I have a 2012 MAC mini i7 which still has its original HD untouched. I have installed an additional SSD in the spare drive bay running OS Catalina 10.15.8 which I now use exclusively. I need to use Windows for an electronic model railway set-up utility. Can I install Windows on the unused original HD without affecting the normal use of my MAC in any way?
iPhone 13, iOS 26
Yes.
You can use Bootcamp to install Windows on the original HD, this should not affect your SSD in any way.
The only change will be the way to access it after having booted up on Windows. You can use the Restart in Mac OS option from the Windows start menu. If you need to boot up into Windows, you will need to restart your Mac and holding down the Option key while it restarts touring up the bot menu so you can select your macOS volume.
click here ➜ Install Windows 10 on your Mac with Boot Camp Assistant - Apple Support
and here ➜ Restart your Mac in macOS or Windows - Apple Support
Thank you that’s very helpful
Install Windows on 2012 Mac mini HD without affecting Mac
