Get all the features of Windows 10 Home operating system plus Remote Desktop, Windows Information Protection., BitLocker. and a suite of tools designed for business use. Licensed for one PC or Mac.Windows Information Protection requires either Mobile Device Management or System Center Configuration Manager to manage settings. Tip: The 64-bit version is installed by default unless Office detects you already have a 32-bit version of Office (or a stand-alone Office app such as Project or Visio) installed.In this case, the 32-bit version of Office will be installed instead. To change from a 32-bit version to a 64-bit version or vice versa, you need to uninstall Office first (including any stand-alone Office apps you.
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Mac vs Windows. Windows vs Mac. Why choose if you can get the best of both worlds by dual booting? Install Windows on Mac so you can jump back and forth from one operating system to another on the same computer.
By now, the practice is well-established and Windows can work on Mac well. In this article, we'll have a deep look at installing Windows on Mac. Don't worry, we'll have your back the whole way through!
Boot Camp for Mac vs virtualization software
If you want to install Windows on your Mac, you have two options. You can either use Mac Boot Camp, a native feature of the macOS operating system, or you can use a third party virtualization program. Both methods have their own pros and cons, so let's dive in.
Boot Camp is built into the operating system of all Macs. If you go to your Applications > Utilities folder, you'll see the Boot Camp Assistant app. It makes the separate partition on your hard drive for installing and running Windows. Once Windows is installed in Boot Camp, every time you turn on your Mac, you will be asked to choose the operating system you want to run. This means that in order to switch from macOS to Windows, you need to reboot your computer.
Advantages
- built into your operating system
- easy to use — Boot Camp Assistant guides you through the installation process
- puts less strain on your Mac's memory and processing power
- completely free (not Windows of course)
- easy to update
Disadvantages
- you need to reboot your computer to switch between the systems
- transferring data between operating systems isn't easy
Virtualization programs are third-party applications that allow to install a separate operating system on one machine. They run like any other app on your Mac, so you can see the entire Windows desktop within a window on your computer.
Among the most popular virtualization programs are VirtualBox, Parallels, and VMware. Each one has its peculiarities, but we'll try to sum up what they have in common.
Advantages
- you can run both operating systems at the same time
- easy file integration between systems
Disadvantages
- you need at least 8 GB of RAM for Mac to run smoothly
- virtualization apps are not cheap
- updates are not free
Depending on your specific needs, you can choose the option that works best for you. But we suggest using Boot Camp. It's a free native feature of your operating system, running directly on your hardware. Therefore, it will be faster than any other method. And below, you'll find all information on how to run Boot Camp on your Mac.
How to use Boot Camp: Preparing your Mac
1. Check the system requirements
Some versions of Windows require a certain processor and more hard drive space than the others. Therefore, you have to check the documentation that came with your copy of Windows to learn what you need.
You also need to make sure that your Mac is compatible with the version of Windows you want to install. For instance, Windows 10 is supported on these models:
- MacBook (2015 and later)
- MacBook Pro (2012 and later)
- MacBook Air (2012 and later)
- iMac (2012 and later)
- Mac Mini (2012 and later)
2. Clean up your hard drive
You need to have at least 55 GB of free disk space on your startup drive for installing Windows on a Mac. And if you don't feel like spending the next several hours cleaning your Mac manually, you can use a powerful utility CleanMyMac X to find and remove all the junk from your startup disk.
CleanMyMac has everything to finish the 3-hour task of cleaning your hard drive in less than 5 minutes. It will scan every inch of your system and remove gigabytes of junk in two clicks. By the way, CleanMyMac finds about 75 GB of junk on average — more than enough for a smooth Windows installation.
Here's how to clean your Mac with CleanMyMac X:
- Download CleanMyMac here.
- Run the app and click Scan.
- Click Run.
That's it! Gigabytes of junk are gone from your computer forever.
3. Back up your Mac
Finally, you should also perform a backup of your Mac in case something goes wrong. Although, it happens very rarely, it's always better to back up your important data. There are a few methods of backing up your Mac, so choose the most convenient one for you.
You can make automatic backups with Time Machine — software that comes with your Mac. It backs up all data, so you can recover individual files or your entire system from your backups. You may also store files in iCloud and access them whenever you need. iCloud comes with 5 GB of free storage but you can upgrade it any time. If you have an external storage device, you can copy some files and folders on it.
We do recommend you to back up your Mac before installing Windows as it minimizes the chance of losing important data.
How to Install Windows with Boot Camp
Here's how to install Boot Camp. The installation can be a little time consuming, but it is by no means difficult. Check out the details below.
Step 1: Get a Windows disk image
First of all, you need to get the Windows disk image (ISO file) from the Microsoft website. Here's how to download it:
- Visit the Windows 10 disk image download website.
- Go to the Select edition menu and choose Windows 10.
- Click Confirm.
- Choose the language of installation and click Confirm.
- Click 64-bit Download and then click Save.
The ISO file now will be downloaded to your Mac.
Step 2: Open Boot Camp Assistant
Boot Camp Assistant guides you through installing Windows on your Mac. You just have to follow the onscreen instructions. To launch the Boot Camp Assistant, go to Applications > Utilities folder. Click continue and Boot Camp for Mac will automatically locate the ISO file on your system.
Step 3: Create a partition for Windows
When you are done with the Assistant, your Mac restarts to the Windows installer. When you are asked where you want to install Windows, choose the BOOTCAMP partition and click Format.
*Note that this step is only required if you're using a flash drive or optical drive to install Windows. In other cases, the right partition will be selected and formatted for you automatically.
Step 4: Install Windows
To finish the installation, you have to follow the onscreen instructions. Take a long breath — the next 12 steps may seem like climbing Everest, but it's much easier than you think. Here's how to install Windows on a Mac:
- Choose your ISO file and click the Install button.
- Type your Password and click OK. You will see the Windows Setup screen.
- Select your language.
- Click Install Now.
- Type your product key if you have it. Otherwise, click 'I don't have a product key'.
- Select Windows 10 Pro or Windows Home and then click Next.
- Click Drive 0 Partition X: BOOTCAMP.
- Click Next. Windows 10 will be installed.
- When the Setup screen appears, click either Use Express Settings or Customize Your Installation. We recommend you to choose the Customize button and disable most, if not all of the switches.
- Then you'll be asked to create an account. Type a username. You can also add a password if you want.
- Click Next.
- Choose whether you want to use the Cortana personal assistant or not. You can disable it by clicking Not Now button.
Windows will boot fully so you can use it normally.
On the Welcome to Boot Camp Installer box, click Next and accept the terms in the license agreement. Then click Install to proceed. When the installer completes, click Finish to reboot your machine.
Step 5: Restart your Mac
By default, your Mac will still boot to macOS. To access Windows, you have to turn your Mac off and then turn it on while holding the Option (Alt) key. You will be asked from which drive you'd like to boot.
Note that while in Windows, the Mac's Command key functions as the Windows key, while the Option key functions as the Alt key. If you have a Touch Bar, you'll see a complete set of buttons, similar to the Control Strip in macOS.
How to remove Windows from your Mac
If for some reasons you don't need Windows anymore, you can permanently remove it from your Mac. Follow these steps:
- Boot into macOS, launch Boot Camp Assistant and click Continue.
- Choose 'Remove Windows 7 or later version' or 'Remove Windows 10 or later version'.
- Click Restore when you see the Restore Disk to a Single Volume option.
The Boot Camp Assistant will automatically remove Windows from your Mac.
Warning: All data, including software and files, stored on the Windows partition will be deleted, so make the backup copies first.
That may seem like a lot of steps, but it doesn't take all that long to install Windows on a Mac. Now you can enjoy two operating systems and switch between them right when you need. Cheers!
These might also interest you:
-->Important
Welcome to Microsoft Defender for Endpoint, the new name for Microsoft Defender Advanced Threat Protection. Read more about this and other updates here. We'll be updating names in products and in the docs in the near future.
Applies to:
Microsoft is committed to providing you with the information and controls you need to make choices about how your data is collected and used when you're using Microsoft Defender ATP for Mac.
This topic describes the privacy controls available within the product, how to manage these controls with policy settings and more details on the data events that are collected.
Overview of privacy controls in Microsoft Defender ATP for Mac
This section describes the privacy controls for the different types of data collected by Microsoft Defender ATP for Mac.
Diagnostic data
Diagnostic data is used to keep Microsoft Defender ATP secure and up-to-date, detect, diagnose and fix problems, and also make product improvements.
Some diagnostic data is required, while some diagnostic data is optional. We give you the ability to choose whether to send us required or optional diagnostic data through the use of privacy controls, such as policy settings for organizations.
There are two levels of diagnostic data for Microsoft Defender ATP client software that you can choose from:
Required: The minimum data necessary to help keep Microsoft Defender ATP secure, up-to-date, and performing as expected on the device it's installed on.
Optional: Additional data that helps Microsoft make product improvements and provides enhanced information to help detect, diagnose, and remediate issues.
By default, only required diagnostic data is sent to Microsoft.
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Cloud delivered protection data
Cloud delivered protection is used to provide increased and faster protection with access to the latest protection data in the cloud.
Enabling the cloud-delivered protection service is optional, however it is highly recommended because it provides important protection against malware on your endpoints and across your network.
Sample data
Sample data is used to improve the protection capabilities of the product, by sending Microsoft suspicious samples so they can be analyzed. Enabling automatic sample submission is optional.
When this feature is enabled and the sample that is collected is likely to contain personal information, the user is prompted for consent.
Manage privacy controls with policy settings
If you're an IT administrator, you might want to configure these controls at the enterprise level.
The privacy controls for the various types of data described in the preceding section are described in detail in Set preferences for Microsoft Defender ATP for Mac.
As with any new policy settings, you should carefully test them out in a limited, controlled environment to ensure the settings that you configure have the desired effect before you implement the policy settings more widely in your organization.
Diagnostic data events
This section describes what is considered required diagnostic data and what is considered optional diagnostic data, along with a description of the events and fields that are collected.
Data fields that are common for all events
There is some information about events that is common to all events, regardless of category or data subtype.
The following fields are considered common for all events:
Field | Description |
---|---|
platform | The broad classification of the platform on which the app is running. Allows Microsoft to identify on which platforms an issue may be occurring so that it can correctly be prioritized. |
machine_guid | Unique identifier associated with the device. Allows Microsoft to identify whether issues are impacting a select set of installs and how many users are impacted. |
sense_guid | Unique identifier associated with the device. Allows Microsoft to identify whether issues are impacting a select set of installs and how many users are impacted. |
org_id | Unique identifier associated with the enterprise that the device belongs to. Allows Microsoft to identify whether issues are impacting a select set of enterprises and how many enterprises are impacted. |
hostname | Local device name (without DNS suffix). Allows Microsoft to identify whether issues are impacting a select set of installs and how many users are impacted. |
product_guid | Unique identifier of the product. Allows Microsoft to differentiate issues impacting different flavors of the product. |
app_version | Version of the Microsoft Defender ATP for Mac application. Allows Microsoft to identify which versions of the product are showing an issue so that it can correctly be prioritized. |
sig_version | Version of security intelligence database. Allows Microsoft to identify which versions of the security intelligence are showing an issue so that it can correctly be prioritized. |
supported_compressions | List of compression algorithms supported by the application, for example ['gzip'] . Allows Microsoft to understand what types of compressions can be used when it communicates with the application. |
release_ring | Ring that the device is associated with (for example Insider Fast, Insider Slow, Production). Allows Microsoft to identify on which release ring an issue may be occurring so that it can correctly be prioritized. |
The Boot Camp Assistant will automatically remove Windows from your Mac.
Warning: All data, including software and files, stored on the Windows partition will be deleted, so make the backup copies first.
That may seem like a lot of steps, but it doesn't take all that long to install Windows on a Mac. Now you can enjoy two operating systems and switch between them right when you need. Cheers!
These might also interest you:
-->Important
Welcome to Microsoft Defender for Endpoint, the new name for Microsoft Defender Advanced Threat Protection. Read more about this and other updates here. We'll be updating names in products and in the docs in the near future.
Applies to:
Microsoft is committed to providing you with the information and controls you need to make choices about how your data is collected and used when you're using Microsoft Defender ATP for Mac.
This topic describes the privacy controls available within the product, how to manage these controls with policy settings and more details on the data events that are collected.
Overview of privacy controls in Microsoft Defender ATP for Mac
This section describes the privacy controls for the different types of data collected by Microsoft Defender ATP for Mac.
Diagnostic data
Diagnostic data is used to keep Microsoft Defender ATP secure and up-to-date, detect, diagnose and fix problems, and also make product improvements.
Some diagnostic data is required, while some diagnostic data is optional. We give you the ability to choose whether to send us required or optional diagnostic data through the use of privacy controls, such as policy settings for organizations.
There are two levels of diagnostic data for Microsoft Defender ATP client software that you can choose from:
Required: The minimum data necessary to help keep Microsoft Defender ATP secure, up-to-date, and performing as expected on the device it's installed on.
Optional: Additional data that helps Microsoft make product improvements and provides enhanced information to help detect, diagnose, and remediate issues.
By default, only required diagnostic data is sent to Microsoft.
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Cloud delivered protection data
Cloud delivered protection is used to provide increased and faster protection with access to the latest protection data in the cloud.
Enabling the cloud-delivered protection service is optional, however it is highly recommended because it provides important protection against malware on your endpoints and across your network.
Sample data
Sample data is used to improve the protection capabilities of the product, by sending Microsoft suspicious samples so they can be analyzed. Enabling automatic sample submission is optional.
When this feature is enabled and the sample that is collected is likely to contain personal information, the user is prompted for consent.
Manage privacy controls with policy settings
If you're an IT administrator, you might want to configure these controls at the enterprise level.
The privacy controls for the various types of data described in the preceding section are described in detail in Set preferences for Microsoft Defender ATP for Mac.
As with any new policy settings, you should carefully test them out in a limited, controlled environment to ensure the settings that you configure have the desired effect before you implement the policy settings more widely in your organization.
Diagnostic data events
This section describes what is considered required diagnostic data and what is considered optional diagnostic data, along with a description of the events and fields that are collected.
Data fields that are common for all events
There is some information about events that is common to all events, regardless of category or data subtype.
The following fields are considered common for all events:
Field | Description |
---|---|
platform | The broad classification of the platform on which the app is running. Allows Microsoft to identify on which platforms an issue may be occurring so that it can correctly be prioritized. |
machine_guid | Unique identifier associated with the device. Allows Microsoft to identify whether issues are impacting a select set of installs and how many users are impacted. |
sense_guid | Unique identifier associated with the device. Allows Microsoft to identify whether issues are impacting a select set of installs and how many users are impacted. |
org_id | Unique identifier associated with the enterprise that the device belongs to. Allows Microsoft to identify whether issues are impacting a select set of enterprises and how many enterprises are impacted. |
hostname | Local device name (without DNS suffix). Allows Microsoft to identify whether issues are impacting a select set of installs and how many users are impacted. |
product_guid | Unique identifier of the product. Allows Microsoft to differentiate issues impacting different flavors of the product. |
app_version | Version of the Microsoft Defender ATP for Mac application. Allows Microsoft to identify which versions of the product are showing an issue so that it can correctly be prioritized. |
sig_version | Version of security intelligence database. Allows Microsoft to identify which versions of the security intelligence are showing an issue so that it can correctly be prioritized. |
supported_compressions | List of compression algorithms supported by the application, for example ['gzip'] . Allows Microsoft to understand what types of compressions can be used when it communicates with the application. |
release_ring | Ring that the device is associated with (for example Insider Fast, Insider Slow, Production). Allows Microsoft to identify on which release ring an issue may be occurring so that it can correctly be prioritized. |
Required diagnostic data
Required diagnostic data is the minimum data necessary to help keep Microsoft Defender ATP secure, up-to-date, and perform as expected on the device it's installed on.
Required diagnostic data helps to identify problems with Microsoft Defender ATP that may be related to a device or software configuration. For example, it can help determine if a Microsoft Defender ATP feature crashes more frequently on a particular operating system version, with newly introduced features, or when certain Microsoft Defender ATP features are disabled. Required diagnostic data helps Microsoft detect, diagnose, and fix these problems more quickly so the impact to users or organizations is reduced.
Software setup and inventory data events
Microsoft Defender ATP installation / uninstallation
The following fields are collected:
Field | Description |
---|---|
correlation_id | Unique identifier associated with the installation. |
version | Version of the package. |
severity | Severity of the message (for example Informational). |
code | Code that describes the operation. |
text | Additional information associated with the product installation. |
Microsoft Defender ATP configuration
The following fields are collected:
Field | Description |
---|---|
antivirus_engine.enable_real_time_protection | Whether real-time protection is enabled on the device or not. |
antivirus_engine.passive_mode | Whether passive mode is enabled on the device or not. |
cloud_service.enabled | Whether cloud delivered protection is enabled on the device or not. |
cloud_service.timeout | Time out when the application communicates with the Microsoft Defender ATP cloud. |
cloud_service.heartbeat_interval | Interval between consecutive heartbeats sent by the product to the cloud. |
cloud_service.service_uri | URI used to communicate with the cloud. |
cloud_service.diagnostic_level | Diagnostic level of the device (required, optional). |
cloud_service.automatic_sample_submission | Whether automatic sample submission is turned on or not. |
edr.early_preview | Whether the device should run EDR early preview features. |
edr.group_id | Group identifier used by the detection and response component. |
edr.tags | User-defined tags. |
features.[optional feature name] | List of preview features, along with whether they are enabled or not. |
Product and service usage data events
Security intelligence update report
The following fields are collected:
Field | Description |
---|---|
from_version | Original security intelligence version. |
to_version | New security intelligence version. |
status | Status of the update indicating success or failure. |
using_proxy | Whether the update was done over a proxy. |
error | Error code if the update failed. |
reason | Error message if the updated filed. |
Product and service performance data events
Kernel extension statistics
The following fields are collected:
Field | Description |
---|---|
version | Version of Microsoft Defender ATP for Mac. |
instance_id | Unique identifier generated on kernel extension startup. |
trace_level | Trace level of the kernel extension. |
subsystem | The underlying subsystem used for real-time protection. |
ipc.connects | Number of connection requests received by the kernel extension. |
ipc.rejects | Number of connection requests rejected by the kernel extension. |
ipc.connected | Whether there is any active connection to the kernel extension. |
Support data
Diagnostic logs
Diagnostic logs are collected only with the consent of the user as part of the feedback submission feature. The following files are collected as part of the support logs:
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- All files under /Library/Logs/Microsoft/mdatp/
- Subset of files under /Library/Application Support/Microsoft/Defender/ that are created and used by Microsoft Defender ATP for Mac
- Subset of files under /Library/Managed Preferences that are used by Microsoft Defender ATP for Mac
- /Library/Logs/Microsoft/autoupdate.log
- $HOME/Library/Preferences/com.microsoft.autoupdate2.plist
Optional diagnostic data
Optional diagnostic data is additional data that helps Microsoft make product improvements and provides enhanced information to help detect, diagnose, and fix issues.
If you choose to send us optional diagnostic data, required diagnostic data is also included.
Examples of optional diagnostic data include data Microsoft collects about product configuration (for example number of exclusions set on the device) and product performance (aggregate measures about the performance of components of the product).
Software setup and inventory data events
Microsoft Defender ATP configuration
The following fields are collected:
Field | Description |
---|---|
connection_retry_timeout | Connection retry time out when communication with the cloud. |
file_hash_cache_maximum | Size of the product cache. |
crash_upload_daily_limit | Limit of crash logs uploaded daily. |
antivirus_engine.exclusions[].is_directory | Whether the exclusion from scanning is a directory or not. |
antivirus_engine.exclusions[].path | Path that was excluded from scanning. |
antivirus_engine.exclusions[].extension | Extension excluded from scanning. |
antivirus_engine.exclusions[].name | Name of the file excluded from scanning. |
antivirus_engine.scan_cache_maximum | Size of the product cache. |
antivirus_engine.maximum_scan_threads | Maximum number of threads used for scanning. |
antivirus_engine.threat_restoration_exclusion_time | Time out before a file restored from the quarantine can be detected again. |
filesystem_scanner.full_scan_directory | Full scan directory. |
filesystem_scanner.quick_scan_directories | List of directories used in quick scan. |
edr.latency_mode | Latency mode used by the detection and response component. |
edr.proxy_address | Proxy address used by the detection and response component. |
Microsoft Auto-Update configuration
The following fields are collected:
Field | Description |
---|---|
how_to_check | Determines how product updates are checked (for example automatic or manual). |
channel_name | Update channel associated with the device. |
manifest_server | Server used for downloading updates. |
update_cache | Location of the cache used to store updates. |
Product and service usage
Diagnostic log upload started report
The following fields are collected:
Field | Description |
---|---|
sha256 | SHA256 identifier of the support log. |
size | Size of the support log. |
original_path | Path to the support log (always under /Library/Application Support/Microsoft/Defender/wdavdiag/). |
format | Format of the support log. |
Diagnostic log upload completed report
The following fields are collected:
Field | Description |
---|---|
request_id | Correlation ID for the support log upload request. |
sha256 | SHA256 identifier of the support log. |
blob_sas_uri | URI used by the application to upload the support log. |
Product and service performance data events
Unexpected application exit (crash)
Unexpected application exits and the state of the application when that happens.
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Kernel extension statistics
The following fields are collected:
Field | Description |
---|---|
pkt_ack_timeout | The following properties are aggregated numerical values, representing count of events that happened since kernel extension startup. |
pkt_ack_conn_timeout | |
ipc.ack_pkts | |
ipc.nack_pkts | |
ipc.send.ack_no_conn | |
ipc.send.nack_no_conn | |
ipc.send.ack_no_qsq | |
ipc.send.nack_no_qsq | |
ipc.ack.no_space | |
ipc.ack.timeout | |
ipc.ack.ackd_fast | |
ipc.ack.ackd | |
ipc.recv.bad_pkt_len | |
ipc.recv.bad_reply_len | |
ipc.recv.no_waiter | |
ipc.recv.copy_failed | |
ipc.kauth.vnode.mask | |
ipc.kauth.vnode.read | |
ipc.kauth.vnode.write | |
ipc.kauth.vnode.exec | |
ipc.kauth.vnode.del | |
ipc.kauth.vnode.read_attr | |
ipc.kauth.vnode.write_attr | |
ipc.kauth.vnode.read_ex_attr | |
ipc.kauth.vnode.write_ex_attr | |
ipc.kauth.vnode.read_sec | |
ipc.kauth.vnode.write_sec | |
ipc.kauth.vnode.take_own | |
ipc.kauth.vnode.link | |
ipc.kauth.vnode.create | |
ipc.kauth.vnode.move | |
ipc.kauth.vnode.mount | |
ipc.kauth.vnode.denied | |
ipc.kauth.vnode.ackd_before_deadline | |
ipc.kauth.vnode.missed_deadline | |
ipc.kauth.file_op.mask | |
ipc.kauth_file_op.open | |
ipc.kauth.file_op.close | |
ipc.kauth.file_op.close_modified | |
ipc.kauth.file_op.move | |
ipc.kauth.file_op.link | |
ipc.kauth.file_op.exec | |
ipc.kauth.file_op.remove | |
ipc.kauth.file_op.unmount | |
ipc.kauth.file_op.fork | |
ipc.kauth.file_op.create |