While we've for many years reached parity within the operating-system wars, and today's choices mostly dependent on personal preference, there does be a time when one operating-system is only a better option compared to other. Managing a Windows-only application, for example, is usually a requirement for a job or school, and an alternative that operates on macOS simply won't work.

Luckily, there's always virtualization. Because why choose an operating system when you can run all of them?

Why you need to Run Windows 11 on Mac

Once we have said above, there are plenty of reasons why you may want to install Windows 11 on the Mac computer. However, there are several common reasons why people often do it. Below are the three main reasons for you to install Windows 11 on your Mac.

To Run Windows-Exclusive Software: Some programs, especially video games, are freed exclusively for specific os's. In some instances, you should use third-party applications to force these programs to work on a Mac. However, if that's impossible, installing Windows 11 on your Mac may be the only option.
Get an understanding of the Other Side of the Fence: For those who have spent your whole life utilizing a Mac computer, then pretty sure you'll sooner or later get curious to understand the way a Windows computer feels like. Installing a virtual Windows 11 in your Mac computer is a cheaper and simpler alternative than purchasing a new computer just to test the Windows operating system.
Test Your Program's Windows Compatibility: This one mainly applies to software developers. Plenty of software developers prefer focusing on a Mac rather than a Windows computer. However, a problem is the place it's time to test their programs on a Windows 11 OS. By using an online Windows 11 in your Mac, you can test your software's compatibility with Windows as much as you want.

What Is Virtualization?

There are many methods for you to run other operating systems on a Mac computer. However, today we will focus solely on using virtualization to operate Windows 11 on a Mac. Virtualization is the procedure of running a practical system within another running system.

In contrast to Dual Booting, where your computer will be alternating between two different OS, Virtualization is really a program that emulates an OS while the original OS is running the former. Quite simply, it is macOS that'll be running this program that emulates Windows 11.

There are many virtualization tools that you could download, for example VMWare Fusion, Parallels Desktop, and VirtualBox. In the following paragraphs, we will be using Virtual Box for our virtualization. Oracle developed VirtualBox to supply free and open-source hosted hypervisor for virtualization.

What exactly you need to Run Windows 11 on the Mac

To get started in installing Windows 11 on your Virtualbox Virtual Machine, make sure that you possess the following:

Microsoft 11 ISO Image: You are able to download it here. You will need a Microsoft Account that is a member of the Windows Insider program.
Oracle VM VirtualBox installer.
A Microsoft 11 compatible Mac computer (in terms of technical requirements)
Processor: 1 gigahertz (GHz)
RAM: 4 gigabytes (GB)
Storage: 64 GB

Take note these are the minimum requirements to operate Windows 11. Which means that you'll need more than or at best double of these values for your Mac to operate the Windows 11 virtualization smoothly. It is because your Mac computer will continue to operate other background processes while you are running VirtualBox.

How you can Install Windows 11 on VirtualBox Virtual Machine

If you have completed the checklist above, it is time for all of us to get at the central part of this article. Listed here are the steps you have to take to get Windows 11 working on your Mac computer.

1) Install VirtualBox while using installer that you simply downloaded from above. Follow the instructions shown within the installer. While using default settings provided ought to be enough for our needs.
2) Open the Virtualbox by clicking on its icon on your Dock or Launchpad.
3) On the menu bar at the top of the window, click the New button. This will open a second window where you can enter the name of the new virtual machine, the virtual machine's storage location, its type, and, finally, its version.
4) From the window above, type your chosen reputation for your virtual machine. Leave the Machine Folder in arrears. Afterward, select Microsoft Windows as the Type and Windows 10 (64-bit) as the version.
5) Click the Next button at the bottom of the window.
6) Within the next stage, you'll be necessary to select your chosen memory allocation for your virtual machine. Drag the slider for your preferred memory size or enter in the value in to the field around the right. Although Windows 11's minimum memory requirement is only 1Gb, we recommend that you place this to a minimum of 4Gb or 4096 Mb.
7) When you are in the Hard disk step, select Create a virtual hard disk and click on Create.
8) Select VDI (Virtualbox Disk Image) as the Hard disk drive file type around the next window, then click Next.
9) Set Storage on a physical hard drive as Dynamically allocated. Click Next.
10) Next, select in which you would like your virtual machine to be saved and also the maximum size that it may occupy inside your Mac computer. Keep in mind that Windows 11 requires at least 64Gb to function.
11) Click Create. After a short time of loading, a brand new virtual machine should be listed on the left side of VirtualBox Manager.
12) The next few stages could be essential for setting up your virtual machine to run on Windows 11. First, right-click the name of your newly created virtual machine.
13) Select Settings from the dropdown. This will open the Settings window for the new virtual machine.
14) Go to the Storage tab and click on the Empty disk underneath the Storage Devices section.
15) On the right side of the screen, you need to see the Attributes section. Click on the CD icon beside the Optical Drive dropdown.
16) Select Select a disk file.
17) Around the opened window, navigate and discover the Windows 11 ISO image that you previously downloaded.
18) Choose the ISO image and click on Open. Watch for your virtual machine to load, and that's it. Your Windows 11 virtual machine is able to use.
19) To operate your virtual machine, return to VirtualBox's main screen and double-click its name. This will open a screen which has a Windows loading screen.
20) Do as instructed to set your preferences and other settings.

It might not be the most attention-grabbing Windows 11 feature, however the enhanced snap functionality is among my favorites as I'm perpetually choosing the perfect multi-window setup for each task.

The present snap functionality in Windows 10 handles this beautiful well, just dragging a window to the side or corner of your screen enables you to easily snap it into place and helps you fill in the rest.

Windows 11 has taken this functionality to the forefront and that i suspect many users is going to be encountering it for the first time.

When a user clicks on the maximize icon within the upper-right corner of the window it'll now present them with a number of options rather than simply going full screen. You are able to pick a side-by-side layout, a quartered split, or a mixture of the 2. Highlight the appropriate placement for the current Window for the reason that layout and it immediately snaps into position.

Again these options were all available in Windows 10, so the functionality has been there, this is just surfacing it for additional users. It's Microsoft pressing an underutilized advantage, this multitasking is vastly beyond what's on another major os's.

It also now adapts for your display size, offering much more layout options for individuals with larger displays. Windows 11 also specifically addresses multi-screen users, should you disconnect a docked laptop it'll bring within the Windows from the monitor and reduce them immediately. When you reconnect the layout will go back to the computer monitor exactly as it had been.

We can't wait to get our hands on this selection and check it out.

We've noted for some time it was coming, but it's finally coming: Microsoft has entered the ultimate phase of stepping away from SMB1 in Windows.

This means the most recent Windows 11 preview build, currently available within the Dev and Beta channels, no more has the SMB1 client installed by default on Home versions.

Microsoft's Ned Pyle shared this news earlier today, reminding us that the transmission from SMB1 started a long time ago with the release of Windows 10 Redstone 3.

"We began shipping Windows 10 and Windows Server with SMB1 not installed automatically in RS3, the "Fall Creators Update" of 2017. Initially, we stopped installing the SMB1 server service in any editions of Windows and stopped installing the SMB1 client service in many editions of Windows. Home and Pro editions still had the customer so users could connect with the vast number of consumer and small business third-party NAS devices that only supported SMB1. If the client didn't use whatever outbound use of SMB1 after total 15 times of uptime, it would then automatically uninstall it. In RS5 - version 1809 - we stopped installing SMB1 client in Pro editions," he said.

Next Windows 11 feature update due later this year

However, the transition continues with Windows 11, though it's important to remember that the modification doesn't affect those devices where SMB1 is already enabled.

The new policy will come into effect once the next major Windows 11 feature update launches for productivity devices, something that's projected to happen in the other half of the year.

"This isn't the final story, though: I'm also announcing that we're likely to remove the SMB1 binaries inside a future release. Windows and Windows Server will no longer range from the drivers and DLLs of SMB1. We'll offer an out-of-band unsupported install package for organizations or users that also need SMB1 to connect to old factory machinery, medical gear, consumer NAS, etc. - I'll convey more details on this in some months," Ned Pyle explained.

The brand new Windows Media Player for Windows 11 keeps evolving, and merely not surprisingly, Microsoft uses the Windows Insider program to test new ideas before they go love everybody.

The most recent preview build of Windows 11 comes alongside a brand new version of the Media Player. The new version is 11.2203.30.0, and can be installed today by users within the Dev channel.

In terms of what's new in this Media Player update, Microsoft says it has specifically refined the artist page to make it easier for users to browse their collections.

"You are now able to switch between two different thoughts about the artist page when browsing your collection. One view teaches you all of the albums inside a grid; another shows all the songs, grouped by album. We've also added quick actions to albums, artists, videos, and playlists when you hover them over for convenient selection and playback," the organization explains.

Notable performance improvements

Simultaneously, the updated app gets a context menu within the now playing screen.

"There's also now an opportune context menu available if you right-click on the now playing screen. From here you are able to open new files without navigating to a different page. You may also quickly access the album page and the artist page for your current song. We've added a new "video enhancements" feature too, which lets you adjust the brightness and contrast of the video," Microsoft says.

And also to any or all these new capabilities, the software giant can also be concentrating on the particular performance from the app. This latest update therefore introduces additional refinements designed to result in the app snappier and much more responsive on devices with large collection of music.

Quite simply, Media Player should certainly be faster when loading large music libraries, Microsoft says.

The most recent Windows 11 preview build, which is available right now for users within the Dev and also the Beta channels from the Windows Insider program, includes what's promising for File Explorer fans out there.

Before you may well ask, no, the tabs are still nowhere to appear, with Microsoft apparently concentrating on improvements in other regards.

Specifically, Windows 11 build 22593 introduced a brand new default homepage for File Explorer. It's called Home, and it's supposed to make accessing your most important files much easier.

"The default homepage of File Explorer has become called Home. The name Quick access has been repurposed for the pinned/frequent folders section and Pinned files is now called Favorites to align with Office and OneDrive," Microsoft explains.

File Explorer tabs

As for tabs, Microsoft has confirmed this selection is originating, but no ETA has been shared regarding when it's designed to happen.

The company announced at its hybrid work event now that tabs are indeed area of the next-generation feature lineup of File Explorer.

"We want to help Windows users be more efficient and much more productive in each and every experience. The redesigned, cloud-powered File Explorer makes it easier to find what you're looking for, allowing you to see all files in one centralized place. You can also pin files and create tabs in File Explorer, bringing what used to take six clicks to get at an essential file to 1," Microsoft's Panos Panay said in an announcement the 2009 week.

If anything, we should expect tabs in File Explorer to become area of the next feature update for Windows 11, that ought to theoretically go love production devices within the other half of the year, with a preview apt to be offered by the Build developer conference.

Microsoft has announced a new feature for File Explorer in the company's hybrid work event today. The file manager is getting support for contextual suggestions, something that'll make sharing files a more straightforward experience from one end to the other.

With contextual suggestions, that are run by Context IQ, File Explorer can automatically recommend contacts you may want to share certain files with.

The whole approach is dependant on an intelligent system that makes certain tasks far easier, so working with File Explorer gets a substantial overhaul in Windows 11.

Wangui McKelvey, General Manager, Microsoft 365, highlighted the refreshed File Explorer at the Microsoft event today.

"One of my personal favorite announcements today may be the refreshed experience of File Explorer. I can't let you know the number of hours I've spent looking for important files and folders through the years. Now, finding files is easy with new contextual suggestions in Windows run by Context IQ. This recommends relevant content and contacts across Windows-including happy to the cloud. For instance, I can tell what files I would want, including files that my frequent collaborators will work with that I additionally have access to," the Microsoft official explained.

Prone to go live in preview builds sooner rather than later

Unfortunately, Microsoft hasn't shared a timeline to let us know once the additional features could finally go love users available.

However, a significant feature update for Windows 11 is anticipated in the other half of the season, so it's believed some of these goodies could be part of this release.

We'll learn more about the ETA rather sooner than later, as all of the features announced today should very first time live in preview builds shipped as part of the Windows Insider program. However, it's most likely only a matter of time until the launch happens.

Windows 7 is not a supported operating system, as it reached the end of life in January 2020. Since then, Windows 7 hasn't received any updates, with Microsoft recommending users to maneuver to some newer version of the operating system, be it Windows 8.1, Windows 10, or Windows 11.

However, while Microsoft itself has provided up on Windows 7, other software companies are still providing devices running the operating-system with updates for his or her apps.

Firefox, for example, is constantly on the run on Windows 7, which is certainly good news for those holdouts given Mozilla's browser is one of the best out there.

Starting with Firefox 100, however, Windows 7 users will need to install a special update around the device so that you can run the browser.

Firefox 100 launching the following month

As noticed by TechDows, Firefox 100 requires Windows update KB4474419, as the browser is making the switch to SHA-256 code signing. Support for such tech on Windows 7 is available via the said update, so users are required to install it to continue running Firefox.

The good thing is the update was released in 2019 before Microsoft pulled the plug on Windows 7, which means that all devices still running the operating-system can install it totally free.

"Beginning in this release, the Firefox installer for Windows is signed having a SHA-256 digest, rather than SHA-1. Update KB4474419 is needed for successful installation on the computer running the Microsoft Windows 7 operating system. For more information about this update, visit the Microsoft Technical Support website," Mozilla explains within the release notes of the latest Firefox Nightly build.

Firefox 100 is projected to visit live in early May, so users still running Windows 7 on their information technology has approximately one month to make sure all pre-requisites are met before the latest version from the browser goes live.

We've known for a while that changing the default browsers on Windows 11 wasn't necessarily the most straightforward experience, and lots of accused Microsoft of deliberately making the process more complicated so that they can convince users to stick with Microsoft Edge.

While it's impossible to tell if this is true or not, it's understandable that such controversy isn't something which helps Microsoft and Windows 11 in the long term.

Actually, it does exactly the opposite, as users end up much more frustrated, eventually giving up on more Microsoft software as a approach to protest.

The good thing is that Microsoft have received the message, so the company finally resolved this major Windows shortcoming in the latest cumulative update shipped to Windows 11 devices this week.

Just a small part of a larger problem

As discovered on reddit, what is needed to alter the default browser on Windows 11 at this time is simply one click, as the setting takes care of all extensions (aside from PDF) that would be typically handled with a browser.

But while this is clearly a welcome change, Microsoft continues to have lots of try to do on this front. Windows 11 users ought to be permitted to change the default apps to handle the rest of the file types, no matter if we're talking about audio, video, or documents.

Probably, Microsoft is already aware this has to be done, as well as the moment, the organization seems to stick to small steps despite the fact that, at least theoretically, this shouldn't take too much time to implement.

Meanwhile, it's vital that you keep in mind this latest cumulative update that contains the modification is simply an optional release, therefore the new way of setting another default browser on Windows 11 will become available for everybody next month included in the Patch Tuesday cycle.

If you wish to try it out today, just head over to Windows Update and manually download this optional update.

Microsoft keeps focusing on making Windows 11 as a whole feel more modern, and part of its effort may be the expansion of the brand new look and feel towards the entire operating system.

Obviously, this isn't by any means easy and there's a lot of work that needs to be completed in this regard, but Microsoft uses the Windows Insider program specifically to make sure things are working just as planned.

Consequently, every Windows 11 build brings news about this front, with Microsoft therefore continuing the refresh of the Windows knowledge about such refinements ahead of a production launch.

Windows 11 build 22581 will not make any exception, because the software giant has now revamped the system tray icons experience to align with the rest from the operating-system.

If you're currently running the stable version of Windows 11, whenever you hover the Show hidden icons button around the taskbar, you should begin to see the old visual style that's been used in Windows 10.

Currently live only for insiders

The introduction of the aforementioned build changes this, because the flyout has been updated to appear more contemporary, with Microsoft bringing the same refresh to more parts of the machine tray.

"Keyboard focus and mouse hover for Win32 system tray icons and the "Show hidden icons" flyout have been updated to complement the rest of the visual style of the taskbar. You may even notice that drag-and-drop is no longer supported to pin/unpin these items - you are able to show/hide these icons using by right clicking on the taskbar and choosing "Taskbar settings". We also introduced an optional setting to hide the "show hidden icons" button completely, supporting users who want a less complicated taskbar," Microsoft explains.

Bear in mind this build is different to users within the Windows Insider program, but given it's live in both the Dev and Beta channels, it's probably only a matter of time until people running stable Windows 11 get their hands on these refinements too.

The Windows 11 Snipping Tool, plus a number of other apps, isn't employed by many users. According to Microsoft's "Windows 11 Known Issues and Notifications" page, the culprit is an expired digital certificate preventing users from launching and/or using several built-in programs.

Other affected apps range from the Touch Keyboard, Voice Typing and the Emoji Panel. Microsoft released a patch for this issue, but you will need to update it manually because it's currently in the preview channel. Unfortunately, as of this writing, the Redmond-based tech giant hasn't yet found a treatment for the Snipping Tool app (via The Verge).

Some Windows 11 apps aren't working, but there's a fix - type of

If you've unsuccessfully attempted to have a screenshot when the windows are 11 Snipping Tool or had trouble expressing your deepest, truest feelings in the form of an emoji, you're not alone. Since Nov. 1, several Windows 11 apps haven't been working smoothly. As mentioned, the Snipping Tool, Emoji Panel, Touch Keyboard and Voice Typing programs are broken along with the S-Mode Start Menu and Settings apps.

Microsoft rolled out a fix (patch KB4006746), only for that Touch Keyboard, Voice Typing, and Emoji Panel apps. If you've been hoping for a rectification of the Snipping Oral appliance S-Mode apps, you won't find it - a minimum of, not yet.

"We are working on a near-term resolution for the Snipping tool and the S mode issues and will provide an update when available," Microsoft said.

To install the partial fix, navigate to Settings > Windows Update.

For users seeking a workaround solution for the Snipping Tool app, Microsoft recommends while using Print Screen key on your keyboard and pasting the screenshot into Paint to pick and duplicate the section you would like.