Parallels lets you decide to make Windows 8 start in Modern UI or boot to the Windows 7-style desktop. Name your Windows installation and decide if you want other users on the Mac to have. You might want to run Windows on an older machine, as Windows 8 actually has much less stringent hardware requirements than Mac OS X Lion, but the problem is that only Macs since about 2008 have.
-->Developer Community |System Requirements |Compatibility |Distributable Code |Documentation |Blogs |Servicing
Get the Preview
Important
Get the Preview of Visual Studio 2019 for Mac by updating to the Preview channel.
This release is not 'go-live' and not intended for use on production computers or for creating production code. Run windows games on mac os x.
To learn more about Visual Studio for Mac, see Mac System Requirementsand Mac Platform Targeting and Compatibility.
To learn more about other related downloads, see the Downloads page.
What's New in 8.8 Preview
Visual Studio 2019 for Mac version 8.8 Preview Releases
- October 27, 2020 – Visual Studio 2019 for Mac version 8.8 Preview 6
- October 20, 2020 – Visual Studio 2019 for Mac version 8.8 Preview 5
- October 13, 2020 – Visual Studio 2019 for Mac version 8.8 Preview 4
- September 14, 2020 – Visual Studio 2019 for Mac version 8.8 Preview 3
- August 25, 2020 – Visual Studio 2019 for Mac version 8.8 Preview 2
- August 5, 2020 – Visual Studio 2019 for Mac version 8.8 Preview 1
Release Highlights
- Visual Studio for Mac 8.8 Preview 4 adds preview support for Custom .NET Core templates added with
dotnet new(Preview features can be enabled in Preferences > Other > Preview Features). - Visual Studio for Mac 8.8 Preview 2 adds support for debugging Blazor WebAssembly projects.
- Visual Studio for Mac 8.8 Preview 2 adds support for accessing Azure DevOps NuGet package sources using the signed in account without the need to use a personal access token (PAT).
- Visual Studio for Mac 8.8 Preview 1 or newer now support running on the macOS Big Sur developer preview. See Known Issues for additional information.
- We added functionality to Visual Studio for Mac to warn users when low disk space will degrade the experience.
Known Issues
Refer to the Known Issues section.
Feedback & Suggestions
We would love to hear from you! You can report a problem through the Report a Problem option in Visual Studio for Mac IDE.You can track your feedback, including suggestions, in the Developer Community portal.
Release Notes
Visual Studio 2019 for Mac version 8.8 Preview 6 (8.8.0.2899)
released October 27, 2020
Project System
- We updated MSBuild to 16.8 RC2.
Shell and Tools
- We fixed an issue where it was not possible to type (special) characters in the VS console while pressing the option-key.
- We fixed an issue where alerts were not clickable with the mouse on macOS Big Sur.
Source Code Editing
- We fixed an issue with YAML support.
Version Control
- We fixed an issue where an error was shown after copying a file if Git was not installed.
- We fixed an issue where deleting a new file under a newly added folder deleted the empty folder as well.
Web and Azure
- We fixed an issue where IntelliSense shows the OpenAPI client after the OpenAPI service was removed.
- We updated .NET Core to 5.0 RC2.
Xamarin
- We added support for Xcode 12.1.
Visual Studio 2019 for Mac version 8.8 Preview 5 (8.8.0.2829)
released October 20, 2020
Shell and Tools
- We updated NuGet to 5.8 RC.
Source Code Editing
- We fixed an issue where EventHandler completion didn't work.
Web and Azure
- We fixed an issue where an invalid development certificate caused an unrecoverable hang.
- We updated .NET Core to 3.1.403 and 2.1.811
Xamarin
- The Android SDK manager will now prompt to install Android API 28 if it is not already installed to ensure compatibility with the Xamarin.Forms templates.
Visual Studio 2019 for Mac version 8.8 Preview 4 (8.8.0.2811)
released October 13, 2020
Debugger
- We fixed a potential crash/hang after terminating the debugger.
- We fixed an issue where local variables were not evaluated when debugging a Blazor application with .NET 5.
Project System
- We fixed an issue where the Android build process never stops.
- We fixed an issue where renaming a file with 'Show All Files' enabled in the Solution window added the file twice and might have caused a hang.
- We fixed an issue with VS for Mac setting a different FrameworkSDKRoot.
- We fixed an issue where creating a new project folder with a single character failed with an error.
Shell and Tools
- We replaced the 'Pad' terminology with 'Tool Window' throughout the IDE and updated the top-level View menu.
- We fixed an issue where the content of the 'Reference' dialog was not announced in proper sequence with VoiceOver.
- We fixed a potential hang in the Assembly Browser.
- We fixed an issue with encoding inside the integrated Terminal.
- We fixed an issue where 'Find' in the 'Replace in Files' dialog replaced the found text.
- We fixed an issue where Searching in a Directory failed after the second use.
Source Code Editing
- We fixed an issue where Design-time error highlighting and Quick Fix suggestions stopped working.
- We fixed an issue with Red underlines not being shown on syntax errors.
- We fixed an issue where inserting code snippets into a C# file failed.
Test Tools
- We fixed an issue where Running unit tests from the context menu was way slower than from the Unit Tests pad.
Version Control
- We fixed an issue where the Git configuration dialog blocked use of the IDE and could not be closed.
- We fixed an issue where the status of a copied then pasted file was not updated properly.
Web and Azure
- We have added a preview support for Custom .NET Core templates added with
dotnet new. - We fixed an issue where a Blazor WebAssembly project was not recognized as such with .NET 5 and the Browser selection was missing.
- We have updated the .NET Core SDK to 3.1.402.
Xamarin
- We fixed an issue where the target framework of a Xamarin.Mac full framework project kept switching back to Xamarin.Mac Modern.
- We fixed an issue where VS for Mac was removing some default properties from Xamarin.Android projects.
Visual Studio 2019 for Mac version 8.8 Preview 3 (8.8.0.2120)
released September 14, 2020
Shell and Tools
- We have ported the Assembly Browser to the new Editor.
- We have reimplemented the Errors pad and moved the build output to a separate pad.
- We have improved overall performance and reliability.
Source Code Editing
- We have fixed an issue where an Enum could not be used as a nullable type in generic interfaces.
Version Control
- We fixed an issue where stashing errors were not handeled properly.
- we fixed an issue with broken selection buttons in the 'Review and Commit' view.
Web and Azure
- We fixed an issue with breakpoints not hitting when debugging a Blazor WebAssembly Application.
Xamarin
- We fixed an issue where Xamarin Forms Hot Reload caused the iOS Simulator to come to foreground.
- We fixed an issue with the iOS Simulator Window stealing focus multiple times.
- We fixed an issue with Vector Images not appearing in Assets.xcassets.
Visual Studio 2019 for Mac version 8.8 Preview 2 (8.8.0.1532)
released August 25, 2020
New Features
Debug Blazor WebAssembly projects
Visual Studio for Mac now includes full support for debugging Blazor WebAssembly projects, giving you the option to set breakpoints, watches, navigate your code using step and skip commands, and more.
For more information on debugging in Visual Studio for Mac, see Debugging with Visual Studio for Mac.
Web and Azure
- We added support for .NET 5 preview 8.
- We added integrated support for accessing NuGet Azure DevOps package sources using the signed in account without requiring a personal access token (PAT).
Bug Fixes
Debugger
- We fixed an issue where the debugger would prefer an imported class over a local variable with the same name.
Project System
- We fixed an issue that prevented users from canceling a solution load operation.
Shell and Tools
- We improved the performance of the Assembly Viewer.
Editor
- We fixed a problem where new F# projects would not restore and build due to the FSharp.Core NuGet package being unavailable.
Web and Azure
- We fixed an issue with solution file generation that caused a compatibility problem with Visual Studio on Windows.
- We fixed an issue where .razor files would incorrectly show a 'Using directive is unnecessary' error.
- We fixed an issue where IntelliSense for classes from a new Razor class library project were not available in .razor files.
- We fixed an issue preventing Azure subscriptions being found when publishing to Azure Publish to Azure.
- We fixed an issue where Azure subscriptions were not found.
- We fixed a crash in the Razor editor.
Xamarin
- We updated the Android SDK Tools path to support the new 'cmdline-tools' path.
- Hot reload updated the minimum required Xamarin.Forms version to 4.6.0.923 when using incremental.
Other
- We improved startup performance of the IDE.
- We improved the performance of closing a solution.
- We fixed an issue where vstool would not return the exact id of an extension which can then be used for disabling/enabling the extension.
Visual Studio 2019 for Mac version 8.8 Preview 1 (8.8.0.493)
released August 5, 2020
Note
This release of Visual Studio for Mac now supports running on the macOS Big Sur developer beta builds. If you're already on Big Sur and can't use the updater, visit the Visual Studio for Mac website and download the installer.
Editor
- The F# editor and language service have been updated to use the same backend as Visual Studio (Windows). This fixes a number of issues previously reported on Developer Community including:
- F# multiply operator as a function wrongly affects color of code after.
- F# 4.7 language features don't work.
- Undo doesn't work.
- Three double quotation marks are placed instead of two.
- F# 4.7 isn't supported.
- Editor fails on matching quote insertion.
- We fixed an issue causing the default key binding for 'Navigate To.' to no longer work with the French keyboard.
Project System
- We fixed an issue that resulted in an empty properties pad for files when loading AddIn projects.
Shell and Tools
- We increased the speed of the find in files functionality.
- We fixed an issue causing erroneous exceptions to be logged when deleting unsaved files from a project.
- We fixed an issue resulting in multiple searches and unresponsiveness in the search experience.
- We fixed an issue where Visual Studio is unable to find files/classes included into a multi-target SDK style project.
- We fixed an issue where the directory path for find in files was not set correctly.
- We fixed an issue that prevented users drom opening assemblies in the Assembly Browser.
- We fixed an issue that caused files to open in Visual Studio Code instead of in the hex editor when choosing to open in the hex editor.
Source Control
- We fixed an issue where there was odd behavior when copying files under source control.
- We fixed an issue that could cause hangs when using Git version control.
- We fixed an issue causing version control commits to fail if Git reported
fatal: LF would be replaced by CRLF. - We fixed an issue that disabled view history when a file that's not tracked or a project is selected in the solution pad.
- We fixed an issue where Git integration on Visual Studio for Mac is not working.
- We fixed an issue where deleting a file from project rolls back messing up the Source control.
- We fixed an issue where openinig a project or switching branches on console does not always update the current branch in the project browser.
- We fixed an issue that could result in a
doesn't point at a valid Git repository or workdir.error message when working with Git.
Web and Azure
- We fixed an issue where a new F# test project will display errors and warnings.
Xamarin
- We fixed an issue that erroneously changed the simulator to iPad Pro for the designer if Xcode was used to open and add layouts to the Storyboard file.
- We fixed an issue where users were unable to load Storyboards in Visual Studio for Mac.
- We fixed an issue that resulted in Storyboard errors.
- We fixed an issue where adding an Apple account for Xamarin.iOS is broken.
- We fixed an issue resulting in failure to add an Apple developer account with two step authentication.
- We fixed an issue preventing pairing with Visual Studio.
- We fixed an issue where the Storyboard editor would not start.
Known Issues
The following is a list of all existing known issues in Visual Studio 2019 for Mac version 8.8:
- After installing the latest .NET 5 SDK, developers of .NET Core 3.1 apps might see an error indicating 'The ASP.NET Core developer certificate is in an invalid state.'. Running
dotnet dev-certs https --cleanthendotnet dev-certs https --trustfrom the Terminal will fix the issue. - Loading Blazor WebAssembly projects with .NET 5.0 RC1 is not yet supported.
- In rare cases, it's possible to be up to date with everything but the .NET Core 3.1.300 SDK. If you enter into this configuration and update to .NET Core 3.1.300 using the updater, the notification to update the .NET Core SDK will not disappear until the IDE is restarted.
Typically, creative professionals and developers prefer the Mac OS X operating system, while corporate and business types favor the Microsoft Windows operating system.
While many developers tend to believe 'there is nothing that can't be done on a Mac that can't be done on Windows', clearly the collective preference of developers for Macs speaks volumes.
Yet, even though Mac users are more than happy with the platform of their choice, that doesn't mean that they don't sometimes suffer from Windows envy, too.
If you are a Mac user afflicted with Windows envy, have no fear, I have a cure for you, outlined below.
A Cure For Windows Envy Exists
Mac Users, the good news for you is that choosing a Mac doesn't preclude you from the opportunity to experience the best of both operating systems. Be rest assured, there is a way for you to run both a Mac and a Windows operating systems at the same time, without having to own a separate computer for each system.
With the existence of system virtual machine software, it is now feasible for Mac users to easily set up and run both operating systems on one Mac computer.
Setting up a virtual machine to run Windows on a Mac is so straightforward that even the average user can manage the setup independently, without needing to consult with technical experts for assistance.
What is even better than that is knowing that navigating between the two systems is even easier than completing the set-up.
With a virtual machine on your Mac, you can seamlessly share files and switch between the two operatings systems with the simple click of a mouse or touch of a touchpad, without needing to reboot at any time.
Expandrive cloud storage like a usb drive 7 4 2. [Note: Sorry, Windows PC users, it does not appear to be as easy to do the opposite, i.e., to run Mac OS X on a Windows PC.]
Why Would You Need Both Operating Systems?
Clearly it is getting easier and easier to have anywhere anytime access to your most-commonly-used software programs and personal files no matter which operating system you are using.
Popular software bundles like Microsoft Office (for business applications) and Adobe Creative Suite (for creative applications) are available for both platforms. Plus, each of these software bundles now also offers its own cloud-based subscription versions in the form of Office365 and Adobe Creative Cloud, respectively.
Bettertouchtool 2 425 – customize multi touch trackpad gestures like. One would think that it almost doesn't matter anymore which operating system you have.
However, that is only true until you want to use software that hasn't been developed for the primary platform you are using.
This may not happen often for you, but when it does, it can be a real show-stopper. In such a situation, having easy access to both operating systems simultaneously can be your savior. Ntfs hard drive mac.
My Experience, As An Example
Maybe you can relate to my experience?
My personal home computer was a Mac, but my work interests were still very business-application focused. My reason for tracking down a way to run Windows on my Mac was: (1) to be able to use Microsoft Access which surprisingly is not currently available for Mac in any format; and (2) to test an Excel plug-in that was only created for a Windows-based version of Excel.
Not being a software or hardware specialist myself, at first, I had a hard time even knowing where to begin my search on how to run Windows on my Mac.
My initial online research indicated that I could either install Windows on a separate partition or use Boot Camp or a virtual machine like Parallels or Fusion or Virtualbox.
Luckily, I met someone at a Meetup who clarified that what I needed to do was to run Windows on my MacBook Pro by setting up a virtual machine and running Windows within that virtual machine. He recommended using VMware Fusion software for the virtual machine setup. Note: Parallels was also mentioned as a viable alternative to VMware Fusion.
Following are step-by-step instructions for what is involved in the virtual machine setup. Hopefully you will find this three-step process as easy to follow as I did.
Instructions for How to Run Windows 8 on your Mac:
Here's how to set up Windows 8 on a MacBook Pro (with standard 4GB Memory) using VMware Fusion 5 for your virtual machine setup.
1. Purchase two pieces of software:
- We fixed an issue with YAML support.
Version Control
- We fixed an issue where an error was shown after copying a file if Git was not installed.
- We fixed an issue where deleting a new file under a newly added folder deleted the empty folder as well.
Web and Azure
- We fixed an issue where IntelliSense shows the OpenAPI client after the OpenAPI service was removed.
- We updated .NET Core to 5.0 RC2.
Xamarin
- We added support for Xcode 12.1.
Visual Studio 2019 for Mac version 8.8 Preview 5 (8.8.0.2829)
released October 20, 2020
Shell and Tools
- We updated NuGet to 5.8 RC.
Source Code Editing
- We fixed an issue where EventHandler completion didn't work.
Web and Azure
- We fixed an issue where an invalid development certificate caused an unrecoverable hang.
- We updated .NET Core to 3.1.403 and 2.1.811
Xamarin
- The Android SDK manager will now prompt to install Android API 28 if it is not already installed to ensure compatibility with the Xamarin.Forms templates.
Visual Studio 2019 for Mac version 8.8 Preview 4 (8.8.0.2811)
released October 13, 2020
Debugger
- We fixed a potential crash/hang after terminating the debugger.
- We fixed an issue where local variables were not evaluated when debugging a Blazor application with .NET 5.
Project System
- We fixed an issue where the Android build process never stops.
- We fixed an issue where renaming a file with 'Show All Files' enabled in the Solution window added the file twice and might have caused a hang.
- We fixed an issue with VS for Mac setting a different FrameworkSDKRoot.
- We fixed an issue where creating a new project folder with a single character failed with an error.
Shell and Tools
- We replaced the 'Pad' terminology with 'Tool Window' throughout the IDE and updated the top-level View menu.
- We fixed an issue where the content of the 'Reference' dialog was not announced in proper sequence with VoiceOver.
- We fixed a potential hang in the Assembly Browser.
- We fixed an issue with encoding inside the integrated Terminal.
- We fixed an issue where 'Find' in the 'Replace in Files' dialog replaced the found text.
- We fixed an issue where Searching in a Directory failed after the second use.
Source Code Editing
- We fixed an issue where Design-time error highlighting and Quick Fix suggestions stopped working.
- We fixed an issue with Red underlines not being shown on syntax errors.
- We fixed an issue where inserting code snippets into a C# file failed.
Test Tools
- We fixed an issue where Running unit tests from the context menu was way slower than from the Unit Tests pad.
Version Control
- We fixed an issue where the Git configuration dialog blocked use of the IDE and could not be closed.
- We fixed an issue where the status of a copied then pasted file was not updated properly.
Web and Azure
- We have added a preview support for Custom .NET Core templates added with
dotnet new. - We fixed an issue where a Blazor WebAssembly project was not recognized as such with .NET 5 and the Browser selection was missing.
- We have updated the .NET Core SDK to 3.1.402.
Xamarin
- We fixed an issue where the target framework of a Xamarin.Mac full framework project kept switching back to Xamarin.Mac Modern.
- We fixed an issue where VS for Mac was removing some default properties from Xamarin.Android projects.
Visual Studio 2019 for Mac version 8.8 Preview 3 (8.8.0.2120)
released September 14, 2020
Shell and Tools
- We have ported the Assembly Browser to the new Editor.
- We have reimplemented the Errors pad and moved the build output to a separate pad.
- We have improved overall performance and reliability.
Source Code Editing
- We have fixed an issue where an Enum could not be used as a nullable type in generic interfaces.
Version Control
- We fixed an issue where stashing errors were not handeled properly.
- we fixed an issue with broken selection buttons in the 'Review and Commit' view.
Web and Azure
- We fixed an issue with breakpoints not hitting when debugging a Blazor WebAssembly Application.
Xamarin
- We fixed an issue where Xamarin Forms Hot Reload caused the iOS Simulator to come to foreground.
- We fixed an issue with the iOS Simulator Window stealing focus multiple times.
- We fixed an issue with Vector Images not appearing in Assets.xcassets.
Visual Studio 2019 for Mac version 8.8 Preview 2 (8.8.0.1532)
released August 25, 2020
New Features
Debug Blazor WebAssembly projects
Visual Studio for Mac now includes full support for debugging Blazor WebAssembly projects, giving you the option to set breakpoints, watches, navigate your code using step and skip commands, and more.
For more information on debugging in Visual Studio for Mac, see Debugging with Visual Studio for Mac.
Web and Azure
- We added support for .NET 5 preview 8.
- We added integrated support for accessing NuGet Azure DevOps package sources using the signed in account without requiring a personal access token (PAT).
Bug Fixes
Debugger
- We fixed an issue where the debugger would prefer an imported class over a local variable with the same name.
Project System
- We fixed an issue that prevented users from canceling a solution load operation.
Shell and Tools
- We improved the performance of the Assembly Viewer.
Editor
- We fixed a problem where new F# projects would not restore and build due to the FSharp.Core NuGet package being unavailable.
Web and Azure
- We fixed an issue with solution file generation that caused a compatibility problem with Visual Studio on Windows.
- We fixed an issue where .razor files would incorrectly show a 'Using directive is unnecessary' error.
- We fixed an issue where IntelliSense for classes from a new Razor class library project were not available in .razor files.
- We fixed an issue preventing Azure subscriptions being found when publishing to Azure Publish to Azure.
- We fixed an issue where Azure subscriptions were not found.
- We fixed a crash in the Razor editor.
Xamarin
- We updated the Android SDK Tools path to support the new 'cmdline-tools' path.
- Hot reload updated the minimum required Xamarin.Forms version to 4.6.0.923 when using incremental.
Other
- We improved startup performance of the IDE.
- We improved the performance of closing a solution.
- We fixed an issue where vstool would not return the exact id of an extension which can then be used for disabling/enabling the extension.
Visual Studio 2019 for Mac version 8.8 Preview 1 (8.8.0.493)
released August 5, 2020
Note
This release of Visual Studio for Mac now supports running on the macOS Big Sur developer beta builds. If you're already on Big Sur and can't use the updater, visit the Visual Studio for Mac website and download the installer.
Editor
- The F# editor and language service have been updated to use the same backend as Visual Studio (Windows). This fixes a number of issues previously reported on Developer Community including:
- F# multiply operator as a function wrongly affects color of code after.
- F# 4.7 language features don't work.
- Undo doesn't work.
- Three double quotation marks are placed instead of two.
- F# 4.7 isn't supported.
- Editor fails on matching quote insertion.
- We fixed an issue causing the default key binding for 'Navigate To.' to no longer work with the French keyboard.
Project System
- We fixed an issue that resulted in an empty properties pad for files when loading AddIn projects.
Shell and Tools
- We increased the speed of the find in files functionality.
- We fixed an issue causing erroneous exceptions to be logged when deleting unsaved files from a project.
- We fixed an issue resulting in multiple searches and unresponsiveness in the search experience.
- We fixed an issue where Visual Studio is unable to find files/classes included into a multi-target SDK style project.
- We fixed an issue where the directory path for find in files was not set correctly.
- We fixed an issue that prevented users drom opening assemblies in the Assembly Browser.
- We fixed an issue that caused files to open in Visual Studio Code instead of in the hex editor when choosing to open in the hex editor.
Source Control
- We fixed an issue where there was odd behavior when copying files under source control.
- We fixed an issue that could cause hangs when using Git version control.
- We fixed an issue causing version control commits to fail if Git reported
fatal: LF would be replaced by CRLF. - We fixed an issue that disabled view history when a file that's not tracked or a project is selected in the solution pad.
- We fixed an issue where Git integration on Visual Studio for Mac is not working.
- We fixed an issue where deleting a file from project rolls back messing up the Source control.
- We fixed an issue where openinig a project or switching branches on console does not always update the current branch in the project browser.
- We fixed an issue that could result in a
doesn't point at a valid Git repository or workdir.error message when working with Git.
Web and Azure
- We fixed an issue where a new F# test project will display errors and warnings.
Xamarin
- We fixed an issue that erroneously changed the simulator to iPad Pro for the designer if Xcode was used to open and add layouts to the Storyboard file.
- We fixed an issue where users were unable to load Storyboards in Visual Studio for Mac.
- We fixed an issue that resulted in Storyboard errors.
- We fixed an issue where adding an Apple account for Xamarin.iOS is broken.
- We fixed an issue resulting in failure to add an Apple developer account with two step authentication.
- We fixed an issue preventing pairing with Visual Studio.
- We fixed an issue where the Storyboard editor would not start.
Known Issues
The following is a list of all existing known issues in Visual Studio 2019 for Mac version 8.8:
- After installing the latest .NET 5 SDK, developers of .NET Core 3.1 apps might see an error indicating 'The ASP.NET Core developer certificate is in an invalid state.'. Running
dotnet dev-certs https --cleanthendotnet dev-certs https --trustfrom the Terminal will fix the issue. - Loading Blazor WebAssembly projects with .NET 5.0 RC1 is not yet supported.
- In rare cases, it's possible to be up to date with everything but the .NET Core 3.1.300 SDK. If you enter into this configuration and update to .NET Core 3.1.300 using the updater, the notification to update the .NET Core SDK will not disappear until the IDE is restarted.
Typically, creative professionals and developers prefer the Mac OS X operating system, while corporate and business types favor the Microsoft Windows operating system.
While many developers tend to believe 'there is nothing that can't be done on a Mac that can't be done on Windows', clearly the collective preference of developers for Macs speaks volumes.
Yet, even though Mac users are more than happy with the platform of their choice, that doesn't mean that they don't sometimes suffer from Windows envy, too.
If you are a Mac user afflicted with Windows envy, have no fear, I have a cure for you, outlined below.
A Cure For Windows Envy Exists
Mac Users, the good news for you is that choosing a Mac doesn't preclude you from the opportunity to experience the best of both operating systems. Be rest assured, there is a way for you to run both a Mac and a Windows operating systems at the same time, without having to own a separate computer for each system.
With the existence of system virtual machine software, it is now feasible for Mac users to easily set up and run both operating systems on one Mac computer.
Setting up a virtual machine to run Windows on a Mac is so straightforward that even the average user can manage the setup independently, without needing to consult with technical experts for assistance.
What is even better than that is knowing that navigating between the two systems is even easier than completing the set-up.
With a virtual machine on your Mac, you can seamlessly share files and switch between the two operatings systems with the simple click of a mouse or touch of a touchpad, without needing to reboot at any time.
Expandrive cloud storage like a usb drive 7 4 2. [Note: Sorry, Windows PC users, it does not appear to be as easy to do the opposite, i.e., to run Mac OS X on a Windows PC.]
Why Would You Need Both Operating Systems?
Clearly it is getting easier and easier to have anywhere anytime access to your most-commonly-used software programs and personal files no matter which operating system you are using.
Popular software bundles like Microsoft Office (for business applications) and Adobe Creative Suite (for creative applications) are available for both platforms. Plus, each of these software bundles now also offers its own cloud-based subscription versions in the form of Office365 and Adobe Creative Cloud, respectively.
Bettertouchtool 2 425 – customize multi touch trackpad gestures like. One would think that it almost doesn't matter anymore which operating system you have.
However, that is only true until you want to use software that hasn't been developed for the primary platform you are using.
This may not happen often for you, but when it does, it can be a real show-stopper. In such a situation, having easy access to both operating systems simultaneously can be your savior. Ntfs hard drive mac.
My Experience, As An Example
Maybe you can relate to my experience?
My personal home computer was a Mac, but my work interests were still very business-application focused. My reason for tracking down a way to run Windows on my Mac was: (1) to be able to use Microsoft Access which surprisingly is not currently available for Mac in any format; and (2) to test an Excel plug-in that was only created for a Windows-based version of Excel.
Not being a software or hardware specialist myself, at first, I had a hard time even knowing where to begin my search on how to run Windows on my Mac.
My initial online research indicated that I could either install Windows on a separate partition or use Boot Camp or a virtual machine like Parallels or Fusion or Virtualbox.
Luckily, I met someone at a Meetup who clarified that what I needed to do was to run Windows on my MacBook Pro by setting up a virtual machine and running Windows within that virtual machine. He recommended using VMware Fusion software for the virtual machine setup. Note: Parallels was also mentioned as a viable alternative to VMware Fusion.
Following are step-by-step instructions for what is involved in the virtual machine setup. Hopefully you will find this three-step process as easy to follow as I did.
Instructions for How to Run Windows 8 on your Mac:
Here's how to set up Windows 8 on a MacBook Pro (with standard 4GB Memory) using VMware Fusion 5 for your virtual machine setup.
1. Purchase two pieces of software:
- Purchase Windows 8. Be sure to purchase the full version, not the upgrade. Both versions are the same price, currently at $120. You know that you have ordered the full version because it is not downloadable and is only available by mail. Note: Windows 8 is available as 32-bit or 64-bit version (both are the same price). The 32-bit version of Windows 8 is appropriate for a typical laptop with 4GB memory. You can purchase Windows 8 from the Microsoft Store by placing your order via the Sales and Customer Support phone number: 1-877-696-7786 (if calling from the U.S.).
- Purchase VMware Fusion 5. The price is currently $49.99. The software is downloadable from the site. If you prefer, you can even start with the 30-day free trial, which worked fine for me.
(Note: Before starting the installs, be sure to have both pieces of software on hand.)
2. Download & Install your Virtual Machine using VMware Fusion 5.
- Download Fusion to your Mac. As is typical for Macs, you will find the downloaded file at 'Finder>Downloads'. Note that you will need to have admin rights for the machine you are working on in order to complete the install.
- Install Fusion on your Mac. Double click the downloaded Fusion icon or drag the Fusion download to the Applications folder to start the install. Enter your Mac OSX administrator password when prompted.
- After initialization completes, enter the Fusion software license key (dashes included), when prompted. Accept the default options, which can be changed later as needed.
3. Install the Windows 8 operating system (i.e., the guest operating system) inside the virtual machine you created in Step #2.
- Create the Virtual Machine & Install the Windows 8 Operating System Within It. After installing VMware Fusion, you will you see a pop-up menu (see Screenshot #1 below), which can also be found on VMware's Menu bar under 'Help>Welcome'. On this pop-up screen, choose the left-most option: 'Create New (from disk)'. This is the 'Easy Install' option which will prompt you when to insert the Windows 8 disk and will guide you through installing Windows 8 within your newly created virtual machine. Accept all the default options, which you can change later if needed.
- When prompted, enter your Windows Product Key from the sticker on the mailed software cover. (The Windows key is a 25-character code, not counting the dashes, but enter the key including the dashes.)
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Reference Screenshot #1 (Below):
The VMware Fusion 5 pop-up 'options' screen is shown below. The left-most yellow 'Create New' button, is the Easy Install option which will guide you through loading the Windows operating system on your newly created virtual machine:
Reference Screenshot #2 (Below):
After both VMware Fusion 5 and Windows 8 are installed, you will see both operating systems on your monitor, with the Windows 8 window in front of Mac OSX Desktop screen. You can easily jump back and forth between the two operating systems by simply clicking once on either screen. Click on the middle front-most window for Windows. Click on the outer back-most screen for Mac OS X. The top-most upper menu bar adjusts to whichever operating system is active.
You can also see that folders are set up to be mirrored on both screens.
You can get to the Windows 8 start screen by hovering over the bottom corner of that center (front-most) window.
You can dock Windows program shortcuts at the bottom of the Windows screen.
And, that is all you need to do to have access to both a Windows and a Mac operating system one Mac computer.
Good luck with your installs! Enjoy your new tools! Elvui with twitch addons.
Featured images:- License: Image author owned
- License: Image author owned
- License: Image author owned
- License: Image author owned
- License: Image author owned
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By Helen Hoefele
Mac studio fix nc25 swatch. Helen Hoefele writes about Creativity and Analysis on her personal blog at Figmentations.com, where she explores her personal interests in the arts in combination with her professional experience in business analytics. You can also follow her on Twitter at: @figmentations.
