Parallel Windows 8 for Mac Free Download

Win-8-concept-logoEvery bit you will no doubt be aware, the developer preview of Windows viii has docked and is ready for unloading onto your automobile. You'll most probable want to get peachy and take a look at what's on offer first manus before we reveal our comprehensive guide.

But, if you're using a Mac, you might want to terminate, pause for thought, and read this little piece on how to virtualize the latest build of Windows with Parallels, and just why it'southward a good idea.

Why Virtualize?

Obviously this early on developer preview (Build 8106) is still at a relatively early stage of development; therefore it'south probable that it's non going to be issue and hassle-gratis. As you lot're more than likely just going to exist 'playing' with it, rather than using it in whatever sort of productive capacity, running within a virtual machine (VM) makes it easy to just quit, restart or reinstall with minimal damage.

Using Parallels, yous can run the virtualised Bone aslope Mac OS X, and if you lot're running Lion with the latest version of the virtualisation software, you can make utilise of the 'full screen' feature, and take Windows 8 running every bit no more than its own app in Mission Command.

And Why Not?

At that place are simply a couple of reasons that bound to mind which would justify installing this version of Windows 8 make clean as the primary Os, or even within a dual-boot, and that is if yous're perhaps running an older machine, with relatively low specs.

Virtualization can exist quite resource intensive, and requires defended allocation of perhaps ane or 2 cores of your CPU and a couple of gigs of memory, thus deducting it from your primary OS and slowing both down to near-halt.

Alternatively, yous might just have a spare estimator lying around redundant, in which case you might want to go it out and update it with a make-spanking new OS.

Prepping Parallels

Well of course you volition get-go need to install Parallels, which will set up you dorsum a adequately hefty £64.99, unless you previously endemic a copy of version 5 or afterward, in which instance y'all'll only have to fork out £34.99 to upgrade.

Instead you might consider making apply of the free two-week trial that is aplenty time to get familiar with a new OS, which you'll likely ditch through frustration or a lack of necessity subsequently the novelty wears off anyway. The trial is fully-featured.

Once it's downloaded and installed, you lot'll demand to download your complimentary copy of the Windows eight developer preview.

Installing Windows

When yous offset open up Parallels, y'all'll exist faced with the post-obit window:

Parallels_Step1

You'll need to striking the highlighted option on the left hand end, labelled 'Install Windows from DVD or Image File'. Hither yous accept a choice. Either yous can just go through and select the .ISO file containing Windows eight that you downloaded earlier that is stored locally, or you tin burn said .iSO to a DVD, insert that and be on your way that way via your DVD drive. It's entirely up to yous, though read speeds from your HDD are considerably faster than those of a DVD, and so it might shave a few seconds off installation taking the erstwhile route.

If you decide to burn the DVD, you can simply proceed past this step equally the DVD drive is the default location that Parallels looks at when looking for an OS to install, so just hitting go along. Otherwise, striking the drop down menu, and select 'Choose an image file…', and locate information technology through Finder equally per usual.

Every bit you get by this pace, y'all'll find that yous receive an error message saying that Parallels couldn't automatically detect which version of Windows resides on the disc. Hardly surprising, considering it was uploaded but final dark to MSDN, and isn't commercially available yet. This is important . For the installation and Windows to work correctly, yous must select 'Other Windows' from the drop down it provides, which is hiding with in the 'More Windows' sub-menu.

Parallels_Windows8

Setting Up Your VM

In one case you've established that the version of Windows you're trying to install doesn't be, you will be faced with another potentially critical part of the journey. Of course, naming your Os and deciding where to locate the virtual OS on your local drive is important, simply more often that non volition survive as information technology is without whatsoever tampering. Just feel free to call it 'Windows viii', rather than the rather conspicuous 'Other Windows'.

What'southward more than important resides at the bottom of the pane, labelled 'Customize Settings Before Installation'. You will probably desire to check the accompanying box, even if it's but to await over what's set as default, and so your pane should look something like this:

Parallels_VM

If you do select the box, you lot'll be taken to a tabbed pane with diverse options. First of all, you'll want to decide how many cores y'all want to allocate your VM. Bear in mind that however many you practice, volition be deducted from the rest of your machine whenever the VM is in use, and then you volition detect a hit on performance.

I personally decided on allocating half of my cores to Windows for this practice, but depending on how many you have, this might not exist the all-time option. Stick with 1 or two I recollect for now, unless you lot're going to be demanding heavy-duty tasks from such an early build of Windows.

Secondly, you lot accept RAM. At present Parallels tells me that allocating 2GB is beyond the realms of sanity, and I should be mad to even consider it (highlighting it with a cherry indicator), just I went for information technology anyhow, and once more gave away half of my power to Microsoft. You can practice equally you wish, but I'd recommend no less than 1GB. Just use the slider to take information technology up or down to the point at which y'all're content with the juice y'all're giving Windows.

Parallels_Spec

At that place's besides a 'hardware' tab, you'll notice. From hither you tin can manage the more than complex aspects of your VM, such as your network setup and how the VM tin work with USB ports and optical drives. For the average user, what's there as default will do nicely, but anyone wishing to venture into the depths of the virtual world does and so at their ain risk.

By default, the virtual hard drive given to the virtual machine, for me at least, starts at 64GB, just should you use that space upward (unlikely), information technology naturally expands, eroding away at the remaining capacity of your bodily hard bulldoze, predictably.

Concluding Steps

One time that'due south achieved, y'all're all set to install Windows 8 on your VM. You're primed and ready, as they say, so set sail and don't await back. Hit continue from the spec sheet will bring upward a screen familiar to anyone who'south e'er installed Vista or Windows 7.

Parallels_WindowsLoading

And one non and then familiar screen.

Parallels_WindowsDevPrev

From there, you volition face the relatively simple chore of deciding where to install the Bone. Since at that place should only be a unmarried, virtual, partition, just select that as below and be on your way.

Parallels_WindowsPartition

Parallels_WindowsInstallation

Get and brand yourself a cup of coffee, expect for the Os to install of its own accord, and you're all prepare. Yous can opt to reboot the VM equally you would if yous had installed information technology make clean, or merely get underway as you are. Good luck.

Know more than almost downloading Microsoft Developer Preview of Windows 8 here. You can download Parallels 7 8 for Mac here. (Updated)

Parallel Windows 8 for Mac Free Download

Posted by: mooretherseld53.blogspot.com