How to install Windows on Mac? Step-by-step instruction. Installing Windows on an iMac: detailed instructions Installing windows 7 on an imac from a flash drive

Many Mac computers today do not have an optical drive: it is simply not included on the macbook air and mac mini, on some MacBook/iMac it is replaced with an additional 2.5-inch drive, and on some computers the drive may simply not work.

New Macs can boot from a flash drive, but I am not the owner of new ones (2010), and this guide will also be useful for those who want fast install Windows from an image on any poppy.

I tried many ways - I tried to install from a USB flash drive/disk, everything was in vain (not every mac boots from a flash drive or external drive). also did not give anything - there was a dark screen. This method was simply a salvation.

So what is needed:

Step 2.4: Converting VDI image to WinClone image

1. In VirtualBox go to File->Media Manager. Click Copy our Windows partition, making sure to use the option Fixed size. The launch copy will be called win7_copy. We are waiting for this operation to complete
2. Go to Terminal, move to the folder where you saved the copy and enter: sudo VBoxManage internalcommands converttoraw win7_copy.vdi win7.raw Wait for completion again
3. Enter another command in the terminal:
   sudo hdiutil attach -imagekey diskimage-class=CRawDiskImage win7.raw After this you should have the image mounted Untitled
4. Go to WinClone, make a copy of this mounted Untitled disk in the first tab Image
5. The image is ready!

Stage 3: Upload the WinClone image to the Boot Camp partition

For future installations, you now only need steps 1 and 3, the second only needs to be done once.

I am not the author of this know-how, this is a free translation into Russian (with minor additions and improvements). The original of this article is available. I personally tested the method on 2 macs - iMAC MC508 2010 and Mac Mini 2011 junior model, it works like a dream, for which thanks to the author, who also said that the method has been tried by hundreds of people, and it just works.

PS. Please strictly do not kick me, this is my first post here. Thank you.

This post was written not for the sake of holivar, but simply to share experience. I’ll answer the main part of the questions right away:
- Why is this necessary?
- It's just necessary!
- There is MacOS, why is there Windows on a Mac?
- Everyone chooses for themselves what is more convenient for them to work with! I like Apple hardware, but I'm used to working on Windows!
- Are there virtual machines?
- They work slowly!
- There is a Bootcamp!?
- There is little space on the Air, and Windows alone takes up about 30-40GB, with all the software!
Answered all the questions?! If you are still wondering how to do this, then welcome to the post...

If you have an external CD drive, this post may not be for you, here I will tell you how to install Windows on a MacBook Air without a drive.
In order to pull this all off, we need:

• 2 USB flash drives (one for Windows 7 (from 4GB), the other for drivers (from 1GB))
• 1 PC - with Windows 7
• Internet
• and of course the brand new Macbook Air 2010 Late

Stage 1. Preparing a bootable flash drive with Windows 7

Now we have a USB flash drive formatted in FAT32, which is active, i.e. may become bootable.
In order to install the bootloader, you need to do this in CMD:

1. F: (my CD-ROM is designated by the letter F:, yours may be different)
2. cd\boot\
3. bootsect /nt60 E: (where E: is the name of the flash drive)

Step 3. Make Macbook See USB Flash with Windows

A little about how it all works

Computers from Apple have decent functionality that allows you to perform all the necessary tasks, so there is practically no need to use Microsoft products on them. However, some users who have been working with Windows for a long time cannot immediately switch to OS X.

To make the adaptation process a little easier, you can use both systems on the same machine for some time. To do this, you need to know how to install Windows 7 on Mac.

Preparation

So, you bought a computer from Apple, but you can’t or don’t want to work on the standard OS, despite all its advantages: you can’t install the font on the Mac, the necessary programs are not supported, etc. There is only one solution - install the familiar Windows 7. Moreover, the Mac runs on Intel processors, which interact perfectly with the “seven”.

Be sure to visit Apple's support portal to see which computers support Windows, system requirements for installation, and other important information.

For installation you will need:

Important! If your computer is equipped with a USB 3.0 interface, then you will need a flash drive that supports this technology. Otherwise, equipment conflicts are possible, which will lead to unpleasant consequences.

Before installing Windows, you must update the system. In addition, do not forget to make a backup copy of the information stored on the hard drive, otherwise data may be lost when creating and changing partitions. To create a backup copy of your information, use Time Machine.

Boot Camp

To ensure that when installing Windows 7 there is no conflict with the system you are already using, you need to install a special Boot Camp utility. Let's see how to work with it:

Close all applications that can take up computer resources and launch Boot Camp.

Specify how much hard disk space you are willing to allocate for Windows. The minimum value is 5 GB, but it is recommended to allocate at least 20 GB to the Microsoft product.

Why so much? Firstly, Windows 7 itself weighs quite a lot. Secondly, you'll need space to install additional software, so it's best to leave some extra space. Determining the allocated volume is done by moving the partition between the fields of Mac OS X and Windows.

Once you determine how many gigabytes of free space it will take to install Windows 7, click the “Partition” button. You will start the hard drive partitioning process, which will end with a 20 GB disk named “BOOTCAMP” appearing on the screen.

The next step is to install the disk or flash drive with the distribution and click the “Start Installation” button.

System installation

The installation process itself is nothing new, so if you already know how to install Windows 7, then you can install this system on a Mac Book Pro without any problems. After clicking the “Start Installation” button, the computer will reboot and a window for selecting a partition for installation will appear on the screen.

Attention! You only need to select the partition that you created yourself (its name contains the word “BOOTCAMP”). Installing to any other partition may cause your Mac to crash.

Having selected a section, click the “Drive options (advanced)” button. Start formatting by clicking on the appropriate button. A warning will appear on the screen that all data will be erased - click “Ok”.
During installation, the Mac will restart several times. After the Windows system files have been copied, you will be prompted to select your language and other computer settings. Then the machine will reboot again to start in Windows the next time.

Installing drivers

When you launch Windows 7 on a Mac, you will encounter that the screen resolution is low and there is no sound at all. Updating Windows and using the Mac OS X installation disk will help correct these shortcomings.

If the system cannot independently install drivers for connected devices, try finding them yourself.

The operating system from Microsoft is installed on the Mac. To boot into this environment, when you turn on the computer, you need to press the “Option” button and select Windows 7.

As you can see, there is nothing complicated about installing Windows on a Mac. If you decide to continue your experiments with a combination of products from different companies, try installing Android on your computer. This is also quite simple to do, and all the features of the Google operating system on the PC remain working, so you can download and run your favorite applications in an unusual environment.

Even the most ardent OS X fans sometimes need to take advantage of the “enemy” Windows. There are different situations: from the need to use banking clients and corporate software to launching games. There are many ways to run applications written for Windows, using both third-party tools and proprietary Apple solutions.

Conventionally, they can be divided into three categories: a full installation of Windows, the use of virtual machines and emulators of the Windows software environment. Each option has its own advantages and disadvantages, so we will look at them all so that you can choose the one that is most convenient for you.

Installing Windows using Boot Camp

Especially for those unfortunates who are unable to break all ties with Windows, Apple created the “Boot Camp Assistant” utility, with which you can prepare your Mac for installing Windows and, in fact, install it. In this case, a separate partition is created on the disk, allowing both operating systems to work independently of each other.

You will need 50 GB of free space and a Windows boot disk. The installation process itself is very simple, you just need to follow the wizard's prompts and wait for completion. After the reboot, you will have a full-fledged version of Windows at your disposal, just like on a regular PC. All you have to do is install the necessary applications or games - and you can use it. You can find out more about the requirements and supported versions.

Benefits of Boot Camp

• Performance. Since all the resources of the Mac are used by only one OS, we get maximum performance.
• Compatibility. Thanks to full-fledged Windows, full compatibility with any applications and games is ensured.

Disadvantages of Boot Camp

• Need to reboot. To start Windows, you will have to restart your Mac every time.
• Lack of integration. Windows does not support the HFS+ file system, which means you won’t be able to access OS X files from it, and vice versa.

Using virtual machines

This method has much in common with the previous one, but is slightly different in implementation. With it we also get a full-fledged OS, but it is installed not on real hardware, but on virtual one. Special software (virtual machine) emulates the hardware platform for running Windows, taking away some of the Mac's resources, and it turns out that one OS runs inside another.

Parallels Desktop

Perhaps the most popular virtual machine among Mac users. Parallels is regularly updated, always works with the latest versions of OS X and Windows, and has additional features such as hybrid mode, when the OS X and Windows interfaces are simultaneously displayed on the screen, and applications run regardless of their ownership. In addition, the program can launch Windows from Boot Camp partitions, which is convenient if you need to access any applications or data without rebooting.

The disadvantage of the program is that Parallels is not free. The junior version will cost you $79.99.

VMware Fusion

Another commercial solution for OS virtualization. The key feature of VMware Fusion is the sharing wizard, which allows you to transfer the entire environment from your Windows PC to a virtual machine and continue using applications on your Mac. Installed Windows shares a clipboard with OS X, as well as access to files and network resources. Its applications are fully integrated with OS X features (Spotlight, Mission Control, Exposé). In addition, it supports running Windows from the Boot Camp partition.

VMware Fusion costs 6,300 rubles, but before purchasing you can explore its capabilities in a free trial version.

If your plans do not include additional expenses for running Windows applications, then your choice is Oracle. Compared to paid analogues, it has much fewer capabilities, but is quite suitable for simple tasks. You shouldn't count on integration with OS X system functions, but basic things like a shared clipboard and access to network resources are available here. The free nature of VirtualBox fully justifies all of its limitations.

Benefits of virtual machines

• Simultaneous operation of two operating systems. You don't need to restart your Mac to run Windows apps.
• File sharing. Since Windows runs inside OS X, file system support is not an issue.

Disadvantages of Virtual Machines

• Poor performance. Because Mac resources are shared between the two operating systems, application performance is significantly slower, especially on older computers.
• Compatibility issues. Some applications (most often games) that require direct access to hardware may not work correctly or not work at all.

Using emulators

With emulators, everything is completely different than with virtual machines and Boot Camp. More precisely, they have something in common with virtual machines, only they do not emulate Windows as a whole, but only those of its software components that are necessary for the operation of the desired application. We will not have a full-fledged OS and access to its functions: we get a certain compatibility layer that allows us to run a Windows application directly in the OS X environment.

All emulators work on the same principle. The installation of the application is initialized via setup.exe, and then during its process the necessary launch parameters are configured and the necessary libraries are automatically loaded. After this, an application icon appears on Launchpad, which will work in the same way as all native OS X programs.

WineBottler

This emulator can turn an .EXE file into an OS X compatible application. WineBottler also allows you to automatically load some already configured Windows applications. It is completely free and compatible with OS X El Capitan.

Wineskin

Another emulator, which, like the previous one, uses the Wine libraries to create ports. Compared to the previous solution, Wineskin has more settings and allows you to fine-tune the settings. We talked in detail about its setup and use in.

CrossOver

A commercial emulator whose development team has already adapted and configured many popular Windows applications and games for you. CrossOver has a friendly interface and eliminates the need to delve into settings and deal with possible errors. The only negative is that it is paid. The license costs $20.95, but there is a 14-day trial period.

Advantages of emulators

• No Windows license required. Emulators run applications through a compatibility layer, so a licensed copy of the OS is not needed.
• Performance. Again, due to the savings in resources that are spent on running full-fledged Windows in virtual machines, we get higher performance compared to them.

Disadvantages of emulators

• Difficulty setting up. To use Windows applications, you first need to configure them, and this is not always easy, especially with games.
• Compatibility issues. In some cases, applications (usually resource-intensive) may not work correctly or not work at all.

What to choose

What to ultimately choose from such a variety? There is no clear answer to this question. In each specific case you need to build on your needs, but in general the recommendations are as follows.

• Boot Camp Suitable primarily for gamers, as well as those users who need maximum performance and compatibility with software. We reboot the Mac - and we get a full-fledged computer with Windows.
• Virtual machines will help out in cases where you need both OSs at the same time. We sacrifice performance, but avoid reboots and get good integration.
• Emulators Can only be recommended for simple tasks and infrequent use. For example, when you need to use a bank client a couple of times a month or occasionally feel nostalgic in your favorite game.

Choose the most suitable option for yourself, and in the comments tell us for what needs you use Windows applications on your Mac and how you launch them.

Installing Windows 7 on MacBook Pro

InstallationWindows-7 onMacBookPro

First: Why is this needed? Why do you need Windows 7 on MacBook Pro?

The answer is very simple. I constantly use Microsoft Access, as well as several programs for customs clearance of goods; there are no analogues for Mac OS and there are no plans for them.

This article does not cover the general principles of installing Windows on Mac. It describes the steps I had to perform on my early 2008 MacBook Pro Model Number A 1260 during the installation of Windows -7, and also contains comments, links and installation guides for all the necessary components that will be needed for successful and high-quality work your Mac computer in a Windows environment.

You can read in detail about the first installation of Windows XP on a Mac in the manual that is included with the sale. If the English language is difficult for you, then look for information about it on the Internet. There are many useful articles about this in Russian.

However, I will draw your attention to the most common mistake that almost everyone makes who installs Windows on their Mac for the first time, and then cannot understand why the system does not want to start, even if the installation is done from a licensed disk. This error is as follows: During the installation process, Windows prompts you to format the disk on which the installation will be performed. Despite the fact that Boot Camp has already partitioned the disk of your MacBook and formatted the required partition, IT IS NECESSARY TO FORMAT THE PARTITION DURING INSTALLATION! Otherwise, the system will not start under any circumstances!(unless this is the first time you've installed Windows on your MacBook).

We will now look at the process of installing the Windows-7 operating system on a MacBook Pro using the 32-bit one as an example, since practice has shown that 32-bit Windows-7 on a MacBook Pro works faster.

Some of the information for writing this material was taken from this article:

Required tools and programs:

1. Windows -7 installation disk.

2. The first disk from the set that came with your MacBook Pro, which contains Boot Camp and drivers for Windows XP. Don’t despair that these are old programs and drivers (as was the case in my case), all this will be needed and will work as it should, I promise you.

5. External mouse (preferably).

NO DOWNLOAD NEEDED! Just waste your time and traffic!

System installation:

Turn on the MacBook, insert the installation disk with Windows-7, hold down the key "alt" and install the system. There is nothing more to write about here.

Important! Correct installation of drivers:

Windows -7 installation is complete. And what do we see:

The keyboard does not work properly. Apple function keys do not work and CD cannot be ejected.

The trackpad does not work properly. Doesn't even work in right-click mode (two fingers on the trackpad and pressing a button doesn't open the context menu)

Sound doesn't work. Even though when checking the equipment, the audio playback indicators show that sound is being played, there is still no sound. A characteristic sign of its absence is that the headphone jack is illuminated from the inside with red light.

This means that you need to install all the drivers for your MacBook Pro to run its hardware in a Windows 7 environment. There are several secrets here. We will talk about them now. So attention:

1. Installing Boot Camp:

a) We take the first disk from the MacBook kit. It will not be possible to run setup directly from this disk; an error will appear "The installer encountered an unexpected error while installing this package. The package may not have been installed correctly. Error code 2229".

When you run any of the files from the disk directory: Boot Camp \Drivers \Apple ,(for example " AppleMultiTouchTrackPadInstaller") we get an error "DPInst.exe cannot run on your operating system". The second error occurs due to the Russian interface language. After all, the Russian version of Windows-7 simply does not exist and will not exist. It will be like in Vista, just official Russification. That's why:

b) IT IS NECESSARY TO CHANGE THE INTERFACE LANGUAGE TO ENGLISH DURING INSTALLATION. THIS MUST BE DONE, OTHERWISE THE DRIVERS WILL NOT BE INSTALLED!!!

c) Create a new folder on the C:\ drive and copy the entire contents of the CD into it. You will have to use an external mouse or keyboard shortcuts (select all); (copy); (insert).

Keep in mind that it is currently possible to remove the Windows -7 installation disk only using an external mouse, or by temporarily booting into the Mac.

d) If you haven’t downloaded it yet, then download the patched Boot Camp from here: http://www.speedyshare.com/404462147.html. There are three folders in the archive with the Boot Camp LIMO patch. We need three files from it: both files from the folder " AppleBootCamp 2.1”: BootCamp And BootCamp 64, as well as a file from the folder “ Apple Boot Camp 2.1 32-bitlatencyissue”: KbdMgr. We take these three files and copy them, replacing them, into the created folder in the Boot Camp\Drivers\Apple directory.

e) WE MAKE SURE THAT THE INTERFACE LANGUAGE IS INSTALLED IN ENGLISH. We launch one of the BootCamp files in accordance with the bit depth of the installed system and perform the installation. ATTENTION, IMPORTANT: After installing Boot Camp, before clicking the “finish” button and restarting the system, be sure to replace the KbdMgr file in the directory: C :\Program Files\Boot Camp with the file from the patch!!! (in a 64-bit environment, according to the author of the patch, this does not need to be done).

The first stage has been completed. Now you can reboot. After the reboot, all devices will appear in Device Manager. Almost all the missing keyboard and trackpad functions will appear. However, not all of them are what we would like. Now you can switch to the Russian interface language. But I wouldn't recommend it yet. Let's continue:

2. Installing an updated Trackpad driver:

In a Windows environment, clicking on the trackpad on a MacBook Pro with one finger (left mouse button) and two fingers (right button) does not cause any reaction. This was the case until recently. This problem has now been resolved. An updated Trackpad driver for Windows-XP-Vista has appeared on the Apple website. We will use it and add the missing functions. True, you have to do a little magic, but it’s even useful. If you haven’t downloaded it yet, then download the updated driver here: http://support.apple.com/downloads/Multi_Touch_Trackpad_Update_for_Windows_XP___Vista. Looking ahead a little, I’ll say that to install this updated driver in Windows-7 you will definitely need Universal Extractor. If you haven’t downloaded it yet, download it here: http://www.legroom.net/software/uniextract and install it.

Have you downloaded the driver? Then try to install it and you will see that it either does not fit your computer (designed for models from late 2008) or does not fit your operating system, so you need to unpack it using Universal Extractor. When installing Universal Extractor, select the default language “Russian”. After installing Universal Ex tractor, click on the executable file “ AppleMTTUpdate” right-click and select “UniExtract here”. The executable file will be unpacked into two folders " AppleMultitouchTrackpad" And " AppleMultitouchTrackpad64" Let's remember their location. Now let's go to Device Manager, open "HID Devices", in which we see "Apple Multitouch" and "Apple Multitouch Mouse".

FOR BOTH we update drivers, by specifying manually the path to one of the above folders obtained during unpacking in accordance with the system bit depth. Drivers are installed without problems this way. We check that the drivers are installed correctly: In the properties of both devices, the driver must have version 2.1.2.100.

DO NOT TOUCH THE BOOT CAM P SETTINGS YET, BUT BE SURE TO REBOOT FIRST, otherwise not all functions will work.

After starting the system, select Boot Camp in the control panel. (or right-click on the Boot Camp icon in the system tray and select “Control Panel”). Open the “Trackpad” tab that appears and set the necessary options. The translation into Russian is not entirely correct, so I recommend looking at the English version. That's it, now the trackpad responds to touches with one and two fingers, as if clicking the left/right mouse button!

3. Installing the Audio Driver (we solve problems with sound).

So we have no sound. The driver is installed, the speaker indicators blink when checking, but there is no sound. For some reason, the headphone jack is illuminated from the inside with red light.

In order for sound to appear, you will need an updated version of the Realtek driver, which already understands what Windows-7 is. You need to download it from here: http://www.realtek.com/downloads. On the page that opens, select the link: “ High Definition Audio Codecs (Software) »

Or a direct link (but sometimes it doesn't work): http://www.realtek.com/downloads/downloadsView.aspx?Langid=1&PNid=14&PFid=24&Level=4&Conn=3&DownTypeID=3&GetDown=false .

In the window that appears, check the box, agreeing with everything that is offered and click “Next”.

In the window that opens, select the desired file Vista,Windows-7Driver (32/64bits)Driveronly (Executablefile) and press " GO" opposite one of the sites: Site1, Site2 or Site3, but not the opposite Express, so as not to enter unnecessary passwords later.

After downloading the specified driver, you just need to install it. And the sound will appear! Reboot.

4. Installing Video Driver.

Yes, the video card driver has been installed and it works. But trust me, its performance is not great. Therefore, I strongly recommend installing the latest video driver for your NVidia video card. You need to download it from the manufacturer’s website, namely from here: http://www.nvidia.ru/object/geforce_notebook_win7_186.03_whql_ru.html.

Measure performance before and after installing the driver. The difference is obvious:

Now Windows 7 is installed correctly on your MacBook Pro.

Vadim Yurasov.