Boot Camp: Some computers require Microsoft Windows 7

Summary

A  32-bit or 64-bit (full version) of Windows 7 Home Premium, Windows 7 Professional, or Windows 7 Ultimate are the only versions of Windows supported on the MacBook Air (Late 2010) and later, MacBook Pro (Early 2011) and later, iMac (Mid 2011), and Mac mini (Mid 2011) computers.

To use Boot Camp with Windows 7, you need the following:

  • An optical drive (MacBook Air and some Mac mini computers require an external optical disc drive to install Windows 7).
  • A blank CD or USB storage device to contain the Windows drivers created by the Boot Camp Assistant.
  • For 32-bit versions of Windows, at least 16 GB of free space.
  • For 64-bit versions of Windows, at least 20 GB of free space.
  • Boot Camp Assistant, which is pre-installed in /Applications/Utilities/ .
  • An authentic, 32-bit or 64-bit (full version) of Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium, Professional, or Ultimate disc.

Notes:

  • Windows XP and Vista drivers are not supplied for these computers and are not supported. All OS X Lion Boot Camp installations require Windows 7.
  • A full version of Microsoft Windows means that it was not installed from an upgrade version only.

Additional Information

Be sure to install all required firmware updates for your computer.

Note: Windows 7 drivers are downloaded as part of the Boot Camp Assistant application.

Learn about other Mac computers support the use of Windows 7 with Boot Camp.

Important: Apple does not provide technical support via phone for installing, using, or recovering Microsoft Windows. Support is available for using Boot Camp Setup Assistant, as well as installing or restoring Boot Camp software while booted into Windows. Support articles and discussions may also be available on Apple's support website.

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