Installing macOS on Hyper-V in Windows 11: A Step-by-Step Guide

Step 1: Activate Hyper-V Manager

Before installing macOS, you need to enable Hyper-V on your Windows system. Here’s how:

1. Search for “Control Panel” from the Start Menu and open it.
2. Change the View by option to “Large icons” for better visibility.
3. Navigate to Programs and Features, then select “Turn Windows features on or off.”
4. Locate Hyper-V in the list, check its box, expand it, ensuring Hyper-V Manager and Hyper-V Platform options are enabled.

Pro Tip: Check your Windows edition, as Hyper-V may not be available on Windows Home without additional steps.

Step 2: Launch Hyper-V Manager and Set Up a Virtual Machine

With Hyper-V Manager ready, the next step involves creating a virtual machine:

• Open Hyper-V Manager from the Start Menu.
• Select “New” and then “Virtual Machine.”
• Proceed with the New Virtual Machine Wizard, selecting “Next.”
• Name your VM; if desired, change the storage location by checking “Store virtual machine in a different location.” Then, click “Next.”

Pro Tip: Consider naming your VM to reflect its purpose (e.g., “macOS_VM”).

Step 3: Prepare Your Virtual Machine for macOS

Once created, configure your VM settings for macOS:

• Select “Generation 2” for the virtual machine format.
• Allocate at least 8GB of RAM, considering the available resources on your host device.
• On the Network configuration screen, choose a virtual switch from the dropdown list, then click “Next.”
• Select to create a virtual hard disk, adjust the location if necessary, and keep the “Install an operating system later” checkbox selected before clicking “Finish.”

Pro Tip: Ensure the memory allocated meets or exceeds macOS requirements for optimal performance.

Step 4: Acquire the macOS Virtual Hard Drive

Next, you’ll need to secure the appropriate macOS virtual hard drive. To do this:

Download the virtual hard drive from a reliable source such as GitHub. Extract the downloaded files and copy the.vhd file to the default virtual hard disk storage location: C:\ProgramData\Microsoft\Windows\Virtual Hard Disks.

Pro Tip: Have a stable internet connection and sufficient disk space ready for this large file download.

Step 5: Connect the Virtual Hard Drive to Your VM

With the virtual hard drive ready, attach it to your virtual machine:

1. Open Hyper-V and right-click on your macOS VM, selecting “Settings.”
2. Select “SCSI Controller, ” choose “Hard Drive, ” and click on “Add.”
3. Browse to locate the.vhd file you added earlier and then click “Apply.”
4. Under “Firmware, ” move the UEFI drive to the top and the other hard drive directly below it, then click “OK” to close the settings menu.

Step 6: Proceed with macOS Installation

Finally, it’s time to install macOS:

1. In Hyper-V, right-click on your macOS VM and select “Start.” Then, wait and connect to the VM.
2. Upon launching Disk Utility, select the null drive to erase it. Click “Erase, ” assign a name, choose “APFS” for the format, then finalize by clicking “Erase.”
3. Follow any on-screen prompt to successfully complete the installation process.

Pro Tip: Keep an eye on system prompts to ensure a smooth installation experience.

How to install macOS on a virtual machine on Windows?

Does Hyper-V support the Macintosh operating system?