Switching to the Mac: The Missing Manual, El Capitan Edition

Installing Boot Camp

To set up Boot Camp, you need the proper ingredients:

• A copy of Windows 8, 8.1, or 10. In all cases, it has to be the 64-bit version of Windows, and it has to be a full installation copy—not an upgrade version. And you need the ISO (disk image) of the Windows installer. (If you got Windows on a flash drive instead, then download the ISO from Microsoft and use the serial number that came with the flash drive.)

• At least 55 gigs of free hard drive space on your built-in hard drive, or a second internal drive. Windows is not svelte. (You can’t install Windows on an external drive using Boot Camp.)

  FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTION: The Virus Question

  Doesn’t running Windows on my Mac mean that I’ll be exposed to the nightmare of viruses and spyware, just like I was with Windows?

  Yep!

  If you install Windows on your Mac, you should also install antivirus and antispyware software to protect that half of the computer. The world is crawling with commercial programs that do the job. There are also lots of free programs, including Windows Defender, which comes built right into Windows.

  The good news is that even if your Windows installation gets infected, the Mac side of your computer is unaffected. Just as OS X can’t run Windows-only software like, say, Microsoft Access, it also can’t run Windows virus software.

  And if a virus does strike, no big deal; just drag the infected copy of Windows to the Trash and install a fresh one!

• The keyboard and mouse that came with your Mac. You can also ...