Thanks to modern virtualization technologies, you can use multiple operating systems simultaneously on your Mac. In this guide, we will show you how to install and use Windows 11 with Parallels Desktop.
Requirements
- Installed Parallels Desktop
- Windows 11 ISO file
- Optionally, a valid Windows 11 product key
Step 1
Open Parallels Desktop and click on the Plus icon in the top right corner of the Control Center to create a new virtual machine.
Then select:
“Install Windows or another OS from a DVD or image file”
and click “Continue”.
Step 2
Drag the Windows 11 ISO file into the Parallels window or select it via the file search.
Then click “Continue”.
Step 3
If you do not have a product key yet, uncheck:
“Enter the license key to speed up installation”
If you already have a key, you can enter it directly here.
Then click “Continue”.
Step 4
Select the desired version of Windows 11 and click “Done”.
Step 5
Specify what you primarily want to use Windows 11 for.
These settings can be adjusted later at any time.
Click “Next”.
Step 6
Give a name to your virtual machine.
Enable the option:
“Customize settings before installation”
and then click “Create”.
Step 7
In the now opened settings window, select “Hardware” → “CPU & RAM”.
Recommended settings:
- 4 CPU cores
- 8 GB RAM
Alternatively, you can use Parallels' automatic configuration.
Step 8
Click on the Plus icon in the bottom left and select:
“TPM chip”
.
Step 9
Confirm the security prompt with “Add”.
After that, you can close the settings window.
Step 10
Now click “Continue” to start the installation of Windows 11.
The installation will be carried out automatically and may take a few minutes.
After successful setup, you can use Windows 11 directly on your Mac.
Congratulations!
You have successfully installed Windows 11 with Parallels Desktop on your Mac and can now use all the features of Windows on your Apple device.