Windows Readiness
For certain classes there may be a requirement to run Microsoft Office on a Windows operating system. The current requirement is for Office 365. This can be run on any combination of windows systems as listed below:
- Windows 10
Where Can I Download Required Software?
Office 365 - portal.office.com
Windows 10 - downloads.ou.edu
What if I have a Mac?
Mac users represent a growing population across campus. Students who wish to use an Apple laptop should be aware of some limitations. Not all class software is compatible with the Mac OS. Students using Macs may need to purchase and/or install additional software in order to use Windows within the Mac OS.
Software Options for Non-Windows Computers
You can use Boot Camp to install Windows 10 on supported Mac models that have OS X Yosemite or later installed.
System Requirements:
- You need support software (drivers) installed with Boot Camp to use Windows 10. This software is automatically downloaded when you use Boot Camp Assistant. Boot Camp supports 64-bit versions of Windows 10 Home and Windows 10 Pro when used with a supported Mac.
- Windows 10 is available from Microsoft as an ISO file and a USB flash drive. You need an ISO file of the 64-bit version of the Windows 10 installer to install Windows on your Mac. If you purchased the USB flash drive version you can download an ISO from Microsoft and use the Windows installation key that came with your flash drive. If you're installing Windows for the first time, make sure the Windows installer you're using is for a full installation (not an upgrade installer).
For more information please visit the Boot Camp Support Site.
Hardware:
- A Mac computer with an Intel Core 2 Duo, Core i3, Core i5, Core i7, Core M or Xeon processor
- 4 GB of memory (8 GB recommended)
- 850 MB of disk space on the boot volume (Macintosh HD) for Parallels Desktop installation
- Additional disk space for virtual machines (varies on operating system installed)
- Internet connection
Software:
- macOS Sierra 10.12 or later (NOTE: Parallels Desktop 12 for Mac is the recommended version for use on macOS Sierra)
- OS X El Capitan 10.11.1 or later
- OS X Yosemite 10.10.4 or later
- OS X Mavericks 10.9.5 or later
For more information please visit the Parrallels Desktop Support Site
The minimum system requirements for installing and using VMware Fusion 12 are as follows:
Hardware requirements:
- All Macs launched in 2011 or later are supported except:
2012 Mac Pro “Quad Core” using the Intel Xeon W3565 Processor. - In addition the following are supported:
2010 Mac Pro “Six Core”, “Eight Core” and “Twelve Core”. - Minimum 4 GB of RAM
- 750 MB of free disk space for VMware Fusion and at least 5 GB for each virtual machine
Software requirements:
- OS X 10.11 or later
- Operating system installation media (disk or disk image) for a virtual machine
Note: Microsoft Windows is not included with VMware Fusion. Windows operating systems are available for purchase separately from Microsoft and other retailers. Windows 10 is available as a free download for OU Students here
The minimum system requirements for installing and using VMware Fusion 10 with Metal Host Graphics Rendering Engine are as follows:
Hardware requirements:
- MacBook (early 2015 or newer)
- MacBook Air (mid 2012 or newer)
- MacBook Pro (mid 2012 or newer)
- Mac Mini (late 2012 or newer)
- iMac (late 2012 or newer)
- Mac Pro (late 2013 or newer)
Note: See Apple's documentation regarding Metal supported Macs: https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT205073.
Software requirements:
- macOS 10.12.5 or later
Download VMware Fusion
For more information please visit the VMWare Fusion Support Site
If you need to meet with a tech regarding Windows Readiness, please visit room 105F.
