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How to install Windows 10 on your Mac – Tutorial 2021

By Updated 5 min read
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With Boot Camp Assistant you can install Windows 10 on an Intel-based Mac and choose between macOS and Windows every time you restart. In this tutorial I show you how to download the Windows 10 ISO file, install Windows with Boot Camp, install the Boot Camp drivers, switch back to macOS and remove Windows again if you no longer need it.

Update (October 2026): Boot Camp only works on Macs with an Intel processor. Macs with Apple silicon (M1 and later) can’t use Boot Camp, but you can run Windows 11 in a virtual machine instead: see how to install Windows 11 on a Mac M1 with UTM. Also keep in mind that Microsoft ended support for Windows 10 on October 14, 2025.

In this article
  1. What you need before you install Windows 10 on your Mac
  2. How to download the Windows 10 ISO file
  3. How to install Windows 10 with Boot Camp
  4. How to install the Boot Camp software in Windows 10
  5. How to return to macOS from Windows 10
  6. How to update Windows 10
  7. How to remove Windows from your Mac with Boot Camp

What you need before you install Windows 10 on your Mac

First, make sure your Mac supports Windows 10 with Boot Camp. According to Apple, these Mac models with an Intel processor are compatible:

  • MacBook introduced in 2015 through 2017
  • MacBook Air introduced in 2012 through 2020, except the MacBook Air (M1, 2020)
  • MacBook Pro introduced in 2012 through 2020, except the MacBook Pro (13-inch, M1, 2020)
  • Mac mini introduced in 2012 through 2018
  • iMac introduced in 2012 through 2020*
  • iMac Pro (all models)
  • Mac Pro introduced in 2013 through 2019

*If you have an iMac (27-inch, Late 2012), iMac (27-inch, Late 2013) or iMac (Retina 5K, 27-inch, Late 2014) with a 3TB hard drive and macOS Mojave or later, Apple warns that you may see an alert during installation. Check Apple’s page for details.

You also need:

  • The latest macOS updates, which can include updates to Boot Camp Assistant.
  • At least 64GB of free storage on your Mac’s startup disk. Apple recommends 128GB or more for the best experience.
  • A USB flash drive of 16GB or more, but only if your Mac needs one. You don’t need it on any MacBook, on a MacBook Pro or iMac from 2015 or later, a MacBook Air from 2017 or later, an iMac Pro, or a Mac Pro from late 2013 or later.
  • A 64-bit Windows 10 Home or Windows 10 Pro ISO file (see the next step).

How to download the Windows 10 ISO file

To start, download the Windows 10 ISO file from Microsoft. You can save it straight to your Mac’s internal drive.

  1. Open Microsoft’s Windows 10 ISO download page. If you land on the main Windows 10 download page and only see Update now and Download tool now, use the ISO page link instead.
  2. Under Select edition, choose Windows 10 (multi-edition ISO). This is version 22H2, the final version of Windows 10.
  3. Click Confirm.
  4. Under Select the product language, choose your language.
  5. Click Confirm.
  6. Click 64-bit Download and wait until the ISO file has finished downloading.

How to install Windows 10 with Boot Camp

Once you have the Windows 10 ISO file, follow these steps.

  1. Open Boot Camp Assistant from the Utilities folder in Applications.
  2. Click Continue. Boot Camp should find the ISO file on your Mac automatically.
  3. Drag the slider in the partition section to choose how much space Windows gets. Choose carefully, because you can’t change the size of this partition later.
  4. Click Install. Boot Camp now downloads the Windows support software. If it asks for a USB flash drive, plug one in.
  5. Type your Mac password.
  6. Click OK. Your Mac restarts and you see the Windows 10 setup screen.
  7. Choose your language.
  8. Click Install Now.
  9. Type your product key or click I don’t have a product key. You can enter the key after the installation.
  10. Choose Windows 10 Home or Windows 10 Pro, depending on your license.
  11. Click Next.
  12. Click Custom: Install Windows only.
  13. Select Drive 0 Partition X: BOOTCAMP. Do not choose anything else. If the installer asks, click Format to format this partition.
  14. Click Next. Windows 10 is now installed. Your Mac restarts several times during the process.
  15. When the Windows setup screens appear, choose your settings. Older Windows 10 versions offer Use Express Settings; newer ones ask about each privacy setting separately. You can change all of them after the installation.
  16. Type a user name. You can also add a password.
  17. Click Next.
  18. If Windows asks about Cortana, choose whether you want to use it.

Windows 10 now starts, and you can use it like on any PC.

How to install the Boot Camp software in Windows 10

When Windows 10 starts on your Mac for the first time, the Boot Camp installer opens automatically.

  1. Click Install.
  2. Click I accept the terms in the license agreement.
  3. Click Install.
  4. Click Finish when the installation is complete, and restart when you are asked to.

Don’t skip this step. It installs the drivers and software that make Windows work properly on your Mac hardware.

How to return to macOS from Windows 10

One of the best parts of Boot Camp is how easy it is to switch between the two systems.

  1. Click the Show hidden icons arrow on the Windows taskbar.
  2. Click the Boot Camp icon.
  3. Click Restart in macOS (older Boot Camp versions say Restart in OS X).

Your Mac restarts into macOS. There is a second way to switch in both directions: restart your Mac and hold down the Option (Alt) key until the startup disk menu appears. Then choose which system to start.

How to update Windows 10

After the installation, install the latest updates with Windows Update.

  1. Click the Start button.
  2. Click Settings (the gear icon).
  3. Click Update & Security.
  4. Click Check for updates and install what Windows finds.

How to remove Windows from your Mac with Boot Camp

To remove Windows, or a partition that was created with Boot Camp Assistant, from your Intel-based Mac, you must use Boot Camp Assistant.

Warning: Do not use any other utility to remove Windows or a partition that was created with Boot Camp.

  1. Start up your Mac in macOS.
  2. Back up all important data stored on your Windows partition. When Windows is removed, the Windows partition and all data stored on it are erased permanently.
  3. Quit all open apps and log out any other users.
  4. Open Boot Camp Assistant Boot Camp Assistant icon, then click Continue.
  5. If the Select Tasks step appears, select Remove Windows 10 or later version, then click Continue.
  6. Do one of the following:
    • If your Mac has a single internal disk, click Restore.
    • If your Mac has multiple internal disks, select the Windows disk, select Restore disk to a single macOS partition, then click Continue.

Your Mac now has a single macOS partition again. You can watch the full installation in the video at the top of this post.

Written by

Daniel

Daniel is the creator of Tips 2 Fix. He has been publishing tech tutorials on YouTube since 2013, and his videos have been watched more than 21 million times. Every guide on this site comes with a video where he shows the fix step by step, from Windows 11 upgrades on unsupported PCs to everyday Windows, Mac and Android problems.

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