Both the desktops can stay in sync as well, which means the active Windows programs will appear on the macOS dock. With the “Coherence” mode, you can access Windows apps as if they’re installed on macOS itself and effortlessly drag and drop files across them and Mac apps - minus the constant back and forth between the VM and macOS. Windows 11 on a Mac (Image credit: Future) So if you own an entry-level Mac with only 8GB of RAM like me, you can utilize this to ensure running two operating systems doesn’t grind your machine to a halt. The most important tool is the ability to configure how much memory and CPU bandwidth is allocated to the virtual machine. On top of that, it offers a host of handy tools so that you can adjust the experience depending on your demands. Parallels automatically shares your macOS profile’s data with the VM, such as Wi-Fi and printer settings. Once you’re inside the Windows 11 virtual machine, there’s little for you to set up. Once you download Parallels on your Mac, its installation assistant will grab and load up the Windows 11 ISO file for you, and the M1 chip’s performance chops wrap up that process in about 30 minutes. Installing Windows on Parallels is no longer a multi-step process either. It supports all the new Windows 11 bells and whistles, except for Android games since Parallels can’t replicate the “hardware acceleration” option just yet. Plus, it can wake up from sleep in an instant in the same state you left it, including all the open apps. Click I accept to complete the process.Windows 11 on a Mac (Image credit: Parallels)Įverything from Windows 11’s refreshed animations to resource-intensive multitasking worked as Microsoft intended it to. Upon clicking it, you'll be presented with the Microsoft EULA. Once the installation process is over, you'll get the Installation Complete prompt. Windows will be downloaded and installed automatically. To install Windows 11, run Parallels Desktop, then click on the Parallels icon in the Mac menu bar > Control Center > + > Get Windows 11 from Microsoft > Continue > Install Windows. For more information on Windows 11 compatibility issues, check out KB 128796. Therefore, if an application does not run in Windows 11, it is either likely due to some misconfiguration, or the issue could be due to an application not being compatible with ARM architecture. However, Windows 11 should be fully compatible with all applications that Windows 10 is compatible with. And as a result, Windows 10 is no longer supported in Parallels Desktop on Mac computers with Apple M Chips.

Note: Microsoft no longer provides support for Windows 10 ARM. For installing a macOS virtual machine, see KB 125561.For installing a Linux virtual machine, see KB 128445.To install a new virtual machine on a Mac with Apple M chip, you need to use an ARM-based installation image with a supported operating system.

Mac m1 parallels