Boot Camp Software For Mac

05.01.2021
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When you install Microsoft Windows on your Mac, Boot Camp Assistant automatically opens the Boot Camp installer, which installs the latest Windows support software (drivers). If that doesn't happen, or you experience any of the following issues while using Windows on your Mac, follow the steps in this article.

Mar 23, 2019  One of the best parts of Boot Camp is how easy it is to switch back and forth between operating systems. Click the Show hidden icons button in the Windows 10 taskbar. Click the Boot. Boot Camp is a Mac OS X utility that lets you run Windows on your Mac without relying on virtual machines or crippled emulators. Boot Camp supports Windows XP, Windows Vista and Windows 7.

  • Your Apple mouse, trackpad, or keyboard isn't working in Windows.
    Force Touch isn't designed to work in Windows.
  • You don't hear audio from the built-in speakers of your Mac in Windows.
  • The built-in microphone or camera of your Mac isn't recognized in Windows.
  • One or more screen resolutions are unavailable for your display in Windows.
  • You can't adjust the brightness of your built-in display in Windows.
  • You have issues with Bluetooth or Wi-Fi in Windows.
  • You get an alert that Apple Software Update has stopped working.
  • You get a message that your PC has a driver or service that isn't ready for this version of Windows.
  • Your Mac starts up to a black or blue screen after you install Windows.

If your Mac has an AMD video card and is having graphics issues in Windows, you might need to update your AMD graphics drivers instead.

Install the latest macOS updates

Before proceeding, install the latest macOS updates, which can include updates to Boot Camp.

Format a USB flash drive

To install the latest Windows support software, you need a 16GB or larger USB flash drive formatted as MS-DOS (FAT).

  1. Start your Mac from macOS.
  2. Plug the USB flash drive into your Mac.
  3. Open Disk Utility, which is in the Utilities folder of your Applications folder.
  4. Choose View > Show All Devices from the menu bar.
  5. From the sidebar in Disk Utility, select your USB flash drive. (Select the drive name, not the volume name beneath it.)
  6. Click the Erase button or tab.
  7. Choose MS-DOS (FAT) as the format and Master Boot Record as the scheme.
  8. Click Erase to format the drive. When done, quit Disk Utility.

Download the Windows support software

After preparing your USB flash drive, complete these steps:

  1. Make sure that your Mac is connected to the Internet.
  2. Open Boot Camp Assistant, which is in the Utilities folder of your Applications folder.
  3. From the menu bar at the top of your screen, choose Action > Download Windows Support Software, then choose your USB flash drive as the save destination. When the download completes, quit Boot Camp Assistant.

Learn what to do if you can't download or save the Windows support software.

Install the Windows support software

After downloading the Windows support software to your flash drive, follow these steps to install the software. (If you're attempting to resolve issues with a Bluetooth mouse or keyboard, it might be easier to use a USB mouse or keyboard until these steps are complete.)

  1. Make sure that the USB flash drive is plugged into your Mac.
  2. Start up your Mac in Windows.
  3. From File Explorer, open the USB flash drive, then open Setup or setup.exe, which is in the WindowsSupport folder or BootCamp folder. When you're asked to allow Boot Camp to make changes to your device, click Yes.
  4. Click Repair to begin installation. If you get an alert that the software hasn't passed Windows Logo testing, click Continue Anyway.
  5. After installation completes, click Finish, then click Yes when you're asked to restart your Mac.

Learn more

If you can't download or save the Windows support software:

  • If the assistant says that the Windows support software could not be saved to the selected drive, or that the USB flash drive can't be used, make sure that your USB flash drive has a storage capacity of at least 16GB and is formatted correctly.
  • If the assistant doesn't see your USB flash drive, click Go Back and make sure that the drive is connected directly to the USB port on your Mac—not to a display, hub, or keyboard. Disconnect and reconnect the drive, then click Continue.
  • If the assistant says that it can't download the software because of a network problem, make sure that your Mac is connected to the Internet.
  • Make sure that your Mac meets the system requirements to install Windows using Boot Camp.

If a Mac feature still doesn't work after updating the Windows support software, search for your symptom on the Apple support website or Microsoft support website. Some features of your Mac aren't designed to work in Windows.

If you're looking to install Windows on your Mac, Boot Camp is the best way to go. Whether it's for a great gaming experience or you just want to try out Windows 10 on Apple's svelte hardware, here's how to get it all set up.

What you'll need before you install Windows 10 on your Mac

Before starting anything else, be sure you have a Mac that supports Windows 10. Straight from Apple, these are the compatible models:

  • MacBook Pro (2012 and later)
  • MacBook Air (2012 and later)
  • MacBook (2015 and later)
  • iMac Pro (2017)
  • iMac (2012 and later)*
  • Mac mini (2012 and later)
  • Mac mini Server (Late 2012)
  • Mac Pro (Late 2013)

If you own an iMac with 3TB or more, check out this Apple Support document for more information on installing Windows 10 on your machine through Boot Camp.

Do you have a Mac that can run Windows 10? Good! Make sure you have at least 64GB of free space on your hard drive for the Windows installation. During the installation process, you can set the Windows partition to whatever size you want, as long as the drive has enough storage.

Finally, update your Mac's OS to ensure there are no compatibility problems. You'll also want to perform a backup of your Mac in the (rare) case that something goes wrong.

How to download the Windows 10 ISO file

To start, we need to grab a Windows 10 ISO file from the Microsoft website. You can download it straight to your internal hard drive.

  1. Navigate to the Microsoft Windows 10 ISO download page.
  2. Click the dropdown menu below Select edition.

  3. Click Windows 10 in the Windows 10 Anniversary Update section. You can download the Creators Update through Windows once it is installed.

  4. Click Confirm.

  5. Click the dropdown menu below Select the product language.

  6. Click your language of choice.

  7. Click Confirm.

  8. Click 64-bit Download.

  9. Click Save. The ISO file will now be downloaded.

Once the file has finished downloading, continue on to the next set of steps.

How to install Windows 10 with Boot Camp

Once you've downloaded a Windows 10 ISO, you can complete the following steps.

  1. Launch Boot Camp Assistant from the Utilities folder in Applications.

  2. Click Continue. Boot Camp should automatically locate the ISO file on your system.

  3. Click and drag the slider in the partition section. It will be set to 48GB by default, but you can add as much storage as you want within the limits of the drive.

  4. Click Install. Windows support software will now be downloaded.

  5. Type your password.

  6. Click OK. Your Mac will restart and you will 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 key. You can enter it after the installation.
  10. Click either Windows 10 Pro or Windows 10 Pro based on your preference.
  11. Click Next.
  12. Click Custom: Install Windows Only.
  13. Click Drive 0 Partition X: BOOTCAMP. Do not choose anything else.
  14. Click Next. Windows 10 will now be installed. Your Mac will restart several times during the process.
  15. Click Use Express Settings or Customize Your Installation when the Windows 10 setup screen appears. In this case, we use express settings, as all can be changed after the installation.
  16. Type a username. You can also add a password.
  17. Click Next.
  18. Choose to use or not to use Cortana.

Windows 10 will now boot fully, and you'll be able to use Windows normally.

How to install Boot Camp software on your Windows 10 partition

When Windows 10 loads for the first time on your Mac, a Boot Camp software installer will automatically pop up.

  1. Click Install.
  2. Click I accept the terms in the license agreement.
  3. Click Install.
  4. Click Finish when the installation is complete.

This is an important process, as it installs a bunch of drivers and software that will help make your Windows 10 experience as good as possible on your Mac.

How to return to macOS from Windows 10

Boot Camp Support Software For Macbook Pro 2017

One of the best parts of Boot Camp is how easy it is to switch back and forth between operating systems.

  1. Click the Show hidden icons button in the Windows 10 taskbar.
  2. Click the Boot Camp button.

  3. Click Restart in OS X.

Your Mac will now restart, and you'll be brought right back to macOS. To get back to Windows 10, and indeed another way to switch from Windows 10 to macOS, is to restart your Mac and hold down the Option key on your keyboard until a boot menu appears. From here, you can choose which OS to load.

Updating Windows 10 and more

Now that you have Windows 10 installed on your Mac, you can update it to the Creators Update.

The easiest way to do so is to use Windows Update.

  1. Click the Start button.

  2. Click the Settings button. It looks like a gear.

  3. Click Update & security.

  4. Click Check for updates.

The Creators Update should begin downloading and will install. Follow the steps on screen, and you'll be up to date in no time.

Boot Camp Software For Mac Free Download

Looking for more Windows 10 Creators Update help? Check out the ultimate guide over on Windows Central.

Updated March 22, 2019: Updated for macOS Mojave.

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