Common Paradox Tech Blog

Even though you’ll come to love OS X, you might still want access to Windows. Maybe you need programs that you just can’t get for the Mac; you may want to use PC software that you already own; or you might simply like the security blanket of flicking back to Windows.

There are two ways to run Windows on a Mac. The first is with a utility called Boot Camp, which is included with any new Mac. This installs Windows, either by splitting your Mac’s single hard disk in two, or – if you have a Mac Pro with more than one drive – by installing Windows on a second internal disk.

It’s free (apart from the cost of a Windows licence if you don’t have one, or don’t want to transfer it from your old PC). It also uses your Mac’s hardware to the full – if you’re a keen PC gamer, for example, you can reboot into Windows to get the best from your Mac’s graphics card.

The downside is that you have to shut down the Mac and reboot into Windows. Once there, you can’t run any of your Mac applications (though happily, with Mac OS X 10.6 you can at least access the files on your Mac partition). This is why we prefer virtualisation.

This second option uses a piece of inexpensive Mac software – VMware Fusion and Parallels Desktop for Mac are the best – to run Windows at the same time as your Mac. There are different ways of doing this.

You can constrain the Windows virtual computer to a window in Mac OS X; run it full screen; or choose a mode (Fusion calls it Unity, Parallels opts for Coherence) that ‘cuts the Windows windows out’ and puts them alongside your Mac ones.

Using virtualisation, you have access to files on the Mac and PC at the same time, and can drag and drop between them. You can even open a document on the Mac with an application running on your Windows virtual machine.

Best of all, you don’t have to choose between Boot Camp and virtualisation. Both Fusion and Parallels can use your Boot Camp partition as the source for their virtual machine. This way, you can boot into Windows for performance, or run it side-by-side with Mac OS X if convenience is more important.

How to configure Boot Camp

1. Launch Boot Camp Assistant (Applications > Utilities) and print the installation guide. Decide how much space to allocate to Windows. If you choose 32GB or smaller, you can format the drive as FAT, and be able to write to it from the Mac.

2. Once you’ve rebooted into the Windows installer, pick the target partition.

For XP, use C: Partition3 [FAT32]; for Vista, Disk 0 Partition 3 BOOTCAMP.

Run the installer’s tools to format the partition as NTFS or FAT.

3. You’ll now go through the process of creating a user. Don’t set a complex password, as exotic characters won’t type properly until the new ‘PC’ knows what a Mac keyboard looks like.

Reinsert your Mac OS X 10.5 or 10.6 disc for the necessary drivers.

How to use VMware Fusion

1. First, insert your Windows installer CD and wait for it to appear on your Mac desktop. When you launch Fusion, it can look at this mounted CD to work out what system you’re trying to install; it will then help you pick what settings are most appropriate.

2. You’re asked if you want to do an Easy Install. With this option, Fusion picks appropriate settings based on which operating system you’re installing. It then automates the rest of the install for you; just punch in your serial number.

3. After the new operating system in your virtual machine has loaded, you have to install VMware Tools, a suite of drivers and utilities. If you chose Easy Install, this happens automatically, otherwise pick the option from the Virtual Machine menu.

How to use Parallels Desktop for Mac

1. Parallels can detect what kind of operating system you’re trying to install, so ensure that the disc is inserted before you begin. To install from a disc image – for example if you have a Linux build on an ISO – specify it with the second radio button.

2. If you use the Easy Install option, just enter a username and Windows product key and everything is automated. In this screen, you can choose a few more options as Windows installs, including putting a shortcut icon on your Desktop – very handy.

3. If you ran Easy Install, Parallels loads the helper drivers automatically, otherwise you have to do so yourself. By default, it activates Coherence mode, which hides the Windows desktop and blends it into your Mac. It also offers antivirus software.