are met, the Boot Camp utility will automatically install additional software to adapt Windows 8 to technical features 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 desired folder, use the search.
4. The installer will appear, where you need to check the box next to “Create an installation Windows disk 7". 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 to external storage(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 size virtual disk 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. You just need to install 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. Let's bring brief instructions on 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

On this 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 free program for virtualization from paid analogues - 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 maximized full screen mode(full-screen).

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 proper operation given diagram, 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 reason 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.

Hello everyone who has read to this page. This is the final part of the MEGA Lesson on. Today we will look at a pressing topic, namely problems that may arise during the installation of Windows.

No matter how hard the Cupertino people try to make the process of working in OS X soft, fluffy and painless, it still doesn’t work. Some “troubles and misunderstandings” are constantly popping up. Take just one Apple registration ID! They turn to me... And I naturally help, to the best of my ability and ability.

In this article I decided to collect all kinds of questions on our topic ( Windows installation on MAC). The article will be supplemented and updated as problems are received and analyzed. If your problem is not reflected in this article, immediately go down to the comments and write!

Failed to verify digital signature for AppleSSD.sys

The recent Boot Camp update brought not only joy, but also a couple of problems. One of them is a problem with drivers for Windows 7.

During the installation process, after the first restart of the computer, the MacBook displays blue screen death, and then a screen where at the very end it is written:

File:\Windows\system32\drivers\AppleSSD.sys
Status: 0x000428
Info: Windows cannot verify the digital signature for this file

What literally means: “Windows could not verify the digital signature for this file”

Apparently many (if not all) MAC users have recently begun to experience difficulties installing Windows 7 via Boot Camp. This problem is buried in the drivers that Apple provides, namely the AppleSSD.sys file.

Either it’s not signed, or something else... But it doesn’t matter. Having rummaged through the official forum threads Apple support, I found a solution and present it to you.

Here's what you'll need: Windows 7 installation image, USB flash drive, Old Boot Camp 5.1 driver package. e

The driver package is specific to each individual MacBook model and can be downloaded from the official Apple website. Read here - everything is written there.

The order of your actions:

1. STEP 1 - Using the utility Boot Camp Assistant prepare USB flash drive. Select the first two options to prepare the flash drive. Exit Boot Camp Assistant.
2. STEP 2 - B Finder, delete folders $WinPE$ And Boot Camp from the prepared flash drive.
3. STEP 3 - Unpack it onto your desktop zip archive with a package of old Boot Camp drivers that you downloaded from the official Apple website.
4. STEP 4 - Copy folders $WinPE$ And Boot Camp from the unpacked archive to your flash drive.
5. STEP 5 - Launch Boot Camp Assistant and now select only the third option “ Windows installation».
6. STEP 6 - Open a can of beer and enjoy the Windows 7 installation process.

Incompatibility of MBR and GPT partitions when installing Windows on MAC

This problem exists not only among MAC users, but is also actively discussed among hardcore Windows users. I scoured a bunch of forums, but I couldn’t find any specific miracle method.

One thing helps some people, and something completely different for others. I personally tried various options for creating a GPT partition on a MAC and wrote a separate article about what actually works.

• Incompatibility of MBR and GPT partitions when installing Windows on MAC -

Keyboard and mouse do not work when installing Windows

At the request of users, I answer one more question: What to do if When installing Windows, the keyboard and mouse do not work? Usually this problem occurs after the first reboot Windows, on the screen where you are asked to give the computer a name.

I’ve never encountered this before, but I finally found a solution... again on bourgeois forums.

The whole problem is in the drivers, or rather their absence on the flash drive (disk) from which you install Windows. This is why the setup wizard can't get the mouse and keyboard to work.

Well, the solution here is simple: you need to re-create a bootable USB flash drive using the “Boot Camp Assistant” utility, but this time make sure that the first two items are checked – Create installation disk + Load the latest software.

After completing this simple step, you can reboot back into the Windows Installer, where the mouse and keyboard will work again.

Here is another solution for keyboard and mouse not working, which was suggested by graliki in the comments below:

Guys!
I found a panacea for problems with input devices. I steamed for 3 days. Obviously the problem is that USB drivers 3.0 are not initially installed on the image Windows disk 7. You can solve the problem by improving the disk image using the “Windows-7-USB-3-0-Creator-Utility” program. Thus, during installation, all drivers are installed themselves. My actions. I created a bootable flash drive using the first 2 checkboxes in the bootcamp, the image was taken from the original Win7 x64 Pro disk. Then I installed the latest bootcamp upgrade downloaded from the Internet and replaced the files. After that, I upgraded the flash drive with utility 3.0. After everything, I launched the bootcamp with only the third checkbox.
Everything fits perfectly!

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We received the following question:

Hello, if it wouldn’t be difficult for you to help with a solution, I’m trying to create an image of Windows 7 from a Mac. I have a Mac mini mid-2010 with the core, but I’m interested in the flash image, I tried editing the code of the info.plist file, it didn’t help, for some reason I checked it many times, everything was correct and the inscription was like this and did not appear, there is a solution for Mountain Lion without third-party software using only apple tools, I would be grateful.

Hello!

We’re not sure which manual you used, so we’ll tell you about the method, the functionality of which we just tested ourselves on OS X 10.8.4.

But first, let’s explain to other readers what we’re talking about. Boot Camp Assistant on Mac OS X knows how to create. But Apple has its own style - either due to fears of the spread of piracy, or for some other reason this feature is not available on every Mac. This is what the main Boot Camp Assistant screen looks like on a computer without an optical drive:

And this is how the same screen looks on a computer with a DVD drive:

The logic is strange: since there is a disk drive, then Windows must be installed from the disk, and if not, then it is possible to create bootable flash drive Windows.

Boot Camp Assistant's attitude towards different models Macs are determined by the parameters specified in the Info.plist file inside it. To open this file, enter the following command in Terminal:

sudo nano /Applications/Utilities/Boot\ Camp\ Assistant.app/Contents/Info.plist

Then blindly enter your account password and press Enter. You will see the contents of the file, you can navigate through it using the arrows on the keyboard.

Scroll down to the “PreUSBBootSupportedModels” section. It lists the minimum required hardware identifiers for Mac models, starting from which system deployment on a flash drive is allowed:

Fix Macmini4,1 to Macmini1,1 - and creating flash drives will work on any Mac mini. You can do the same with other types of Macs - replace the first digit in the index with 1.

It would be possible to deceive the system with a pre-made flash drive, if the DVD-ROM drive, simply throwing it in during installation, instead of a “blank”. The program must see the installation disk and begin partitioning! The task is this - to create the disk partition correctly, and without a working DVD-ROM it is not possible to do this. There is not a single program that can create on an existing partition mac disk GPT, an additional Hybrid MBR partition for Windows without data loss, except for one utility, the commands of which in several stages, almost no one knows - “gptfdisk” and its various names (gdisk, gptsync). But it would be nice to send this “wooden” utility “Assistant BootCamp” to the devil and get on with your business!
We would have to do everything in several stages:

1. Perform mandatory defragmentation, for example in iDefrag.
2. In Disk Utility, bite off a piece of the disk without losing data.
3. Using "gptfdisk" create a "Hybrid MBR" in an unallocated area.
4. Synchronize partitions (for example, rEFIt utility)

As you can see, it will not be easy for ordinary users without the built-in “Assistant” and a working Apple DVD drive.

Often, many users of a Mac computer, or rather some models, encounter a problem when trying to install Windows on their iMac or MacBook.
We will talk about the "Assistant BootCamp" utility, which on "bad" models is not trained to support creating a Windows installer on a USB drive.
The point is that for such an option to appear, you need to edit the well-known plist.info file, but often after editing this file the program itself refuses to start.
This happens because the digital signature disappears.

The signature is restored with the command from the terminal:

sudo codesign -fs - /Applications/Utilities/Boot\ Camp\ Assistant.app, but again a new problem occurs.

Namely, you will need to download "Command Line Tools" in advance:
Part of macOS is its powerful interface command line, where a competent or even a novice programmer can use a number of tools to configure and configure the system, as well as create programs and scripts. While macOS comes with a number of common commands, it does not include by default those used to inspect, compile, and manage code for app development. So we need these tools, that is, three ways to install them on your Mac.
1. Install XCode Developer Suite, which is available through the App Store for free. However, its installation will also include XCode itself and, despite its advantages, I do not recommend installing XCode in its entirety, not only because it “weighs” about 5 GB.

2. Download latest versions command line tools from the developer page. To do this, you simply need to log into the downloads section of the developer site using your Apple ID. Here you can search for "Command Line Tools" to view all versions of the tools from Lion to Sierra.

This particular window is located at https://developer.apple.com/download/more/

3. Perhaps this is the simplest option, which consists of using the system’s ability to install command line tools on demand. This is done using the application in " OS volume label=> System=> Library=> CoreServices"in a folder called " Install Command Line Developer Tools". However, this program cannot be run on its own. To run it, you must reference services or applications that call the use of developer tools. In most cases, standard developer commands such as "make," "gcc," "cc, " "svn," "git" or Apple-specific tools such as "xcode-select", "xcodebuild" or "xcrun" will require these tools, so running them in some form will stimulate the system to run the "Install Command Line Developer" program Tools". Therefore, to install these tools, just open Terminal, enter "make" or any desired general team developer and press Enter, and then when prompted you can install the development tools (approximately 100MB download from Apple servers), and start working.

So, let's start editing the file

Press apple and open "About This Mac" => "System Report"

write the values ​​from the "Hardware" item into a text file

Runs the file from under sudo in the nano editor, enter the following command in the Terminal:

sudo nano /Applications/Utilities/Boot\ Camp\ Assistant.app/Contents/Info.plist

Scroll down to the section PreUSBBootSupportedModels. It lists the minimum required hardware identifiers for Mac models, starting from which system deployment on a flash drive is allowed:

• Fix Macmini4,1 to Macmini1,1 - and creating a USB drive will work on any Mac mini. You can do the same with other types of Macs - replace the first digit in the index with 1.

  PreUSBBootSupportedModels

MacBook1,1

MacBookAir1,1

MacBookPro1,1

MacPro1,1

Macmini1,1

iMac1,1

• Then to the section DARequiredROMVersions you need to insert your version

DARequiredROMVersions

Boot ROM version

IM41.0055.B08

IM42.0071.B03

IM51.0090.B03

IM52.0090.B03

IM61.0093.B01

MP11.005C.B04

MB11.0061.B03

MBP11.0055.B08

MBP12.0061.B03

MBP112.0138.B17

MM11.0055.B08

• Next to the section USBBootSupportedModels enter the first value from the Boot ROM

USBBootSupportedModels

IM130

MM50

MP60

MB80

MBP90

MBP112

MBA40

After this, all that remains is to save the file. Press Ctrl+X, then type Y and press Enter.
This is where the fun begins...
Starting with macOS El Capitan, global protection of system directories and SIP files was introduced, which can be disabled ( remember - before turning off the power!), after reading this. If this “protection” is not removed, then it is possible when saving the file Info.plist there will be a system warning.

After a liter of vodka, if the file is saved, we try to launch our “Assistant”.
If Boot Camp Assistant does not start, then restore the signature using the command described above.

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 pull the most modern 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 install Windows iso image, he will serve 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 virtual machine for installing Windows. You will be able to run Windows programs without rebooting the PC.

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