Emulating Windows on a Mac M1 for free can be done using a virtual machine software called UTM (Universal Turing Machine). UTM allows you to run various operating systems, including Windows, on your M1 or M2 processor-based Mac.
Here are the detailed steps to emulate Windows on Mac M1 for free using UTM:
1. Download UTM: Visit the UTM website (https://mac.getutm.app/) and download the UTM application for macOS.
2. Install UTM: Once the download is complete, open the installer package and follow the on-screen instructions to install UTM on your Mac.
3. Download a Windows ARM ISO: To run Windows on your M1 Mac, you’ll need a Windows ARM ISO file. You can download the Windows 11 ARM ISO from the Microsoft website or other trusted sources.
4. Create a new virtual machine: Launch UTM on your Mac and click on “Create a New Virtual Machine” on the UTM home screen or click the “+” icon in the toolbar.
5. Select Windows ARM: In the virtual machine creation screen, choose the option to “Virtualize” since you have an ARM version of Windows 11. This ensures that the software runs natively on your M1 or M2 processor.
6. Choose ISO file: In the next step, browse and select the Windows ARM ISO file you downloaded earlier.
7. Configure virtual machine settings: Set the virtual machine name, choose the desired amount of RAM and CPU cores to allocate for Windows. Adjust other settings like disk size, network adapters, etc., as per your requirements.
8. Start the virtual machine: Once you have configured the virtual machine settings, click on the “Start” button to begin the Windows installation process.
9. Install Windows: Follow the on-screen instructions to install Windows on the virtual machine. The installation process will be similar to installing Windows on a physical PC.
10. Customize Windows settings: Once the installation is complete, you can customize the Windows settings, install necessary drivers, and set up your user account.
11. Install additional software: Install any additional software or applications you require within the Windows virtual machine.
12. Enjoy Windows on Mac M1: You can now use Windows applications and perform Windows-specific tasks within the virtual machine on your Mac M1.
It’s worth noting that running Windows on a virtual machine may have performance limitations compared to running it directly on native hardware. However, with the powerful M1 or M2 processors, the performance impact is minimized, and you can still have a smooth Windows experience.
Using UTM, you can also emulate other operating systems like Linux or older versions of Windows on your Mac M1 for free. It provides a versatile platform for running various operating systems side by side on your Mac.
I personally have used UTM to emulate Windows on my M1 Mac, and it has worked well for running Windows applications that are not available natively on macOS. It provides a convenient solution for those who require Windows functionality on their Mac without the need for separate hardware or dual-booting.
UTM is a reliable and free option for emulating Windows on Mac M1, allowing you to enjoy the best of both worlds on your Apple device.