Mac Boot Camp Install Windows

What you need to install Windows 10 on Mac

  • MacBook introduced in 2015 or later
  • MacBook Air introduced in 2012 or later
  • MacBook Pro introduced in 2012 or later
  • Mac mini introduced in 2012 or later
  • iMac introduced in 2012 or later1
  • iMac Pro (all models)
  • Mac Pro introduced in 2013 or later

Jan 11, 2019 Boot Camp for Mac vs virtualization software. If you want to install Windows on your Mac, you have two options. You can either use Mac Boot Camp, a native feature of the macOS operating system, or you can use a third party virtualization program. Both methods have their own pros and cons, so let’s dive in. Here we show you how to install Windows on Mac for free using Boot Camp. Yes that’s right, it doesn’t cost you a cent to install Windows on your Mac in 2017 and it’s perfectly legal.

The latest macOS updates, which can include updates to Boot Camp Assistant. You will use Boot Camp Assistant to install Windows 10.

Mac Bootcamp Install Windows 7

64GB or more free storage space on your Mac startup disk:

  • Your Mac can have as little as 64GB of free storage space, but at least 128GB of free storage space provides the best experience. Automatic Windows updates require that much space or more.
  • If you have an iMac Pro or Mac Pro with 128GB of memory (RAM) or more, your startup disk needs at least as much free storage space as your Mac has memory.2

An external USB flash drive with a storage capacity of 16GB or more, unless you're using a Mac that doesn't need a flash drive to install Windows.

Mac Bootcamp Install Windows 10

A 64-bit version of Windows 10 Home or Windows 10 Pro on a disk image (ISO) or other installation media. If installing Windows on your Mac for the first time, this must be a full version of Windows, not an upgrade.

  • If your copy of Windows came on a USB flash drive, or you have a Windows product key and no installation disc, download a Windows 10 disk image from Microsoft.
  • If your copy of Windows came on a DVD, you might need to create a disk image of that DVD.

How to install Windows 10 on Mac

To install Windows, use Boot Camp Assistant, which is included with your Mac.

1. Use Boot Camp Assistant to create a Windows partition

Open Boot Camp Assistant, which is in the Utilities folder of your Applications folder. Then follow the onscreen instructions.

  • If you're asked to insert a USB drive, plug your USB flash drive into your Mac. Boot Camp Assistant will use it to create a bootable USB drive for Windows installation.
  • When Boot Camp Assistant asks you to set the size of the Windows partition, remember the minimum storage-space requirements in the previous section. Set a partition size that meets your needs, because you can't change its size later.

2. Format the Windows (BOOTCAMP) partition

When Boot Camp Assistant finishes, your Mac restarts to the Windows installer. If the installer asks where to install Windows, select the BOOTCAMP partition and click Format. In most cases, the installer selects and formats the BOOTCAMP partition automatically.

3. Install Windows

Unplug any external devices that aren't necessary during installation. Then click Next and follow the onscreen instructions to begin installing Windows.

4. Use the Boot Camp installer in Windows

After Windows installation completes, your Mac starts up in Windows and opens a ”Welcome to the Boot Camp installer” window. Follow the onscreen instructions to install Boot Camp and Windows support software (drivers). You will be asked to restart when done.

  • If the Boot Camp installer never opens, open the Boot Camp installer manually and use it to complete Boot Camp installation.
  • If you have an external display connected to a Thunderbolt 3 port on your Mac, the display will be blank (black, gray, or blue) for up to 2 minutes during installation.

How to switch between Windows and macOS

Restart, then press and hold the Option (or Alt) ⌥ key during startup to switch between Windows and macOS.

Learn more

If you have one of these Mac models using OS X El Capitan 10.11 or later, you don't need a USB flash drive to install Windows:

  • MacBook introduced in 2015 or later
  • MacBook Air introduced in 2015 or later3
  • MacBook Pro introduced in 2015 or later3
  • iMac introduced in 2015 or later
  • iMac Pro (all models)
  • Mac Pro introduced in late 2013

To remove Windows from your Mac, use Boot Camp Assistant, not any other utility.

For more information about using Windows on your Mac, open Boot Camp Assistant and click the Open Boot Camp Help button.

Mac Install Windows Without Boot Camp

1. If you're using an iMac (Retina 5K, 27-inch, Late 2014) or iMac (27-inch, Late 2013) or iMac (27-inch, Late 2012) with a 3TB hard drive and macOS Mojave or later, learn about an alert you might see during installation.

Mac Boot Camp Install Windows

2. For example, if your Mac has 128GB of memory, its startup disk must have at least 128GB of storage space available for Windows. To see how much memory your Mac has, choose Apple menu  > About This Mac. To see how much storage space is available, click the Storage tab in the same window.

3. These Mac models were offered with 128GB hard drives as an option. Apple recommends 256GB or larger hard drives so that you can create a Boot Camp partition of at least 128GB.

If you use Boot Camp to run Windows on your Mac, you can visit the AMD website to download the latest version of their drivers for Windows. These Mac computers use AMD graphics:

  • 15-inch MacBook Pro introduced in 2015 or later
  • 27-inch iMac introduced in 2014 or later
  • 21.5-inch iMac with Retina display introduced in 2017 or later
  • iMac Pro introduced in 2017
  • Mac Pro introduced in 2013 or later
Mac install windows without boot camp

Check your version of AMD graphics drivers

Install Windows 7 On Mac Boot Camp

  1. Start up your Mac in Windows.
  2. Take any of these steps to open Radeon settings:
    • Right-click your desktop and choose AMD Radeon Settings.
    • Or click Radeon Settings in the notification area.
    • Or choose AMD Radeon Settings from the Programs menu.
  3. In Radeon settings, click the System Tab, then click the Software tab.
  4. The version number is shown under Driver Packaging Version.

Install Windows On Mac Boot Camp

Download and install the latest AMD graphics drivers

Boot Camp Windows

Mac Boot Camp Install Windows

Mac Boot Camp Guide

  1. In Windows, go to the AMD website, then click Drivers & Support.
  2. Select your product from the list, not the menu: First select Graphics, then select Mac Graphics in the next column, then select Apple Boot Camp in the next column.
  3. Click Submit to view the list of available drivers.
  4. Look for the driver version that supports your Mac model. If it's a later version (higher number) than the version installed on your Mac, click Download.
  5. Extract the downloaded ZIP file, then run the Setup app in the resulting folder to install the drivers.