How to Install Windows 11 on MacBook (Boot Camp Assistant)

macOS is a very stable and reliable operating system, but if for some reason you need to install Windows 11 on a MacBook or Mac, in this tutorial, you will see step-by-step how to do the installation with the help of Boot Camp Assistant. For this tutorial, the installation of Windows 11 was done on a MacBook Pro 2017, the model with Touch Bar.

With the release of Windows 11, Microsoft has limited this upgrade for many older generations of PCs and laptops. Computers that do not support TPM 2.0 and UEFI (Secure Boot), theoretically, cannot run Windows 11. For this reason, Windows 11 is not compatible with any model of Mac or MacBook because Apple does not use computers with TPM 2.0 and UEFI architecture. Theoretically. In practice, with a few operations and patience, you can install Windows 11 on a MacBook, both on Intel models and those with Apple Silicon architecture (M1, M2, M3, or other generations).

I know there are many tutorials that show some tricks to install Windows 11 on a MacBook, but for owners of MacBook models with Touch Bar and USB-C ports, it is a bit more complicated. During the installation process, key combinations involving the special "F" keys may be required, or the connection of a wireless mouse with a USB receiver may be necessary. To make the issue even more complicated, Boot Camp Assistant on macOS Monterey (and on some newer versions of macOS) no longer allows the installation of Windows 10 using a USB flash drive. There was a trick by which Windows 11 files from an external source (flash drive) could be modified, and thus the installation could be done. The trick remained valid only for macOS Catalina. Old Mac models.

Related: Fix “This PC can’t run Windows 11” and Install

How to install Windows 11 on MacBook (Touch Bar)

Despite all the difficulties mentioned above, you can install Windows 11 on a MacBook Pro with Touch Bar by following the steps below. Note that this tutorial is written for macOS Monterey. It is possible that over time, Apple may have changed something in Boot Camp Assistant to simplify this process, and the installation of Windows 11 may be much simpler. So, use this tutorial only if the standard installation method does not allow you to install Windows 11.

Related: How to Install Windows 11 on Apple Silicon with VMware Fusion

1. Download the ISO image of the Windows 10 operating system.

In practice, there is no direct possibility to install Windows 11 using Boot Camp Assistant. The only option is to first install Windows 10 and then upgrade to Windows 11. (At least, that's what I did after many other failed attempts.)

Go to the official Windows 10 download page and download the 10-bit Windows 64 ISO image on your Mac. Preferably save it in the "Downloads" folder.

Download Windows 10 ISO from Microsoft

2. Install Windows 10 on Mac using Boot Camp Assistant.

Open the Boot Camp Assistant utility on macOS and follow the installation steps for Windows 10, using the ISO image downloaded in step 1. Allocate approximately 90 GB for the operating system. Windows 10 64-bit requires at least 20 GB, but to install Windows 11 on a MacBook, a minimum of 64 GB is needed.

Most likely, during the Windows 10 installation process, you won't have Wi-Fi drivers available to connect to the internet (and I assume you don't have a USB-C Ethernet adapter readily available). Complete the Windows 10 installation process on your Mac, and after the system starts up, run the Boot Camp utility on Windows 10 (it launched automatically for me) and wait for it to install all the necessary drivers, including those for Wi-Fi. Connect Windows 10 to the internet wirelessly and run Windows Updates.

3. Download the ISO image of Windows 11 for 64-bit.

Go to the official Windows 11 download page and download the ISO image. Preferably, download it to a USB stick to avoid taking up space on the Windows 10 partition.

4. Download the Windows11Upgrade utility.

Windows11Upgrade is a free utility with no ads and other nonsense through it, which helps us bypass Microsoft's system requirements for installing Windows 11. Download Windows11 Upgrade via GitHub.

Download Windows11Upgrade via GitHub.

5. Install Windows 11 with Windows11Upgrade.

At this step, you practically begin to install Windows 11 on MacBook. Run Windows11Upgrade on Windows 10 and select the Windows 11 ISO image downloaded in step 3. The installation process may take a few minutes, but in the end, you will have Windows 11 on your MacBook Pro.

plumber Windows 11 on MacBook with Windows11 Upgrade Tool.
Windows 11 Upgrade Tool

I installed it using the "Upgrade" option, which is safer considering that this utility was not designed to install Windows 11 on a Mac. I do not recommend the "Clean install" option at all. You may lose the drivers installed with Boot Camp and other Apple applications essential for the proper functioning of Windows.

Windows 11 on MacBook Pro – First Impression

Related: How can you connect Magic Mouse (Apple) to a computer or laptop with an operating system Windows.

The operating system runs very quickly, and in several hours of testing, I encountered no errors. The Touch Bar functions for the special "F" keys in combination with "Fn" and for adjusting display brightness, keyboard illumination, and media control commands. The driver for the MacBook's AMD Radeon Pro graphics card was installed along with calibration and customization software. The Magic Mouse 2 connects automatically without the need for manual pairing. Custom settings are required for scrolling.

Passionate about technology, I enjoy writing on StealthSettings.com since 2006. I have a rich experience in operating systems: macOS, Windows, and Linux, as well as in programming languages and blogging platforms (WordPress) and for online stores (WooCommerce, Magento, PrestaShop).

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1 thought on "How to install Windows 11 on MacBook (Boot Camp Assistant)"

  1. I tried to install it, comma by comma, punto por punto as indicated, but it doesn't work. Aparece un mensaje, tras un rato, diciendo (windows 11) que "esta con dificultamente en comprador la compatibilidad del equipo". Justo lo que no tiene que decir, ya que al app windows 11-Upgrade es seems to prevent pass eso.

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