Windows on ARM installation in an M1 MacMini VM

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I have been in the Windows Insider Program since 2014, before Win 10 was officially released. In late August, I upgraded my Win10 Insider installation to Win11, on a temporary basis, while Microsoft waffled on the decision whether to permit it at all or not. Well, the “or not” came about three days ago with the choice to participate in the Insider Program obliterated by he last update to my Win11 Insider Preview, KB5006050 Build 22000.176. It left only the mandate to reinstall Win10 under Windows Update and Security in the Settings App.

All of my Intel-based machines have been declared not “worthy” for Win11 installation, not even my 3-year-old Kaby Lake i7 with 32GB Ram, 1T SSD and dedicated graphics.

Then how about the 3-month-old ARM-based M1 MacMini?
MS has been “doodling” with Windows on ARM (who knows how serious they are about pursuing this venture long term?). So I installed Parallels Desktop on the M1 MacMini and on Sept 4 downloaded the .VHDX of Win10 on ARM (equivalent of ISO for Intel-based machines). It took two runs at installation before figuring out how to transfer the digital Retail license for Windows from the Intel-based machine to a VM on the ARM-based M1 MacMini. The result was Win10 Dev Build 21354.1 (must have been the initial release) and there was nothing in the Settings App about the Insider Program.
In the Insider Program, a large amount MS telemetry is required, but there are a few things that can be limited (default location for file storage on OneDrive, default browser = Edge, to some extent, for example). With the restrictions set, it immediately offered an update to Dev Build 21390.2052. Successful installation of Firefox ARM, VLC Player, and Ccleaner Portable tested the waters for app functionality.

Stumbling around today (Sept 7), I found the update had repopulated the Insider choices in the Settings App (Preview for Win10, Beta and Dev for Win11) You guessed it – Win 11, but this time the Beta Channel instead of Dev. This is too new!. The upgrade to Win11 installed Win11 2021 Build 22000.160, but immediately made available KB5006050, an update to Build 22000.176. That’s the same Build that is current for Intel-based Insiders, but with no notice of “End-of-the-line, re-install Win10.”

The following are my observations so far: IMHO
The few apps I had had time to install seemed to make it through the update.
+ Looking at the Settings App – it’s a nightmare, a maze-ing. It is so convoluted, it should never be included on standard Home Edition installations for the Average User. Even the techie is going to be confused. I was dumbfounded.
+ I hate the big, awkward “Start Menu” in the middle of everything you are trying to do/see/deal with, and the inability to add some things to the taskbar. And Search bringing up that big in the way box in the middle of the screen when all that’s needed is the previous one-line entry box.

But now I’m ranting about the differences. Guess I’m getting too old to deal with change, dementia is blocking the formation of new patterns!
More on Windows on ARM and Win11 after further investigation.

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Alex5723

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PKCano wrote:

+ Looking at the Settings App – it’s a nightmare, a maze-ing. It is so convoluted, it should never be included on standard Home Edition installations for the Average User. Even the techie is going to be confused. I was dumbfounded.

Is it really so different from Windows 10?

I haven’t used it yet; but from published screenshots, only the main menu persisting on the left looked slightly different.

Windows 11 Pro version 22H2 build 22621.1778 + Microsoft 365 + Edge

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Yes, it is different. And the fact that the “back <-” drops you at the top each time so you have to scroll back to where you were working (default apps is one example) makes it even worse.

In today’s world, where they are moving to dumb everything down, MS has gone the opposite way.

Keep in mind, this is the Win on ARM iteration, not the Insider Preview that most are seeing.

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Kirsty

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Thanks @PKCano for an illuminating delve in to new ARM and M1 Chip via Paralells. Just contemplating upgrading my ageing Mac Mini circa 2011 Catalina and Windows 10 and clearing, more likely donating, the slew of various  Windoze Laptops and Desktops lurking around here in favour of a new 2020 Imac 27′ apparently Apple still does them brand new in the Box cheaper then the resellers (dont know how that works? creative pricing perhaps? lol) out there for a 1TB SSD more than enough for both coupled with external storage here. As an added Bonus apart from improved Graphics, Sound there will be  acres of newly free’ed up Desktop space for the first time in years.

For the uninitiated the 2020’s is probably, for a while maybe, one of the last iterations of the Imac\Mini and presumably the rest that can embrace Bootcamp and thus Win10, (8.1, 7 in Win10 install format just replace the install WIM/ESD files with the Win 11 install.esd or wim). Not tried Win 11 in anything other than a VHD(x) a’la Win 10. I can report however the above method in a VHD(x) apparently beats the TPM and Secure boot embargo as does DISM imposed by M$ on Win 11. I have to say I was not impressed by Win 11 myself, give it another 5 years perhaps;

Anyway thx again for making my mind up  🙂

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BobbyB wrote:

in favour of a new 2020 Imac 27′

The 27″ iMacs are still Intel, but gen 7, I believe. That’s an “old” chip. My 21″ iMac4K has an upper end Kaby Lake i7 with 32GB RAM and discrete graphics, and it doesn’t qualify to run Win11 in a VM.

Wait for the M2. Apple is not going backward.

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Thanks @PKCano for an illuminating delve in to new ARM and M1 Chip via Paralells. Just contemplating upgrading my ageing Mac Mini circa 2011 Catalina and Windows 10 and clearing, more likely donating, the slew of various  Windoze Laptops and Desktops lurking around here in favour of a new 2020 Imac 27′ apparently Apple still does them brand new in the Box cheaper then the resellers (dont know how that works? creative pricing perhaps? lol) out there for a 1TB SSD more than enough for both coupled with external storage here. As an added Bonus apart from improved Graphics, Sound there will be  acres of newly free’ed up Desktop space for the first time in years.

For the uninitiated the 2020’s is probably, for a while maybe, one of the last iterations of the Imac\Mini and presumably the rest that can embrace Bootcamp and thus Win10, (8.1, 7 in Win10 install format just replace the install WIM/ESD files with the Win 11 install.esd or wim). Not tried Win 11 in anything other than a VHD(x) a’la Win 10. I can report however the above method in a VHD(x) apparently beats the TPM and Secure boot embargo as does DISM imposed by M$ on Win 11. I have to say I was not impressed by Win 11 myself, give it another 5 years perhaps;

Anyway thx again for making my mind up  🙂

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An update on this saga:

On the VM described above, I continued trying to install apps with Open Shell 4.4.160. It didn’t install right. But insisting by trying different approaches, the last combinations resulted in a black screen with a live cursor, after restart and login, that nothing would correct.

SO, reinstall AGAIN 9/9, but this time I downloaded the Insider Win11 22000 .VHDX rather than installing Win10 then upgrading to Win11. The result was WIn11 Build 22000.132, and again the hassle with getting the installation right in my Insider account on the MS website.
Later, an update to Build 22000.184 installed.

I have reinstalled Firefox ARM 91.0.2 -> 92.0, VLC Player 3.0.16, and ccportable 5.84.9143. Added Belarc Advisor 11, Thunderbird (32-bit) 78.14.0 (plus upgrade not noted), an old copy of WinZip, and Reg settings to revive Win Photo Viewer. wushowhide still works on this Win11.
What hasn’t worked (so far): Cute PDF Writer, Libre Office (32-bit) 7.1.6.2 + Help. Of course not trying Open Shell again without further investigation.

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Alex5723

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VMware Fusion won’t support (for now ?) Windows 10 on M1.

Just so we’re clear… our intentional decision to not fully support Windows is _entirely_ driven by the fact you can’t actually run Windows on ARM on a Mac and still be in compliance with their EULA.

We also ship components as open source, and that takes more time.

@MacRumors
In follow up to your VMWare Fusion article today,
@Parallels
is well ahead of Fusion it seems. The latest update to Parallels seems to give full Windows 11 compatibility, ready for official release next month.
Quote Tweet
Richard Anderson
@richardanderson
· Sep 9
Excellent! The new @ParallelsMac update provides for full Windows 11 compatibility it seems. The ‘get off Windows 11 as your hardware doesn’t meet requirements’ messages have gone, and I’ve successfully moved my VM to the Beta channel from Dev @thurrott @maryjofoley

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Again, realize we are STILL working with Insider Previews, NOT a publicly released version of Win11. And, this, on an M1 ARM-based Mac, not on an x86 64 machine. MS is still “fiddling” with Windows on ARM stuff, definitely Insider.
The proof of the pudding will be if the “real” version still works on an Intel-based Mac, soon after Oct 5th.

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Alex5723

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