The Mac Mini is a small desktop computer manufactured by Apple Inc. It is compact-sized when compared to other desktops at 7.7 inches square, 1.4 inches tall and is very light weight at merely 1.22kg. Mac Mini desktops use G4 single-core 32-bit PowerPC processors having 512 KB of on-chip L2 cache. Mac OS is by default provided in the Mac Mini. Mac OS is a series of GUI (graphical user interface) based operating systems developed by Apple for their computer systems. It has been concluded after many reviews that it feels a bit zippy in performing the basics using Mac OS. So in order to access the system efficiently one can use Windows 7 as their operating systems as they are much easier to deal with.
How To Install Windows 7 On Mac Mini Desktops
Here is a mind-blowing solution for all the mac users who are eagerly waiting to test the new generation Windows 7 operating system on their Mac. One should follow these steps using the boot camp assistant software. Before starting the installation process via boot camp, you must have the following things ready at your finger tips:
- The Mac must be updated with the latest firmware.
- Windows 7 installation DVD
- Snow leopard OS or later installation DVD
- At least 30 GB of free space in the hard disk drive to install the windows and using it completely.
- Time Machine back up of the OS X.
Steps For Installing Windows On A Mac
The boot camp assistant software helps you to install the Windows OS on an Intel-based Mac by downloading the required software for creating a partition on the disc and start the Windows installer. Here are the following steps to install Windows 7 on a Mac Mini:
- Launch the boot camp utility software by going to utilities and selecting boot camp assistant and opening it.
- Once launched click on the continue button on the introduction screen. Decide yourself and allocate about 30 GB of space to windows 7. To do so, the small divider between mac OS X and windows must be clicked, and dragged to the left.
- Click the partition button to allocate the space.
- It should go smoothly. In case of any error, selecting the boot camp click the format link, the troubleshooting will be done.
- On completion of this step, a ‘BOOTCAMP’ drive will appear on the desktop.
- Now insert the windows 7 installation DVD and click start Installation button.
- The windows booting will start when PC restarts. Before that, a window, seeking permission on which partition the windows will get installed, will display. Select the BOOTCAMP drive in the name column.
- Selecting the boot camp click the format link and click OK.
- The installation begins. Once the system reboots, remove the installation DVD.
- With the windows 7 DVD removed, the mac will boot back into windows 7, and the installation is complete. The window will prompt the user to select the appropriate language, keyboard layout etc. The rest of the windows 7 installation process is easy.
- On completion of the installation, the windows can be used in the Mac. Connect to the net and start windows update. Restart on completion.
- After restating, the advanced graphic features can be activated. However the sound drivers will not get installed using this process alone.
- For installing the sound drivers, insert the snow leopard/ OS X installation DVD. If you’re using snow leopard and a message pops up saying “Remote Install Mac OS X”, close that window and eject the CD. Put the CD in again and this time select “Open folder to view files”, navigate to the boot camp folder and run setup.exe.
- The boot camp installer will launch. Simply click next to begin.
- Select I accept the terms in the license agreement and then click next again.
- Making sure that apple software update for windows is checked, click install.
- The boot camp will install all the necessary drivers.
- The mac will keep notifying you about each driver installation and once finished, click finish.
- Finally, reboot the mac for one last time.
So these are some of the guidelines that can be useful to install Windows 7 on a Mac Mini. Therefore, one can refer to these guidelines in order to use the Mac Mini without any difficulty and reliably.
About the author: Brianne is a blogger by profession. She loves writing on technology and design. Beside this she is fond of gadgets. Recently an article on wireless routers attracted her attention. These days she is busy in writing an article on golf bags for her blog.
