{tutorial} in depth guide to windows 11 on a macbook

would it surprise you to know that im currently writing this on windows 11. probably not, right? its probably just an older intel macbook pro with native support for windows, right?

what if i told you that said macbook pro is running an M1 max. i know what your thinking, it probably goes along the lines of "difficult but feasible, but who would pay for parallels just to run windows over an os most see as leagues better?". well... i havent. but dont worry, because im going to be answering all of your questions and more in this here article

see, an app came out a while back called UTM which introduced mainstream OS emulation and virtualisation to macOS sillicon it can run a wide range of operating systems from windows 10 and 11 to debian 12 and reactOS 0.4.14.

personally i went for emulating macOS 9 and windows 11 for a mix of history and modern day. best of all it downloads drivers and tools for you, so i could actually go online with them (surprisingly rare for emulation software today). 

so, i hear you asking, "how does this affect me?" and "wont there be performance issues?" well allow me to tell you.

1. "how does this affect me?" - this means that you can run .exe files on its recommended operating system while keeping everything on the same machine, and thanks to the fact you can still listen to music through the other os and receive both sets of notifications it means your never far from what you need to do.
2. "wont there be performance issues?" - well yes, and no. yes in the way that unedited there can be slight performance setbacks with windows on macbooks, but the fact that you wont need to buy a new laptop for it greatly overshadows that for me, plus with the addition of allowing it to use more cores, memory etc will allow it to run faster... possibly faster than other new windows laptops *cough* dell xps *cough*

so lets move away from the "why" and "what" and further in the direction of "how" shall we.

(⚠️ this assumes that you are downloading windows 11, if you are downloading another os, instructions may differ, use caution when editing files on your device)

1. go to the utm website and either download it from there (free but without automatic updates) or allow it to take you to the mac app store (£10 towards the creator, automatic updates. if you have the money i highly recommend the paid version as it supports the creators and keeps the software to those who cant afford it)
2. while it is installing go to windows 11 arm64 iso download and sign in (you may have to sign up for the insider program if you are not already)
3. download the windows 11 iso
4. open utm
5. select "create new virtual machine"
6. click "virtualise" this means that the software will run natively on your M1, M2, or M3 processor.
7. click windows when it asks you which os you are installing
8. make sure "install windows 10 or higher" is checked
9. check import vhdx image 
10. set the iso path by clicking "browse" and navigating to the downloads folder to find the iso you downloaded earlier
11. when the iso is set click continue
12. choose how much memory you want and how many cpu cores it should use. i recommend using default cpu cores (this can be changed later, though it may cause temporary issues)
13. the next screen asks you how much space it should take up (like a virtual hard drive)
14. the next screen asks you for a folder it can share with macOS meaning that you can put a file into it on macOS and you will be able to access it on windows
15. the next screen allows you to name the vm
16. click save
17. when ready, click the arrow to start the vm (play button)
18. in a few minutes you should see the windows start screen
19. navigate setup of windows 11 (use control + option to use mouse in vm and use the same shortcut to release control on the mouse)
20. when you boot in go to the cd drive ion windows and install the spice tools (drivers) for windows.
21. reboot the virtual machine using the windows menu instead of the main vm menu.

common issues (if you encounter an issue comment it below and ill work on fixing it and finding a solution [average response time is 3 hours, may be longer on the weekends or mid-day])

1. network error on startup, restart the vm using the rear facing arrow at the top of the window, when you get to the lang select shift + FN + F10 to enter console then type in "OOBE\BYPASSNRO" and press enter (this tells the device to skip network setup). the machine will then restart and when you get to the network page it will offer the option "i dont have internet". use that to complete setup.

extra information

• to access the settings of the vm click the vm in the main utm menu and them click the three lines (they look like dj sliders) in the top right of the window. you can then change aspects of the vm (the vm must be shut down to access any of these)
• you can copy text from one os to the other (macOS to windows or vice versa) but you cant drag and drop files like in parallels
• if you find that the vm is slow adjust the cpu cores in UTM menu -> system -> cpu cores

tech lingo dictionary (for when you say "the hell does that mean?")

1. ISO - the disk image of an os (see below)
2. OS - operating system, the software running on your system
3. operating system - manages your apps and software (ios (different to ISO see above), macOS, windows, linux, etc)
4. vm - virtual machine, when you run an operating system in another operating system through a highly specialised piece of software. its usually done to test apps as it doesnt interact with your operating system acting as a failsafe for viruses or bugs (see below).
5. bug - an issue with the software on your system, for example the clock displaying four hands instead of the desired three.
6. dj - person who mixes music
7. console - a direct link to the operating system through text.
8. cpu - central processing unit, the 'brain' of the computer.
9. parallels - vm software made to virtualise windows on macOS on subscription.
10. memory - its like a separate hard drive on your computer specifically meant to hold part of the operating system and files the computer is working on, this memory gets cleared when the computer turns off (volatile memory) unlike hard drives which are made to keep data even when off (non-volatile memory)

different types of memory and storage:

• RAM (memory)
• tape (used to be used as storage in old computers and camcorders)
• HDD (hard disk drive - hard drive)
• SSD (the replacement for hard drives, no longer uses magnetic disks and is faster)
• floppy disk (magnetic disk in a plastic packaging, incredibly slow)

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