What Versions of Windows You Can Install

There is a difference in supported versions of Windows between Apple Silicon Macs and Intel Macs:

• For Apple Silicon Macs, Parallels Desktop 20 supports installing versions of Windows 11 Pro and Enterprise Editions designed for running on Arm processors.

• If you install Parallels Desktop 20 on a Mac with an Intel processor, you can run any editions of Windows 10 and 11.

This guide primarily focuses on using Parallels Desktop 20 to run Windows 11, with mention of Windows 10 where applicable.

Note: On Intel Macs, you can technically install any other older version of Windows (8, 7, Vista, or even XP), but it is not guaranteed to work smoothly in any situation, and you may need to install an older version of Parallels Tools, as described in this KB article.