Boot Camp: System requirements for Microsoft Windows operating systems Learn about the general requirements needed to install Microsoft Windows using Boot Camp. Review the tables in this article to determine which Windows versions are supported with your computer.
Requirements for all Windows installations ▪ An administrator account in OS X to configure Boot Camp Assistant ▪ Internet access ▪ USB keyboard and mouse, or a built-in keyboard and trackpad. You should use the keyboard and mouse that shipped with your Mac or a built-in trackpad. ▪ 8 GB USB storage device, or external drive formatted as MS-DOS (FAT) to install the downloaded drivers
Note: To learn how to obtain and build the Apple Boot Camp Drivers installation media needed to install Windows for Apple hardware, see this article. To format an external drive as MS-DOS (FAT), you can use Disk Utility in OS X.
▪ Recommend minimum of 2 GB of RAM, 20 GB of free space on the disk that you are installing Windows on for the first time, or 40 GB if you are upgrading from a previous Windows version ▪ Authentic Microsoft Windows full install disc or ISO file ▪ Install all available firmware updates for your computer using Software Update before using Boot Camp Assistant Supported versions of Windows (Authentic, single, full- installation)
▪ Windows XP: Home Edition or Professional with Service Pack 2 or Service Pack 3 (Boot Camp 3 from the DVD) ▪ Windows Vista: Home Basic, Home Premium, Business, or Ultimate, Service Pack 1 or later (Boot Camp 3 from the DVD) ▪ Windows 7: Home Premium, Professional, or Ultimate (Boot Camp 4 or 5) ▪ Windows 8: Windows 8 or 8.1, Windows 8 or 8.1 Pro (Boot Camp 5 only) Note: See the tables below to determine which versions of Windows are supported on your Mac model.
Microsoft Windows system requirements
▪ Windows XP requirements ▪ Windows Vista requirements ▪ Windows 7 requirements ▪ Windows 8 requirements Boot Camp requirements by Mac model Select your type of Mac computer from the list below to learn which version of Boot Camp and Windows are supported by your Mac. If you don't know which Mac model you have, follow the steps at the end of this article.
Notes
▪ A "4" or "5" in the chart below indicates the version of Boot Camp that is supported on your Mac. The version of Boot Camp also determines which version of Windows works with your Mac. ▪ Click the 4 or 5 to open the download article for the latest version of Boot Camp Support Software (Windows drivers) related to the Mac model, Windows version and Boot Camp version in the chart. ▪ For older configurations, "DVD" indicates that the drivers are located on the Mac OS X installation DVD that came with your computer. Collapse All | Expand All
MacBook Pro
MacBook Air
MacBook iMac
Mac mini
Mac Pro How to find which Mac model you have If you don't know which Mac you have, use the following steps to find out:
1. From the Apple () menu, choose About This Mac. 2. Click More Info. You will see the Mac model listed in the top- right portion of the window. 3.