Run ARM64/x64/x86 Windows, Linux on your Apple silicon (Mx) with UTM

To whom it may concern.

I am using a MacBook M2 as my day to day machine and virtualizing Windows on an Apple Mx machine is either costly (license, beta only (virtualbox)) or bloated virtualisation layer.

Sometimes I need to test something on a windows machine and only need a test environment. Now I found a free pretty good solution and funny I never read about it before.

It is easy, free and pretty fast (Qemu+tools), fast enough to be a reasonable Windows machine. No need to worry about the correct Windows ARM ISO file, it will download it for you, either 10 or 11. Obviously you still need a Windows license. Next to Windows, UTM can also virtualise and other ARM64/x64/x86 Windows/Linux flavors Pretty nifty and the whole project is hosted on Github:

Please note that you need to install Spice tools that is not released with every UTM/Qemu release. You can install these after the installation of Windows.

If you want to prepare Windows ISO files on yur Mac in advance then take a look at ChrystalFetch

Now running and writing this post on my Apple M2 / ARM64 Windows 11 Pro :slight_smile:

In no way affiliated, just sharing. HTH.

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My go to next laptop is Asus zenbook with amd ryzen. If I can run windows to on an arm MacBook safely, I might consider getting a Mac to be my daily driver. Considering they have an almost similar price point. And am starting to get tired of windows for dev.

Thanks for the info

@oneitonitram I am pretty impressed by my little setup. I have used Windows 11 on a virtual desktop on my Macbook and it works very good. It is not a game PC now, but general admin and general user tasks, it is performing beyond expectation for now.

HTH

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i game like once a year, or moreā€¦ and if i am to game, i think i have other better machines for thatā€¦ not the best, but can play pretty heavy games.

I am not a competitive gamer, so other things dont affect me

FYI: Another option is the ā€œfree for personal useā€ Vmware Fusion 13 that will virualize Windows 11 on a Apple silicon M1/2/3

Iā€™m a pretty recent UTM user. I agreeā€¦ easy, simple to useā€¦ low use of resourcesā€¦