VMware Fusion is a virtualization program that lets you run Windows on Mac. You might already be familiar with other similar products such as Boot Camp and Parallels, but VMware is a lot more popular.
Boot Camp lets you run either Mac OS or Windows at any given time. You have to reboot just to switch from one to the other. On the other hand, VMware Fusion runs a virtual computer while you’re logged onto Mac OS. This allows you to run Windows-only programs and Mac-only programs at the same time. For example, you can use Microsoft Outlook while running Apple iPhoto.
Parallels is very much like VMware Fusion. They both create a virtual computer inside the Mac that runs a guest operating system, like Windows. More importantly, they both let you run Windows and Mac programs side by side. The difference is in performance. Parallels is known to be a huge resource hog which considerably slows down your Mac during certain processes, like when the guest operating system is booting up, or when running a major application in the guest operating system. VMware Fusion doesn’t place such a burden on your Mac and generally runs more smoothly.
Getting the Things You Need
To install Windows on Mac, the first thing you have to do is purchase and install your copy of VMware Fusion. It’s available from vmware and the latest version is VMware Fusion 4. A 30-day free trial is also available so if you want to test it out first.
You also need a copy of Windows. This guide will assume that you’re installing Windows 7. You can purchase a Windows 7 DVD from a computer store, or you can purchase and download a copy from microsoft.com.
Installing Windows on Mac with VMware Fusion
1. The first step is to run VMware Fusion and create a new virtual machine. You can do this by clicking on the “Create New” icon.
2. The New Virtual Machine Assistant will pop up and will ask you to insert the installation CD. If you bought a Windows 7 DVD, insert it now if you haven’t done so, and click on “Continue” once the button lights up and proceed to step 4. If you downloaded a copy of Windows 7, click on the button labeled “Continue without disk” and proceed to step 3.
3. Steps 3.1 to 3.4 are only necessary if you downloaded your copy of Windows 7.
3.1. You should now be in the “Installation Media” section. Click on the button that says, “Choose a disc or disc image”.
3.2. A dialog box will pop up. All you have to do now is “Choose” the copy of Windows 7 that you downloaded. It should be an ISO file.
3.3. Click on Continue.
3.4. In the “Choose Operating System” section, make sure that the Version field says “Windows 7” if you downloaded the standard 32-bit version, or “Windows 7 x64 Edition” if you got the 64-bit version.
4. On the “Windows Easy Install” section, you can use “Easy Install” by completely filling out the fields and clicking on “Continue”.
5. Review your settings and click on “Finish”. The default values should suffice most users.
6. A dialog will pop up asking you where to save the new virtual machine. Click on “Save”.
Windows 7 will install automatically. The whole process may take anywhere from 20 minutes to 1 hour.
The next time you run VMware Fusion, you’ll find a list of all your virtual machines on the left part of the screen. Right now, you should have only one. On the lower middle part of the window, you’ll see a button labeled “Start Up”. Just click on this icon to start using Windows on Mac.
Tags: install windows on mac