Is it a Risk Installing Windows 10 on iMac?

[Adam1988]

Hii!! Everyone!

I have an iMac and today I'm going to actually update to Yosemite and my big question is... is there any Risk to actually install Windows 10?

I use windows only for coding classes at University and if i have a very powerful machine i believe i don't need to purchase another computer if i have one already?

Anyways, all i want to know is if its possible if there is Risks that my iMac will Infect by viruses or if not at all? But if theres risks please let us know to all users.

So your opinions are the best i can hear specially facts...

What do you guys suggest?

Purchase a Windows computer or actually using the iMac?

Thanks guys your help is awesome
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Apple iMac late 2010 500gigs storage 12gigs of ram

 

[karmamule]

I've never heard of any "cross-contamination" across OS partitions so I wouldn't worry at all about that. I had a bootcamp Windows partition on my prior iMac for years without any troubles at all.

If the iMac has enough storage and fast enough cpu/gpu to support what you're going to be doing in your Windows partition then it makes sense to get the most value out of one computer rather than buying two!

 

[auwkeung]

you can use VMware Fusion or Parallel to install windows as a virtual machine. that way your mac would not have any trouble should windows be infected

 

[DerekS]

A severe risk to your sanity and stress levels, yes.

 

[Adam1988]

I've never heard of any "cross-contamination" across OS partitions so I wouldn't worry at all about that. I had a bootcamp Windows partition on my prior iMac for years without any troubles at all.

If the iMac has enough storage and fast enough cpu/gpu to support what you're going to be doing in your Windows partition then it makes sense to get the most value out of one computer rather than buying two!

Thank you very much ^^

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you can use VMware Fusion or Parallel to install windows as a virtual machine. that way your mac would not have any trouble should windows be infected

Thanks ill give it a try

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A severe risk to your sanity and stress levels, yes.

Lolololol xD

 

[Gav Mack]

I have mine running on a test PC rig but I wouldn't dare stick it on my boot camp setups till its RTM (release to manufacturing - about a month before launch). Anyone who tries to install it on bootcamp right now I suggest seeking psychiatric help cos you're nuts.

Virtual it should be fine - so far it's already looking a worthy successor to 7 though it's not rock solid stable but improving...

 

[auwkeung]

Frankly...when i see windows running on Macs....it sends shiver down my spine

 

[SuperMatt]

In Parallels Desktop, they've added an option under "Free Systems" when creating a new virtual machine - it will download Windows 10 and install it for you.

 

[Adam1988]

In Parallels Desktop, they've added an option under "Free Systems" when creating a new virtual machine - it will download Windows 10 and install it for you.

So if i buy the new 2014 or 2015 Parallels it will install it on its own?
but is there any risks that my iMac will get infected since its a windows software?
its cause i really use this computer a lot and for a misunderstanding i don't want it anything bad to happen to it. it cost me 2000 grand and i don't want to risk it thats why i really want to confirm it since u guys know more then me


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I have mine running on a test PC rig but I wouldn't dare stick it on my boot camp setups till its RTM (release to manufacturing - about a month before launch). Anyone who tries to install it on bootcamp right now I suggest seeking psychiatric help cos you're nuts.

Virtual it should be fine - so far it's already looking a worthy successor to 7 though it's not rock solid stable but improving...

So you mean i need the official parallels?
no beta right?
or what u mean? I'm confused

 

[maflynn]

OS X will not get infected by any Windows viruses, if you use Parallels or VMware then you can run windows within OS X. I'm running Windows 10 now and its decent. I haven't loaded everything into it to see how it will perform, I still prefer Win8

 

[Adam1988]

OS X will not get infected by any Windows viruses, if you use Parallels or VMware then you can run windows within OS X. I'm running Windows 10 now and its decent. I haven't loaded everything into it to see how it will perform, I still prefer Win8

Hey i have a big question.
I HAVE AN IMAC 2010 (BOUGHT IT ON WINTER FOR XMAS)
BUT I WANT TO KNOW IF IT CAN SUPPORT IT SO IT CAN BE SMOOTH ON BOTH OPERATING SYSTEMS...

its an iMac end of 2010 year

it has 500 gigs of storage
4 gigs of ram [thinking on buying two 8 gig rams in the future for windows 10]
and its intel i have external drives for time capsule

what do u recommend for the machine to run smooth?

is there any system hardware i need?

 

[tillsbury]

Running windows 10 both in boot camp and parallels here, it's mostly fine. Obviously you shouldn't use it for anything important, but your OS X will be safe. Have full backups before doing boot camp, as usual.

 

[Adam1988]

running windows 10 both in boot camp and parallels here, it's mostly fine. Obviously you shouldn't use it for anything important, but your os x will be safe. Have full backups before doing boot camp, as usual.

thanks! I almost forgot bout the back up!

Thank you very much

 

[Gav Mack]

I've got Win 10 now on a dell, comments about 10 with Mac's are in a thread in the Windows and others on a Mac section.

 

[ichii]

I have mine running on a test PC rig but I wouldn't dare stick it on my boot camp setups till its RTM (release to manufacturing - about a month before launch). Anyone who tries to install it on bootcamp right now I suggest seeking psychiatric help cos you're nuts.

Virtual it should be fine - so far it's already looking a worthy successor to 7 though it's not rock solid stable but improving...

I have it running on my MBP it works fine, like it a lot better than Windows 8.1

 

[MacOG728893]

Running windows 10 both in boot camp and parallels here, it's mostly fine. Obviously you shouldn't use it for anything important, but your OS X will be safe. Have full backups before doing boot camp, as usual.

Couldn't stress that more! I had a Yosemite beta recently mess up my windows partition. No biggie, it was just games and I have all their saved data backed up anyways. I went through the standard bootcamp procedure and got my windows 8.1 installation prepared for a full reinstall. For some odd reason, windows created its system partitions before and after OS X and it's recovery partition.

Bootcamp would not let me start over and I couldn't extend the OS X partition again. On top of that, my recovery partition for OS X was somehow damaged from the wonky 8.1 installation. Keep in mind I've done this a million times without issue.

I had to boot from internet recovery, partition the entire drive, then reboot from the newly created OSX recovery partition (needed 10.9, mine shipped with 10.8) in order to reinstall OSX Mavericks. Finally I could restore from my latest time machine.

/rant

Sorry for that wall of text, but I needed to get that off my chest The point being is that I've done this same procedure too many times to count and something just happened to go wrong this time.

Always, always, have a known, good, working backup if you plan to install Windows on the same partition as OSX.

 

[Adam1988]

Couldn't stress that more! I had a Yosemite beta recently mess up my windows partition. No biggie, it was just games and I have all their saved data backed up anyways. I went through the standard bootcamp procedure and got my windows 8.1 installation prepared for a full reinstall. For some odd reason, windows created its system partitions before and after OS X and it's recovery partition.

Bootcamp would not let me start over and I couldn't extend the OS X partition again. On top of that, my recovery partition for OS X was somehow damaged from the wonky 8.1 installation. Keep in mind I've done this a million times without issue.

I had to boot from internet recovery, partition the entire drive, then reboot from the newly created OSX recovery partition (needed 10.9, mine shipped with 10.8) in order to reinstall OSX Mavericks. Finally I could restore from my latest time machine.

/rant

Sorry for that wall of text, but I needed to get that off my chest The point being is that I've done this same procedure too many times to count and something just happened to go wrong this time.

Always, always, have a known, good, working backup if you plan to install Windows on the same partition as OSX.

Well theres no need to apologize! Of course not! No need to apologize whatsoever!
AND IM EVEN MORE GLAD THAT U AT LEAST TEXTED ME EVERYTHING AND POSTED A BIG EXPERIENCE FROM UR TIME.
Just to help everyone else!
Thank you very much

 

[MacOG728893]

Well theres no need to apologize! Of course not! No need to apologize whatsoever!
AND IM EVEN MORE GLAD THAT U AT LEAST TEXTED ME EVERYTHING AND POSTED A BIG EXPERIENCE FROM UR TIME.
Just to help everyone else!
Thank you very much

Good to hear at least one person could benefit from my ordeal As long as you have a backup, problems, when they occur, aren't too big of a deal.

 

[Adam1988]

Good to hear at least one person could benefit from my ordeal As long as you have a backup, problems, when they occur, aren't too big of a deal.

Thank u very much i really needed help supposedly by bootcamp ur computer can get infected

 

[Gav Mack]

I have it running on my MBP it works fine, like it a lot better than Windows 8.1

I do too.

However Win 10 did pretty much fully break on my dell test system at the weekend which required a full reset of the OS to get it going again properly. Wouldn't respond to any automatic repair option and reset was the only thing to do.

So don't rely on it

 

[MacOG728893]

Thank u very much i really needed help supposedly by bootcamp ur computer can get infected

Sure, Windows is more prone to viruses than OSX. Just practice safe web browsing, don't open attachments you aren't sure of and always read through what you're installing to avoid the plague that PUP's have become.

If you must look at porn, choose a safe site and don't look at in Windows

It's pretty easy to avoid malware of any type. Just be smart and use that brain God gave you!

 

[Gav Mack]

Sure, Windows is more prone to viruses than OSX. Just practice safe web browsing, don't open attachments you aren't sure of and always read through what you're installing to avoid the plague that PUP's have become.



If you must look at porn, choose a safe site and don't look at in Windows



It's pretty easy to avoid malware of any type. Just be smart and use that brain God gave you!

I wouldn't even use OS X for some of those uses - iOS on the iPad by far the most sensible option which is locked down much more tightly than the Mac.

That advice does work - as none of the people who do that kind of web browsing have the slightest problem

 

[jbuk1]

So if i buy the new 2014 or 2015 Parallels it will install it on its own?
but is there any risks that my iMac will get infected since its a windows software?
its cause i really use this computer a lot and for a misunderstanding i don't want it anything bad to happen to it. it cost me 2000 grand and i don't want to risk it thats why i really want to confirm it since u guys know more then me


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So you mean i need the official parallels?
no beta right?
or what u mean? I'm confused

Let say just for instance your Windows partition did catch a virus?

So what? You're backing up anyway right? Viruses can't physically harm your computer.

 

[EmlynDewar]

Jut stumbled upon this whilst searching Win 10/Parallels stuff.

Genuinely interested... What do you people do on your PCs that exposes you to so many viruses? :/

I've not had any AV installed since introduction of Windows 8, can't say I've ever had a problem. (Remove the drives and scan one every 6 months or so just to be sure.)

Is it just extreme paranoia? Was your last real Windows experience XP/poorly set-up Vista? Do you download dodgy software and browse pornography 24/7?

 

[Gav Mack]

Jut stumbled upon this whilst searching Win 10/Parallels stuff.

Genuinely interested... What do you people do on your PCs that exposes you to so many viruses? :/

I've not had any AV installed since introduction of Windows 8, can't say I've ever had a problem. (Remove the drives and scan one every 6 months or so just to bŵe sure.)

Is it just extreme paranoia? Was your last real Windows experience XP/poorly set-up Vista? Do you download dodgy software and browse pornography 24/7?

Windows defender will be automatically installed unless you disable it deliberately on Win 8 so you will have AV in the background protecting you. It's a fallacy that Windows machines get automatically infected, from the days before XP service pack 2 in 2004 when XP had no firewall.

If you fully update your setup, keep your third party plugins up to date (like you should on a Mac) and are not fooled by social engineering to install malware or fail to read instructions and the small print about what free but adware supported apps will fill up your system with crud and ultimately let nastier stuff in.

I see plenty of Mac users now fall for the same social engineering tricks as windows now, as the adware and malware coders are now producing different pop ups designed to fool similarly gullible OS X users with their tricks. As the Mac gains more and more market share it's inevitably going to increase, and so will with malware coders when they find zero day exploits in plug ins such as flash, shockwave, acrobat and Java. Java if you use the oracle version you should disable its use in a browser unless you specifically need it as it is probably the greatest security risk on a Mac right now.

The greatest difference between OS X and Windows is removing malware is still a piece of cake on a Mac compared to Windows, because the rookit and hidden processes make them ever harder to completely remove with every year that passes. I do not believe that Mac users should think that in the future they will be as invulnerable as they think they are, malicious code designed for them will only increase because in the days of windows 95/98/2000 and even XP it was pretty easy and started getting much harder over the last decade and I expect nothing less in the future from OS X. Hackers haven't bothered targeting the mac but with Yosemite driving that market share increase from iOS users switching from Windows and Apple now being the 4th largest PC manufacturers they will pay ever more attention..