Mac OS by itself has a thriving software ecosystem and great developer support, but some applications still only support Windows. Be it games, or professional software, rest assured, because today, we are going to discuss methods to run Windows apps on Mac OS. How to Run Windows Apps on Mac. MacOS (formerly called “Mac OS X”) runs on Apple’s MacBook, MacBook Air, and MacBook Pro laptops. MacOS only runs on Apple products. While there have been those who have been able to get it to run on non-Apple products, it is not a task for the faint of heart, and it does not work as well as a system running on native Apple hardware.
The world is divided into two camps, PC users and Mac users. Or so Microsoft and Apple would have us believe. The truth is that some people like the design of a Mac but despise its operating system. This article is for those people. If you're one of these people, then the answer to your dilemma is to install Windows 10 on your Mac OS X. Read on to learn how.
Two Options for Running Windows 10 on Mac OS X
● Use a Virtualization Program
A virtualization program lets you run Windows 10 like an app on top of the OS X. Some of the best virtualization tools include Parallels and VMware. However, they can cost upwards of $70, and that's on top of what you'll have to pay for Windows 10. Furthermore, although you can run OS X and Windows simultaneously, it will drain your processing power, and both operating systems will run less than optimally.
● Use Boot Camp
An alternative to using a virtualization program is to use Boot Camp. Boot Camp doesn't let you transfer content between OS X and Windows as easily as a virtual machine does, and you can't run the two operating systems at the same time. However, it goes allow Windows to have full access to the processing power of your MAC. Furthermore, it's completely free (other than the Windows 10 license, which you do have to pay for). For this reason, we're going to look at how to run Windows 10 on Mac OS X using Boot Camp.
Using Boot Camp to Run Windows 10 on Mac OS X
Before you do anything, you need to ensure that your Mac has the system requirements to run Windows 10. This means that it has at least 2GB of RAM, although 4GB would be better. You also need at least 30GB of free hard drive space. Additionally, you'll need at least a 16GB flash drive so Boot Camp can create a bootable drive for the installation of Windows 10.
Once you've ensured that you have the necessary specifications to run Windows 10 on your Mac, you should back up your Mac. Although Boot Camp is pretty stable, things can go wrong when you partition your hard drive. Therefore you want to be protected.
The next step is to download the full version copy of Windows 10. Don't download the upgrade.
After your download is complete, you're going to open Boot Camp Assistant. This can be found in the utility folder of your Applications list. The program will ask you to choose the tasks you want Boot Camp to complete. Make sure your flash drive is plugged in and click continue. Then choose the Windows 10 ISO location and select the USB drive as the destination, then click Continue. Boot Camp will then create a boot drive with all the necessary drivers. It may take over an hour for this process to be completed.
When Boot Camp finishes creating the USB boot drive, you will be prompted to choose how much of your hard drive you want to partition for Windows. This decision is critical. Once you've chosen, you cannot shrink or expand the partition unless you completely reinstall Windows.
The minimum partition size is 20GB. If you only want access to Windows 10 and you only plan to use a couple of apps, then 30GB should suffice. However, if you want to play PC games or use Windows 10 as your main operating system, you will want to increase the partition's available space. When you've made your decision, click 'Install.'
While this part of the installation is going on, your Mac will restart a few times before landing you at a screen that will ask you which partition you want to install Windows 10 on. Choose the partition called 'Boot Camp' and format it for NTFS. Then continue with the installation. It will take you through the setup wizard where Windows will ask for your product key, and then you'll be all set.
We all know by now that macOS Big Sur is the latest and greatest version of Apple’s Mac operating system. It was released in November 2020 and offered some serious advancements, especially on the visual side. If you have an older machine, though, you may be wondering whether your Mac is compatible. Let’s shed some light on macOS Big Sur system requirements and help you check whether your Mac supports the new OS.
Before you attempt to upgrade to Big Sur
There are a couple of things you should do before you upgrade to Big Sur.
- Back up your Mac.
It doesn’t matter whether you use Time Machine or a third-party backup tool, just make sure you backup your Mac immediately before you upgrade.
- Free up some space for the new OS
Run To Run Mac Os 10 On Windows 10 Emulator
To get macOS Big Sur running on your Mac, you need at least 20GB of free space. So, if you aren’t sure you have enough, here’s how to check it. Click the Apple menu and select About This Mac. Go to the Storage tab to let your Mac calculate the amount of free space. If you don’t have enough, you can try removing some old junk with CleanMyMac X. This app detects ancient cache, user log files, and other clutter and helps you delete it from your Mac.
- Download the free version of CleanMyMac X and install it, then launch.
- Press Scan.
- Click Run.
That’s all there is to it. I managed to clear 10GB in just a couple of minutes, which saved me hours I would have spent if I were to do it manually.
macOS Big Sur requirements
Here’s the list of macOS Big Sur supported Macs:
- Any Mac Pro or iMac Pro
- MacBook Pro and MacBook Air 2013 and later
- iMac and Mac mini 2014 and later
- MacBook 2015 and later
As you can see, some Macs released as long ago as 2013 can officially run Big Sur. That’s pretty good considering the number of macOS updates there have been since then and the new features they have introduced.
Sadly, a few machines that were supported to upgrade to Catalina have fallen off the list for Big Sur, notably the 2012 MacBook Pro, MacBook Air, and iMac.
Mac models that do crash
Immediately after Big Sur's release on November 13, 2020, Mac users started reporting system failures that appeared to affect MacBooks from 2013-2014. The attempted installation resulted in 'bricking some older MacBook Pro models,' according to MacRumors. Notably, those MacBooks are the oldest still supported Macs that can run Big Sur. So if your MacBook belongs to that generation, we advice you to do little research on this before you rush to install Big Sur.
macOS Big Sur compatibility
If your Mac’s model is on the list of “officially supported” Macs to run Big Sur, you will definitely be able to upgrade it to the latest OS. You can be sure the installer will run on your Mac and that if you run into trouble, you can expect help from Apple, either in the form of support documentation or an update to the OS.
But, if your Mac is slightly older and isn’t on the list, there is a possibility you can still update it to Big Sur. Several Mac users have had some success installing the Big Sur beta on Macs that aren’t on Apple’s list. It requires a workaround, and there’s no guarantee that it will continue to work when the final version of Big Sur is released or when updates are issued. But, if you’re determined to install Big Sur on an older Mac, or you want to try it as a fun project, it’s an option.
Things to consider before you try to install Big Sur on an unsupported Mac
Installing macOS Big Sur on a Mac that’s not on Apple’s official list of unsupported Macs isn’t as straightforward as just downloading the installer and running it. How you install it will depend on the Mac you’re trying to install it on, and we’ll come to that later in the article. But there are other things you need to consider.
- Your Mac may not run at all afterwards.
If you get the installation process wrong or something just doesn’t work as it should, you could be left with a Mac that doesn’t boot. For that reason, you should make a bootable clone of your startup drive before you start.
- Even if your Mac boots, parts of it won’t work
Among those users who successfully installed the beta version of Big Sur on unsupported Macs, most reported that either the graphics system (GPU) didn’t work or that Wi-Fi didn’t work. You can get around the wifi issue by replacing the internal Wi-Fi card or using a USB Wi-Fi adaptor, but you can’t replace the GPU.
- There’s no guarantee updates will work
Just as you can’t use the regular installer to install Big Sur on an unsupported Mac, you won’t be able to install updates using Software Update. That could leave you vulnerable to security flaws.
How to upgrade to Big Sur on an unsupported Mac
As we said earlier, the specifics of how you install Big Sur on an older Mac vary according to the Mac, but there are lots of success stories in this thread.
Mac Run On Windows
One example is the user who installed the Big Sur beta on a 2012 15in MacBook Pro, and it ran well apart from Wi-Fi not working. That user got around the problem by using an iPhone as a hotspot (you can use Personal Hotspot by connecting to an iPhone via Bluetooth or USB). Another user reported installing Big Sur on a 2012 Mac mini, but with sound and Wi-Fi not working.
Run To Run Mac Os Sierra
The question of whether or not your Mac is compatible with macOS Big Sur can’t be answered just by looking at Apple’s list of supported Macs. Those are the machines on which Apple has decided to support installation, but there are others on which Big Sur will run, albeit with a bit of extra work. You should decide for yourself whether you want to take risks associated with installing Big Sur on an unsupported Mac. And, if you decide to go ahead, be sure to back up your Mac and clean it up using Mac maintenance software like CleanMyMac X.