This allows you to run Windows without creating a partition on your machine.
Run ArcGIS Pro in a virtual environmentĪrcGIS Pro can also run in a virtual environment such as Parallels. For more information about Boot Camp, see Apple's Support site. You can access the Assistant from the Utilities folder in the Applicationsįolder in macOS. Windows in a dedicated hard disk partition.
The Boot Camp Assistant helps you install You need your ArcGIS Pro installation files and a Windows installation DVD or disc image (. To run ArcGIS Pro in Windows installed natively with Boot Camp, To access Windows and macOS, you must restart your Mac. Limitation is that you cannot access macOS and itsĪpplications at the same time. The disk partition that contains your Windows operating system.
You can access Windows by restarting your Mac and pressing and holding the Option key while selecting Natively, accessing the Mac hardware directly. Run ArcGIS Pro natively on a Windows partition (Boot Camp)īoot Camp allows you to install Windows in a dedicated hardĭisk partition on your Mac. If you cannot view all the specifications for the host machine, you can use the Can You Run It utility to check your system's hardware. Deploy and connect to a cloud-hosted VM.įor hardware requirements for the host machine, see the ArcGIS Pro system requirements.Connect to a supported on-premises hosted VM.If you already have an incompatible Mac and want to run ArcGIS Pro, consider the following options: Mac systems configured with Apple Silicon (Mx), or non- Intel processors, are not compatible until Microsoft Windows OS environments are supported on Apple processors. To use ArcGIS Pro on a Mac, a contemporary Mac ( MacBook Pro, iMac, or Mac Pro) with a quad-core Intel processor, 256 GB storage, and 8 GB RAM or more is required. Earlier versions of Parallels are not recommended with ArcGIS Pro. However, if you do constantly need Windows programs on your Mac, it’s a no-brainer, and it will, at the end of the day, save you a lot of money than shelling out for a separate Windows computer altogether.Running ArcGIS Pro 2.3 and later on a Windows virtual machine (VM) on macOS requires Parallels version 15 or later. OutlookĪt a starting price of $80, Parallels is certainly not cheap, and it’s important to remember that it doesn’t include the cost of a Windows license. In comparison, when I played Counter-Strike on the Windows 11 virtual machine, it was practically unplayable at15 frames per second. As we found out in our M1 gaming review, the Mac Mini can produce a reasonable performance for mid-tier titles, including Fortnite, Asphalt, CS: GO, and more. Since Parallels doesn’t support DirectX 12, that leaves out most new video games, and for the ones it can launch, like Counter-Strike: Global Offensive, you’ll have a better time playing them on macOS itself. The one aspect where the Windows virtual machine is still no match for a direct installation is gaming. Similarly, you can access Mac files from the Windows File Explorer, and Mac apps will be available in Windows’ “Open-with” menu. Both the desktops can stay in sync as well, which means the active Windows programs will appear on the macOS dock. With the “Coherence” mode, you can access Windows apps as if they’re installed on macOS itself and effortlessly drag and drop files across them and Mac apps - minus the constant back and forth between the VM and macOS. Windows 11 on a Mac (Image credit: Future) So if you own an entry-level Mac with only 8GB of RAM like me, you can utilize this to ensure running two operating systems doesn’t grind your machine to a halt. The most important tool is the ability to configure how much memory and CPU bandwidth is allocated to the virtual machine. On top of that, it offers a host of handy tools so that you can adjust the experience depending on your demands. Parallels automatically shares your macOS profile’s data with the VM, such as Wi-Fi and printer settings. Once you’re inside the Windows 11 virtual machine, there’s little for you to set up.
Once you download Parallels on your Mac, its installation assistant will grab and load up the Windows 11 ISO file for you, and the M1 chip’s performance chops wrap up that process in about 30 minutes. Installing Windows on Parallels is no longer a multi-step process either.
It supports all the new Windows 11 bells and whistles, except for Android games since Parallels can’t replicate the “hardware acceleration” option just yet. Plus, it can wake up from sleep in an instant in the same state you left it, including all the open apps. Windows 11 on a Mac (Image credit: Parallels)Įverything from Windows 11’s refreshed animations to resource-intensive multitasking worked as Microsoft intended it to.