latest OS supported by iMac mid 2011

The last compatible version is macOS 10.13.6 (17G65), High Sierra.

How to install Windows 10 on your Mac with Boot Camp Assistant. Note that Boot Camp does not work well, if at all, on APFS formatted drives. You will need to use HFS+ on your startup drives.

FWIW, in order to install Windows 10 on a 2011 Mac directly,

you will need to install Windows 7/ 64 bit first, install

the Bootcamp drivers for Windows 7 and that Mac year, and

then upgrade to Windows 10. Then install a select set of newer

Bootcamp drivers.

There is some legacy stuff that install with Windows 7 on

older hardware that is not present in the Windows 10 installer

which may be related to MBR/EFI booting or maybe some other

Intel chipset issues.

Trying to install Windows 10 directly will always fail on a 2011 Mac.

If I recall, it actually makes you think it is installing but at one of

the last of many "reboots" (typical Windows), it just crashes and

you end up with a brick and have to start all over.

At least this is what I had to do.

pateltarun Said:

“My question is :

1) Which latest OS supported in my Mac.

2) Which version of Windows that i can install on my iMac - Windows 7 or Windows 10 ?

3) I want to install Windows 10 in my system then what I have to do for same ?”

———-

The most recent version of macOS that is compatible with your Mac is High Sierra macOS X 10.13.6

Indeed, one option to go about running Windows on your Mac... is to run it off of Boot Camp... Go Here: Boot Camp - Apple Support.

But another option is....

Run Windows on a Virtual Machine:

One option to, consider is using a Virtual Machine(VM) (Windows-in-a-window). You would open items in it, and print right off of that with printers that at incompatible with Apple.

You can run 32-bit and 64-bit software application off of Windows. As of today, VMs can go from Windows 10 and all the way back and prior to V. 3.1 and that’s pretty extravagant to techies who need to use items from back in the day.

All would be accessed and would operate as desired on the VM. Virtual Machine applications include VMWare Fusion and Parallels. Learn more here: What Is a Virtual Machine? - VMware Support.

Sorry, but that is not possible except by using emulation software such as Parallels, VMware, or VirtualBox. Without Boot Camp you need a boot manager/loader that will work with macOS and Windows. The only one out there today is rEFInd. It cannot be installed from a bootable flash drive.

The above can be circumvented is you wish to use the entire computer for Windows without dual-booting macOS. If that's what you want, then buy a PC instead.

I'd go 24 GB, here's my 2011 iMac21.5"...

Memory Slots:

ECC: Disabled

Upgradeable Memory: Yes

BANK 0/DIMM0:

Size: 4 GB

Type: DDR3

Speed: 1333 MHz

Status: OK

Manufacturer: 0x80AD

Part Number: 0x484D543***

Serial Number: 0x47***

BANK 1/DIMM0:

Size: 4 GB

Type: DDR3

Speed: 1333 MHz

Status: OK

Manufacturer: 0x80AD

Part Number: 0x484D***

Serial Number: 0x0D***

BANK 0/DIMM1:

Size: 8 GB

Type: DDR3

Speed: 1333 MHz

Status: OK

Manufacturer: 0x0000

Part Number: -

Serial Number: -

BANK 1/DIMM1:

Size: 8 GB

Type: DDR3

Speed: 1333 MHz

Status: OK

Manufacturer: 0x0000

Part Number: -

Serial Number: -

Hello. High Sierra 10.13.6..

https://support.apple.com/kb/sp765?locale=en_US

https://itunes.apple.com/app/macos-high-sierra/id1246284741?mt=12

Here's my Parallels OSes...

Provided in my post along with the High Sierra information.

OK...

https://apple.stackexchange.com/questions/308743/how-to-install-windows-10-into-a-2011-imac-without-using-the-boot-camp-assistant