Mac users have a couple of options when it comes to
installing and running Windows on Mac.
One can install Windows 8.1 on Mac with the help of Boot Camp software,
use virtualization software like VirtualBox to install Windows 8.1
inside Mac, or manually create a new partition and then install Windows
8.1 without the help of Boot Camp.
In
one of our previous articles, we discussed about installing Windows 8.1
on Mac with the help of Apple’s Boot Camp software. In this guide,
we’re going to show you how to
install Windows 8.1 on Mac without Boot Camp
software. This method involves creating a new partition for Windows,
preparing a bootable Windows 8.1 USB, and of course, installing Windows
8.1 on your Mac.
Complete the given below instructions to successfully install Windows 8.1 on your Mac without Boot Camp software.
Step 1: Turn on your Mac machine and boot into Mac OS X. Open Launchpad, click Other, and then click
Disk Utility to open the same.
Step 2: Once Disk Utility is launched, select the drive (your SSD or HDD) in the left-side, and then switch to the
Partition tab.
Step 3: Next, click on the small “+” sign to create a new partition.
Step 4:
Select the newly created partition, enter a name for your new partition
(remember the name as you can easily select the newly created partition
later while installing Windows), select the size (at least 20 GB), and
then select the format as DOS (FAT) or ExFAT. You can select either DOS
or ExFat here, as you can format the partition with NTFS while
installing Windows.
Click
Apply button to create a new partition to install Windows. Click on the
Partition button when you see the warning message. Once the new partition is ready, close Disk Utility.
Step 5: Next, you need to prepare bootable Windows 8.1 installation media. We advise you follow our
how to create bootable Windows 8.1 USB on Mac
guide to quickly create the bootable installation media and also
download important support software from Apple. And if you already have
the bootable media, you can proceed to the next step.
Step 6: Once you have the bootable media, restart your Mac, hold down the
Alt (Option) key while restarting the Mac, choose the option titled
Windows (don’t select EFI unless you are very sure) to begin installing Windows on your Mac.
Step 7:
Follow the simple on-screen instructions, and when you see the
partition selection screen, select the newly created partition (be sure
to select the right partition), click
Format to format the partition with NTFS, select the formatted partition, and then click
Install button to continue installing Windows on your Mac.
Note
that during the installation, your system will be rebooted a couple of
times. Every time your system reboots, hold down the Alt (Option) key,
and then select Windows to continue the installation.
Step 8: From here on, you need to follow the normal Windows 8.1 installation procedure.
Step 9: Once Windows is installed on your Mac,
Boot Camp
setup will automatically launch. Click Next button, accept license
agreement, and then click Next button again to begin installing support
drivers. Once done, you’ll be asked to reboot your system to complete
the installation. That’s it! Enjoy Windows 8.1 on your Mac.
If you plan to use Windows as your default operating system, we suggest you
set Windows as default OS in boot selection screen to avoid pressing the Alt key every time you turn on your Mac. How to
quickly reboot into Mac from Windows guide might also interest you.
sorces http://www.intowindows.com/how-to-install-windows-8-1-on-mac-without-boot-camp/