How to Activate Parallels Desktop and Install Windows on Mac

Almost all users who purchase a subscription for Parallels Desktop do so with one goal in mind: to install Windows on Mac. Parallels Desktop Mac Business Edition will help you and your employees easily work with Windows programs on Mac, running even the most demanding applications effortlessly.

Before proceeding, you should have already signed up for Parallels My Account. In this article, you’ll learn how to how to install and activate Parallels Desktop. Only then can you install Windows on Mac.

How do you install Windows on Mac?

Installing Windows on Mac is a crucial step to being able to run Windows applications on a macOS® device. To be able to do this, you first need to install a Windows virtualization tool on your Mac computer, such as Parallels Desktop. Parallels Desktop is not only perfectly compatible with any Windows program—it’s also fast, secure, and designed for rapid mass deployments.

How to install Parallels Desktop

1. Download the Parallels Desktop installer to your Mac.
2. Double-click the .dmg installation file to mount it in Finder, then double-click Install.
3. Read through the Software License Agreement and click Accept.
4. Once prompted, enter your local Mac user password to finalize the installation.

Next, you’ll activate Parallels Desktop Business Edition.

How to activate Parallels Desktop Business Edition

1. Start Parallels Desktop by double-clicking the icon.
2. If the first screen that opens is the Installation Assistant, Skip it for now. The Installation Assistant helps you install Windows—you can run this at a later time.
3. Go to the Parallels Desktop dropdown menu, and then click Account & License.

4. This opens the Sign-in dialog box.

5. Click on the Business Edition button at the lower-left corner, which opens the Enter Business Key dialog. This then prompts you to enter your Parallels Desktop Business Edition license key. After entering it, click Activate.

6. If your activation was successful, you’ll see a confirmation message.

And just like that, your Parallels Desktop Business Edition is installed, activated and ready for Windows installation!

Read “How to Install Windows 10 in Parallels Desktop for Mac” for the complete instructions on how to install Windows on Mac.

Experience how easy it is to install Windows on Mac

With Parallels Desktop Business Edition, you can install Windows on Mac across your organization without breaking a sweat. Try it out yourself. Download the free trial now.

Run Windows on Mac

Parallels Desktop 16 for Mac

• Optimized for the latest Windows 10 updates, macOS Catalina and macOS Big Sur 11
• Play PC games and run demanding graphics software
• Work with Windows-based accounting and trading software
• Run all your favorite Windows software on your Mac, MacBook, or iMac!

Over 7 Million Users and Praised by Experts

“It’s always been astonishing that it’s faster to start up a Parallels PC than a real one. On my MacBook Air, I’m up and running in Windows six seconds after I double-click the Parallels icon.”David Pogue, The New York Times

“Of all the ways to run Windows on a Mac, Parallels Desktop is my favorite because it just works. It’s fast, it’s reliable, and there’s no need to futz about with confusing setting or convoluted setup processes.”Adrian Kingsley-Hughes, ZDNet

“Unlike Apple’s Boot Camp, Parallels lets you run both operating systems at the same time.”Larry Magid, Forbes

”Parallels Desktop is the easiest, fastest, and most tightly integrated app for running Windows apps or the Windows desktop in Apple OS X.”Edward Mendelson, PCMag.com

“The latest version of Parallels, the popular Windows virtualization tool for Mac OS X, almost feels like its trolling Apple.”Engadget

“The software has been iterating over a decade and now makes Windows feel like part of the macOS. You can also virtualize Linux, Android, and just about anything that runs on Intel chips including another instance of macOS—great for testing macOS Betas!”9to5Mac

Fast, Powerful and Easy

Whether you need to run Windows programs that don’t have Mac versions, or you are making the switch from PC to Mac and need to transfer your data, Parallels Desktop has you covered.

In this video, you’ll find the playback speed has increased. The video shows a typical experience on a Mac powered by the Intel processor. Information on the M1 experience may be found in this article.

Parallels Desktop for Mac Features

Ultimate Flexibility

Touch Bar

Works with Boot Camp

One-Click Tuning

• Office 365 Integration
  Allows Word, Excel, or PowerPoint documents in Safari to open in their native Windows Office app.
• Works with Boot Camp
  Reuse your existing Boot Camp installation. Converting a virtual machine from Boot Camp is easy, just follow our installation assistant at startup.
• Retina Display Support
  Smart resizing and independent screen resolutions for separate displays.
• One-Click Tuning
  Select productivity, games, design, software testing, or development and Parallels Desktop will optimize your VM settings and performance for you.
• Instant Access
  Launch and access Windows applications right from the Mac Dock.

• Save Disk Space
  Get the most out of your Mac with automatic Disk Space optimization.
• Volume License Key
  Unified volume license key, centralized license management and advanced security features are available in Parallels Desktop Business Edition.
• Travel Mode
  Extend battery life while away from a power source.
• Parallels ToolboxBonus with Subscription!
  Over 30 one-touch tools—clean your drive, take screenshots, download a video and more—all with just a single click.
• Remote AccessBonus with Subscription!
  Remote access to your Mac from any iOS device, Android device or browser with Parallels Access ® .
• 24/7 Support
  Premium 24/7 phone, email and social support after activation.

• Share Mac applications with Windows
• Automatic resolution change
• Single cloud storage space between Mac and Windows
• Drag and drop files between Mac and Windows
• Copy and paste files or text between Mac and Windows
• Launch Windows applications right from the Dock
• Move your PC to Mac in a few easy steps
• Assign any USB devices to your Mac or Windows
• Retina display support for Windows
• Volume control synchronization
• Open any site in Microsoft Explorer right from Safari ® browser
• Apply macOS Parental Control to Windows applications
• Windows alerts in Mac Notification Center
• Mac dictation inside Windows applications
• See the number of unread emails in the Dock
• “Reveal in Windows Explorer” in macOS files menu
• Virtual machine encryption
• Linked clones for VMs*
• Vagrant provider*
• 32 vCPUs and 128 GB vRAM*
• Nested virtualization for Linux*
• Drag and drop files in macOS guests
• Real-time virtual disk optimization
• Create VM from VHD and VMDK disks*
• Drag and drop to create VM
• Disk Space Wizard optimizes your disk space
• Shared folders and printers for Linux VMs
• Windows applications in Launchpad
• Power Nap in Windows
• Use Force Touch to look up definitions
• New virtual machine wizard
• Mission Control support
• Presentation Wizard prevents most projector issues
• Drop files onto Outlook to create a new message
• Multi-language keyboard sync
• Picture-in-Picture view

• Share Bluetooth between Mac and Windows
• macOS guest support
• Spaces functionality for Windows applications
• Mission Control exposes your Windows applications
• DirectX support
• Thunderbolt support
• Licensing portal*
• Firewire support
• USB-C and USB 3.0 support
• Work without risk with Snapshots
• Safeguard your VM with encryption
• 2 GB video memory support
• Finder tabs work with Windows applications
• AVX512 instruction set support
• Mojave support
• Disk usage optimizations
• Report disk space left on Mac
• Express installation of Windows 10
• Native Mojave screenshots
• Auto allocation of video memory
• “Free Up Disk Space” wizard
• Free OS downloads
• Coherence for external displays
• Continuity camera support
• Touch Bar support
• Shared smart card reader
• Multi-monitor support
• 4K shared camera support
• CPU usage indicator
• Mojave Quick Look support
• Pressure sensitivity support
• Resource usage monitor
• OpenGL support
• Offer to import Boot Camp
• Auto-detect games keyboard
• And many more…

*Available with Parallels Desktop Pro Edition and Business Edition subscriptions

Frequently Asked Questions

How does Parallels Desktop work?

To add Windows, Linux, or another operating system to your Mac, Parallels Desktop creates a virtual machine (VM)—a virtual PC inside your Mac. You can then install Windows on the virtual machine, just as you would install any operating system on a regular computer. Run multiple OSs at the same time, all on your Mac. It’s like two computers in one!

What can I do with Parallels Desktop?

• Open Windows applications side by side with your macOS applications, without having to restart your Mac
• Copy and paste text or drag and drop objects between Mac and Windows.
• Run Windows games and other 3D applications.
• Transfer all your data from a PC and use it on your Mac.*
• Easily share files, devices, and other resources between Windows and Mac.
• Install other operating systems, such as versions of Windows, Linux, another copy of macOS* and free virtual appliances—and use them together.
• And much more…

How do I get Windows?

There are several ways to install Windows (or any other operating system) in a virtual machine, and Parallels Desktop makes it easy to get started within minutes.

On Intel-powered Mac computers it is simple to install Windows. Just follow our Installation Assistant and click “Install Windows.” On Apple M1 chip-powered Mac computers you can install Windows by following the instructions in this article.

You can provide your own Microsoft Windows license key, purchase Windows directly from within Parallels Desktop, or transfer an existing Boot Camp partition with Windows already installed.

This screenshot illustrates the installation experience on an Intel-powered Mac and there is a separate article with installation information for the Apple M1 chip-powered Mac.

Transfer is only available for Intel-powered Mac and PC

What if I’m already using Boot Camp?

With Parallels Desktop, you can switch between Mac and Windows without ever needing to reboot your computer.

If you have already installed Windows 10, Windows 8.1, Windows 8, or Windows 7 on your Mac using Boot Camp, you can set Parallels Desktop to run Windows from the Boot Camp Partition or import Windows and your data from Boot Camp into Parallels Desktop as a new virtual machine.

To use Windows from Boot Camp, install Parallels Desktop and follow the Installation Assistant.

How do I play Windows games on Mac?

Play your Windows-only game on a Mac using Parallels Desktop. Parallels Desktop even has a virtual machine setting dedicated to gaming to optimize performance. With ongoing support for DirectX and OpenGL, many popular games and game engines are supported within Parallels Desktop. Download a free 14-day trial of Parallels Desktop and see if your desired game is supported.

What are the system requirements for Parallels Desktop?

What if I need multiple licenses and license management?

Need Parallels Desktop for your team? Check out Parallels Desktop Business Edition.

Do you have educational pricing for students or faculty?

Parallels offers exclusive discounts for educational students currently enrolled in a qualified educational institution or professional educators who are currently employed. Educational discounts can save users up to 50% off by verifying their eligibility.

What is Parallels Desktop Pro Edition?

Parallels Desktop Pro Edition is packed with extra features, including: