

So if you own an entry-level Mac with only 8GB of RAM like me, you can utilize this to ensure running two operating systems doesn’t grind your machine to a halt. The most important tool is the ability to configure how much memory and CPU bandwidth is allocated to the virtual machine. On top of that, it offers a host of handy tools so that you can adjust the experience depending on your demands. Parallels automatically shares your macOS profile’s data with the VM, such as Wi-Fi and printer settings. Once you’re inside the Windows 11 virtual machine, there’s little for you to set up. Once you download Parallels on your Mac, its installation assistant will grab and load up the Windows 11 ISO file for you, and the M1 chip’s performance chops wrap up that process in about 30 minutes. Installing Windows on Parallels is no longer a multi-step process either. It supports all the new Windows 11 bells and whistles, except for Android games since Parallels can’t replicate the “hardware acceleration” option just yet.

Plus, it can wake up from sleep in an instant in the same state you left it, including all the open apps. So with VirtualBox you get the best of both worlds - it's free, and it allows you to run both Windows and macOS simultaneously so you can switch between them as required without having to reboot.Windows 11 on a Mac (Image credit: Parallels)Įverything from Windows 11’s refreshed animations to resource-intensive multitasking worked as Microsoft intended it to. And while Bootcamp is also a free option, it doesn't let you run macOS and Windows simultaneously (you have to reboot the machine every time you want to switch to the other operating system). While there are other options available (such as Parallels and VMware Fusion), VirtualBox is free. To run Windows on a Mac, you need to use virtualization software such as VirtualBox. Here are the main steps involved in installing Windows on a Mac:

This enables you to run Windows-only applications on your Mac. By using VirtualBox, you can install Windows on your Mac. VirtualBox is free software that allows you to install different operating systems on your machine. Here I explain how to install Windows on a Mac using the (free) virtualization software, VirtualBox.
