How to Install Windows 10/11 on Apple Silicon M1 Macs | The Complete Guide

Technology

Introduction: Windows on M1 Macs – Challenges and Solutions

Apple’s transition to their custom Silicon processors has marked a revolutionary shift in the computing landscape. The M1 chips deliver exceptional performance and battery efficiency, but they’ve also created significant challenges for users who rely on Windows functionality alongside macOS. With the arrival of Apple Silicon, traditional methods of running Windows on Mac computers—such as Boot Camp—are no longer available for M1 users.

This comprehensive guide explores various methods to run Windows 10 and Windows 11 on Apple Silicon M1 Macs, focusing on both ARM and x86 versions. We’ll cover virtualization vs. emulation approaches, necessary tools, and step-by-step instructions to help power users maintain their cross-platform workflows despite the architecture transition.

A simple macOS VM in QEMU, accelerated by KVM
A simple macOS VM in QEMU, accelerated by KVM – Not difficult like How to Install Windows 10/11 on Apple Silicon M1 Macs

Understanding the Challenge: Why Running Windows on M1 Macs is Different

The End of Boot Camp for M1 Macs

For years, Mac users could rely on Apple’s Boot Camp to install Windows alongside macOS, allowing them to choose their operating system at startup. This solution provided native performance for Windows applications since they ran directly on the Mac’s Intel hardware. However, with Apple’s transition to ARM-based Apple Silicon chips, Boot Camp support has been discontinued for these new machines.

Virtualization vs. Emulation: Key Differences

When working with different CPU architectures, it’s crucial to understand the distinction between virtualization and emulation:

  • Virtualization: Allows the guest operating system direct access to hardware components (CPU, GPU, memory), resulting in near-native performance. For optimal virtualization, the host and guest systems must share the same CPU architecture.
  • Emulation: Creates software-based replicas of hardware components, enabling an operating system designed for one architecture to run on another. While more flexible, emulation typically results in significantly lower performance.

For M1 Macs, this means:

  • Windows ARM editions can be virtualized (better performance)
  • Windows x86 editions must be emulated (lower performance)
How to Install Windows 10/11 on Apple Silicon M1 Macs | The Complete Guide
How to Install Windows 10/11 on Apple Silicon M1 Macs | The Complete Guide

Available Options for Running Windows on M1 Macs

Commercial Solutions: Parallels Desktop

Parallels Desktop for Mac was one of the first commercial solutions rebuilt specifically for Apple Silicon. It offers optimized performance for running Windows ARM editions on M1 Macs and provides a seamless integration experience between macOS and Windows environments. However, this convenience comes with a subscription cost.

Free and Open Source Alternatives: UTM and QEMU

For users seeking free alternatives, UTM (based on QEMU) provides a compelling option. UTM delivers a macOS-native interface for the powerful QEMU virtualization backend, making it accessible to users without extensive technical knowledge. In this guide, we’ll focus primarily on this open-source approach.

Installing Windows 11 ARM on M1 Macs Using UTM

Step 1: Obtaining Windows 11 ARM

Microsoft offers Windows 11 ARM through their Insider Preview program. To download the necessary files:

  1. Visit the official Microsoft Windows Insider Preview download page for ARM64: https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/software-download/windowsinsiderpreviewARM64
  2. Sign in with your Microsoft account (create one if necessary)
  3. Download the Windows 11 ARM VHDX image

The downloaded file will be in VHDX format, designed for Microsoft’s Hyper-V virtualization system. We’ll need to convert this to a format compatible with UTM/QEMU.

Step 2: Installing Required Tools

Installing UTM

UTM provides a user-friendly interface for QEMU virtualization on macOS. To install:

  1. Download UTM from the official website: https://mac.getutm.app/
  2. Install the application by dragging it to your Applications folder
  3. Download SPICE Guest Tools and QEMU Drivers for Windows from https://mac.getutm.app/support/ (save for later use)

Installing Homebrew and QEMU

To convert the Windows image format, we’ll need QEMU command-line tools. The easiest way to install these on macOS is via Homebrew:

  1. Open Terminal
  2. Install Homebrew by pasting the following command: Copy/bin/bash -c "$(curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/Homebrew/install/HEAD/install.sh)"
  3. Once Homebrew is installed, install QEMU: Copybrew install qemu

Step 3: Converting the Windows 11 ARM Image

With QEMU installed, we can now convert the VHDX file to a compatible format for UTM:

  1. Open Terminal
  2. Run the following command (modify paths to match your file locations): Copyqemu-img convert -p -O qcow2 /Users/YourName/Downloads/Windows11_InsiderPreview_Client_ARM64_en-us_22483.VHDX /Users/YourName/Downloads/Windows11_ARM.qcow2

This command converts the Microsoft Hyper-V format (VHDX) to QEMU’s native format (QCOW2), which is compatible with UTM.

Step 4: Creating a Virtual Machine in UTM

Now we’ll create a virtual machine optimized for Windows 11 ARM:

  1. Open UTM
  2. Click “Create a New Virtual Machine”
  3. Select “Virtualize” (as we’ll be running ARM Windows on ARM macOS)
  4. Configure the system with these settings:
    • Architecture: ARM64 (aarch64)
    • System: QEMU 6.1 ARM Virtual Machine (virt-6.1)
    • Memory: 8192MB (or 4096MB for Macs with less RAM)
  5. In Advanced Settings:
    • CPU: Default
    • CPU Cores: 8 (or fewer based on your Mac model)
    • Enable “Force Multicore”
  6. Under Drives:
    • Select “Import Drive” with NVMe interface
    • Browse to and select your converted Windows11_ARM.qcow2 file
    • Create a new Removable Drive with USB interface (for tools installation later)
  7. Save your configuration

Step 5: Installing Windows 11 ARM

  1. Start the newly created virtual machine
  2. Complete the Windows 11 installation process
    • Follow the on-screen instructions
    • Create or sign in with a Microsoft account
    • Configure your preferences
    • Wait for installation to complete

Step 6: Installing SPICE Guest Tools

To optimize the virtual machine’s performance and enable better integration:

  1. In UTM, click on the CD/DVD drive icon
  2. Browse to and select the SPICE Guest Tools ISO (spice-guest-tools-0.164.2.iso)
  3. In Windows, open File Explorer and navigate to the virtual CD drive
  4. Run spice-guest-tools-0.164.exe
  5. Follow the installation wizard
  6. Restart the virtual machine when prompted

After installing the guest tools, you should have improved graphics resolution, better mouse integration, and network connectivity within your Windows 11 ARM virtual machine.

Emulating Windows 10/11 x86 on M1 Macs

While virtualized ARM Windows provides the best performance, some users may require x86 Windows for specific software compatibility. UTM can also emulate x86 architecture, though with reduced performance.

Step 1: Obtaining Windows x86 Images

You have several options:

  • Download Windows 10/11 ISO from Microsoft’s website
  • Use pre-configured UTM templates from https://mac.getutm.app/gallery/
  • Use older Windows versions (like Windows 7 or XP) for better emulation performance

Step 2: Creating an x86 Virtual Machine in UTM

  1. Open UTM
  2. Click “Create a New Virtual Machine”
  3. Select “Emulate” (as we’ll be running x86 Windows on ARM macOS)
  4. Configure the system with these settings:
    • Architecture: x86_64
    • System: Standard PC (Q35 + ICH9, 2009) pc-q35-6.1
    • Memory: 8192MB (or 4096MB for Macs with less RAM)
  5. In Advanced Settings:
    • CPU: Intel Core i7 9xx (Nehalem Class Core i7) (Nehalem-v1)
    • CPU Cores: 4
    • Enable “Force Multicore”
  6. Under Drives:
    • Select “Import Drive” with IDE interface
    • Browse to and select your Windows x86 ISO
    • Create a new Removable Drive with IDE interface (for tools installation later)
  7. Save your configuration

Step 3: Installing Windows x86

  1. Start the virtual machine
  2. Complete the Windows installation process
    • Note: The installation process will be significantly slower than ARM virtualization
    • If the VM becomes unresponsive, you may need to power it off and restart it

Step 4: Installing SPICE Guest Tools

  1. In UTM, eject the Windows installer ISO
  2. Add the SPICE Guest Tools ISO to the CD/DVD drive
  3. In Windows, run spice-guest-tools-0.164.exe
  4. Follow the installation wizard
  5. Restart when prompted

Performance Expectations and Optimization Tips

ARM Windows vs. x86 Windows Performance

When running Windows on an M1 Mac, you’ll observe significant performance differences between the two approaches:

  • Windows 11 ARM (Virtualized):
    • Near-native performance for ARM-compatible applications
    • Good performance for x86 applications via Microsoft’s built-in emulation
    • Suitable for daily productivity tasks, light gaming, and development
  • Windows 10/11 x86 (Emulated):
    • Significantly lower performance due to architecture emulation
    • Suitable for basic tasks and older applications
    • Not recommended for resource-intensive software or modern games

Optimization Tips

To maximize performance of your Windows virtual machines:

  1. Allocate sufficient resources: Provide at least 4GB RAM for ARM Windows and 8GB for x86 Windows if your Mac has enough memory
  2. Limit background processes: Close unnecessary applications in both macOS and Windows
  3. Use ARM-native applications: When possible, install ARM64 versions of Windows applications
  4. Consider older Windows versions for x86 emulation: Windows 7 or XP will perform better than Windows 10/11 when emulated
  5. Install all guest tools: SPICE Guest Tools improve graphics performance and system integration
  6. Adjust display settings: Lower resolution and visual effects in Windows can improve responsiveness
  7. Regular updates: Keep UTM, QEMU, and Windows updated for performance improvements and bug fixes

Limitations and Considerations

Software Compatibility

  • Some applications may not run correctly in virtualized or emulated environments
  • Hardware-dependent software (like certain antivirus programs) might not function properly
  • Software requiring specific hardware features (like certain DRM systems) may not work

Gaming Performance

  • ARM Windows: Suitable for casual and older games
  • x86 Windows: Only practical for very old or simple games due to emulation overhead
  • Neither approach is suitable for modern, demanding games

Windows Licensing

The Windows Insider Preview builds used in this guide are for testing purposes. For long-term use, consider:

  • Microsoft’s licensing terms for ARM Windows are still evolving
  • You may need to purchase a Windows license for continued use
  • Some features may be limited in preview versions

Alternative Approaches

Cloud-Based Windows Solutions

For users who find local virtualization or emulation insufficient, consider cloud-based Windows alternatives:

  • Windows 365
  • Shadow PC
  • Amazon WorkSpaces
  • Various Remote Desktop solutions

These services run Windows in the cloud and stream the interface to your device, providing full Windows performance regardless of your local hardware.

Parallels Desktop and Other Commercial Solutions

While this guide focuses on free, open-source options, commercial solutions offer advantages:

  • Parallels Desktop: Optimized specifically for M1 Macs with frequent updates
  • VMware Fusion: Working on M1 compatibility (as of October 2021)
  • CrossOver: Uses Wine technology to run Windows applications without Windows

Conclusion: The Future of Windows on Apple Silicon

Apple’s transition to custom silicon represents both a challenge and an opportunity for cross-platform users. While the traditional Boot Camp approach is no longer available, virtualization and emulation technologies continue to evolve rapidly, offering increasingly viable alternatives.

The methods outlined in this guide provide workable solutions for running Windows on M1 Macs in late 2021, but this landscape will likely improve significantly as:

  1. Microsoft continues developing and optimizing Windows for ARM
  2. Virtualization tools like UTM, QEMU, Parallels, and VMware refine their Apple Silicon support
  3. More Windows applications offer native ARM versions

For most users, virtualized Windows 11 ARM provides the best balance of performance and compatibility on M1 Macs today. For specific legacy application needs, emulated x86 Windows remains an option, albeit with performance limitations.

By understanding the distinctions between virtualization and emulation and following the detailed steps in this guide, you can maintain access to essential Windows software while enjoying the remarkable performance benefits of Apple’s M1 processors.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I run all Windows applications on an M1 Mac?

Windows 11 ARM includes built-in emulation for x86 applications, allowing many traditional Windows programs to run. However, some applications—particularly those with low-level hardware dependencies or specialized drivers—may not function correctly.

Is Windows performance on M1 comparable to Intel Macs?

For ARM-native applications running on virtualized Windows 11 ARM, performance can be excellent—sometimes exceeding that of Intel Macs. However, emulated x86 applications will generally perform worse than they would on Intel-based Macs running Windows via Boot Camp.

Do I need to pay for Windows when using these methods?

The Windows 11 ARM Insider Preview is currently available without purchase, but for long-term or production use, you should consider Microsoft’s licensing requirements. You may need to purchase a Windows license for continued use beyond the preview period.

Can I use external devices with Windows on my M1 Mac?

Basic USB devices typically work when passed through to the virtual machine. However, devices requiring specialized drivers may not function correctly, especially in the emulated x86 environment.

Which method should I choose: ARM virtualization or x86 emulation?

For most users, virtualized Windows 11 ARM will provide a significantly better experience due to the performance advantages of virtualization over emulation. Only choose x86 emulation if you have specific applications that won’t run on Windows ARM and cannot be replaced with alternatives.

Will Microsoft officially support Windows on M1 Macs?

Microsoft has not announced plans to officially support Windows on Apple Silicon Macs as they did with Intel Macs through Boot Camp. The current solutions rely on third-party virtualization technology rather than official Microsoft support.