The downside is that you have to pay £65 for it. It supports some light gaming, plus Windows apps can run in their own windows, so they look just like any other MacOS app. Parallels Desktop 12 is the most convenient method of running Windows. It also makes it easier to share files, with both using simulated network shares to do the job.

The other two methods run Windows inside a virtual machine, which although reduces performance means that you don’t have to reboot to switch OS. The downside is that you have to reboot to change operating systems, and sharing files between operating systems is harder as neither OS can see the other. This method provides the best performance, as you can see below. It’s just like using a Windows laptop, in fact.

Boot Camp, provided by Apple for free, lets you run Windows natively on your Mac. Related: Windows 10 Anniversary update review Run Windows on a Mac – Choose your methodĮach method has its advantages and disadvantages. This guide will help you choose the right method for your particular scenario, and show you how to get each one up and running. Here, I’m looking at the three most common ways to run Windows on a Mac: Boot Camp, Parallels Desktop and VirtualBox. They’re all valid reasons, but the approach you take to each is likely to differ. It could be because you’re testing software for compatibility, or that you want to run a particular Windows-only app, or because you want to play a game.

We show you how to do it using Boot Camp, Parallels and VirtualBox, and walk through some of the trickier glitches and problems to get you up and running quickly.Īlthough MacOS is well supported with the majority of popular commercial applications, there remain occasions where it’s useful to run Windows on your Mac. Running Windows on a Mac doesn’t have to be difficult.

Installing windows on mac virtualbox