Installing Windows 7 on a Mac using Boot Camp is a great way to get the full performance of both operating systems. Boot Camp partitions your Mac hard drive to use two operating systems, in this case OS X and Windows 7.
So when you use Windows 7 with Boot Camp, you just boot directly into Windows, not OS X. This is a great way to run Windows on a Mac because it gives all the power to your Mac (RAM, CPU speed, etc.) .) on Windows.
With virtualization software such as VMware Fusion or Parallels, your Mac’s power (RAM, processor speed, etc.) is shared between OS X and Windows.
Have you decided Boot Camp is for you? Here are some things you will need to get started:
- Intel-based Mac
- Mac OS X 10.6 Snow Leopard installation disc (included discs with your Mac or a retail copy of OS X)
- At least 16 GB of free hard disk space (Apple recommended)
- Boot Camp Assistant (should already be on your Mac, located in Finder> Applications> Utilities)
- Genuine Microsoft Windows 7 Installation Disc
Install Boot Camp and Windows 7
* Apple recently released an official Boot Camp update for Windows 7. A software update (click the Apple logo, select software update from the drop-down menu) should automatically receive this update. But just in case you can get it here). *
Step 1. Navigate to Finder> Applications> Utilities. Double-click the Boot Camp Assistant icon to launch it.
Step 2. Click Continue on the Introducing Boot Camp screen to proceed to the next step.
Step 3. Step 3 – Partitioning the Mac hard drive. For Windows 7, Apple recommends using at least 16GB of storage for Windows 7. You probably don’t need that much space to actually install Windows 7.
However, if you plan on installing any programs on Windows or have any significant amount of files on Windows, be sure to partition your hard drive accordingly.
Click the Divide button. Wait for Boot Camp Assistant to partition your hard drive. Once completed, the BOOT CAMP disk icon should appear on your desktop.
Step 4. Insert the Windows 7 installation disc into your Mac DVD drive and wait for it to boot up and recognize. Click the Start Installation button on the Boot Camp Assistant screen.
Step 5. Your Mac should automatically reboot and boot with the Windows 7 installer, not OS X. The next screen you will be taken to is a screen asking you to select a partition to install Windows 7.
Make sure you select the BOOT CAMP SECTION you just created by clicking on it once to select it. Click the link that says Disk Options (Advanced). Click the “Format” button. A screen should appear prompting “This section may contain “. Click OK.
Step 6: Windows should now be installed on your computer. During the installation process, Windows will reboot several times and you will need to remove the installation disc from the Mac DVD drive.
Do this and have Windows complete the installation completely. Enter your name, language, etc. After successfully installing Windows 7, you need to update Windows to get the latest fixes and drivers released by Windows. Restart your computer before proceeding to the next step.
Step 7. After Windows boots up, you need to install a couple of additional drivers. Insert the Mac OS X disc into your Mac DVD drive and wait for it to load. In the window that opens, select the “Configure” option.
Step 8: Click Next on the first screen of the Boot Camp window. Accept the terms and click “Next” again. Check the box next to Apple Software Update for Windows. Click the Install button.
Step 9: Wait for the installation to complete, it may take a couple of minutes. When finished, click Finish to close the Boot Camp Installer window.
Step 10. Remove the Mac OS X installation disc from your computer and restart your computer.
Using Boot Camp: That’s it. Boot Camp and Windows 7 should now work on your Mac. After turning on your computer (just as you hear the bell), hold down the Option key on your Mac to go to the boot menu. From here you can choose whether you want to use OS X or Windows 7.
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