How to Install Windows 10 in Parallels Desktop for Mac

Windows 10 is the most popular version of Windows. Installing it on Parallels Desktop® for Mac is easy to do—and does not require you to purchase Windows 10 beforehand.

There are four different scenarios you might find yourself in, with slightly different steps:

Scenario 1: You have just installed Parallels Desktop on your Mac.

Scenario 2: You have Parallels Desktop on your Mac, and you want to add a Windows 10 virtual machine (VM).

Scenario 3: You want to move Windows 10 from a physical PC into a Parallels Desktop VM.

Here are the individual steps for each:

Scenario 1: You have just installed Parallels Desktop on your Mac.

When you first launch Parallels Desktop on a Mac, it will detect that you have no virtual machines and will automatically offer to download and install Windows 10 for you. (See Figure 1.)

Figure 1_Download and install Windows 10

Once you click “Install Windows,” there is basically nothing else for you to do. The Windows 10 installation files will begin downloading (Figure 2).

Note: If you click on “Skip” instead, you will be directed to the Installation Assitant where you can purchase Windows 10 (see Figure 8).

Figure 2_Downloading Windows 10

Once the download finishes, the installation of Windows 10 into a new VM in Parallels Desktop will begin (Figure 3).

Figure 3_Installing Windows

You will be notified when it completes (Figure 4).

Figure 4_Windows 10 installation complete

How long this process takes depends on the speed of your Internet connection and Mac. For me, at home and on a new MacBook Air, this took about one hour and 40 minutes.

While Windows 10 is installing, you’ll see dialogs about the installation of Parallels® Toolbox, a separate Parallels product that’s bundled with Parallels Desktop (Figure 5).

Figure 5_Parallels Toolbox, a product that is bundled with Parallels Desktop

Parallels Toolbox gives you 30+ single-purpose tools for common tasks. I encourage you to install Parallels Toolbox—I think you’ll find the tools very useful.

After Windows 10 is installed, you should get all of the available updates, and probably there will be several of them (Figure 6).

Figure 6_Get all of the available Windows updates

This may take a while but is very important.

At this point, you have a working installation of Windows 10 in a Parallels Desktop VM. You have not yet purchased Windows from Microsoft. A few features will be disabled until you do so. You can purchase and activate Windows from within your Windows VM, and the entire process takes only a few minutes (Figure 7).

Figure 7_Purchasing and activating Windows 10

Scenario 2: You have Parallels Desktop on your Mac, and you want to add a Windows 10 VM.

Adding Windows 10 as an additional VM in Parallels Desktop is also easy.

To start the process, either choose “New…” in the File menu of Parallels Desktop, or click on the “+” sign in the top right corner of the Control Center window.

Assuming that you don’t have a Windows 10 installation DVD laying around, click on the “Get Windows 10 from Microsoft” button (Figure 8).

Figure 8_Get Windows 10 button in the Installation Assistant

Then choose to purchase Windows 10 Home or Windows 10 Pro in the next screen. If you want to install Windows 10 without making a purchase yet, choose to download it (Figure 9).

Figure 9_Choose which way to get Windows 10

Whichever path you choose, you will end up with a Windows 10 installation ISO file and a Windows 10 product key. After that, everything proceeds in the same manner as scenario 1. (See the previous Figure 2 as an example.) Don’t forget to install Parallels Toolbox and all the available Windows 10 updates!

Scenario 3: You want to move Windows 10 from a physical PC into a Parallels Desktop VM.

In this last scenario, you start out with the Installation Assistant dialog (see previous Figure 8) but choose “Transfer Windows from a PC.” You will then see the Transfer Windows dialog shown in Figure 14.

Figure 14_Transfer Your PC

This process will copy everything from a physical PC to a Parallels Desktop VM: apps, data files, and Windows itself. The physical PC will not be modified.

The most common way to transfer is via the network. The amount of time this will take depends on how much information is on the PC and how fast your network is.

There may be several Windows PCs on your network, so you need to indicate which PC you want to migrate into a VM. Do this by installing the Parallels Transfer Agent on the PC to be migrated.

There are two computers involved in this transfer: the Windows PC you are transferring from, and the Mac running Parallels Desktop which you are transferring to. Some of the actions you’ll take to set up this transfer occur on the PC and others on the Mac, so you will need to go back and forth between the two computers to set everything up. These tasks are not complicated, as shown in this video:

I hope you’ve seen how easy it is to install Windows 10 on Parallels Desktop. Feel free to download a free full-featured trial of Parallels Desktop and install Windows 10 like explained in scenario 1 right away at no extra cost.

Feel free to also check out our detailed video about How to install Windows on your Mac with Parallels Desktop – at no cost to you:

Let us know in the comments below, on Twitter or Facebook which way of installing Windows 10 on your Mac worked best for you.

Get Windows 10 on Mac with Parallels Desktop

We’ve made it so easy to get Windows 10 in Parallels Desktop®. Here is the easiest the fastest way of getting Windows 10 running on your Mac with Parallels Desktop, even if you do not have a license for Windows 10. You can now purchase and download Microsoft Windows directly from the Parallels Desktop installation with a few simple clicks!

Note: Before you can install Windows 10, please double-check the following requirements to have the best experience with Microsoft Windows 10 in Parallels Desktop:

• Check Windows 10 system requirements that can be found directly from Microsoft
• Make sure you’re running the latest build of Parallels Desktop

As a new user, you will be prompted by the Installation Assistant to download and install Windows 10 as an automatic download, as seen below:

(Figure A)

If you select “Install Windows,” this will begin a download of Microsoft Windows 10 automatically.

If you decide to select “Skip” but still need to download Windows 10, you can manually “Add New” virtual machine by following this pathway:

Parallels Desktop > File > New

This will bring up the Installation Assistant that will walk you through creating a new virtual machine.

In Figure B , “Get Windows 10 from Microsoft” is selected. Once you hit “Continue,” you will be directed to a new screen that allows you to choose which version of Windows 10 you’d like to purchase. See Figure C below.

In Figure C, you have an option to purchase Windows 10 Home or Windows 10 Pro edition directly from the Microsoft store.

If you already have a Windows 10 license key, you can download Windows 10 as a virtual machine and enter in the license key directly into the virtual machine to complete set up. In Figure B, you’re able to select “Download Windows 10.” Selecting this option and pressing “Continue” will prompt you to the download page for Windows 10, as seen below in Figure D.

After you select “Install Windows,” your download will begin. This download time is dependent on your internet connection, so it could take anywhere from a few minutes to a couple hours.

Once completed with the above download, you will be able to enter the Windows 10 license key in the screen below:

After entering the Windows 10 license key, you will have full access to the Microsoft Windows operating system to meet your needs. The Windows 10 OS will show up in your Control Center as a virtual machine.

In the above Figure F, you can click to start your virtual machine and run Windows on Mac without rebooting.
You’re done! Easy peasy, right? Enjoy using Windows 10 on your Mac to run popular software such as Microsoft Office, AutoCAD, Adobe Creative Cloud, and thousands more.

Here are a few alternative methods for creating Windows 10 virtual machine using Parallels Desktop:

Migrate your PC as a new virtual machine which can be read about here: http://kb.parallels.com/en/123929

Set up Parallels Desktop based on an existing Boot Camp partition: http://kb.parallels.com/112941

Set up a Parallels Desktop virtual machine using an external USB stick: http://kb.parallels.com/123364

Need a Microsoft Windows operating system to get started with your educational software? Buy directly below:

Looking to make the most out of your Mac by running Windows through Parallels Desktop? Download a free 14-day trial and get started today!

How to Purchase Windows 10 Home or Pro

Do you want to purchase Windows 10 to use with Parallels Desktop® but aren’t sure whether to buy Windows 10 Home or Windows 10 Pro?

Let me help you decide.

What fits better to your needs—Windows 10 Home or Pro?

Comparison Between Windows 10 Home and Windows 10 Pro

Windows 10 Home	Windows 10 Pro
Consumer-focused desktop edition	Desktop edition for prosumer customers and small businesses
PCs, tablets, and 2-in-1s	X	X
Cortana assistant	X	X
Microsoft Edge web browser	X	X
Continuum tablet mode for touch-capable devices	X	X
Windows Hello face-recognition, iris, and fingerprint login	X	X
Universal Windows apps like Photos, Maps, Mail, Calendar, Music, and Video	X	X
Ability to capture and share game play for Xbox One owners	X	X
Domain Join services	X
BitLocker Drive Encryption	X
Remote Access Services	X
Group Policy editor	X
Windows Update for Business	X

After you have purchased Windows 10, please refer to these step-by-step instructions on how to install Windows 10 in a Parallels Desktop virtual machine.

If you have any questions, let us know in a comment or reach out to us on Facebook or Twitter.

You haven’t purchased Parallels Desktop yet? Try it for free for 14 days!

Parallels how to install windows

В этой статье приведены инструкции по первой установке Windows на компьютер Mac c процессором Intel для ее последующего использования с Parallels Desktop. Если же вы хотите установить Parallels Desktop на компьютер Мас с чипом М1, воспользуйтесь статьей KB 125375.

Вы также можете:

Импортировать данные с компьютера Windows на Mac. Инструкции см. в статье KB 123929. Если вы используете Parallels Desktop 13 или более позднюю версию, см. статью KB 123929

Обновить существующие виртуальные машины Windows 7, 8 или 8.1 до Windows 10. Инструкции приведены в статье KB 122884.

Установите Parallels Desktop для Mac

Если вы еще не работали с Parallels Desktop для Mac, скачайте последнюю версию здесь.

Если вы используете Parallels Desktop, переходите к шагам ниже.

Скачайте Windows

Скачать Windows 10 Вы можете прямо через Parallels Desktop. Щелкните значок Parallels в строке меню Mac > Создать… > Получить Windows 10 от Microsoft > Скачать Windows 10.

Также вы можете посетить вэб-сайт Microsoft, чтобы скачать Windows 10 напрямую.

С вопросами о приобретении предыдущих версий Windows обратитесь в магазины розничной торговли или в уполномоченные интернет-магазины, включая Amazon.com.

Обратите внимание, что лицензия на Microsoft Windows не входит в пакет поставки Parallels Desktop. Если у вас нет копии Windows, то приобрести Windows 10 можно в Microsoft Online Store:

Примечание. Посетите страницу, если необходима помощь в выборе выпуска Windows 10: Home или Pro.

Создайте новую виртуальную машину

Откройте файл Parallels Desktop.app в папке Программы и выберите Файл > Создать.

Щелкните Установить Windows или другую ОС с DVD или файла образа и нажмите кнопку Продолжить.

Выберите установочный носитель

Вы можете установить Windows с помощью DVD-диска, ISO-образа диска или загрузочного USB-носителя.

Важная информация. Установочные файлы Windows с расширением .exe могут использоваться только для обновления уже существующей виртуальной машины (ВМ) Windows. Файлы с расширением .exe не применяются при выполнении новой установки для создания новой ВМ Windows. Чтобы получить физический диск или ISO-образ, обратитесь к торговому партнеру.

Мастер Parallels автоматически определит установочный носитель для установки Windows.

Вы также можете переключиться в ручной режим и выбрать расположение установочных файлов Windows.

Введите ключ продукта Windows

Нажмите кнопку Продолжить. В окне «Ключ продукта Windows» не снимайте флажок Экспресс-установка.

Примечание. Если убрать флажок «Экспресс-установка», необходимо вручную установить Parallels Tools после установки Windows.

После этого нажмите кнопку Продолжить.

Выберите режим использования Windows

Выберите режим использования Windows в Parallels Desktop для Mac Home Edition:

• Производительность
• Только игры

В выпусках Parallels Desktop для Mac Pro Edition и Business Edition:

• Разработка ПО
• Тестирование ПО
• Разработка

Более подробную информацию о профилях виртуальных машин см. в статье KB 123878.

Укажите имя и расположение

Имя. Укажите имя своей виртуальной машины.

Расположение. По умолчанию виртуальные машины Parallels Desktop расположены в папке /Пользователи/имяпользователя/Parallels/_.

Чтобы изменить стандартные настройки виртуальной машины, установите флажок Настроить параметры до начала установки. Эти настройки можно будет легко изменить и после установки.

Начните установку

Чтобы начать установку Windows, нажмите кнопку Продолжить. По окончании установки Windows запустите ее. Для этого откройте приложение Windows или нажмите кнопку включения в списке «Виртуальные машины Parallels».

Важная информация. При первом запуске Windows будет установлен продукт Windows Parallels Tools, который обеспечит прозрачное взаимодействие между Windows и OS X. Не отменяйте и не останавливайте процесс установки. После завершения установки Parallels Tools поступит запрос на перезапуск Windows.

Устранение неполадок

Если у вас возникли проблемы с установкой Windows с DVD-диска или у вас нет дисковода DVD, вы можете создать ISO-образ своего установочного диска на другом компьютере и выполнить установку с помощью него. Информацию о функциях Вы можете найти в статье KB 4917: Создание ISO-образа установочного DVD-диска Windows.

Другие способы создания виртуальной машины Windows с помощью Parallels Desktop

Чтобы создать виртуальную машину Windows, выполните следующие действия: