Can my Mac Mini just be a Windows machine ?

[dUnKle]

May be a silly question but …

I have a Mac Mini. It’s the last model before the M1 chip came out. It’s hardly ever been used since being purchased new and don’t even think been powered on in over 12 months

Now due to circumstances I could do with a windows machine. Either 10 or 11 does not matter.

Aware you used to be able to dual boot and run virtual machines. But Is there anyway of just making it a windows machine ?

Or failing that (and likely and even dafter question) can I make Mac OS look and behave like windows. The task bar. The folders and windows. The right click / left click ?

I’m trying not I teach my daughter about computers to help her get ahead at school but school is fully windows only

 

[Boyd01]

I probably spend as much time running Windows 10 as MacOS on my 2018 Mini. However, I use a virtual machine with Parallels. AFAIK, you can use Bootcamp to boot directly into Windows and then it will be a "Windows machine", however there are many advantages to running it in Parallels. My Windows use is pretty intense - running GIS software for making maps. I am frequently processing files between 100 to 200gb, exporting (literally) millions of small image tiles. This can take hours at a time, and I want to continue using MacOS while that happens.

However, I have 64gb of RAM and allocate 32gb to Windows. If all you want is Windows and you don't have much memory, then I see no reason why you couldn't just use Bootcamp.

 

[dUnKle]

I probably spend as much time running Windows 10 as MacOS on my 2018 Mini. However, I use a virtual machine with Parallels. AFAIK, you can use Bootcamp to boot directly into Windows and then it will be a "Windows machine", however there are many advantages to running it in Parallels. My Windows use is pretty intense - running GIS software for making maps. I am frequently processing files between 100 to 200gb, exporting (literally) millions of small image tiles. This can take hours at a time, and I want to continue using MacOS wile that happens.

However, I have 64gb of RAM and allocate 32gb to Windows. If all you want is Windows and you don't have much memory, then I see no reason why you couldn't just use Bootcamp.

Thank you.

 

[carylee2002]

Both of my mini's are solely Window's 10 machines and not a spec of OSX in the machines. So yes you can just have them just be windows machines. But it is best to be 100% dedicated as windows only. I don't use parallels. I initially bootcamped both created a separate drives for windows. Installed all the drivers to make sure there and working then after about a week of no glitches, I eliminated the OS drive. I then just start as if it's windows machine along with a Egpu setup to play games. The mini videocards are something else to be desired. Note both my minis are pre-M1 machines and windows 10...no Windows 11 since there is no need for it in my needs.

 

[dUnKle]

Thanks
Is there a guide for doing this anywhere ?
Just being windows ?

 

[carylee2002]

Don't know of any guide..my two machines are 2014 and 2018 intel machines. I did it trial and error. I just eliminated only the Mac os partition only. Dont eliminate anything else. Keep the Windows partition. To best test it is practice booting both partitions separately and make sure all your drivers are installed in your windows partition before eliminating partitions. If your wary about doing this..backup everything on a separate external drive so you have a recourse in case it goes wrong.

 

[winxmac]

You can wipe the internal drive, assuming all important files are backed up

• by performing Erase device on iCloud.com or Find My, assuming you have your Apple ID logged in to the Mac mini...
• Or you can just use a bootable macOS flash drive and boot the Mac mini using it and run Disk Utility to erase the entire drive...
• Or use a bootable flash drive of Windows and boot from it and erase all partitions and let it create the Windows partitions for you
• Or use a bootable flash drive of known drive wiper programs like MiniTool Partition Wizard or Aomei Partition Assistant or any other that can be booted on a Mac mini...

Once the drive is clean, you can install Windows and install the Boot Camp drivers... You can use Brigadier from github to allow you to download Boot Camp drivers for your machine or any other macOS device you intend to install Windows on without using Boot Camp from within macOS...

You can search for video tutorials on YouTube... Watch first before attempting to perform the steps...

Apple has instructions on their website how to erase an intel mac...

 

[dUnKle]

Thank you.
Very much appreciated

 

[olds_cool63]

There's always LinuxFX: https://www.linuxfx.org/