Installing Windows OS on a Mac

WWT only runs on a Windows Operating System. You can still run WWT on a Mac computer, but you'll have to somehow get Windows to run on your machine. There are a couple of ways to do this. You can Bootcamp your Mac or get a virtual computer program like VMWare Fusion or Parallels. On this page, we'll give you some instructions, tips, tricks, and advice for these methods.

Before you do anything, PLEASE BACKUP YOUR COMPUTER.  We've never run into a problem with this process, but we'd hate to have something happen to your data.

Which Method Should You Use?

Bootcamp vs. Fusion/Parallels

Bootcamp

Bootcamp (included with your Mac), creates a separate partition on your computer for Windows.  After this partition is created, when you start your computer, hold down the option key to bring up a menu to start up Mac or Windows.  (You can set the default to be Mac, so you only have to use the option key menu when you want to start up in Windows.)

Pros:

    • In our experience, WWT runs with fewer problems in Bootcamp.
    • It's free.

Cons:

    • Having to shut down all your programs every time you need to use Windows/WWT can be a barrier to actually using WWT, but it shouldn't be a big problem for infrequent users.
    • It's more labor intensive to install Windows using Bootcamp than Fusion/Parallels.

Fusion/Parallels

Fusion (available at http://www.vmware.com/products/fusion/) is a program that lets you open a virtual Windows machine that runs inside Mac OS X. You can download Parallels, a similar program, at http://www.parallels.com/products/desktop/.

Pros:

    • It's nice to be able to use Windows without shutting down all your programs and restarting your computer.
    • Easy installation.

Cons:

    • The latest version of Fusion (4) is only supported by OS X 10.6.7 (Snow Leopard) or later; OS X Lion recommended.  If you are running Leopard, you will not be able to install Fusion.
    • Some Fusion users have had minor problems with WWT (some views don't render well), but we haven't heard of problems that couldn't be lived with.
    • You have to pay for Fusion/Parallels.  (Fusion is ~$50 with the academic discount.)
    • Fusion creates a giant file that can cause problems when backing up your Mac, but it's easy to work around this if you're aware of the problem.  Click here for more info if you're interested.

Our office tends to prefer Parallels over Fusion, though they are comparable programs. 

Bootcamp

Always use the instructions with your version of Bootcamp as the primary guide. To access this guide, go to "Applications" --> "Utilities" --> "Bootcamp Assistant" --> "Print Installation and Setup Guide." (If you have access to a second computer you can read alongside the computer to be bootcamped, that’s usually the easiest thing to do.)

The additional help in this document applies to OS Snow Leopard or earlier.  If you are using OS X Lion, please be sure to follow the Bootcamp manual instead.   (The main difference is that Lion does not come with an install disk, so you have to use the Bootcamp Assistant to download the drivers that normally come on that disk.) 

This webpage gives a good overview of the Bootcamp process.  Some details have changed since this walkthrough was created, so please see additional notes below.

You'll need the Mac OSX disk that came with your computer.  If you can't easily find yours, please let us know and we'll dig one up for you. We can provide a Windows 7 installation disk and license key.  

Extra Bootcamp Help

If you like to have a visual guide, there are a lot of youtube videos and online walkthroughs you can also follow.  Here’s one we've used in the past:

http://www.simplehelp.net/2009/01/15/using-boot-camp-to-install-windows-7-on-your-mac-the-complete-walkthrough/

Depending on your computer/Mac OS version combination, here are some variations/issues you might encounter and our notes on them.

  • Don't forget to backup!
  • After you create the partition in step 6, you may see a message asking you to "Download the Windows support software for this Mac."
    • Try downloading and saving the support software.  If nothing happens, that means your computer doesn't really need this support software, and you should click "back" and then bypass the option to download by selecting "I have already downloaded the Windows support software to a CD, DVD, or external disk."
    • If the software saves correctly on your disk, then you'll use that disk to install additional drivers for Windows after step 18.  (My understanding is that the MacBook Air is the only machine that might actually need these, but I've never done this on an Air, so don't know for sure what happens.)
  • After step 8, Windows will begin installing and will ask you to select language options and agree to license terms.  This comes BEFORE the choice of partition the walkthrough tells you about in step 9.  Go ahead and do this.  
  • After step 11 when you format the bootcamp partition, you have to click "Next" to proceed.
  • In step 14, they tell you that the WiFi should work immediately, and that you can do a Windows update.  This was not the case on the last computer we bootcamped.  If this happens, don't worry.  Proceed straight to step 18.  This installs the drivers Windows needs to run your Mac's hardware.  After you have the network/sound/etc drivers running, you can go back to step 14 and run the Windows updater.  Install the drivers from your other disk too, if you were prompted to do so and succeeded in creating such a disk.
  • After you've installed the drivers from the Mac OS X disk, updated the Windows software, and rebooted a couple of times, everything should be up and running properly.  (The wireless and ethernet should both work, the sound should work, and the video should have the screen resolution you're used to).  If this is not the case, please get in touch with me, and I'll help you troubleshoot.
  • Go to worldwidetelescope.org and install WWT.
  • Try running WWT and select different views from the drop-down menu labeled "Look At" in the lower left hand corner of the screen and make sure you don't see any pixelation or flashing images.  If you notice any problems, please let us know.  

Rare Errors We've Encountered

  • If you see a black screen asking you to select Boot disk or an error that says something like “Error:  bootcamp "select cd-rom boot type," use x86 install disk, even if it’s a computer that’s supposed to have a 64-bit processor.  (This happens on some older machines.)
    • If disk is in and won’t eject, turn computer off; hold down eject button while computer boots back up.  (Option key might work okay too.)
  • On some installations, there are 3 missing drivers - ethernet, SMC controller, bus controller - make sure to use a mac mini 10.6.3 disk. It has the necessary drivers for those 3 items.  (This happened on the new Mac mini install.)
See also: Tutorial/Video