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How to install windows on a Mac?

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  • 31-12-2010 12:35pm
    #1
    TimeToShine
    Registered Users Posts: 4,881 ✭✭✭


    Can anyone tell me how to install windows on a Mac?? I've been googling it for a while and can't find it anywhere. thanks in advance.


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    #2
    Odaise Gaelach
    Registered Users Posts: 1,235 ✭✭✭Odaise Gaelach


    The software for installing Windows on a Mac is called Bootcamp. Apple have a webpage dedicated to it, including installation instructions. It should answer anything you need to know about it. :)

    Bootcamp - Apple Support


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    #3
    dory
    Moderators, Recreation & Hobbies Moderators Posts: 4,480 Mod ✭✭✭✭dory


    Sorry for bumping - I have looked at that page and can't find some basic info. Like, does one have to pay for Windows on a mac? I can't find anything about buying it online. Do you just download the drivers online and off you go?
    Cheers.


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    #4
    SgtBob
    Registered Users Posts: 866 ✭✭✭SgtBob


    dory wrote: »
    Sorry for bumping - I have looked at that page and can't find some basic info. Like, does one have to pay for Windows on a mac? I can't find anything about buying it online. Do you just download the drivers online and off you go?
    Cheers.

    Yeah to install windows on mac, you have to own a copy of windows. Boot camp has all the drivers for the mac, once you boot into boot camp with windows installed it is the same as if you are working on a PC.

    Another alternative is crossover for mac.

    http://www.codeweavers.com/products/cxmac/

    This doesn't require a windows license and runs from the Mac desktop, but it will not support every windows application, as it is based on the windows emulator WINE.

    A further alternative, which does require you own a copy of windows, would be VM software. Such as parallels or Virtual Box. They basically emulate the hardware of PC and allow you to run other Operating Systems in a window from your mac desktop. The downside with these are that they can only use a limited amount of your hardware resources, CPU, RAM, etc.

    Parallels - Not Free
    http://www.parallels.com/eu/

    Virtual Box - Free
    http://www.virtualbox.org/

    Hope this helps.


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    #5
    marco_polo
    Moderators, Science, Health & Environment Moderators Posts: 10,076 Mod ✭✭✭✭marco_polo


    dory wrote: »
    Sorry for bumping - I have looked at that page and can't find some basic info. Like, does one have to pay for Windows on a mac? I can't find anything about buying it online. Do you just download the drivers online and off you go?
    Cheers.

    You just need a normal licensed copy of windows to install onto the machine (ie you cannot reuse a copy of windows that you have installed on another PC).


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    #6
    Freddie59
    Closed Accounts Posts: 6,679 ✭✭✭Freddie59


    I've got Windows 7 installed on a 2010 iMac through Parallels

    Had to buy Windows 7. Works perfectly, apart from the fact that the Firewire port cannot be accessed through Parallels.


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    #7
    conor.hogan.2
    Registered Users Posts: 5,246 ✭✭✭conor.hogan.2


    +1 virtualbox - or any virtual machine as you can switch easier and they are disposable and easier to back up etc.


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    #8
    Odaise Gaelach
    Registered Users Posts: 1,235 ✭✭✭Odaise Gaelach


    marco_polo wrote: »
    You just need a normal licensed copy of windows to install onto the machine (ie you cannot reuse a copy of windows that you have installed on another PC).

    You can in some circumstances. If you have a computer that you're going to get rid of or remove Windows from it you can transfer the licence from the original PC to the new PC. However you cannot use the one licence on more than one PC. :)

    byte provided us with his instructions and experiences in the following thread:
    boards.ie - Transferring my Windows 7 licence to another PC?


    EDIT (Sorry dory):
    dory wrote: »
    Sorry for bumping - I have looked at that page and can't find some basic info. Like, does one have to pay for Windows on a mac? I can't find anything about buying it online. Do you just download the drivers online and off you go?
    Cheers.

    You have to pay for a copy of Windows, unless you're junking an old PC and want to transfer the licence as per above. You can buy a copy of Windows in any half-decent PC shop (I think even Tesco stocks it). Or you can buy it online from Amazon.

    Mac-specific drivers for Windows are all on your OS X disk. When you install Windows on your Mac, pop in your OS X DVD and start the setup.exe program in the Boot Camp folder on the DVD.

    Hope that help. :)


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    #9
    cython
    Registered Users Posts: 4,757 ✭✭✭cython


    Odaise Gaelach wrote: »
    You can in some circumstances. If you have a computer that you're going to get rid of or remove Windows from it you can transfer the licence from the original PC to the new PC. However you cannot use the one licence on more than one PC. :)

    byte provided us with his instructions and experiences in the following thread:
    boards.ie - Transferring my Windows 7 licence to another PC?


    EDIT (Sorry dory):



    You have to pay for a copy of Windows, unless you're junking an old PC and want to transfer the licence as per above. You can buy a copy of Windows in any half-decent PC shop (I think even Tesco stocks it). Or you can buy it online from Amazon.

    Mac-specific drivers for Windows are all on your OS X disk. When you install Windows on your Mac, pop in your OS X DVD and start the setup.exe program in the Boot Camp folder on the DVD.

    Hope that help. :)
    It is worth noting that if the license of Windows on the junked PC is an OEM one, then is it technically a violation of the EULA to move it to another machine. Only retail licenses can be moved like that.


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    #10
    jack presley
    Closed Accounts Posts: 13,687 ✭✭✭✭jack presley


    I was thinking about getting a mac book air and putting windows on it via parallels.

    Which one gets installed first? Do I put parallels onto the machine first or will it start looking for Windows and get confused when it can't find it? Or do I install Windows onto the mac first or will it not install without parallels there?


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    #11
    mathepac
    Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 4,991 ✭✭✭mathepac


    You are of course aware that the MacBook Air does not come with a SuperDrive as standard (€79 + VAT optional external drive) and that with its limited solid-state storage capacity, IMHO a MacBook Airs would not be the machine of choice for mutiple OSes?

    In any case Parallels (or BootCamp as supplied by Apple) gets installed first, then Windoze.


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    #12
    jack presley
    Closed Accounts Posts: 13,687 ✭✭✭✭jack presley


    mathepac wrote: »
    You are of course aware that the MacBook Air does not come with a SuperDrive as standard (€79 + VAT optional external drive) and that with its limited solid-state storage capacity, IMHO a MacBook Airs would not be the machine of choice for mutiple OSes?

    In any case Parallels (or BootCamp as supplied by Apple) gets installed first, then Windoze.

    Yeah, I was aware of that. I was going to use the drive on an existing iMac and use the 'DVD/CD Sharing' option. Is that a runner do you know?

    I'm a bit of a novice so can you explain why the limited solid state storage capacity will be a problem? Thanks!


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    #13
    mathepac
    Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 4,991 ✭✭✭mathepac


    That'll work fine as long as you know your way around the "Sharing" options in "System Preferences".

    Most lap-tops typically have internal hard-drives from 350GB to 500GB. The MacBook Air AFAIK has a 64GB solid-state drive, so one-fifth to one-eighth of the storage available on other portables. Multiple OSes, emulation software, applications specific to each OS, documents etc in these days of bloat-ware eat up storage very rapidly. Just be sure it's the right tool for the job before you invest. Nice and quiet and a speedy piece of kit, best of luck with it.


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    #14
    jack presley
    Closed Accounts Posts: 13,687 ✭✭✭✭jack presley


    mathepac wrote: »
    That'll work fine as long as you know your way around the "Sharing" options in "System Preferences".

    Most lap-tops typically have internal hard-drives from 350GB to 500GB. The MacBook Air AFAIK has a 64GB solid-state drive, so one-fifth to one-eighth of the storage available on other portables. Multiple OSes, emulation software, applications specific to each OS, documents etc in these days of bloat-ware eat up storage very rapidly. Just be sure it's the right tool for the job before you invest. Nice and quiet and a speedy piece of kit, best of luck with it.

    So would a Macbook Pro be more appropriate? I quite like the look and feel and performance of Macs but I need Windows for work stuff. I just picked the Macbook Air as it was nice and compact but of the performace is going to be an issue, I'll go for the MBP.


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    #15
    SgtBob
    Registered Users Posts: 866 ✭✭✭SgtBob


    Unless you really need the smallest mac possible, I would go for an MBP. You get more bang for your buck.


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    #16
    jack presley
    Closed Accounts Posts: 13,687 ✭✭✭✭jack presley


    SgtBob wrote: »
    Unless you really need the smallest mac possible, I would go for an MBP. You get more bang for your buck.

    To be honest all I'll be using it for is for surfing the net and downloading podcasts to put on my Ipod. It's only for using when I'm on the road so i won't be storing music or any files on it. i just want a compact computer that's quite speedy. I need Windows though for accessing some work stuff


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