🎮 How to Install Windows on a MacBook for Free: UTM + Windows Preview

One day, I suddenly wanted to play LaTale, a nostalgic game from my childhood. But then came the problem: LaTale doesn’t officially support macOS… 😅

In this post, I’ll explain how I installed and ran Windows on my MacBook — for free — and share how it performs when running games.

🖥 Ways to Run Windows on a MacBook

There are several ways to run Windows on a Mac:

Erase macOS completely and install Windows directly
Install Windows via a virtual machine on top of macOS

However, erasing macOS basically defeats the purpose of owning a Mac, and the process is complicated and risky.

Realistically, the best choice is: Use a virtual machine to install Windows on macOS.

💸 Is It Possible to Do This for Free?

The most famous method is using Parallels, but it requires a paid subscription and isn’t cheap.

If you clicked on this blog post, chances are you’re like me: You want to install Windows without spending money.

So in this guide, I’ll show you how to: 👉 Use the free virtual machine UTM, and 👉 Download the Windows Insider Preview version to install and run Windows on your MacBook for free.

🔧 Summary of the Method Used

Item	Details
Virtual Machine	UTM (Free)
Windows Version	Windows Insider Preview (ARM version, free download)

🛠️ Quick Installation Guide

Install UTM Download the free UTM app from the official UTM site.
Download Windows Preview ISO
- Prepare a Microsoft account.
- Join the Windows Insider Program. (Joining is free.) Note: It may take about a day for your registration to fully process before you can download the ISO.
- Visit the Windows Insider Preview ISO Download page.
- Select your preferred edition. I recommend either the Canary or Release Preview Channel.
Set Up Windows on UTM
- Launch UTM → Create a New Virtual Machine → Choose Virtualize → Select Windows.
- Check all options: “Install Windows 10 or higher,” “Import VHDX Image,” and “Install drivers and SPICE tools.”
- Set the Boot VHDX Image to the ISO file you downloaded from Microsoft.
- Allocate memory: 4096MB (4GB) by default is fine, but if your Mac has 16GB RAM or more, allocating 8192MB (8GB) is better for performance.
- Skip the Shared Folder setup.
- Review the summary and click Save.
- Once setup is complete, double-click to start Windows. (Note: The first boot might take a while.)
Configure Windows Settings

Since it’s a virtual machine, you’ll face some setup issues like no network initially, and non-English users might encounter text encoding problems. Here’s what you need to do:

Network & Display Scaling Setup: Install Guest Tools
- Choose your preferred region and language.
- Skip the second keyboard layout option.
- On the network connection screen, no “Skip” button will appear. Press fn + Shift + F10 (or just Shift + F10) to open the command prompt.
- Enter oobe\bypassnro and hit Enter. (This will force a reboot. If it fails, simply close and reopen the VM.)
- After rebooting, go through the region and language setup again.
- This time, you’ll see an “I don’t have internet” button — click it.
- Accept the agreements and proceed through setup.
- Now you’ll see Windows running inside your Mac!
- Go to the UTM Guest Support page and download the spice-guest-tools.xxx.exe package.
- Mount the ISO in UTM and install it. (This will enable network and screen scaling features properly.)
(Optional) Multi-language Settings

If you’re fine with English, you can skip this. Otherwise, for non-English users:
- Open Settings → Time & Language.
- Under Date & time, set your time zone.
- Under Language & region, add your preferred language and move it to the top.
- Then go to Administrative language settings → Change system locale and select your desired language. (Do not check the extra box below.)
Use Windows Freely After completing all setup steps, you can now freely install and run your desired programs!

⚡ Real-World Performance Review

Response Speed: Good enough for document work, but might struggle with real-time heavy programs.
Graphics: Smooth on medium to low settings.
Heat Management: Significant heat during long sessions on Intel Macs. (Use a cooling pad if necessary. On Apple Silicon Macs, it’s less of an issue.)

💡 Important Notes

Windows License:
- The Insider Preview is not a fully licensed version.
- It collects more telemetry data than a regular licensed Windows.
- If you’re concerned about privacy, I recommend getting a genuine Windows license.
Game Optimization:
- Don’t expect perfect performance — but considering it’s free, it’s definitely satisfying.

✨ Final Verdict

If you want to run Windows on a MacBook without spending a penny, UTM is a great option!

If you need Windows occasionally on your Mac, I highly recommend trying this setup 🙌

How to Install Windows on a MacBook for Free (UTM + Windows Preview)