How to install Windows 10 on a Mac [Solved]

Users have been able to install Windows on a Mac for years, and Microsoft's latest operating system is no exception. And no, the Apple police won’t come after you, we swear.

By installing Windows 10, you get access to a host of new features. First you'll notice the look and feel. It's taking the flat, tile-based user interface introduced in Windows 8 and combining it with the Windows your parents know. There's a fancy new browser called Edge, and a new app switcher Mac users are sure to find familiar.

But be warned: Even though you can install Windows 10 on a Mac, Apple doesn’t officially support Windows 10 on a Mac, so there's a good chance you may run into driver issues.

But for those determined to press on, here's how to do it.

Virtual, or Boot Camp:

If you’ve decided to install Windows on your Mac, you've got a few different options. You could run it virtually, or you can use Bootcamp to install it on a partitioned part of your hard drive.

If this is going to be a temporary look at Windows 10, or if you’re only running it occasionally, it's better to run it in a virtual environment.

That means you'll run Windows as an app inside of Mac OS X. This will let you play with the interface and run some apps in order to get a feel for the operating system. But because you’re really running two OSes at once, you’re sacrificing performance. If you want to go this route, you can download VirtualBox or Parallels.

If you plan on making a longterm commitment to Windows 10, it's best to install via Boot Camp. This way, your computer can devote all of its resources (like its processor and RAM,) to running only Windows.

You'll be walling off a chunk of your hard drive to use only with Windows 10, and you shouldn't take this lightly. Think about how much space you'll need for your longterm needs, as the only way to adjust this later is to erase the partition and install the operating system all over again. And of course, whenever you're fussing around with your system, save a backup to an external hard drive just in case something goes wrong.

Mashable chose to install via Boot Camp, since the operating system will run more smoothly.

Quick note: You’ll need a Windows 10 ISO file to install the software no matter which way you choose to install. Windows 10 is rolling out only for Windows users who signed up for it earlier. If you signed up, you’ll be able to download the ISO file from Microsoft’s site, which you can install on a Mac.

If you didn’t sign up, the retail version is coming on Aug. 31, so those who want it on a Mac may have to wait until then.

Install it with Boot Camp:

Once you’ve decided to dive into Windows 10 on your Mac, the first thing you should think about is hard drive space.

Lots of Mac users install Windows for gaming, and that can take up a lot of space. If that's you, we recommend making about half the entire hard drive available to Windows. Another option is to install the operating system onto the hard drive, and keep games saved on an external disk.

Make sure you have an at least 8GB USB flash drive and plug it into your Mac. Open up Boot Camp, and hit continue.

You’ll be presented with three options. If you’re doing this for the first time, leave all three checked. Your computer is about to create a bootable drive with Windows on it, then download the drivers you need so you can still use your keyboard, trackpad or mouse. However, these drivers were made for Windows 8.1, so whether or not they'll work on your machine is a bit of a gamble.

You’ll be warned that the drive is about to be formatted. If you’re comfortable with losing everything on that disk drive, go ahead and proceed. Next, Boot Camp will copy Windows files over and create the bootable disk drive. Once it’s done with that, it’ll ask you how much of your computer’s hard drive you want to dedicate to Windows. You can drag the bar to set how much you want to allocate.

Then your computer will create the partition, download the drivers, and turn the flash drive into a bootable disk. Your computer should reboot into Windows. If your computer reboots into OS X, just hit restart and hold the option key while the computer is coming back on. This part might take a while, so feel free to grab some tea, or fiddle with your phone.

Once it reboots, you’ll see three options: EFI Boot, Windows, and Mac. Select EFI Boot, and follow the prompts until you get to a screen with two options: one for a custom install and upgrade.

Choose custom, navigate to your partitioned drive and hit format. From then on, Windows will whisk you through the initial setup screens.

After those screens, the new Windows wallpaper will emerge, and you’ll be all set. Again, that's if your drivers are working correctly.

tags: #windows10 #windowstips #windowstricks #windowsonmac #microsoftapple