Is it a Risk Installing Windows 10 on iMac?

[jimgeo68]

Parallels works great

Recently upgraded my 2009 iMac to the new 5K iMac - but before selling it - I decided to experiment a little bit on the old one.

I run a PC for 1 application that is not available on MAC - and actually has been sunset by Microsoft for the PC as well, but still in use by me.

I installed Parrallels on the older iMac. Then installed a copy of Windows 7.

Super simple to do.

Worked great. I was a little confused by the fact that I could see my mac folders from within the PC - but there's a setting in the configuration to isolate the PC from the MAC files, which will stop the PC from seeing the MAC files - in my case i didn't need to see my MAC files from the PC side.

Windows actually worked better on my old iMac - go figure.

My old iMac has been sold now - and I'm debating if I should install Windows 7 on my new 5K - I still have a PC windows 8 - i can't seem to cut the cord to windows.

I agree with many other posters, i don't believe that any virus or malware that finds it's way onto the windows partition can harm your mac - you should still run anti-virus on the PC (in parrallels)

 

[jimgeo68]

not a problem

i installed parrallels on an older 2009 imac 21" - intel duo core with 4GB ram and 1TB - no issues at all. ran great, in windows 7 - it might have been even better than with a pc.

go for it.

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?

 

[srivera92]

Display problems

Does anyone else have a issue with their display?? it doesnt do this everytime but ever since Ive went to Yosemite its done this crazy looking display. can anyone help im pretty sure this isn't normal. this happens when i open up my laptop.

 

[jji7skyline]

I did it on my iMac, uninstalled after a while because I didn't use it much, but it worked fine and didn't break anything on Mac OSX or anything.

 

[nickbw]

Forget bootcamp, just download and install a copy of VMPlayer - it is free for home use - and install Win 10 as a VM. You can attribute memory to each OS and should be able to work on each during the same session. I have been running Windows 7 and Windows XP SP3 mode for Volvo ViDA on Mac OS and had no issues. I previously used Parallels desktop but this is now an expensive pain!

 

[Adam1988]

Does anyone else have a issue with their display?? it doesnt do this everytime but ever since Ive went to Yosemite its done this crazy looking display. can anyone help im pretty sure this isn't normal. this happens when i open up my laptop.

SORRY i have an iMAC.... its not a MBP

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THANK YOU VERY MUCH EVERYONE
THIS REALLY GREATLY HELPED ME ALOT ^w^

 

[yjchua95]

SORRY i have an iMAC.... its not a MBP

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THANK YOU VERY MUCH EVERYONE
THIS REALLY GREATLY HELPED ME ALOT ^w^

On a side note, if you want to use full resources of your Mac in Windows, but don't want to install Windows in the internal drive, use this method:

Connect external drive to Windows VM. You must have a Windows VM in VMware/Parallels/VBox, or a Windows PC. Any existing Windows environment will do.

What you need:
install.wim file (obtain this from your Windows ISO)

Open elevated cmd.exe (run as admin)

Note: All commands aren't case sensitive, including pathway to files.

Type diskpart
Type list disk
Take note of the disk you want to select
Type select disk 1 (if your disk is Disk 1)
Type clean
Type convert gpt
Type create partition EFI size=100
Type format quick fs=fat32 label=EFI
Type assign letter=S
Type create partition primary
Type format fs=ntfs quick label=W2G (or any other name you wish for label)
Type assign letter=E
Type exit

Open up File Explorer. In your C drive, create a new folder named WIN2GO.
Put the install.wim file in this folder

Back in cmd.exe:
Type dism /apply-image /imagefile:C:\WIN2GO\install.wim /index:1 /applydir:E:\ (this process will take quite a while)
Type E:\Windows\System32\bcdboot E:\Windows /s S: /f UEFI

Restart your entire Mac. After the chime, hold down Option and when prompted to select your boot drive, select EFI Boot.

Proceed installation normally.

After installation, install Boot Camp drivers. Feel free to trash the VM once you're done too.

For best results, use USB 3. If you don't have USB 3, use Thunderbolt. If you have neither, stick back to the internal drive

 

[Adam1988]

on a side note, if you want to use full resources of your mac in windows, but don't want to install windows in the internal drive, use this method:

Connect external drive to windows vm. You must have a windows vm in vmware/parallels/vbox, or a windows pc. Any existing windows environment will do.

What you need:
Install.wim file (obtain this from your windows iso)

open elevated cmd.exe (run as admin)

note: All commands aren't case sensitive, including pathway to files.

Type diskpart
type list disk
take note of the disk you want to select
type select disk 1 (if your disk is disk 1)
type clean
type convert gpt
type create partition efi size=100
type format quick fs=fat32 label=efi
type assign letter=s
type create partition primary
type format fs=ntfs quick label=w2g (or any other name you wish for label)
type assign letter=e
type exit

open up file explorer. In your c drive, create a new folder named win2go.
Put the install.wim file in this folder

back in cmd.exe:
Type dism /apply-image /imagefile:c:\win2go\install.wim /index:1 /applydir:e:\ (this process will take quite a while)
type e:\windows\system32\bcdboot e:\windows /s s: /f uefi

restart your entire mac. After the chime, hold down option and when prompted to select your boot drive, select efi boot.

Proceed installation normally.

After installation, install boot camp drivers. Feel free to trash the vm once you're done too.

For best results, use usb 3. If you don't have usb 3, use thunderbolt. If you have neither, stick back to the internal drive

wow u blew my mind haha thank you very very much

 

[tdale]

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

Two thousand grand? Eek, thats expensive

 

[roadkill401]

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

This way is really the only way to really protect yourself. As a virtual machine, there is a total division between the physical hardware and windows.

I would stay away from Bootcamp as it really is not secure at all. The easiest vector of attack that could compromise the mac partition through a direct write that no windows A/V would detect and when you reboot into the mac your system files would be compromised.

With a VM however, there is no means of accessing the host hard drive. Your VM just has the virtual space that it thinks is a hard drive and would be unaware of what else is outside of itself.

 

[yjchua95]

This way is really the only way to really protect yourself. As a virtual machine, there is a total division between the physical hardware and windows.

I would stay away from Bootcamp as it really is not secure at all. The easiest vector of attack that could compromise the mac partition through a direct write that no windows A/V would detect and when you reboot into the mac your system files would be compromised.

With a VM however, there is no means of accessing the host hard drive. Your VM just has the virtual space that it thinks is a hard drive and would be unaware of what else is outside of itself.

The problem is that Windows cannot write to the OS X partition at all. It can read, but it cannot write.

In fact, without isolation, a VM would actually be more susceptible to such an attack vector, because most of the time, a stock VM setup has sharing enabled between the guest and the host. This is why I enable isolation in VMware Fusion and disable sharing, copy and paste, drag and drop.

 

[roadkill401]

The problem is that Windows cannot write to the OS X partition at all. It can read, but it cannot write.

Tell the people at Paragon software that... http://www.paragon-software.com/home/hfs-windows/

to say it cannot be done is quite a bit of a leap. Heck, they are even talking about how you can re-write the boot firmware with a thunderbolt cable that can't be removed except for re-writing over it. There are many security flaws in these computers we all have.

It's a given that you would not open up full access between your vm's and your OS. I am surprised that VMWare sets it up that way by default.

I do truely believe that Mac's security by obscurity days are far over and the truth will be told about how secure and immune to virus/malware OSX really is. More people are using it now so it opens up the desire for fraud and fame for those who want to do us all wrong.

 

[yjchua95]

Tell the people at Paragon software that... http://www.paragon-software.com/home/hfs-windows/

to say it cannot be done is quite a bit of a leap. Heck, they are even talking about how you can re-write the boot firmware with a thunderbolt cable that can't be removed except for re-writing over it. There are many security flaws in these computers we all have.

It's a given that you would not open up full access between your vm's and your OS. I am surprised that VMWare sets it up that way by default.

I do truely believe that Mac's security by obscurity days are far over and the truth will be told about how secure and immune to virus/malware OSX really is. More people are using it now so it opens up the desire for fraud and fame for those who want to do us all wrong.

I'll disagree about Thunderstrike.

A hacker would need physical access to my Mac.

So in practice it's hard. Just don't plug in shady peripherals and you'll be fine.

Don't install Paragon and you'll be fine. Even if the attack vector
includes automating the installation of Paragon software, with FileVault enabled on the OS X side, it still can't write to it.

Everybody should enable FileVault anyway.

 

[mmomega]

I have Windows 10 Preview running on a single Mac Mini at my office since October as a workstation to see if it plays nice with all of software. Most of our employees don't pay that close of attention to even notice that it's a different version of Windows.
I just wanted to quietly put something in the mix without telling them and see if I receive any complaints about something not working or issues in general with the workstation and so far I haven't heard a peep. Which is a good thing imo.

This is no virtual OS, no bootcamp, I just natively install Windows and drivers and completely remove all existence of OS X from the HDD.