Can I install Microsoft Windows 10 on MacBook Air M1 chip with Bootcamp

I need to install windows on my new MacBook Air with M1 chip for my stream of products based on Windows

MacBook Air 13″, macOS 11.0

Posted on Jan 2, 2021 03:13 PM

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Posted on Jan 3, 2021 07:26 AM

Dexterguy wrote:

I m trying out the VirtualBox installation with my M1 and let me share my findings back.

See https://forums.virtualbox.org/viewtopic.php?f=8&t=98742 for reference.


Emulation and Hypervisor solutions are two very different problems. See https://developer.apple.com/documentation/apple_silicon/about_the_rosetta_translation_environment which clearly states the obvious.


If you need Windows, Microsoft would need to build Windows for ARM M1, but Apple no longer will allow an OS to boot from ARM M1. However, it will allow Virtualization, if it is ARM-on-ARM (M1 to be specific).


If you need Windows on a Mac, buy an Intel Mac.


QEMU solutions will be very slow.

10 replies
Question marked as Top-ranking reply

Jan 3, 2021 07:26 AM in response to Dexterguy

Dexterguy wrote:

I m trying out the VirtualBox installation with my M1 and let me share my findings back.

See https://forums.virtualbox.org/viewtopic.php?f=8&t=98742 for reference.


Emulation and Hypervisor solutions are two very different problems. See https://developer.apple.com/documentation/apple_silicon/about_the_rosetta_translation_environment which clearly states the obvious.


If you need Windows, Microsoft would need to build Windows for ARM M1, but Apple no longer will allow an OS to boot from ARM M1. However, it will allow Virtualization, if it is ARM-on-ARM (M1 to be specific).


If you need Windows on a Mac, buy an Intel Mac.


QEMU solutions will be very slow.

Jan 8, 2021 12:05 PM in response to hey_suburbia

No one has committed to X86-emulation-on-ARM-M1 yet! Parallels and Fusion do not support it yet.


For example, from VMware Fusion link...


The other big question is how M1 chips in host devices will affect guest VMs on Fusion running Windows and other x86 operating systems. Our colleagues over on the Fusion team have said “While we’re not quite ready to announce our timeline, we’re happy to say that we are committed to delivering VMware virtual machines on Apple Silicon!” So, stay tuned to the VMware Fusion Blog and Twitter account for the latest. 


Delivering VMs on M1 implies a Guest OS that runs on ARM M1 natively, not in emulation.


If anyone needs Windows now, buy an Intel Mac. I do not foresee Apple supporting Intel X86 past 2022. If Intel ARM becomes a reality, then perhaps, they can.

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Can I install Microsoft Windows 10 on MacBook Air M1 chip with Bootcamp

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