How does mac boot camp work

This article covers how Boot Camp works and how you can set it up on your Mac. Boot Camp only works with Intel Macintoshes, which as of mid are in the process of being phased out.

Before we dive into Boot Camp, let's look at how the partitions work on your Mac's hard drive, and how the Mac knows which partition to use when you boot.

Sign up for our Newsletter! Mobile Newsletter banner close. Mobile Newsletter chat close. So assuming your hardware matches the requirements, that program should run.

And not all keys are supported on Apple Bluetooth keyboards. Keep in mind that the processing technology used in the first round of Intel-based Macs is essentially a laptop technology; Apple used it not only for its MacBook Pro laptop, but for its two ultra-compact desktop systems, the iMac and Mac mini.

As a result, all of those systems perform in comparable fashion to PC laptops with similar specs. What kind of software am I going to need for my Windows-on-Mac experience—utilities and the like?

But here are some free ones to start with:. You may need some other utilities as well, depending on your particular situation. Back up a second— viruses? You should probably protect yourself by installing Windows antivirus software; you can find a summary of Windows-compatible virus fighters here. Yes they will. You can only authorize five computers at a time per iTunes account. Can I use those same numbers on my Mac? If the license agreement for the software restricts it to one machine only, then no.

Those programs will run at the full speed of the native Windows versions. Click Continue on the initial introduction window. Set the partition size for the Windows installation. To change the amount of space to dedicate to Windows 7, click the small divider between Mac OS X and Windows, and drag it to the left.

Note: Windows 7 requires at least 16 GB of hard drive space to install but keep in mind that the this space will also need to accomidate any applications installed and your saved documents. Then, click Drive options advanced. Click OK when notified that files will be lost. Note: The new partition will not contain any files. With the Windows 7 DVD removed, your Mac will automatically boot back into Windows 7, and the installation will continue. Follow any additional instructions to complete the installation of the Windows 7.

After installing Windows, you can use any Secure Boot setting without affecting your ability to start up from Windows. Follow the onscreen instructions. Unplug any external devices that aren't necessary during installation.

Then click Next and follow the onscreen instructions to begin installing Windows. Follow the onscreen instructions to install Boot Camp and Windows support software drivers. You will be asked to restart when done. For example, if your Mac has GB of memory, its startup disk must have at least GB of storage space available for Windows. To see how much storage space is available, click the Storage tab in the same window.