Installing Windows 7 on a Mac doesn’t have to be difficult. You don’t have to worry about buying Parallels or VMware, two third-party software applications that let you run Windows alongside of your Mac operating system. If you just want to use the Windows 7 side once in a while, you can just use the built-in Bootcamp program in Mac. It’s free and it’s easy to set up.
Here’s how to set up Windows 7 on a Mac with Bootcamp:
- Make sure Bootcamp is updated to the latest Bootcamp version.
- Open Bootcamp by going to Finder->Applications->Utilities and click on Bootcamp or search for it.
- Partition hard drive for Windows 7 with at least 20GB, but leave enough for the Mac partition.
- Click on new partition, insert Windows 7 DVD, and start install.
- Your Mac will restart with Windows 7. Then, select your Bootcamp partition and format.
- Then, Windows 7 will take care of the rest, finishing with a restart. Make sure to remove the Windows DVD when it’s restarting.
- After selection language and time zone, insert the Mac OS DVD to install device drivers for the Windows side.
- While on the Windows side, perform a Windows update.
- Restart after Windows updates.
- To select Mac or Windows, select the Option key during bootup.
Keep in mind you have to restart your Mac to enter the Windows side or vice versa. Yes, you’ll have to buy the Windows 7 software, but at least you won’t have to pay for Bootcamp. By the way, don’t let the 10 steps scare you away. The process to install Windows 7 on your Mac is very logical, and you really don’t have to be a Mac expert or Apple genius to figure it out.
