Windows OS compatibility with M1 macbooks -- External SSD

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Level 1

4 points

Windows OS compatibility with M1 macbooks -- External SSD

Being a long time intel-based MacBook Pro user, I decided to spice up the game by using bootcamp (with virtual machines, etc.) to install Windows 10 on an external SSD (quite a good one, actually).

I simply activate windows by plugging in the external SSD in my MacBook, restart, punch the option key, and select my disk.

With all the crazy potentials and specs, I decided to purchase a MacBook Pro M1 as of December 2020.

I have heard that bootcamp will not be, in fact, be compatible with the M1 MacBooks. However, as I technically "preinstalled" Windows 10 on the external SSD, I am curious if simply plugging in the SSD into the M1 MacBook will enable usage of Windows 10.

Thanks -- have a good one.

Posted on Dec 13, 2020 8:43 PM

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Answer 1

Loner T

Level 9

59,536 points

Dec 14, 2020 5:07 AM in response to pio0906

pio0906 wrote:

I have heard that bootcamp will not be, in fact, be compatible with the M1 MacBooks. However, as I technically "preinstalled" Windows 10 on the external SSD, I am curious if simply plugging in the SSD into the M1 MacBook will enable usage of Windows 10.

No. Your 'preinstallation' just bypassed BC Assistant, but not the ARM M1 instruction set.

An ARM M1 CPU cannot execute Intel CPU instruction set. Rosetta 2 (If you need to install Rosetta on your Mac - Apple Support) also does not support running Windows.

See

for reference.

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Answer 2

Rudegar

Level 10

180,324 points

Dec 13, 2020 11:46 PM in response to pio0906

a virtual machine and bootcamp are 2 separate things

parallels say they have windows working in a virtual machine on m1 arm cpus

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Windows OS compatibility with M1 macbooks -- External SSD

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