Installing Windows on your Mac for free using VirtualBox
Introduction
Despite the best efforts of the Mac student community, there will still be some courses which - due to the Windows-only policy of the Open University - are inaccessible to Mac-using students. (see our compatibility list). The only solution in these cases will be to access a running version of Microsoft Windows in order to run those necessary programs. This leaves the Mac user with the following options:-
1. Buy or find a PC to run the programs on. Not exactly a cost-effective move for a penny-conscious student who has already purchased a Mac.
2. Buy or find a copy of MS Windows to install on their Mac using Apple's very nice and free Boot Camp software - included with Mac OS X.
Number two is a really nice solution, although having to stump up for Windows is hardly a Mac user's idea of a good time ;-) However, Boot Camp has one annoying drawback. You have to restart your computer every time you wish to use the Windows system, and then restart again to get back into your Mac system. That's after you've had to partition your disk to install Windows in the first place! (Apple makes this easy - but it's still a chunk taken out of your Hard Drive) Swapping files between the two isn't very easy to do, which can be irritating if you wish to do most of your coursework in your native Mac system - only using Windows when you must.
That is why virtualisation has really caught on in the Mac world. What virtualisation does is allow you to run a Windows operating system inside a program window on your Mac - so you don't need to restart your computer every time you need Windows. It's right there on your desktop. Also, you can swap files between the two systems - which means you could potentially write your essays on the Mac and then send it to Windows to be submitted - or open Windows-only files which could then be viewed on the Mac. Very useful.
Up until 2008, there have been two main virtualisation solutions for Mac - Parallels and VMWare. Both are very good, but both cost money which - added to the cost of Windows - is starting to mount up on the student budget. However, we now have a FREE virtualisation solution - thanks to those clever people at Sun Microsystems - the people who bring you Java. It's called VirtualBox - and it's pretty impressive for the price.
So this article aims to give mac users at the OU the most cost-effective way to install a version of Windows in a virtual environment on their Mac.
The essential ingredients required to achieve this are :-
- A Macintosh containing an Intel
processor – built as
standard in all new Mac models after mid-2006. Earlier models
containing a PowerPC chip will not
work. (see this page
for details)
- A version of Windows to install. These must be legit copies, as
you'll need to activate the software.
- A copy of Sun VirtualBox for OSX hosts.
- Lots of RAM in your Mac.
A word about memory
Before we go on, it is worth emphasising the need for lots of system memory (RAM) when you install a virtual system on your computer. Basically, a virtual operating system working inside VirtualBox is being fooled into thinking that it's running all by itself on a real PC! Which is a very neat trick. However, this OS will still need lots of RAM - just as it would on its own PC - because it can't rely on the Mac's supply as other apps can. Therefore, your Mac will need lots of extra RAM, in order for you to set some aside for the virtual operating system when it's running. Your Virtual PC needs a fixed slice of the RAM to work - it can't just be given it when it needs it, like other Mac apps. So you have to have enough to share around, or else your Mac will slow down to a horrible crawl when your Virtual PC is running.So how much is enough?
Well, I would have at very least 2GB of RAM in your Mac if you intend to run XP or Vista virtually. Then I would assign at least 1GB to the Virtual OS when it's running (see below). Having said that, I believe the best advice about RAM is to get as much as you can afford. It's not expensive these days, and will absolutely not go to waste. Get as much as your Mac can take if you can. You won't regret it. Your virtual OS will zip along like a native, and your Mac will reward you with snappier performance.Tips on RAM purchasing
Rule number one - don't buy it from Apple!! They are famous rip-off merchants for memory. Most experienced Mac users purchase their mac with basic RAM, then buy extra memory elsewhere.A good place is Crucial, which has a nifty little selector tool on its web page that ensures you get exactly the right memory for your Mac. Installation is usually pretty easy, with documentation available online and with your mac. Contact this website if you get stuck.
Hang on.... didn't you say free ?
What about having to buy Windows?
Ah, yes. You noticed. Although you can get VirtualBox for free, you'll
still need that copy of Windows. And a legitimate copy of Windows costs
money to buy. An OEM version of XP (now discontinued) can be bought on
eBay relatively cheaply - for about fifty pounds. Vista, the current
Windows system, is a lot more pricey to buy. These versions are fully supported by the OU, and
will give you the least bother to install and run. But that's still and
extra fifty quid on the
student budget.....and just because you've got a Mac, you have no
choice....Or have you?
What if I was to tell you that there is another way for OU students to get Windows running on their machine. For nothing. Zilch. And this way is legal. And although it might be slightly trickier to set up, and may not do or run everything XP or Vista does, there's a fair chance it'll do everything you need for the OU. Interested?The operating system in question is not a consumer product at all - but Windows Server 2003. And in a very generous gesture by none other than Microsoft themselves, this software is available to students for nothing!
Windows Server can be made to run your OU software with a bit of tweaking. And VirtualBox is designed to run Windows Server like a dream - so you can get all you need for your course onto your Mac for no extra cost.
Choose your poison
In a second, I'll tell you how to go about installing Windows on your Mac - whether it's the consumer version like XP, or the free version of Windows Server. You can choose which instructions you need by clicking the appropriate link below.But first a small note of caution. Windows Server is not a consumer system. It's built on the same foundation as XP and Vista, but is intended for heavyweight enterprise work. Now this means that - although it's very similar - there are some things which need to be done, tweaked or downloaded to make it work like a desktop system. So if you are someone who hates computers - just wants a quiet life - and doesn't mind spending fifty quid on XP, then I would recommend you do so - rather than installing Windows Server. It'll be less hassle.
If on the other hand you're short of cash, and don't mind tweaking the system a little bit, then give the Windows Server solution a try. At least a failed install won't cost you anything but hurt pride ;-)
Select one of the following to proceed:
Installing XP on the Mac using VirtualBox |
Download PDF |
Installing Windows Server 2003 on the Mac for free using VirtualBox |
Download PDF |