You can bypass much of the initial setup complexity by using the UTM app, which allows you to run QEMU on your Mac with very little setup. There’s another solution, which is QEMU: a free, open-source emulator that (at least in its standard package) is somewhat difficult to install and set up. Parallels Desktop’s pricing can range anywhere from about $50 (for upgrades from a previous version) to $100 for the Pro Edition, unless you happen to buy it when it’s on sale. Of the two popular apps that have been used for years to run Windows and other operating systems on a Mac, namely VMware Fusion and Parallels Desktop, only the latter has been updated to run on an M1 or M2-based Mac. For now, Apple still sells one model of Mac mini with an Intel processor, as well as the more expensive Mac Pro which is out of most consumers’ price range.īut for those who want to move forward with Apple silicon, there’s another option: virtualization. M1 and M2) processors, few Macs are still available that let you dual-boot Windows or run Windows apps natively with an Intel processor. Since Apple has been updating its Macs to run on its own Apple silicon (i.e. Unfortunately, Apple only supports Boot Camp on Macs with an Intel processor. Apple’s Boot Camp allowed you to start up your Intel-based Mac in either macOS or Windows, and this dual-boot capability was great for people who needed to use both operating systems.

If you have multiple internal hard drives, you can select a different hard drive from the one running macOS and create a single partition on that drive to use solely for Windows.Software & Apps How to Run Windows 11 for Free on an M1 or M2 Macįor many years, Apple made it easy to run Windows on your Mac. This process may take a long time to complete (you can click the Stop button to interrupt this process).Īt the Create a Partition for Windows step, specify a partition size by dragging the divider between the macOS and Windows partitions. The Windows files are copied to the USB drive. This process may take a long time to complete (you can click the Stop button to skip this process).Īt the Select Tasks step, select all the tasks, then click Continue.Īt the Create Bootable USB Drive for Windows Installation step, choose the Windows ISO image and the USB drive, then click Continue. Older Time Machine snapshots and cached iCloud files are removed to make space for Boot Camp. The system is checked for total available disk space. On your Mac, open Boot Camp Assistant, located in /Applications/Utilities.Īt the introduction screen, click Continue. Important: If you’re using a Mac notebook computer, connect it to a power source before continuing.Ĭonnect an external USB drive or insert a flash drive into the USB port on your Mac keep it connected or inserted while you install Windows and the Windows support software.

How to run windows on macbook air