Since you're not using the two operating systems simultaneously, there's no way to transfer files from one OS to another. This is perhaps the biggest disadvantage of Boot Camp Assistant. To switch between the different operating systems, you have to reset your Mac and choose which OS you want to run on the startup screen. You Can't Use Two Operating Systems at the Same Timeīoot Camp doesn't allow you to run two operating systems at the same time. The fact that Boot Camp is free and built into Macs alone may convince some people to use it over a virtual machine app, but just like everything, it has its disadvantages. The Cons of Using Boot Camp to Run Windows This also makes Boot Camp the better option for playing games and using resource-intensive applications. This is because Boot Camp installs Windows on a separate partition which uses less memory.Ī virtualization program runs two operating systems simultaneously (you can minimize Windows while using macOS), but with Boot Camp, you can only use one operating system at a time.

Unlike virtualization programs which tend to be sluggish, Boot Camp delivers far more stable performance. Plus, since it's an Apple program and not a third-party one, you don't have to worry about it being unsafe. The only thing you have to download is a Windows ISO file.īoot Camp is completely free and doesn't require a subscription like most virtualization programs. Macs that support Boot Camp Assistant come pre-installed with the dual-boot utility. Here are some other advantages of installing Windows with Boot Camp: 1. Since the different operating systems don't run simultaneously, all of your Mac's hardware resources are allocated to Windows applications. The Pros of Using Boot Camp to Run Windowsīoot Camp is undoubtedly the best way to play Windows games on a Mac because it performs better than any virtualization software. After that, follow the on-screen instructions to finish the installation process.

When you run Boot Camp, it'll automatically detect the ISO file.

You won't be able to change the partition size after the installation is complete. All you need to do is download an ISO file of Windows and choose how much space you want to allocate to the partition created for the second OS. Installing Windows on your Mac using Boot Camp is extremely simple.

Instead, it creates a partition for the second OS. While there's little chance of anything going wrong during the installation process, you should still back up important files before you begin.īoot Camp Assistant doesn't let you run Windows and macOS simultaneously, unlike virtual machine apps like Parallels or VMWare. Apple recommends 128GB of free storage space to get the best experience. First and foremost, you must have at least 64 GB of free storage to install Windows on your Mac.

Bootcamp macbook pro m1