Install Windows on a Macbook

3 Parts:

Things that you need

Steps

Comments

Ever wanted to get a hold of Apple's stylish Macbook, but you reckoned you weren't ready to leave your good ole buddy Windows just yet? This article will guide you through the steps on how to get over this dilemma and install a Windows operating system on an Apple hardware device.

1. 1
   The latest firmware updates for your Mac.

   Was this step helpful? Yes | No| I need help
2. 2
   A full version of Windows 7 installation DVD or USB

   Was this step helpful? Yes | No| I need help
3. 3
   A DVD installer of Mac OS X Snow Leopard or Lion

   Was this step helpful? Yes | No| I need help
4. 4
   Boot Camp version 3.3 or higher

   Was this step helpful? Yes | No| I need help

1. 1
   Open the Boot Camp Assistant

   .

   Boot Camp is a utility in Apple's OS X operating systems that allows users to conveniently install a Windows operating system on an Intel-based Mac. To access Boot Camp, go to Finder > Applications > Utilities and select Boot Camp Assistant.

   Was this step helpful? Yes | No| I need help
2. 2
   When the introduction window appears, click "Continue".

   Was this step helpful? Yes | No| I need help
3. 3
   Specify the partition size for your Windows installation

   .

   An interface with a small divider between Mac OS X and Windows 7 will display. You can drag the divider to the left to increase the amount of hard disk space to allocate to the Windows 7 installation. You can also select the "Divide Equally" button to divide the hard disk space equally between the Mac OS X and Windows 7 installations.
   
   The minimum hard disk space requirement for a Windows 7 installation is 16 GB. This space can get filled up easily if you intend to install a number of applications, especially huge applications, and store a significant amount of files. It is best to think thoroughly beforehand about how you intend to use this Windows installation. If you are still uncertain, you might consider allocating at least 40 GB of hard disk space.

   Was this step helpful? Yes | No| I need help
4. 4
   Click the "Partition" button

   .

   The partitioning of your hard disk drive based on the space you allocated in the previous step shall now commence.

   Was this step helpful? Yes | No| I need help
5. 5
   Wait until the partitioning process is completed

   .

   Once it completes successfully, an icon that resembles a hard drive and is named BOOTCAMP is created on your desktop.

   Was this step helpful? Yes | No| I need help
6. 6
   Insert your Windows 7 installation DVD or USB.

   Was this step helpful? Yes | No| I need help
7. 7
   Click "Start Installation"

   .

   This will restart your Mac and boot the Windows 7 DVD or USB. A window that prompts you to select the partition to install the Windows 7 operating system should display. Select the BOOTCAMP partition from the partition list.

   Was this step helpful? Yes | No| I need help
8. 8
   Click the "Drive options (advanced)".

   Was this step helpful? Yes | No| I need help
9. 9
   Click "Format"

   .

   Make sure that the BOOTCAMP partition is still selected.

   Was this step helpful? Yes | No| I need help
10. 10
    Click "OK" when warned of data loss

    .

    You won't lose any data here since the BOOTCAMP partition doesn't have any yet.

    Was this step helpful? Yes | No| I need help
11. 11
    Windows 7 installation will now commence

    .

    Remove the Windows 7 DVD or USB while the installation is ongoing. This prevents your Mac from booting up to the same Windows 7 installation DVD or USB once it performs necessary system installation reboots.

    Was this step helpful? Yes | No| I need help
12. 12
    Set the necessary configurations and enter the necessary data

    .

    You will have to select your language and keyboard layout and enter your Windows Product ID throughout the course of the installation.

    Was this step helpful? Yes | No| I need help
13. 13
    Once the Windows installation is completed, insert your MAC OS installation DVD.

    Was this step helpful? Yes | No| I need help
14. 14
    Click "Run setup.exe"

    .

    This will launch the Boot Camp installer for Windows.

    Was this step helpful? Yes | No| I need help
15. 15
    Click "Next" in the ensuing window.

    Was this step helpful? Yes | No| I need help
16. 16
    Read the license agreement and select "I accept the terms in the license agreement" before clicking "Next" again.

    Was this step helpful? Yes | No| I need help
17. 17
    Leave the "Apple Software Update for Windows" checked and click "Next" again.

    Was this step helpful? Yes | No| I need help
18. 18
    Boot Camp will now install the necessary drivers

    .

    Every time a driver is successfully installed, a notification will pop up.

    Was this step helpful? Yes | No| I need help
19. 19
    After successful installation, click "Finish"

    .

    You will be required to restart your system before the changes will take effect. You can let Boot Camp automatically restart your computer by clicking "Yes" in the restart prompt window, or you can click "No" and restart your computer manually later on.

    Was this step helpful? Yes | No| I need help
20. 20
    Every time you boot your Mac, you need to press and hold down the "Alt" key to bring up the operating system choices menu

    .

    This menu will allow you to choose whether to boot Mac OS or Windows 7. The Mac OS gets booted by default if you don't select the Windows option.

    Was this step helpful? Yes | No| I need help

Notes

Installing Windows 7 together with Mac OS X in a "multi-boot" setup using Boot Camp allows you to run a Windows operating system at its native speed, as opposed to running Windows via virtual machines like the ones provided by VirtualBox or VMWare.

If you have problems with any of the steps in this article, please ask a question for more help, or post in the comments section below.

Comments