Boot Camp Assistant is a built-in tool in macOS that allows you to make your Mac run in a multi-boot environment. A multi-boot PC is a computer that has more than one operating system and you can choose which one to work on at the time of its startup. But what if you want to know how to install Windows or Mac without Boot Camp?
Although there’s no reason not to use Boot Camp to install Windows on Mac unless you are running out of space, there are numerous ways to get the job done.
However, there’s a catch.
Boot Camp is good. If you don’t want to use it, that is fine too, and you can learn how to install Windows on Mac without Boot Camp by following the step-by-step process explained here. But your choice of using or ditching the tool remains valid only if you have a Mac computer with an Intel-based processor.
On the other hand, if you are using a Mac with an M1 Silicon chip, you can’t use Boot Camp whatsoever as those PCs don’t support the feature. In such a situation, you are bound to use any desktop virtualization software.
Now, at the time of this writing, the best virtualization application for Mac with both an Intel processor and an M1 Silicon chip is Parallels Desktop for Mac which is a subscription-based program but is available for a 14-day free trial.
In the next section, you will learn how to install Windows on Mac without Boot Camp using Parallels Desktop for Mac on both Intel-based and M1 Silicon machines.
Install Windows on Mac without Boot Camp Using Parallels Desktop for Mac
The good news is, Parallels Desktop natively supports Windows and gives you a chance to select and install the OS with merely a few mouse clicks. On your part, all you need to do is, install Parallels Desktop for Mac, choose Windows, and follow the instructions from there.
You can learn how to install Windows on Mac without Boot Camp using Parallels Desktop for Mac by following the step-by-step instructions given below.
Step 1: Download, Install, and Run Parallels Desktop for Mac
On your Mac computer, use Safari to go to the Parallels website and click TRY NOW from the landing page that opens up. Once downloaded, install Parallels Desktop for Mac on your Mac computer using the regular installation procedure.
Next, click Finder from the Dock, click Applications from the navigation pane on the left, and double-click Parallels Desktop to launch the app.
Step 2: Choose to Install Windows
When the Installation Assistant wizard starts, read the information on the first screen carefully and click Continue.
On the next screen, click to select the Get Windows 11 from Microsoft tile, and click Continue from the bottom-right corner.
Step 3: Select Windows Edition to Install (Optional)
On the Download and Install Windows 11 screen, click Choose Edition from the bottom-left corner.
From the Choose Windows edition to install drop-down list, click to select the edition of Windows you want to install according to your usage and click Done.
Step 4: Install Windows on Mac without Boot Camp
Back on the previous screen, click Install Windows from the bottom-right corner.
Wait while Parallels Desktop downloads installation files from Microsoft and begins and completes the installation process.
Notes:
Because this is an unattended installation, you don’t need to do much. Further, you don’t have to be technically sound to install Windows using this method as everything is managed by Parallels Desktop itself.
The time Parallels Desktop for Mac will take to install Windows will depend on your Mac’s hardware. For instance, with a 100 Mbps Internet connection and a computer with an M1 Silicon chip, the installation shouldn’t take more than 10 to 15 minutes. However, this duration may vary if it is an Intel-based Mac, you have less RAM, and/or have a slower Internet speed.
At the time of this writing, Parallels Desktop for Mac installs Windows 11 Arm64 which is compatible with Qualcomm processors. All Mac computers with M1 Silicon chip support only Arm64 architecture and not the standard x64. This is not the case with Intel-based Mac PCs.
The instance of Windows that you install on Parallels Desktop is the non-activated version which requires a valid license key for activation.
While installing Windows on Parallels Desktop on an M1 Silicon Mac, you are strongly advised NOT to purchase a regular Windows activation key as it may not support the Arm64 version, and any amount that you invest in the license would go wasted.
Other Tools to Install Windows on Mac without Boot Camp
Parallels Desktop is good, alright. However, after the trial period is over, you must purchase its renewable subscription to continue using the app. If you don’t like that kind of arrangement and want to learn how to run Windows on Mac using an alternate solution, you have two other options.
Option 1: VMware Fusion
Fusion is a versatile software by VMware which is one of the renowned vendors for virtualization solutions. Fusion comes in two variants namely Fusion Pro and Fusion Player. While the former is a paid program, you can use the latter for free by creating a VMware account and registering for a Personal Use License.
You can download VMware Fusion from this link.
Once downloaded, you can go ahead and install Fusion on your Mac computer and follow the instructions here to install Windows on Mac using VMware Fusion.
Option 2: Oracle VirtualBox
VirtualBox is yet another alternative to Parallels Desktop and VMware Fusion.
Developed by a well-known company called Oracle, VirtualBox is free and you can download the software from its official website.
Once downloaded, you can conduct a quick online search to see step-by-step instructions on installing Windows on Mac with VirtualBox.
Conclusion
You may have many apps that work only on Windows, and you might not be able to do your daily tasks without them. If you have a Mac computer but you still want to use those Windows apps, using a virtual machine will be your best bet. With the steps listed above, you can learn how to install Windows on Mac without Boot Camp if it is an M1 Silicon computer.
