Install Windows on your newer Mac using Boot Camp

Newer Mac computers use a streamlined method to install Windows on your Mac. To find out whether your Mac uses this method, see “Learn more” in the Apple Support article How to install Windows on your Mac with Boot Camp. If your Mac is an older model, follow the instructions in Install Windows on your older Mac using Boot Camp instead.

To find out which versions of Windows your Mac supports, see the Apple Support article System requirements to install Windows using Boot Camp for macOS.

What you need

• The keyboard and mouse or trackpad that came with your Mac. If they aren’t available, use a USB keyboard and mouse.
• A Windows ISO image (a disk image that contains the entire contents of a DVD) downloaded from Microsoft, or both a Windows full-install installation disc (not the upgrade version of Windows) and a built-in disc drive or compatible external optical drive.

To download Windows ISO images, see Microsoft Windows Software Download.

• Free disk space on your startup drive. For information about the amount of free disk space needed, see the Apple Support Article How to install Windows on your Mac with Boot Camp.

Before you begin

Before you install Windows, make sure you back up important files.

You can use Time Machine or several other methods to back up your files. For information about backing up files, in the Finder, choose Help > Mac Help, then search for “back up.”

Perform the installation

On your Mac, do the following steps in order.

Step 1: Check for software updates

Before you install Windows, install all macOS updates.

1. On your Mac, log in as an administrator, quit all open apps, then log out any other users.
2. Choose Apple menu  > System Preferences, click Software Update, then install all available macOS updates.
   If your Mac restarts after installing an update, open Software Update again to install any additional updates.

Step 2: Get a Windows ISO image

You need to create or download a Windows ISO image of the full-install, 64-bit version of Windows.

Do one of the following:

• If you have a Windows DVD and an optical drive, follow the instructions in the Apple Support article Create an ISO image for Boot Camp from Windows installation media.
• If you don’t have a Windows DVD and an optical drive, download an ISO image from Microsoft.

Step 3: Prepare your Mac for Windows

Boot Camp Assistant helps prepare your Mac for Windows by creating a new partition for Windows, then starting the Windows installer.

Important: If you’re using a portable Mac, connect it to a power source before continuing.

1. On your Mac, open Boot Camp Assistant , located in /Applications/Utilities.
2. At the Introduction screen, click Continue.
   If the Select Tasks step appears, you need to use a USB flash drive or hard drive to install Windows. Follow the instructions in Install Windows on your older Mac using Boot Camp.
3. In the Install Windows step, click Choose, then select the ISO image you created or downloaded from Microsoft.
4. Specify a partition size by dragging the divider between the macOS and Windows partitions.
   Important: You can’t resize the partition later.
   If you need help determining the best size for your Windows partition, refer to the Windows installer documentation.
5. Click Install.
   Boot Camp Assistant creates a Windows partition named BOOTCAMP, restarts your Mac, then opens the Windows installer.

Step 4: Install Windows

Follow these instructions to install Windows on your Mac.

1. In the Windows installer, follow the onscreen instructions.
2. If you’re asked where to install Windows, just click Next (the installation partition is preselected).
   WARNING: Do not create or delete a partition, or select any other partition. Doing so may delete the entire contents of your macOS partition.
3. Follow the onscreen instructions to finish installing Windows.
   After you install the Windows software, your Mac automatically restarts using Windows.
4. Use the Windows setup screens to configure Windows.

Step 5: Install Windows support software

After installing Windows, Boot Camp drivers that support your Mac hardware start installing.

Note: If the support software doesn’t install automatically, you need to install it manually. For instructions, see the Apple Support article If Windows Support Software isn’t installed after you run Boot Camp Assistant.

1. Follow the onscreen instructions.
   Important: Do not click the Cancel button in any of the installer dialogs.
   If a message appears that says the software you’re installing has not passed Windows Logo testing, click Continue Anyway.
   You don’t need to respond to installer dialogs that appear only briefly during installation, but if a dialog asks you to install device software, click Install.
   If nothing appears to be happening, there may be a hidden window that you must respond to. Look behind open windows.
2. When the support software finishes installing, click Finish.
3. After your Mac restarts, follow the instructions for any other installers that appear.
4. Check for updated Windows support software. In macOS, choose Apple menu  > System Preferences, click Software Update, then install all available Windows support software updates.
   If your Mac restarts after installing an update, open Software Update again to install any additional updates.