How to install Windows on a Mac using various programs

If you are a Mac user who from time to time needs to use Windows or a Windows user who just switched to Mac, it will be useful for you to learn how to install Windows on a Mac without having to configure completely different computers.

This means that if your PC with an installed Mac has an Intel Inside processor, you can run Windows on it.

All you need is a copy of Windows OS, some software for virtualization and compliance with minimum system requirements.

Regardless of whether your computer has several hard disks on the Mac OS, or only one, the principle is the same: you need to create a compatible partition for Windows or a separate drive for installing Windows on a Mac.

To perform the first method of this procedure, run the Windows Setup program in Boot Camp.

One of the easiest and cheapest ways to put Windows on a Mac is to use the Boot Camp Assistant software that comes with every copy of Mac OS X. You'll find it in applications by going into the utilities.

Boot Camp allows you to choose where you want to create a compatible partition, and adjust its size. In addition, the program allows you to install all the necessary drivers for Windows, in order to later use the functions of your Mac - from the keyboard and trackpad to video card and Wi-Fi.

One significant disadvantage of Boot Camp is that the program allows you to run only one operating system at a time.

To use Windows and its standard applications (for example, Internet Explorer), you need to restart the Mac. This can take quite a long time, especially if there is an exchange of a large number of files.

You can choose which operating system you want to load at the moment by holding down the "Alt" key when you start the Mac.

An alternative is to use targeted virtualization software, for example, Parallels Desktop 6 or VMware Fusion 3, but they are all paid.

With their help, you can run both operating systems at the same time - either start Windows in a separate window (like a guest OS) on Mac OS X, or switch to full virtualization mode. In the second case, all applications for Windows (for example, Internet Explorer or Windows Media Player) will be available for use in Mac OS X.

In addition, Parallels Desktop 6 for Mac allows you to create a virtual server for Windows on your Mac. You can even use this software to transfer all files, settings and preferences from your PC. Speaking of how to install Windows on a Mac, you can say that this is the most multifunctional way.

The main advantage of these approaches is that you will more easily access files between the Mac and Windows, and you do not have to perform a reboot each time you want to use specific applications.

However, if you use Windows only occasionally on your Mac, the cost of Parallels or VMware Fusion may not justify itself.

In that case, how to install Windows on a Mac for free?

Fortunately, for such users there is an alternative in the form of the Oracle VirtualBox program. Of course, it is obsolete and inferior to Parallels and VMware Fusion in functionality, but it has open source and is completely free.

Speaking of how to install Windows on a Mac, you must take into account all the above circumstances and determine how often you need to run both OSes simultaneously.