How to install Windows 10 on your Mac – Complete Guide

by

To install certain software on your PC, your PC should run on Windows Operating System. What if you only have an iMac? Do not worry. Now you can install Windows OS on your Mac with the assistance of the Boot Camp Assistant tool. But for that, your Mac must meet some certain requirements first. If the Mac meets all of them, then the installation process is smooth. So let’s begin to discuss the steps of the installation process one by one.

Step 1: Confirmation of requirements of your Mac

Before starting the installation process you must check whether your Mac has enough free disk space and has fulfilled the required hardware requirements. Moreover, you must install the latest updates for Mac. Check whether your Mac meets the below requirements.

  1. Your Mac should support Windows 10. The below models are compatible with Windows 10.
  • MacBook (2015 or later)
  • MacBook Air (2012 or later)
  • MacBook Pro (2012 or later)
  • Mac mini (2012 or later)
  • iMac (2012 or later)
  • iMac Pro (all models)
  • Mac Pro (2013 or later)

    If your PC is older than the below-mentioned models that run on OS X El Capitan 10.11 or later, then you need to have an empty external USB flash drive. Its size must be at least 16GB.

  • MacBook (2015 or later)
  • MacBook Air (2015 or later)
  • MacBook Pro (2015 or later)
  • iMac (2015 or later)
  • iMac Pro (all models)
  • Mac Pro (late 2013)
  1. Your Mac should have a minimum 64GB free disk space on the startup disk. But Apple recommends at least 128GB for the best experience. Moreover, If your Mac is iMac Pro or Mac Pro with a RAM that is 128GB or more in size, then its startup disk should have at least 128GB storage space which is similar in size of RAM.
  2. Your PC’s macOS should be up-to-date.

Step 2: Downloading Windows 10

  1. Go to Windows Store.
  2. In there, you can buy a digital copy of Windows 10 or a Windows 10 flash drive. If you select the digital copy, then you have to download it and download the media creation tool to generate a Windows 10 ISO. If you buy the flash drive, Microsoft will send it to you. Flash drive option should only be used if there is any compatibility issue because it is a somewhat time-consuming process.

Step 3: Opening Boot Camp Assistant

  1. Go to the menu bar of your Mac.
  2. Then click on Go->Utilities.
  3. At last, open the Boot Camp Assistant tool from the list.
  4. Now you can see an introductory screen. That screen contains information about the tool. Further, it recommends you to back up all the data on your PC before continuing with the installation process. We also highly recommend you to do this.
  5. Click on the “Continue” button.
  6. To start the Windows installation process, you have to select the Windows ISO file. Click on the “Choose” to continue.
  7. You also have to decide the size of the Windows partition on the internal drive. Decide wisely. Because you can not change it after the completion of the installation.
  8. Finally, click on the “Install”. Now Boot Camp Assistant starts to generate the Windows partition and download the Windows support software.

Step 4: Formatting the Windows Partition

  1. Once the partition creation is completed, Boot Camp will ask for the administrator password. Enter it and restart your PC.
  2. Launch the Windows installer.
  3. There are several steps in the installer. Follow them, providing the product key and selecting the proper Windows version to install.
  4. Choose the BOOTCAMP partition if you are asked to choose the Windows installation location and then click on the “Format”.

Note that you have to disconnect all the connected devices that are not required for the installation such as monitors, external storage drives, etc.

Step 5: Installing Windows Drivers

  1. Once the Windows installer has completed its process, your PC will load into Windows 10. Moreover, the Boot Camp Assistant will also start automatically.
  2. Click on the “Next” followed by the “Install”. Now Boot Camp Assistant will start to download and install the required Windows drivers.
  3. When all the drivers are installed, click on “Finish”. Then the PC will restart automatically and load back into Windows 10.

Step 6: Installing Windows Updates

It is important to check whether your Windows copy is up-to-date.

  1. Go to the Windows 10 search bar and search for “Check for updates”.
  2. Then click on the first result from the result list.
  3. The settings window will appear. Click on the “Check for updates“. Wait for a while until the system automatically downloads and installs the updates.

Step 7: Selecting the Startup Disk

If you want the MacOS as the default OS and switch into Windows when you want it, then follow the steps below.

  1. Restart your PC
  2. Then quickly press and hold the Option key until the Startup Manager window opens.

Note: This option key is labeled as “Alt” on certain Mac keyboards.

  1. In the Startup Manager window, you can select the default OS. In here, click on the macOS partition, then click on the arrow below it or press “Return”.

In contrast, if you want to always load into Windows OS, then

  1. Go to Startup Disk preferences.
  2. Select the “startup disk housing Windows 10”
  3. Restart your PC and your PC will open into Windows.

Touch Bar Support for Windows OS

If you are planning to install Windows on your Macbook Pro with Touch Bar, then you do not have to worry about the Touch bar functionalities. Because you can have certain functionalities of the Touch Bar on Windows such as MacBook’s basic controls like volume, play, and pause. But you can not have the full scope of the functionalities.

But remember many features will not function properly while you are in the Windows OS. Because the hardware of the MacBook is not fully compatible with Windows. It is mainly made for macOS.

Conclusion

We guide you to install Windows 10 on your iMac step by step. If you are stuck in any step, let us know it in the comment section.

Leave a Comment