how to start windows on mac using bootcamp

You’ll also need a USB stick with at least 5GB of storage space on to put the Windows 11 ISO file on.

The Windows 11 download is around 5GB alone so if you’re running low on disk space, you may need to recover some hard drive space on your Mac to download it.Īlternatively, you can also use an external hard drive to install Windows on using Boot Camp and run it on your Mac but you’ll need to make sure you format the drive first in MS-DOS (FAT) format otherwise Boot Camp will not recognize it. This is the bare minimum you’ll need but we strongly recommend at least 128GB of free storage space as automatic Windows updates will quickly eat up that space.

How To Install Windows 11 On a Mac With Boot Campįirstly, you’ll need at least 64GB or more free storage space on your Mac startup disk to install Windows 11 using Boot Camp. If your Mac is not updated to the latest version of macOS Ventura, then we strongly recommend going to System Preferences > Software Update and clicking on Upgrade Now to update to the latest version of macOS. If you’re not sure whether you have an Intel chip or M1/M2 chip Mac simply go to the Apple logo in the top left of your screen and select About this Mac and you will see both the Chip and version of macOS you are using. If you have any of the following M1 or M2 chip Macs, you cannot install Windows 11 on your Mac with Boot Camp: However, there are ways to install Windows 11 on M1 & M2 Macs without Boot Camp.īoot Camp does not work on Apple Silicon M1 & M2 Macs. However, the advantage of Boot Camp is that it’s free to use on Intel Macs including those running Catalina, Big Sur, Monterey and Ventura.īoot Camp is also the only way to play some games on Mac such as Valorant on Mac and Hogwarts Legacy on Mac because they have anti-cheat software and rely on DirectX 12 which will not work in Windows on virtual machines such as Parallels.Ĭan You Install Windows 11 On M1 or M2 Macs Using Boot Camp?įirstly, it’s important to be aware that you cannot install Windows 11 on Apple Silicon M1 or M2 Macs using Boot Camp. To switch between the two, you need to shut down and restart your Mac. There are various ways of running Windows on a Mac and usually we recommend installing Windows on a Mac with the Parallels virtual machine because it allows you to switch between macOS and Windows instantly as it runs them at the same time.īoot Camp is different because it only allows you to boot your Mac in either macOS or Windows.

Here we show you how to install Windows 11 on a Mac for free using Boot Camp. Boot Camp is a free utility which allows you to install Windows 11 on a Mac for free.

How to start windows on mac using bootcamp