Is it possible to install windows 7 on a mac? Formatting Windows OS
So this is the first part lesson on installing Windows 7 on MAC computers
. Today we will study the “basics” and prepare everything necessary for subsequent actions.
We will install Windows in two stages:
1 First, install Windows using the built-in utility “ Assistant Boot Camp
" In this Windows case it will be possible to run on " pure iron"Bypassing MAC OS X. It follows that you will get 100% of the power of your computer and will be able to play your favorite games without any problems.
Boot Assistant Camp is a standard utility in OS X with which you can install Windows on MAC computers with Intel processor. The utility can be found in the folder Programs > Utilities.
2 After this we will install the program Parallels Desktop , with which we will open access to the one installed in the first Windows stage, but already from under MAC OS X. Thus, we will install Windows once, but will be able to run it " from everywhere».
Why install Windows on MAC?
As I wrote in this lesson, everyone has their own reason for Windows installations on MAC. Depending on this reason, I would distinguish three categories of users:
The first category of people generally lacks any software, the MAC version of which has not yet been “invented”. Usually this office workers, accustomed to 1C, AVK and other crap. Well, quite justified. How do you think?
The second category of people - gamers. They want to work under MAC OS X at the same time, but they also can’t forget their toys. God be their judge, but the MAC won’t help either because it’s not very suitable for games. You can read more about this in the article “ Which MAC is better choose for games».
The third category of people - perverts. I cannot call them anything else. Such people buy MacBooks and iMACs just for the sake of appearance the product itself and the apple back cover. Immediately after purchase, Windows is installed on such a device as the main one. operating system. This is where my hands give up...
Conclusion If you have an irresistible desire install windows on mac, do it! But don't use it as your main system. If you initially need a Windows computer, buy a Windows computer. I do not recommend “collectively farming” a MacBook or iMac into a full-fledged Windows machine.
Which version of Windows is better to choose and where to get it
Depending on your computer model (and year of manufacture), you will have access to and the corresponding version(s) of the Boot Camp utility. Depending on the version of Boot Camp, you will have access to one or another Windows version.
Combining what has just been said, specific model computer will run a specific version of Windows. Apple keeps up with the times and provides support only latest versions Windows on their new devices (MacBook, iMac, Mac mini). In order to understand which version of Windows will run on your computer, follow this link and find your model and the corresponding compatibility table.
For example, I have MacBook Air 13"(released mid 2012). It follows that the following versions are available to me: Windows 7 x86 (BootCamp 4), Windows 7 x64 (BootCamp 5), Windows 8 x64 (BootCamp 5). Indicated in parentheses required version Boot Camp.
IN this lesson I will install Windows 7 x86 (32 bit), but not standard version, but lightweight Lite. Why Lite? Yes, because it takes up about 4GB on the hard drive, but at the same time it works no worse Home Edition or Ultimate. Light Windows versions are deprived of various kinds of “unnecessary” add-ons, drivers, etc. and are created ordinary users like me and you. It follows from this that you need to look for such versions on the Internet (fortunately, no one has canceled torrent sites yet). We are interested in installation image Windows disk 7 Lite in ISO format . Here, which takes up 721Mb, and Windows 7 installed from it is only 4.2Gb.
Create a bootable USB flash drive with Windows 7 Lite distribution
After you have downloaded ISO image installation disk, we can safely move on to creation bootable flash drive , with which we will install Windows 7. The flash drive must be NOT LESS THAN 4GB.
Instructions for creating a bootable USB flash drive with Windows distribution 7:
STEP 1 Open the utility “ Boot Camp Assistant" (path: Programs > Utilities)
STEP 2 In the window that opens, confirm by clicking Continue 
STEP 3 Put a tick next to the first item “ Create a Windows 7 or later installation disc» 
STEP 4 Find the previously downloaded file on your hard drive image in ISO format
STEP 5 Confirm that the flash drive can be erased when formatting. We are waiting for the copying process to complete.
Drivers and support files for BootCamp for Windows 7
Next and last step preparing this download necessary drivers and BootCamp support files on Windows. Don’t worry, you don’t have to search the Internet for drivers for each of the system devices, because Apple even did everything for you here. On the company's website you can download only one zip archive , which will have everything you need. Since the iron is on different models computers may differ, software Windows support was also developed specifically for each model.
To download the necessary Windows support software, do the following:
STEP 1 Follow this link and get to a page familiar to us. Select the version of Windows that you plan to install. Scroll down to find your MAC model and open the table. At the intersection of the model and the installed version of Windows there will be a number (in my case, 4 is the version of the required BootCamp). If it's not clear, see the picture above.
STEP 2 Click on this number and you will be taken to the Windows support software download page. Download the archive by clicking on the Download button. 
STEP 3 After the zip archive has been downloaded (usually to the folder Downloads), unzip it ( double click). As a result, a folder will appear with the name BootCamp. Copy it to the bootable USB flash drive you created earlier.
Apple - worldwide famous brand electronics, producing specific products - iPhone, iPad, Mac ( personal computers), MacBook (laptops and netbooks), which are distinguished by their promotion and high level reliability. Fans of Apple products are faced with the above-mentioned specificity: they can’t play most games, they can’t install the usual software - everything is done through dancing with tambourines. Yes and technical support Windows where clearer and more familiar to Russians. At such moments, the question arises: how to install Windows on a Mac, on an Apple laptop?
Installing Windows on Mac is easy
Before moving directly to the instructions, it is worth mentioning that installing Windows on a Mac is only one solution to the problem. And you shouldn’t rush to do this right away if your MAC is frozen. Remember that the more careful you are with the sites you visit, the more often you update programs, the longer the operating system of any version will last you.
If the iOS glitches are unbearable to put up with or the architecture and specifics of the system are simply terribly unusual, then there is windows emulator on MAC. This way you will save native system on Apple device, and get access to familiar and familiar entertainment. Virtual Box; Parallels Desktop, Vmware Fusion are the most popular emulators, or, as they are most often called, “OS virtual machines”.
These wonderful programs will make it possible to create virtual computer with virtual ones technical characteristics(hard drive capacity, number of cores and processor frequency, RAM size, etc.) right inside MAC OS. So, the user will be able to switch between favorite programs for different systems without losing speed or restarting your computer.
If the situation when the MAC freezes makes you angry, and you still decide to install Windows for Mac, then here step-by-step instruction how to install windows on mac.
WATCH THE VIDEO
What you need to install Windows on Mac
Of course, we will need a Macintosh and boot disk with Windows versions that can run on Mac, including:
- Windows XP (Home or Professional with SP 2 or 3)
- Windows Vista (Home Basic, Premium, Business, Ultimate)
- Windows 7 (Home, Professional or Ultimate (version 4 or 5.1)
Modern Mac devices very easy to work with these outdated systems, but there will be problems running Windows 8 and 10 on them. Naturally, before you start installing Windows on a Mac, you should pay attention to whether the computer software and its firmware are updated.
The computer must be connected to the Internet for normal Windows functionality(especially starting with Vista) you need 2 GB random access memory and more, approximately 30 GB free space on the hard drive, as well as the disk or Flash drive(a flash drive with a size of 16 gigabytes or more is best) with all the drivers needed after installation. When you are sure that everything listed is ready, feel free to proceed with the installation.
Installing Windows 7 on Mac is necessary in rare cases. Apple computers have quite decent functionality, however, you need to get used to it. Of course, if you started your journey as an experienced user with top platforms with Microsoft logos, then you will definitely have problems with Macs. Let's begin with Mac OS is a completely different operating system, which differs in many ways from the usual Windows. In addition, modern Macs have built-in programs for workstations, for example, a pumped-up analogue of “1C: Accounting” or a package of engineering tools with the CAD prefix in the name. Certain category users liked this functionality, which is why computers with Apple logos are in the black.
MAC BOOK and its “Relatives” are also attractive with their design. Laptops of this family generally have a slightly different keyboard layout, an excellent display with a very decent resolution, a durable body... In general, here you can cite more than a dozen advantages that justify high cost these devices.
Thus, many users, when buying a Mac for a long time They suffer trying to get used to a different operating system. And it doesn’t matter at all how a Windows fan bought this car, main question– how to tame an original Apple product. And the easiest way out of this situation is installing Windows 7 on MAC.
What should you have on hand?
In order to gain new skills in working with both platforms, we need to get a MacBook or another PC from Apple, a disk or flash drive with Windows 7, 10 free GB on the hard drive, and we will also need Time program Machine for data backup. Installing Windows 7 on a MAC will involve changing partitions on the hard drive, and this can damage or even delete all your pictures, music, and favorite movies. AND last tip, if your PC is equipped USB ports version 3.0, then you will have to use a flash drive of a similar version. Otherwise, most ports may fail altogether, and wireless keyboard it will also show no signs of life.
As for the hardware capabilities of the experimental MacBook, attention should be paid to the processor, which is installed under the metal case. Most modern computers from Apple are equipped with a standard line of processors - Intel. These same systems are ideally adapted to work with Windows 7. More detailed information about everything related to minimum system requirements, can be found in the description section of the operating system that you are about to download or have already downloaded.
Immediately before starting the installation, I recommend checking whether the Mac will support 32-bit or 64-bit Windows. The capacity of the future Windows may conflict with the capabilities of the MAC. More information on this topic can be found in the description of the Boot Camp program.
Lastly, after you have successfully completed today's lesson, you will need to configure drivers for the peripherals. By the way, if the system cannot independently find “firewood” for Bluetooth or a camera for video chat, then do not rush to despair. Such software can be found independently, and on various resources where the names of operating systems from Microsoft or Apple appear.
System update and next steps.
To search for updates for your MAC, you will need to click on the icon in the upper right corner, and then select “Software Update”. In this way, we will prepare the ground necessary for installing Windows. You can use standard utilities, in order to execute backup your files, and you can transfer them to the built-in HDD, as well as a solid-state drive.
Installing Windows 7 on a MAC should not conflict with the system you are using. The Boot Camp program was released specifically to solve this problem. First of all, you need to download and then install this program. Immediately after this procedure, we are obliged to close everything background applications, which can take up computer resources, and then launch Boot Camp.
Immediately after launch, the application will ask us to select the volume hard drive, which must be given to Windows. Remember that for full-fledged work you should choose at least 20 GB. As we remember, Windows 7 itself requires a lot of memory, in addition, you will need additional space to install additional software, as well as drivers for the new system. This stage of installation is presented just above - dragging the partition from MAC OS to Windows panels, we distribute memory between two operating systems. By the way, here you can break HDD on additional sections by clicking on “Partition”. Next, you need to insert a USB flash drive or disk with Windows 7, then click “Start Installation”.
The main installation stage.
Installation of Windows 7 on Mac will continue immediately after reboot. If you don’t know how to install Windows 7 correctly, I recommend reading
By the way, in the future, the computer will reboot on its own. As soon as the system gives you the following window, select the partition to install the OS. The main thing is to select the section opposite which you will see inscription BOOT CAMP. And don't forget to format this section.
The most the hard part this ends. True, it will take about 40 minutes to complete. Installing Windows 7 on MAC looks very boring, so don't waste time and do more important things. And if you don’t have such plans, then you can go to the nearest stall for beer in order to modestly “wash” another victory over insensitive hardware.
After about a couple of reboots, you will see a new settings window where you need to select a language, set the date and time, and also understand network procedures. In general, standard procedures await you.
Once the installation of Windows 7 on MAC is complete, do not forget to update the drivers for the video chip to get the picture in full resolution. You should do the same with all drivers. By the way, you can use the native disk with software for MAC OS. At the same time, Boot CAMP will start working again.
It may happen that the new system will not boot, giving a “screen of death”, and in the most unexpected place - immediately after turning on the power. Most often, such a problem occurs due to incompatibility of video adapters. Laptops with GeForce video cards 7300 GT and higher versions. To solve this problem You will need to update your graphics card firmware. More detailed information about such instructions can be found at any third party resources, as well as on the forums.
After the next reboot, you can praise yourself and open a beer. You got a full-fledged 7 under the hood of the Mac, enjoy using it! Now you can switch between two operating systems, and also begin to master Mac OS, unless, of course, you have already lost such a desire.
Below, you can watch a video that shows in detail the installation of Windows 7 on a Mac. Good luck!
Computers are known to everyone Apple are very multifunctional and have wide choose specially developed software. But sometimes it happens that Mac user or iMac wants to install the Windows operating system that is already so familiar to itself. Sometimes OS Windows may be needed to install some programs so that you can play your favorite games, but there is no suitable alternative for Mac.
You can install the OS yourself. This can be done in several ways, for example, through a utility or using a flash drive. Let's look at the example of applications from Apple, which are called Bootcamp, Parallels Desktop and Virtual Box.
Preparing and installing Bootcamp
This option allows you to install an additional OS on Mac and iMac in a separately created partition on your hard drive. You can choose which system to boot into during startup. The advantage of this utility is that by installing the program through it, all the resources of your PC will be available to Windows, this will allow you to use the Mac’s performance to the maximum. The computer will easily pull the most modern games, and perform complex tasks.
Before installing an additional OS, keep in mind that it will take up a lot of space on your hard drive. Make sure it has the required gigabytes. On average, you may need about 30 Gb.
Before you begin installing the operating system on your iMac or Mac, check and prepare Boot camp. First, make sure that all updates from Apple are installed on it. To do this you need to do the following:
When you launch the utility, you will have the opportunity to select the location where OS Windows will be installed. Before starting the software, you should close all open applications and programs.
Once the utility and flash drives for copying information are ready, you can proceed to the first steps:
Once all files have been copied, the iMac will automatically begin rebooting. Next, to display the download manager, press and hold Alt key. On the Mac, the disk menu will open, mark the partition with the name of the operating system. This will be followed by launching the OS and setting the parameters.
To install Windows 8 you need to do the same. Only in the window Selecting Actions"You should check the boxes next to the items " Download latest software" And " Create a disk to install Windows 7 or new».
Installing Windows on a Mac, or rather, setting up the program, begins with choosing a language. Select the correct language right away, otherwise you will have to do all the steps again. Having selected all the parameters in this window, click the Next button, which is located in the lower right corner.
To install an operating room Windows systems On a Mac, carefully follow all instructions provided. Do not restart or turn off your computer during the process. The procedure cannot be interrupted in any way.
After iMac second Once it reboots, you can start installation necessary drivers. To do this, download them back from the flash drive, install and run the installation program.
Installing Windows via Bootcamp using a USB flash drive
Installation can be carried out either using a disk with the operating system or via a USB drive. To load a program from a flash drive onto a Mac, you must first download it. If we are talking about Windows 8, then the version of this system must be in iso format.
This installation option on Mac and iMac is no different from the previous one. Before you begin, you should also check bootcamp for updates and save all the necessary data. Next instructions will help you complete the task:
But it happens that when installation media is a flash drive, the utility requires you to insert a disk with the program and refuses to continue downloading the software to the iMac. In this case, you can download the driver Daemon Tools Lite iMac. With its help we install Windows iso image, he will serve virtual drive and then Bootcamp will complete the installation process of our OS without any problems.
Installing Windows on Mac and iMac via Parallels Desktop
In addition to Boot Camp, there are several other options for installing an additional operating system. For example, you can use the program Parallels Desktop, which is virtual machine for installing Windows. You will be able to run Windows programs without rebooting the PC.
You can complete the installation by following the instructions below:
A special feature of Parallels Desktop is the high performance of the program. You can download a free trial version or buy Parallels Desktop using the link below:
Installing Windows using VirtualBox
VirtualBox is one of popular programs virtualization. With its help, your PC will easily run two operating systems at once. Installing an additional OS via VirtualBox is quite simple.
To get started, enter the query VirtualBox into the search engine, go to the official website and download the program. Once installation is complete, click on the program icon and select “Create”. After this, you can begin installing Windows.
Sometimes it happens that after installing an additional operating system, problems with sound or video playback appear on the iMac. To solve this problem, you need to install on your Mac all the drivers that were previously saved on additional storage information (disk or flash drive).
After all the steps taken, the installation of Windows on Mac is completely completed. Restart the program and everything will definitely work.
Video on the topic
If you suddenly need to install Windows on a MacBook for some reason, then first decide whether it will be an old Windows XP, 7, or whether you will install the most new version Windows 8 operating system. Whatever you choose, don't be petty and don't waste your time installing pirated program! Every person who respects himself and his work will treat this with understanding and gain licensed version operating system with keys in a specialized store.
To install the operating system on your Mac, that is, on its hard drive, you must have at least 22 gigabytes of RAM. In addition, you will need a removable flash drive with a capacity of 8 gigabytes or more (you need to connect it to your Mac), high quality internet. For reliable performance, connect your MacBook to a network. The OS is installed through the Boot Camp program.
All is ready! Now your MacBook has a full-fledged Windows 8 operating system. All updates for Microsoft systems will be automatically downloaded from the Internet and installed after some time. Well, you can safely start working with the new OS.