How to emulate Windows on Mac using Parallels

Running Windows on your Mac lets you keep using macOS while still having access to apps that only exist on Windows. Some people ask why not just buy a Windows laptop, but often we only need a few Windows apps, not everything Windows has to offer. I have used macOS for more than 5 years, my phone is an iPhone too, and I think the Apple ecosystem is really great. Why give up the whole garden for a single flower, right? Just use Parallels to run Windows on your Mac.

Download Parallels for Mac

Step 1: Download the Parallels for Mac installer from the official website. You can start with the 14-day free trial.

Step 2: Install Parallels on your Mac. Open the DMG file, then double-click the Parallels icon to start the installation.

Step 3: Give Parallels access to your folders. When the permission window appears, click Next to open the Privacy & Security settings.

You can also open Privacy & Security directly in System Settings and go to Files & Folders. Allow Parallels to access the Desktop Folder, Documents Folder, and Downloads Folder.

Parallels is now ready to run Windows on your Mac, or other desktop operating systems like Linux.

Emulate Windows on Mac with Parallels

When you don’t have any virtual machines yet, Parallels suggests installing Windows 11 first.

Step 1: Click the Install Windows button to start downloading and installing Windows in Parallels.

Step 2: Set up the other permissions while Parallels installs Windows. Here are my suggestions from experience:

• iCloud: Don’t allow it. Anything you need to do with iCloud, macOS already handles.
• Network and other permissions: Allow them, because Parallels needs them to work properly.

Step 3: Once Windows is installed, click the screen to start the 14-day trial. You only need to enter your email.

Step 4: Start using Windows on macOS. Accept the Windows terms to begin.

And here is Windows running on a Mac. But if you only need one app, such as Power BI for Mac, and don’t need the rest of Windows, I recommend Coherence mode. You will find the instructions below.

Change the RAM and CPU of the Windows virtual machine

By default, Parallels gives the Windows virtual machine 8 GB of RAM and 4 CPUs. This setup suits Macs with 16 GB of RAM. If your Mac is more or less powerful, you can adjust it.

Go to Actions, select Shut Down to turn off the Windows virtual machine, then open Configure.

Go to CPU & Memory, select Manual, and change the values. Just remember one rule: don’t go over 50% of your Mac’s resources (as recommended by the developer).

• Processors: This is the CPU. For example, my Mac has 16 CPU cores, so I choose 8.
• Memory: This is the RAM. For example, my Mac has 48 GB of RAM, so I choose 24.

After changing the configuration, start Windows again to keep using it.

Using Coherence mode

This is the feature I find most interesting in Parallels compared to other apps for running Windows on Mac. It puts the window of a Windows app right on your macOS desktop, so you no longer see the rest of Windows.

After opening an app in the Windows virtual machine, click View and select Enter Coherence, or press Control Command C.

The Windows desktop disappears, leaving only the app window on top of macOS. It looks just like an app designed for macOS.

If you like using Coherence mode, add the apps you need to the Windows Start menu. That way, you can open them from the Windows icon on the macOS dock without exiting Coherence.

I have been using Parallels for more than 2 years, and personally I find it the best fit for running Windows on a Mac. Most Mac users only need one stable virtual machine, while other virtualization apps are better suited to creating and managing many virtual machines at once.