Updated: July 15, 2020 (October 20, 2014)

Licensing Windows to Run on the Apple Mac

Wes Miller analyzes and writes about Microsoft’s security, identity management, and systems management technologies. Before joining Directions on Microsoft, Wes... more

[Jan. 23, 2017 note: A more recent version of this report, updated to reflect licensing changes, can be found at www.directionsonmicrosoft.com/licensing/secured/2017/01/licensing-windows-use-apple-macs.]

Professionals with Apple Mac computers often find themselves needing to regularly run the Windows client OS (Windows) locally to perform their jobs. Regardless of the reason why a user requires Windows on their Mac, a range of options exists to license Windows for use on the Mac. However, licensing compliance risks exist if Windows is not licensed correctly, especially in larger organizations with significant pockets of Mac users.

Why Run Windows on a Mac?

Many organizations have Mac users because they permit personal computer use for work (“bring your own device”) or because they have workers in job roles where the Mac is common, such as graphic designers and Web developers. Such users may need to license or run Windows on a Mac, in particular:

Business users who rely on the Mac for

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