Why Not Use Boot Camp?
Boot Camp was one of the most popular methods for installing Windows on a Macbook Pro prior to the introduction of Apple Silicon M1 Macs.
One of them is that Boot Camp can only be used to boot into Windows on macOS. You cannot execute them simultaneously, unlike with a virtual machine.
The most recent Macs with the M1 processor do not support Boot Camp, therefore you cannot install Windows on an M1 Mac using Boot Camp.
To run Windows on a Mac, an external hard drive is preferable if you wish to keep your Mac and Windows files separate or if your Mac’s internal hard drive is full. It also has the benefit of not requiring any space on your Mac’s hard drive, since everything is stored and operated on an external disc.
Also, it is now possible to install Windows on a Mac for free. Get an activation key if you wish to remove the watermark and customise Windows 10 or Windows 11.
Is it possible to install Windows without Boot Camp on an M1 or M2 Mac?
Unfortunately, methods for installing Windows on a Mac without Boot Camp are only compatible with Intel-based Macs.
Macs with the Apple Silicon M1 and M2 chipsets offer robust security protections that prevent booting from an external disc.
But, you may install Windows on an M1 Mac without Boot Camp by using Parallels.
Windows Installation Without Boot Camp:
Therefore, here’s how to easily and without cost install Windows on a Mac without Boot Camp.
Think about purchasing an External Hard Drive:
Installing Windows without Boot Camp requires first and foremost an external hard drive. If you don’t already have a Mac-compatible external hard drive, we recommend going with a Solid State Drive (SSD), which is significantly faster than a conventional hard disc.
The Samsung 17 Portable SSD is the best SSD external drive for Mac, with a storage capacity of up to 2TB, which is sufficient to run Windows and install Windows updates, games, and programmes. Before your Mac can recognise the external disc, you must format it.
Furthermore advised is the use of a second external hard drive or a flash drive to transfer the Boot Camp support files from your Mac to Windows during installation.
Get an External Keyboard and Mouse:
You’ll also need an external keyboard and mouse, as the keyboard and trackpad on your MacBook will not function the first time it boots into Windows due to the lack of drivers.
Avoid purchasing a keyboard or mouse with a Bluetooth connection since Windows will initially be unable to access your Mac’s Bluetooth card if it has one.
Download Windows’s ISO image:
A Windows ISO file is a type of Windows file that enables the creation of a Windows 10 or 11 bootable disc.
The Microsoft Software Download website provides ISOs for Windows 10 and Windows 11. Learn how to download a Windows ISO file for your Mac.
Etcher is an excellent tool that allows you to mount and install a portable version of Windows ISO on an external hard drive. WinToUSB and Rufus are two Windows utilities that can be utilised to create an external boot CD.
Although, many of them are PC-only, while Etcher is also compatible with Mac.
Several disc boot software are available, such UNetbootin and Disk Utility X. Nevertheless, they have not been updated to work with the most recent version of macOS Big Sur and Monterey. Etcher is compatible with the most recent versions of macOS Yosemite and is quite easy to use.
Disable T2 Chip Security:
You can begin preparing your Mac now that you have all of the essential tools. Then disable the security protections of the Apple 12 chip on your Macbook.
Because the T2 chip prevents your Mac from booting from an external disc, this capability must be disabled in the Mac Startup Security Options.
Due to the fact that this can only be disabled on Intel-based Macs, this method of installing Windows without Boot Camp is inapplicable on M1 chip Macs.
Hold down the Command and R keys until you see the Apple logo to access the Startup Security Settings on your Mac.
On the recovery menu, select Utilities > Startup Security Utility from the Menu Bar. Then you must select the boxes below:
- Under the Authentication section, select “No security.”
- From the Secure Boot menu, select “Allow booting from external media.”
- Finally, dismiss the security settings and return to the Apple logo to restart your Mac normally.
Download the Support Drivers for Boot Camp
Start your Mac and navigate to the desktop. Find Boot Camp in Spotlight and open the Boot C programme. On the menu, select Action > Download Windows Support Software.
The downloaded Windows Support Software must then be dragged and dropped into an external disc, such as a USB flash drive.
Create a Windows Startup Drive:
Launch the previously downloaded Etcher USB boot application and connect the external hard disc on which you desire to install Windows.
Choose the previously downloaded Windows ISO image and the external discs, and Etcher will generate a Windows drive that is bootable.
Installation should take approximately 10 to 15 minutes.
Lastly, shut down your Mac and copy the previously obtained Boot Camp support files to the root of the external CD.
Windows Startup from an External Drive:
Finally, your Mac can boot Windows from an external CD. Turn on your Computer and, when you see the Apple logo, press the Option key.
To boot, select the external Windows installation DVD. Because Windows lacks keyboard and trackpad drivers for your Mac, you must connect your external keyboard and mouse to a USB port on your Mac.
Upon connecting the keyboard and mouse, navigate to the Windows Support folder on the C drive. When you run the Boot Camp setup tool, the keyboard and trackpad drivers are immediately installed.
Now that Windows is installed on an external disc, you can run it on your Mac without Boot Camp. Even if you have an SSD drive, Windows may operate slowly on an external hard disc.
This is because the read-write speeds of external drives are slower than those of internal drives, but they are still sufficient.
