How to Install macOS on Windows 11/10/8/7: Step-by-Step Guide
You may ask, “Is it possible to run macOS on a Windows device?” the answer is Yes. You may want to use the macOS features, but you cannot afford a MacBook. In this case, you can run macOS on Windows devices by using virtual machines (VMs).
In this article, we illustrate how to install macOS on Windows 11/10/8/7. Read the following content to learn more about this topic.
VirtualBox
To Install mac OS on a Windows device, you need a virtual machine. The most preferred software for this work is VirtualBox by Oracle. VirtualBox is a virtualization application that helps you to install and run various operating systems (OS) on a single device and easily switch between them. VirtualBox works on AMD or Intel processors.
What are the Minimum System Requirements?
Before you install macOS on your Windows device, make sure that you have the following requirements.
- 64-Bit PC or laptop.
- 4 GB RAM.
- Dual-core processor.
The Steps for Installing macOS on the Windows device
Before installing mac OS on your Windows device, you need to download VirtualBox and its extension pack. To do so, walk through the steps below:
- Download VirtualBox.
- Install the app on your device.
- When you installed VirtualBox, download VirtualBox Extension Pack.
- Once the Extension Pack is downloaded, click on it.
- On the opened prompt, click on Install, and then I Agree.
- Now, the extension pack is installed in VirtualBox.
- In this step, download the macOS Big Sur ISO file.
- Open Oracle VM VirtualBox.
- Hit the New button.
- Type macOS Big Sur in the box of the name section.
- Hit the Expert Mode button.
- For the next step, name your operating system as macOS Big Sur.
- Under the Memory size section, put the slider on 8GB. But if your PC does not allow it, put it on 50% of physical RAM at least.
- Checkmark the Create a virtual hard disk now option under the Hard disk section.
- Then, hit the Create button.
- Under the File size section, move the slider to set the virtual hard disk’s size according to your preference. This size amount depends on how much storage you have available on your device. It is recommended that it is better to allocate 60GB for the virtual machine.
- Select the VMDK (Virtual Machine Disk) option under the Hard disk file type section.
- Hit the Create button.
- Once you are done with the above steps, hit the Settings button.
- From the left side menu, go to the System section.
- Click on the Processor tab.
- To set the processor allocation, use the slider of the Processor(s) option. It is recommended to allocate half of your processor’s core count.
- Hit the OK button.
- Now, go to the Storage section from the left-side menu.
- Select the Empty option under the Storage Devices section.
- Select the Optical disk icon on the right side of the pane.
- Choose the Create a Virtual Optical Disk option from the drop-down menu.
- Then, hit the OK button.
- Hit the Add button to browse the macOS ISO file that you have already downloaded.
- Choose the ISO file from File Explorer. Then, hit the Open button.
- Select Choose. Then, hit the OK button.
- Close VirtualBox.
- Type cmd on the Windows search box.
- From the right side, click on Run as administrator.
- Once the Command Prompt window popped up, copy and paste the following commands:
cd “C:\Program Files\Oracle\VirtualBox\”
VBoxManage.exe modifyvm “Type Your Virtual Machine Name Here” –cpuidset 00000001 000106e5 00100800 0098e3fd bfebfbff
VBoxManage setextradata “Type Your Virtual Machine Name Here” “VBoxInternal/Devices/efi/0/Config/DmiSystemProduct” “iMac11,3”
VBoxManage setextradata “Type Your Virtual Machine Name Here” “VBoxInternal/Devices/efi/0/Config/DmiSystemVersion” “1.0”
VBoxManage setextradata “Type Your Virtual Machine Name Here” “VBoxInternal/Devices/efi/0/Config/DmiBoardProduct” “Iloveapple”
VBoxManage setextradata “Type Your Virtual Machine Name Here” “VBoxInternal/Devices/smc/0/Config/DeviceKey” “ourhardworkbythesewordsguardedpleasedontsteal(c)AppleComputerInc”
VBoxManage setextradata “Type Your Virtual Machine Name Here” “VBoxInternal/Devices/smc/0/Config/GetKeyFromRealSMC” 1
36. Now, open VirtualBox one more time.
37. Hit the Start button.
38. On the opened Window, choose your language.
39. Click on the right arrow at the button right corner of the page.
40. Choose the Disk Utility option.
41. Hit the Continue option.
42. Choose the VBOX HARDDISK Media from the left side pane.
43. Then, click on the Erase button.
44. For the next step, name your hard disk macOS Big Sur and hit the Erase button.
45. Once the process of erasing has finished, hit the Done button.
46. Select the Disk Utility from the menu and choose the Quit Utility option.
47. Now, choose the Install macOS Big Sur option.
48. Hit the Continue button.
49. On the pop-up screen, hit the Continue button.
50. Once the License Agreement page appeared, hit the Agree button.
51. On the pop-up window, hit the Agree button one more time.
52. Choose the hard disk. Then, hit the Continue button.
53. Now, macOS is installed on your device.
54. Once it is installed on your device, choose your country or region.
55. Hit the Continue button.
56. Hit the Continue button again. The Continue word will change depending on the language of what country you have chosen.
57. The next page will be the Accessibility page. Hit the Not Now button.
58. Hit the Continue button on the Data & Privacy page.
59. Skip the Migration Assistant window by clicking on the Not Now button.
60. Now, it is going to ask you to log in through your Apple ID. Hit the Set Up Later button and then the Skip button.
61. On the Terms and Conditions window, hit the Agree button.
62. Hit the Agree button on the pop-up window.
63. Now, you need to create an account by filling out some information such as your account name, full name, and password.
64. Once you have done creating an account, hit the Continue button.
65. Now, the Express setup window pops up, hit the Continue button.
66. Click on the Continue button in the Analytics and Screen Time windows.
67. Hit the Continue button on the Siri page.
68. Choose your desired appearance from light, dark, and auto options. Then, hit the Continue button.
69. Now, on the Keyboard Setup Assistant window, hit Continue.
70. Finally, you have installed macOS on your Windows device.
Can I Install macOS on Windows Devices?
The Apple company does not allow users to install macOS on a Windows PC, but some virtual tools assist you to do so. The process of installing macOS on a Windows device is called Hackintosh.
Does macOS need a license?
You will need a license if you are still using an operating system (OS) on your device and you have decided to update your operating system.
The Bottom Line
In this article, we described how you Can install macOS on Windows devices. We hope you were able to easily follow the steps above. Do you know any other methods to install macOS on a Windows device? Share your ideas with us.