Parallels manages the complexities of Windows 11’s TPM and Secure Boot requirements with a virtual TPM combined with Apple silicon. Parallels began supporting Windows on M1 chips with the release of Parallels Desktop 16.5, but this most recent version enables one-click download and installation of Windows 11. Microsoft has only licensed Windows versions of Arm directly to OEMs up until recently, making it difficult for M1 and M2 customers to run it in VM officially. Microsoft’s proposal to officially authorize Parallels to support this method of running Windows 11 on Apple’s most recent Macs is a significant improvement over what we had previously.

Apple has offered no indication that it will support Boot Camp on M1 or M2 Macs, which will not deliver the highest performance attainable with a native solution. Microsoft has restrictions on which CPUs may run Windows 11 natively, while Apple M1 and M2 customers can run the operating system in a virtual environment. According to a new Microsoft support document published today, Parallels Desktop version 18 is “approved” to run Arm versions of Windows 11 on Apple’s most recent M1 and M2 Macs. Obviously, this requires both an Internet connection as well as a subscription to the Microsoft 365 Business Cloud PC service, which starts at $31 a month per user.Microsoft collaborates with Parallels to enable a virtualized Arm version of Windows on Apple’s most recent laptops.Ī partnership between Microsoft and Parallels enables Windows 11 to run in a virtual environment on Apple’s M1 and M2 Macs. You can then connect your Mac to a Microsoft server, where you can run a cloud-based version of Windows 11. The other authorized solution for Windows 11 on Macs is to sign up for Microsoft 365. That includes not being able to run Windows apps or games that use DirectX 12 or OpenG元.3, along with no support for the Android or Linux Subsystems. In a separate FAQ section, Microsoft points out the many limitations of running Windows 11 Arm on these Macs. You will have to use Parallels Desktop version 18, which first launched back in August 2022. The first official solution is specifically for the Arm-based versions of Windows 11 Pro and Windows 11 Enterprise and only for Apple's M1 and M2 Mac PCs in a VM (virtual hardware) mode. One is to use Parallels Desktop, and the other is to connect your Mac to Microsoft 365's Cloud PC feature with Windows 11. If you really, really, want to install Windows 11 on a Mac, Microsoft is now giving you a couple of officially approved solutions.

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