Download and install Windows support software on your Mac

After using Boot Camp Assistant to install or upgrade Microsoft Windows on your Mac, you may also need to install the latest Windows support software (drivers) from Apple.

When you install Microsoft Windows on your Mac, Boot Camp Assistant automatically opens the Boot Camp installer, which installs the latest Windows support software (drivers). If that doesn’t happen or you experience any of the following issues while using Windows on your Mac, follow the steps in this article.

• Your Apple mouse, trackpad or keyboard isn’t working in Windows.
  Force Touch isn’t designed to work in Windows.
• You can’t hear audio from the built-in speakers of your Mac in Windows.
• The built-in microphone or camera of your Mac isn’t recognised in Windows.
• One or more screen resolutions are unavailable for your display in Windows.
• You can’t adjust the brightness of your built-in display in Windows.
• You’re having issues with Bluetooth or Wi-Fi in Windows.
• You’ve received an alert stating that Apple Software Update has stopped working.
• You’ve received a message stating that your PC has a driver or service that isn’t ready for this version of Windows.
• Your Mac starts up to a black or blue screen after you’ve installed Windows.

If your Mac has an AMD video card and is having graphics issues in Windows, you may need to update your AMD graphics drivers instead.

Install the latest macOS updates

Before proceeding, install the latest macOS updates, which can include updates to Boot Camp.

Format a USB flash drive

To install the latest Windows support software, you need a 16 GB or larger USB flash drive formatted as MS-DOS (FAT).

1. Start your Mac from macOS.
2. Plug the USB flash drive into your Mac.
3. Open Disc Utility, which is in the Utilities folder of your Applications folder.
4. Choose View > Show All Devices from the menu bar.
5. From the sidebar in Disc Utility, select your USB flash drive. (Select the drive name, not the volume name beneath it.)
   
6. Click the Erase button or tab.
7. Choose MS-DOS (FAT) as the format and Master Boot Record as the scheme.
8. Click Erase to format the drive. When it’s finished, quit Disk Utility.

Download the Windows support software

1. Make sure your Mac is connected to the Internet.
2. Open Boot Camp Assistant, which is in the Utilities folder of your Applications folder.
3. From the menu bar at the top of your screen, choose Action > Download Windows Support Software, then choose your USB flash drive as the destination to save to. When the download has been completed, quit Boot Camp Assistant.
   

Install the Windows support software

After downloading the Windows support software to your flash drive, follow these steps to install the software. (If you’re attempting to resolve issues with a Bluetooth mouse or keyboard, it may be easier to use a USB mouse or keyboard until these steps have been completed.)

1. Make sure the USB flash drive is plugged into your Mac.
2. Start up your Mac in Windows.
3. From File Explorer, open the USB flash drive, then open Setup or setup.exe, which is in the WindowsSupport folder or BootCamp folder. When you’re asked to allow Boot Camp to make changes to your device, click Yes.
4. Click Repair to begin installation. If you receive an alert stating that the software hasn’t passed Windows Logo testing, click Continue Anyway.
5. After the installation has been completed, click Finish, then click Yes when you’re asked to restart your Mac.

Learn more

If you can’t download or save the Windows support software:

• If the assistant states that the Windows support software could not be saved to the selected drive or that the USB flash drive can’t be used, make sure your USB flash drive has a storage capacity of at least 16 GB and has been formatted correctly.
• If the assistant can’t see your USB flash drive, click Go Back and make sure the drive has been connected directly to the USB port on your Mac – not to a display, hub or keyboard. Disconnect and reconnect the drive, then click Continue.
• If the assistant states that it can’t download the software because of a network problem, make sure your Mac is connected to the Internet.
• Make sure your Mac meets the system requirements to install Windows using Boot Camp.

If a Mac feature still doesn’t work after updating the Windows support software, search for your symptom on the Apple support website or Microsoft support website. Some features of your Mac aren’t designed to work in Windows.

Information about products not manufactured by Apple, or independent websites not controlled or tested by Apple, is provided without recommendation or endorsement. Apple assumes no responsibility with regard to the selection, performance or use of third-party websites or products. Apple makes no representations regarding third-party website accuracy or reliability. Contact the vendor for additional information.

Start up your Mac in Windows or macOS with Boot Camp

After you use Boot Camp Assistant to install Windows on your Intel-based Mac, you can set the default operating system to either macOS or Windows. The default operating system is the one you want to use when you turn on or restart your Mac.

Set the default operating system

In Windows on your Mac, click in the right side of the taskbar, click the Boot Camp icon , then choose Boot Camp Control Panel.

If a User Account Control dialog appears, click Yes.

Select the startup disk that has the default operating system you want to use.

If you want to start up using the default operating system now, click Restart. Otherwise, click OK.

You can’t change your startup volume to an external drive while you’re using Windows.

To learn how to change the default operating system using macOS, see Get started with Boot Camp.

Restart in macOS

In Windows on your Mac, do one of the following:

Restart using Startup Manager: Restart your Mac, then immediately press and hold the Option key. When the Startup Manager window appears, release the Option key, select your macOS startup disk, then press Return.

If you’re using a Mac notebook computer with an external keyboard, make sure you press and hold the Option key on the built-in keyboard.

Restart using Boot Camp Control Panel: Click in the right side of the taskbar, click the Boot Camp icon , then choose Restart in macOS.

This also sets the default operating system to macOS.

For more information about restarting in macOS, see the Apple Support article Restart your Mac in macOS or Windows.

Built for compatibility.

Mom always said, “Play nice with others.” Your computer should, too. With macOS, you can use Microsoft Office, connect to most printers and cameras, join PC networks, and even run Windows.

Moving from your PC to your new Mac? Consider it done.

With macOS, you can move all the information from your old PC to your new Mac. Built-in Windows-to-Mac migration in macOS automatically transfers your documents, music, contacts, calendars, and email accounts (Outlook and Windows Live Mail), and puts them in the appropriate folders and applications on your new Mac. Just like that.

If you buy your Mac at an Apple Store, Personal Setup can help you get off to a great start.

Work with anyone.

Every Mac comes with Pages, Numbers, and Keynote — powerful productivity apps from Apple that help you create stunning documents, spreadsheets, and presentations. You can collaborate with one person or many people to create and edit Pages, Keynote, and Numbers files. And everyone can work on the same document at the same time — from across town or across the globe. You can also open, edit, and save Microsoft Word, Excel, and PowerPoint files with these apps, so you can easily work with others, regardless of whether they’re on a Mac or PC.

Use Microsoft Office for Mac. Connect to Microsoft Exchange Server.

Fun fact: There’s a version of Microsoft Office written just for Mac. So you can use Word, Excel, and PowerPoint on a Mac just like on a PC.

macOS also provides built-in support for the latest version of Microsoft Exchange Server. So you can use all the apps you love on your Mac, and have access to your mail, contacts, and calendar from the office, all at the same time.

Access your files from anywhere with iCloud.

Your Mac comes with iCloud Drive, which lets you safely store all your presentations, spreadsheets, PDFs, images, and any other kinds of files in iCloud. Then you can access them from any device, including your iPhone, iPad, iPod touch, Mac, or PC. 1

Industry standard‑bearer.

Thanks to its support for industry standards, macOS works with virtually all email providers and websites. It also lets you view the most common file types, including Office documents, PDFs, images, text files, MP3s, videos, ZIP files, and more.

So if you’re moving files from a PC or if your friends and colleagues send you files, you can rest assured they’ll work beautifully on your Mac.

Relax. Your camera, printer, and mouse work, too.

Almost any device that connects to a computer via USB, audio cable, or Bluetooth will work with a Mac. That includes digital cameras, external hard drives, printers, keyboards, speakers, and even your right-click mouse. And with technologies like AirPrint and the array of class drivers included with macOS, you can start using these devices as soon as you plug them in — no need to manually download additional software.

A Mac can even run Windows.

Have a Windows application you need to use once in a while? No problem. Every new Mac lets you install and run Windows at native speeds, using a built-in utility called Boot Camp.

Setup is simple and safe for your Mac files. After you’ve completed the installation, you can boot up your Mac using either macOS or Windows. (That’s why it’s called Boot Camp.) Or if you want to run Windows and Mac applications at the same time — without rebooting — you can install Windows using VMware or Parallels software. 2

Connect to PCs over a network.

The Finder not only lets you browse files on your Mac, it also makes it easy to find files on other computers — both Mac and PC — on your home network. Computers that allow file sharing automatically show up in the Shared section of the Finder sidebar, allowing you to browse files and folders you have permission to view.

Move your data from a Windows PC to your Mac

Use Windows Migration Assistant to transfer your pictures, documents, and other data from a Windows PC to your Mac.

Windows Migration Assistant transfers your contacts, calendars, email accounts, and more from a PC. It migrates this data to the appropriate places on your Mac. After migrating data to your Mac, authorize your computer for iTunes Store purchases. It’s important to authorize before you sync or play content that you download from the iTunes Store.

If you’re migrating from one Mac to another Mac, follow the steps to move your content to a new Mac.

Before you begin

To prepare for a smooth migration:

• Make sure that Windows is up to date. Migration Assistant works with Windows 7 and later.
• Make sure that you know the name and password of an administrator account on your PC.
• Connect your Mac and PC to the same network, such as your home Wi-Fi network. Or connect an Ethernet cable between the ports on your Mac and PC to create a direct network connection. Some Mac models require an Ethernet adapter, such as the Belkin USB-C to Gigabit Ethernet Adapter or Apple Thunderbolt to Gigabit Ethernet Adapter.
• If you’re using Microsoft OneDrive on your PC, follow Microsoft’s instructions for uninstalling OneDrive before continuing. You can reinstall OneDrive after migration is complete.

Then use the check disk (chkdsk) utility on your PC to make sure that your Windows hard drive doesn’t have any issues:

1. Right-click the Start button, then click Run.
2. Type cmd and press Enter. Command Prompt opens.
3. At the prompt, type chkdsk and press Enter.
4. If the utility reports that it found problems, type the following, where drive is the letter that represents your Windows startup disk, such as D:
5. Press Enter.
6. At the prompt, type Y , then restart your PC.
7. Repeat this process until the check disk utility reports no issues. If the utility can’t fix every issue that it finds, you might need to have your PC serviced. Then migrate your data to your Mac.

Move your data

This section guides you through migration, post-migration, and what to do if the steps don’t work for you.

How to move your information from a PC to your Mac

1. On your PC, download and install the appropriate Windows Migration Assistant, based on the version of macOS on your Mac:
   • Windows Migration Assistant for macOS Big Sur
   • Windows Migration Assistant for macOS Mojave and macOS Catalina
   • Windows Migration Assistant for macOS Sierra and High Sierra
   • Windows Migration Assistant for OS X El Capitan or earlier
2. Quit any open Windows apps.
3. Open Windows Migration Assistant, then click Continue.
   
4. Start up your Mac. Setup Assistant automatically opens the first time you turn on your Mac. If you’ve already set up your Mac, open Migration Assistant, which is in the Utilities folder of your Applications folder.
5. On your Mac, follow the onscreen prompts until you get to the migration pane of the assistant. Select the option to transfer your information “From a Windows PC,” then click Continue.
   
6. When prompted, enter an administrator name and password.
7. Click Continue to close any other open apps.
8. In the migration window on your Mac, select your PC from the list of available computers. Then wait for the PC to show the same passcode that your Mac shows.
9. When both computers display the same passcode, click Continue on your PC and Mac.
10. Your Mac scans the drives on your PC to build a list of information to migrate. When the scan completes, select the information that you want to migrate to your Mac and click Continue. Learn about some of the data that you can transfer.
    

You can watch the progress and estimated time remaining on both the PC and your Mac. They tell you when migration is complete.

After you move your data

When migration completes, close Windows Migration Assistant on your PC. Then log in to the new user account on your Mac. The first time you log in to a user account migrated from your PC, you’re asked to set a password. You can use the same password that you used on your PC, or create a new password.

After logging in to the user account that you migrated, authorize your computer for iTunes Store purchases. It’s important to authorize before you sync or play content downloaded from the iTunes Store.

If you have issues moving your data

• Quit all open apps on your PC, then try migrating your content again. For example, you can press Alt-Tab to choose an open application, then press Alt-F4 to quit it.
• If your PC doesn’t appear in the Setup Assistant or Migration Assistant window on your Mac, make sure the computers are connected to the same network. You can create a network by connecting a single Ethernet cable between your Mac and PC. If that doesn’t help, check for firewall software on your PC and turn it off. After migration completes, you can turn firewall software on again.
• If Migration Assistant doesn’t open on your PC, turn off any antivirus software on your PC. Then try to open Migration Assistant again. After migration completes. You can turn that software on again.
• If you still can’t migrate your information successfully, you can use an external drive or file sharing to manually copy important data to your Mac.

What data can I transfer?

Migration Assistant lets you choose the data to move to your Mac. Here’s what moves over for specific apps and data types:

Email, contacts, and calendar information
Email messages, email-account settings, contacts, and appointments move based on which version of Windows you’re using and which accounts you have.

Outlook 1
Data from 32-bit versions of Outlook in Windows 7 and later move as follows:

• People move to Contacts 2
• Appointments move to the Calendar app
• IMAP and Exchange settings and messages move to the Mail app
• POP settings and messages move to Mail 2

Windows Live Mail
Data from Windows Live Mail in Windows 7 and later moves as follows:

• IMAP settings and messages move to Mail
• POP settings and messages move to Mail 2

Windows Mail
Data from Windows Mail in Windows 7 and later (excluding Windows 8) move as follows:

• IMAP settings and messages move to Mail
• POP settings and messages move to Mail 2
• People move to Contacts

Bookmarks
Bookmarks from Internet Explorer, Safari for Windows, and Firefox move to Safari.

System settings
Language and location settings, and custom desktop pictures move to System Preferences. Your web browser homepage moves to Safari preferences.

Pictures
Photos and other images move to your home folder. You can then add them to Photos, or open Photos and let it search your Mac for photos to import.

iTunes content
Migration Assistant transfers your iTunes media as follows: music to the Apple Music app, videos to the Apple TV app, podcasts to the Apple Podcasts app, and audiobooks to the Apple Books app.

Other files
Migration Assistant also moves these files:

• Files from the top-level folder of the currently logged-in user’s home directory
• Non-system files located in the Windows or Program Files folders
• Top-level folders located on the Windows system disk and other attached disks

1. Migration Assistant doesn’t support 64-bit versions of Outlook. You can manually migrate Mail, Contacts, or Calendars from Outlook 2013 or Outlook 2016 by signing in and entering the content on your Mac manually.

2. Migration Assistant transfers only the Mail or Contacts data that belongs to the logged-in Windows user. To transfer data from another user account, use Migration Assistant again while you’re logged in to another Windows account. Each time you migrate, your Mac creates a new user account.

Information about products not manufactured by Apple, or independent websites not controlled or tested by Apple, is provided without recommendation or endorsement. Apple assumes no responsibility with regard to the selection, performance, or use of third-party websites or products. Apple makes no representations regarding third-party website accuracy or reliability. Contact the vendor for additional information.