RECOMMENDED: Mac users have a couple of options when it comes to. One can install Windows 8.1 on Mac with the help of Boot Camp software, use virtualization software like VirtualBox to install Windows 8.1 inside Mac, or manually create a new partition and then install Windows 8.1 without the help of Boot Camp. In one of our previous articles, we discussed about installing Windows 8.1 on Mac with the help of Apple’s Boot Camp software. In this guide, we’re going to show you how to install Windows 8.1 on Mac without Boot Camp software. This method involves creating a new partition for Windows, preparing a bootable Windows 8.1 USB, and of course, installing Windows 8.1 on your Mac. Complete the given below instructions to successfully install Windows 8.1 on your Mac without Boot Camp software.
Aug 15, 2018 - After following this guide, you'll be able to dual-boot your Mac into Windows. Without further ado, here's how to set up Boot Camp and install.
Step 1: Turn on your Mac machine and boot into Mac OS X. Open Launchpad, click Other, and then click Disk Utility to open the same.
Step 2: Once Disk Utility is launched, select the drive (your SSD or HDD) in the left-side, and then switch to the Partition tab. Step 3: Next, click on the small “+” sign to create a new partition. Step 4: Select the newly created partition, enter a name for your new partition (remember the name as you can easily select the newly created partition later while installing Windows), select the size (at least 20 GB), and then select the format as DOS (FAT) or ExFAT. You can select either DOS or ExFat here, as you can format the partition with NTFS while installing Windows.
Click Apply button to create a new partition to install Windows. Click on the Partition button when you see the warning message. Once the new partition is ready, close Disk Utility. Step 5: Next, you need to prepare bootable Windows 8.1 installation media. We advise you follow our guide to quickly create the bootable installation media and also download important support software from Apple. And if you already have the bootable media, you can proceed to the next step.
Step 6: Once you have the bootable media, restart your Mac, hold down the Alt (Option) key while restarting the Mac, choose the option titled Windows (don’t select EFI unless you are very sure) to begin installing Windows on your Mac. Step 7: Follow the simple on-screen instructions, and when you see the partition selection screen, select the newly created partition (be sure to select the right partition), click Format to format the partition with NTFS, select the formatted partition, and then click Install button to continue installing Windows on your Mac. Note that during the installation, your system will be rebooted a couple of times. Every time your system reboots, hold down the Alt (Option) key, and then select Windows to continue the installation. Step 8: From here on, you need to follow the normal Windows 8.1 installation procedure. Step 9: Once Windows is installed on your Mac, setup will automatically launch.
Click Next button, accept license agreement, and then click Next button again to begin installing support drivers. Once done, you’ll be asked to reboot your system to complete the installation. Enjoy Windows 8.1 on your Mac. If you plan to use Windows as your default operating system, we suggest you to avoid pressing the Alt key every time you turn on your Mac.
How to guide might also interest you. If you created the partition and formatted it, go on and start windows setup as said in procedure. Be sure to download the 64bit (or x64) version of Windows and only from the Microsoft site (other ‘free’ downloads have been proven many times to hide malware in that version of windows).
Search for windows 10 media creation tool or search for windows 10 download and look for the link that contains Microsoft.com. Use that tool to ‘install windows on a different computer’ which will automatically create a bootable usb drive when providing one. Make sure to cooy that usb drive first as it will wipe all data from it! When done reboot imac as told in above procedure and choose the efi boot on the usb drive. Running the setup choose custom installation, select the partition you just created and choose format.
If you can’t select it first select disk tools or disk options. After formatting the new partition just select it and go further with the next step of the installation wizard. I installed win 10 on a fully formatted imac (after a complete wipe of all partitions) and i just selected the unpartitioned disk. Windows setup did the rest for me automatically. However: after installation and all the auto updates from the web three hardware components won’t work. The Intel HD display crashes the imac so I disabled it completely.
No problem as the AMD display adapter is being used. Further there seem to be no drivers for the facetime camera, the Bluetooth hub (but mouse is working properly) and the sound card. Can anyone tell me where i can download the sound and camera drivers without bootcamp or without having to reinstall the Mac OS again? When I boot holding the alt key I don’t see my usb with Windows 10 on it to choose?
All i see are my OS X partition and the recovery hd. I tried booting and the plugging the usb as well as plugging in the usb before booting and both options didn’t work. Listen, I really want windows on my mac.
I’ve been trying to get windows 7 through bootcamp but it always freezes something to do with the drivers or some such bullshit. Bootcamp won’t let me install anything other than windows 7. Would it be possible if I create two usb’s? One with windows 10 and one with 7.
That way I use bootcamp to install windows 7 and right whens it restarts to open windows I can replace the usb’s so it opens windows 10 instead? Hi, After reading all comments I though i’m in between. Weither I would be able to install it or no.
And when i decided to give it a try I got an error.:( I can’t install windows because of some thing GTP etc type error. I could boot into windows installation, and formate but “next” option doesn’t get appear to be clicked ONLY you can’t install windows on bla bla bla.:( Can you guys tell me if it is some “hardware” issue or windows? Some of guys above do have the same issue. Regards. admin says.
This was amazing. I can’t tell you how much of an absolute disaster this process has been. How many times I’ve accidentally wiped my hard drive trying to follow directions from different websites for installs via the command line. How many DVDs I went through. How many hours searching online.
I started trying to get this to work back in September, gave up and moved on to updating to Yosemite and setting up OS X Server. Now that all that’s done and good to go for all my devices, I thought I’d return to this Your instructions worked perfectly. I don’t understand what was different this time as opposed to before, but I was able to format the drive within the Windows install process just fine. Before, it wouldn’t even let me do that (which is how I ended up braving a few different sets of instructions for command line installs). At any rate, thank you, thank you, thank you!. Mark Brown says.
It’s not often that computer users get the best of both worlds. For the most part, you’re either a PC person or a Mac person, and “never the twain shall meet.” But for those of us who actually prefer to straddle the dividing line between PC and, there’s a method by which you can have your proverbial cake and eat it too. It’s called dual booting, and it lets you jump back and forth on your Mac between operating systems with dexterous ease, not even requiring you to get up out of your comfy office chair to switch to another computer. Here’s how it works. What You’ll Need Before you get all excited and begin your charge, there are a few things to take into consideration.
Just as no battle is ever won without first equipping yourself with the right stuff to pull out a victory, no serious computer makeover can ever be accomplished without having a few necessary tools in your arsenal. This is what you’ll need:. Perform a full backup of your data so nothing’s lost in the formatting and partitioning of your hard drive.
You should already have a system in place to. If not, don’t waste time browbeating yourself.
Get busy backing up your data, then move on to the next step. Your Mac’s keyboard, mouse, or trackpad. A USB keyboard and mouse can be used instead if the original equipment is no longer in your custody. Bear in mind that you may run into trouble during Windows installation if you’re using an Apple mouse or the Apple touchpad plugged directly into your Mac. A Mac computer that will support Windows 10. Go to see if your Mac makes the cut.
A Mac with a bare minimum of 2GB of RAM. Plenty of space in your hard drive, enough to fit both operating systems. At minimum, you should have at least 55GB of free space in your partition for the 64-bit version of Windows 10.
If you’ve got more room than that, even better. A 16GB USB flash drive, which is required for some Mac models to install updated drivers. Installation discs for Windows and OS X.
Some Macs will allow you to install Windows from a USB flash drive that contains a Windows 10 ISO image downloaded from Microsoft, which is why you may need the aforementioned 16GB USB flash drive. You can download Windows 10. Internet access and an administrator account in OS X. Enough computer savvy to ensure you don’t make a mess of your system. You don’t need to be a guru to configure your Mac for dual booting, but you should be able to follow the steps without having to constantly ring up your computer pals to ask for clarification.
If you find yourself reaching for the phone or scratching your head every five seconds, consider getting a pro involved. Or check with the experts in the. Putting Boot Camp Assistant to Work If you own a Mac that’s even a few years old, it came pre-loaded with a program called Boot Camp Assistant, which was intended to make setting up a dual boot scenario possible.
Depending on which version of Windows you want to use, you may require a different version of Boot Camp Assistant. For the purposes of this article, where we’re focusing on dual booting into Windows 10, you’ll need to be running.
In this case, “or later” refers to the newly available OS X El Capitan. The version of Boot Camp Assistant that comes with Yosemite and El Capitan supports the.
Go for separate instructions on how to dual boot Windows 7 on your Mac, and for Windows 8. Installing Windows 10 on Your Mac Follow the steps below to install a new copy of Windows 10. If you already have an on your Mac but want to upgrade to Windows 10, skip this entire section and scroll down to Upgrading Windows. Check for any OS X you still need to install. Be sure to log into your Mac administrator account and log out any other users.
While you’re at it, quit out of any running apps. Check here to ensure you’re up to date on any necessary updates. Read over the documentation for Windows 10 to ensure your Mac has the right kind of processor to make it all fly. Then, check your Mac’s to make sure you’re equipped.
if the version of Windows 10 you’re installing came on a disk. If you’re working off Windows from a USB flash drive, download an ISO from Microsoft directly. You can get that. Launch Boot Camp Assistant. You’ll find it in your Utilities folder. If you’re prompted to do so, plug in your USB flash drive.
Once Boot Camp is done doing its thing, your Mac will restart and launch the Windows installer automatically. You’ll then be prompted to select where you want to install Windows. Pick the partition labeled BOOTCAMP and then select the Format option. We recommend dedicating at least 30GB of space for the Windows side, although if you’re unsure you can always refer to your accompanying Windows documentation to see just how much space you’ll need.
There’s also the option to split the drive evenly down the middle. Take into account how you plan to use Windows 10 and add space accordingly if you plan on using it a lot for games and other intensive applications. Continue following the Windows configuration and installation prompts. Reboot your Mac into your desired OS by using the Startup Disk preference pane in OSX, or the Boot Camp system tray icon in Windows.
Follow all onscreen instructions through to completion of setup. You might encounter a message telling you that the software you’re installing hasn’t passed Windows Logo testing. If so, just click Continue Anyway. Your Mac will once again restart.
Follow all and any instructions to finalize installation. If you happen to experience any trouble with Windows installation, pay a visit to Apple.com’s to troubleshoot and fix any issues.
Upgrading Windows To on your Mac to Windows 10, first determine if the version of Windows you’re currently running is 64-bit or 32-bit and follow the appropriate steps below. Upgrading 64-bit Windows. If you’re running Windows 8 and want to upgrade to Windows 10, you’ll first have to upgrade to Windows 8.1 to make the leap. Ensure you have at minimum 10GB of free space on your Windows partition. Reboot your Mac in OS X and check for any you’ll need.
Next, reboot your Mac into the existing version of Windows you have installed and download any required Windows OS updates. Upgrade your current version of Windows to Windows 10. Next, make sure you have all Windows support software drivers for Boot Camp are up to date. Then log into Windows 10.
Upgrading 32-bit Windows. Access your Windows partition and back up any files you don’t want to lose. Launch Boot Camp Assistant. Next, follow all the steps outlined in Installing Windows 10 on Your Mac (above). Toggling Between OS X and Windows Once everything’s been installed correctly, you’ll be able to start your Mac in either OS X or Windows. Switching from one operating system to another is as easy as rebooting and holding down the Option (Alt) key during restart to pick your desired OS. Removing with Ease If you’re not a fan of Windows 10 and you want to make it go away, doing so is easy.
Simply launch Boot Camp again, check the option to remove Windows, and click Continue. If you click Restore on the next screen you see, you will completely wipe the newly installed Windows partition.