

In 1994, Apple released a Mac that allowed users to run both operating systems on a single computer. Some needed to run specific apps for their business, others wanted to play games that were unavailable on Mac many web designers would even use a Windows PC to ensure that their websites ran correctly on Windows browsers. Apple had a small sliver of PC market share, so many Mac users, especially in professional environments, also needed to use PCs to be able to run certain apps. Options for running Windows on an Apple silicon (M1/M2) Macīack in the 1990s, Apple and Microsoft fought for platform supremacy.Options for running Windows on an Intel Mac.The history of running Windows on a Mac.In this article, I’ll look at the various options for running Windows on an Intel Mac, then discuss how you can run Windows on a new M1 Mac. Since Windows is designed to run on an Intel processor, you could Windows on your Mac and boot into Windows, or run it in a virtual machine on your Mac.īut with the new M1 Macs, which run on a variant of ARM processors, everything has changed.

For a long time, it was easy to run Windows on a Mac. On the download page, locate the “Download Windows 11 Disk Image (ISO)” section, select “Windows 11” in the drop-down menu, then click “Download.How To How to Run Windows on an Intel or M1 Macįor some people, running Windows on a Mac is the perfect way to use a specific app that is unavailable on Mac, or to play Windows games. Next, if you’re running an Intel Mac, download the Windows 11 ISO from the Microsoft website. During the installation process, make sure you permit Parallels Desktop to access your Mac’s Desktop, Documents, and Downloads folders to function correctly. RELATED: How to Get the Windows 11 Preview on Your PC How to Install Windows 11 in Parallels on a Macįirst, you’ll need to download and install Parallels 17 or higher on your Mac. M1 Macs can’t run the Intel version of Windows 11 in Parallels. To do that, you’ll need a Microsoft account registered with the Windows Insider Program. In the case of Intel Macs, it’s easy to download the Windows 11 ISO for free from Microsoft’s website.Īs of November 2021, to install Windows 11 on an M1 Mac, you have to download a Windows 11 on ARM preview build from Microsoft. You’ll also need a license for Windows 11, which you can purchase from Microsoft after installing the OS.
