How to Install Windows 11 on Mac M1 for Free

How to Install Windows 11 on Mac M1 for Free

How to Install Windows 11 on Mac M1 for Free

Apple has made it easy to install Windows 11 on Mac for a long time. Boot Camp allowed Intel-based Macs to dual-boot in macOS and Windows, which was useful for those who wanted to work in both environments.

Windows 11 was released some time ago and was available to the public. It also sparked a lot of conversations, both positive and negative.

Many people who do not use Windows began to pay attention to it. Many Mac users, for example, are eager to try Microsoft's latest operating system, Windows 11. This is the place for those who identify with this group. How to install Windows 11 on an M1 Mac will be covered in detail below. Let's get in now.

Virtualization: VMware Fusion and Parallels Desktop are two of the most popular programs to run Windows and other operating systems on a Mac. However, Parallels Desktop has only been updated to work with an M1 or M2-based Mac. Whether you're upgrading from a previous version or purchasing the pro version, the price of Parallels Desktop can vary from around $50 to $100.

Emulator: QEMU is a free and open source emulator that can be difficult to install and configure in its default form. You can run QEMU on your Mac with the UTM app with minimal configuration after skipping the initial setup difficulty. Compared to Parallels Desktop, the UTM feature set is limited (more precisely, payment is optional).

What is UTM?

UTM is the perfect solution for those who want to use the QEMU software but want an app with a clearer GUI. UTM has a great interface reminiscent of Parallels Desktop and can be set up without using the command line. Setting up and installing Windows is a breeze while using UTM.

Universal Translation Manager (UTM) is free on its website or for $10 through the Mac App Store. The only difference between them is that the Mac Software Store application receives UTM updates and your purchase of the application directly supports the continued development of the project. Keeping UTM up to date requires manually checking and downloading updates if you're using the free version of the developer's site.

Tutorial: Install Windows 11 ARM on M1 Mac

UTM software can be used as a virtual machine and emulator. Available on the Mac App Store and can be installed by dragging the app icon to the Applications folder.

Microsoft's Windows 11 ARM VM is available for free download on their site (Windows Insider login required; quick and easy account creation).

1. When using UTM on Mac, open the app and select the "+" button to set up a new virtual machine.
2. From the "I want to" menu, select "Virtualize" and then "Windows".
3. Select "Import Image", then "Browse", then locate the Windows 11 VHDX ARM image you downloaded before clicking "Next".

1. It is recommended to allocate 8 GB of RAM or more to Windows 11 for optimal performance, after which you can click Next again.
2. Click "Save" on the summary screen.
3. To start Windows 11 setup, select the Power button
4. Go through the standard Windows 11 installation steps to choose a language, administrator account name, etc. - choose "No network connection" for now and let Windows 11 prepare itself; Network and Internet access will not work until a separate setup process is completed, which we will discuss soon.
5. In just a few moments, the M1 Mac with Windows 11 will run in a virtual machine.
6. Download SPICE Guest Tools ISO from the UTM website to enable network connectivity in your Windows 11 VM.
7. Click the disc icon in the Windows 11 active VM toolbar, choose CD/DVD ISO> Change> and then go to the spice-guest-tools-xxx.iso file you downloaded.
8. Using Windows Explorer, access the D: drive mounted, execute the SPICE Guest Tools installer and then restart the virtual machine.
9. Windows 11 will reconnect to the Internet automatically after the VM restarts.

15- Then you successfully installed Windows 11 ARM on an Apple Silicon-based Mac.

REMEMBER THAT YOU WILL ONLY BE ABLE TO CONNECT YOUR WINDOWS 11 VM TO THE WEB IF YOU FIRST INSTALL THE SICE GUEST TOOLS.

Use of parallels

To virtualize the computer desktop, Parallels uses its patented technology. This was the only app available at the time that could make Windows 11 work on your M1 Mac.

1. The only problem is that they require a subscription fee. Go to the main Parallels website and launch the app.
2. Once the app is installed and launched, the installation assistant will appear. Select the Windows ISO file you downloaded earlier, and then click Install Windows or another operating system from DVD or image file.
3. After deciding how you will use the app repeatedly, hit the Continue button. Just stick to the on-screen prompts, and the setup will be done in no time. Do this, and Windows 11 will install without problems on your M1 Mac.

Final Thoughts

When Windows 11 was released, there weren't many options to run it on Mac. Not to mention the silicon-based M1 Mac processor. However, many innovative modifications have appeared that make the use of the operating system pleasant. We sincerely hope that one of these solutions will allow you to successfully install Windows 11 on Mac OS.