FAQ

You can download the latest installation image from Microsoft using the free tool CrystalFetch. Choose the ARM64 version for Apple chip Macs, and choose the x64 version for Intel Macs. Windows requires a bring-your-own license.

The newly created Windows virtual machine will automatically turn on Secure Boot and TPM. Old virtual machines can manually enable these two items in the settings. Windows 11 also requires at least 2 CPU cores. When emulating x86_64 on Apple chips, there is only 1 core by default and needs to be changed to 2 or more in the settings.

Can't. Intel Macs cannot run macOS virtual machines. Macs using Apple silicon and running macOS 12 or later can install macOS virtual machines. When you don't select an IPSW file, VM64 automatically downloads a compatible macOS version.

Yes, these systems run using QEMU emulation. 68k and PowerPC models can install Mac OS 7.1 through Mac OS X 10.4. Windows 95 and Windows 98 can also be installed. Windows requires a bring-your-own license. You need to prepare your own installation image, and some models also require ROM files.

While the architecture of the virtual machine is the same as that of the Mac, VM64 uses virtualization to run at nearly native speeds. Other architectures use QEMU emulation to run. Emulation is slower than virtualization, especially when running x86 systems on Apple silicon. Therefore, on Apple chip Macs, it is recommended to install the ARM64 versions of Windows and Linux.

On an Apple chip Mac, use the Apple backend to create a new Linux virtual machine and start Rosetta. Mac requires macOS 13 or later. Then mount Rosetta in Linux, register Rosetta with binfmt, and then install the x86_64 shared library.

Game compatibility is still being improved. QEMU virtual machines running Linux can use Vulkan 1.3 or OpenGL 4.1. Windows 11 virtual machines can use DirectX 11 and DirectX 12 as experimental features. DirectX 11 requires macOS 13 or later. DirectX 12 requires macOS 14 or later and, on Apple silicon, Rosetta.

When sharing the clipboard, the client tools need to be installed in the virtual machine first. Then enable clipboard sharing in the virtual machine settings. Shared folders can be selected in the toolbar of the virtual machine window. When sharing folders with a macOS virtual machine, both the Mac and the virtual machine require macOS 13 or later. When sharing a clipboard with a macOS virtual machine, both the Mac and the virtual machine require macOS 15 or later.

QEMU virtual machines can use USB devices on Mac. Many devices cannot complete a hardware reset and may not work properly after being connected. The Mac's built-in camera cannot connect to a virtual machine. When transferring files, it is recommended to use shared folders instead of USB storage devices.

Press the Control key and the Option key simultaneously. When installing the system, the mouse may not move properly. Then click the Capture Mouse button in the toolbar.

In the virtual machine settings, change the network mode to bridge. In this way, the virtual machine will act as an independent device in the LAN.

Snapshots of QEMU virtual machines save disk and operating state. Create a new snapshot in the Snapshot tab of the virtual machine details. You can restore to this snapshot later.

QEMU virtual machines can also use throwaway mode, discarding all changes after shutdown. Snapshots cannot be saved in one-shot mode.