Follow these steps to install Linux on a Mac using Parallels Desktop. Download a Linux distribution file and save it to your Downloads folder. The file will have an “.iso” extension. Click here if you want to download Ubuntu. Open Parallels Desktop and choose File > New. Choose Install Windows or another OS from a DVD or image file. Click Continue. Parallels automatically finds all the compatible ISO files on your system. This tutorial is for anyone with an Intel based Mac who is curious about Linux – specifically Ubuntu, and has about an hour to kill (not including the time it takes to download Ubuntu). The steps and screenshots used for this tutorial are specific to Parallels Build 1848 running on a.

Why Use Parallels Instead of Boot Camp or VirtualBox? Ipad mac emulator for windows. RELATED: Sure, you could, but that means restarting your computer every time you need to use Windows. Parallels runs Windows within macOS, using what’s called a Virtual Machine. This allows you to quickly switch between the Mac and Windows desktops. You can even combine the two desktops, if you want, and run Windows software right on your Mac desktop from your Mac’s dock. Virtual machines are complicated, but Parallels makes it reasonably simple to set one up and use it.

My passport for mac 1tb how to use. FAT32 will let you directly plug the drive into both windows and mac.

There are other virtual machine options available to Mac users, including the open source, but Parallels is different in that it’s designed exclusively with Mac users in mind. Parallels costs more (since VirtualBox is free and Parallels is not), but there are hundreds of little design touches that help make running Windows within macOS as painless as possible, and that make setting everything up quick and easy. It’s well worth the cost. How Much Does Parallels Cost? Browsing the Parallels website, it can be a little tricky to find out what the product actually costs.

So here’s a quick breakdown: • Purchasing the latest home version of costs $80 as of this writing. This lets you run Parallels on a single Mac. • Upgrading from one version of Parallels to another generally costs $50, and will probably be necessary every couple of years if you keep installing the latest versions of macOS. • A $70 annual subscription gives you access to all updates “for free,” according to the Parallels website. RELATED: If you just want to try out Parallels and see if it works for you, you can: there’s a 14 day trial of the software, which you can access without providing a credit card number. There’s also, which is free on the Mac App Store and lets you create both Linux and macOS virtual machines.

Parallels Desktop Lite can only run Windows virtual machines if you pay for a subscription, however. One more note: purchasing Parallels does not give you a Windows license, or a Windows product key. If you have a Windows installation CD or USB key handy with a valid license you can use that, otherwise you will need to purchase Windows 10 from Microsoft to create a Windows 10 virtual machine. RELATED: We’ll point out that —Microsoft basically gave up enforcing their license requirements with Windows 10, and you can (you’ll probably want it in the form of ). Legally speaking, however, you still need a product key to use Windows, even in a virtual machine. How to Install Windows in Parallels Got everything you need?

The new virtual machine wizard, which launches the first time you open Parallels, makes the process simple. Assuming you already have a Windows CD or ISO, click the “Install Windows or another OS from a DVD or image file” button. The ISO or DVD should be found automatically; otherwise, click the “Locate Manually” button. Then click “Continue.” You’ll be asked whether you want an Express installation, which automates the installation process so that you don’t need to enter the product key or click “Next” during the installation process. Choose this option if you want, otherwise plan on babysitting the installation a little bit. Next you’ll be asked what you plan on using this virtual machine for: work-related software or gaming.

If you select Games only, the virtual machine will be set to use a lot more resources, so only click that if you intend to do serious gaming in the virtual machine (which is probably not a great idea). Also make sure your Mac even has enough resources to dedicate—if you spread your computer’s resources too thin, your virtual machine will be very slow. You can change these settings later, but I recommend going with “Productivity” in almost all cases.

Finally, you’ll be asked for a few details: what the machine should be named, where it should be located, and whether you want a shortcut to the machine on your desktop. You can also configure the settings before installation—don’t worry, you can tweak any of those later if you’d rather not dive in right now.

Click “Continue.” The Windows installer will run. If you selected the Express installation, you won’t need to do anything: just watch as Windows installs. If not, you’ll have to click “Next” a bunch of times and enter your product key, as is normal for installing Windows. The installation process can take a while, if mechanical hard drives or a DVD is involved. If everything is running off an SSD, however, you’ll be up and running in a few minutes. Eventually you’ll see the Windows desktop! We’re almost done. How to Seamlessly Integrate Your Virtual Machine Into macOS That’s all well and good, and you can start using Windows now—but if you really want to get the best of what Parallels has to offer, you have a few more steps ahead of you.