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How to Install Mac OS on a PC

A few years ago, Apple, the makers of the Macintosh computer, decided to release all of its new machines with Intel processors, rather than the PowerPC processors it had used in the past. Because most PCs use Intel, or Intel-compatible processors, the hardware of the new Macintoshes became quite similar to a PC’s hardware. When the Mac OS was re-written to support the new processors, some creative individuals realized that it might not require much work to alter the new Mac OS for use on PC hardware. Shortly after, the OSx86 project was formed, and within a small amount of time, the Mac OS was up and running on non-Apple computers. If you are curious, and would like to try another alternative to Windows and Linux on your PC, this guide will show the basics of how to install the Mac OS on a PC.

Things You'll Need

  • A copy of the Mac OS
  • A PC
  • A DVD burner
  • A DVD-R
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Instructions

    • 1

      Go to the homepage of the OSx86 project. There is a series of hardware compatibility lists, or HCLs, listed on the page for each different revision of the software. If you have an off-the-shelf retail machine, ensure that your notebook or desktop is listed on one of these lists. If your computer is custom built, ensure that all of your critical hardware, such as the motherboard, video card and hard drive controller, are all on the same list for a particular revision of the software.

    • 2

      Follow the instructions for obtaining a working version of the Mac OS. In some cases, you will need a copy of the Mac OS and a few patches that will need to be downloaded and applied to it. In other cases, you will need to download a pre-patched, full copy of the DVD using a peer-to-peer software program, such as LimeWire or BitTorrent. In either case, you must own an original copy of the Mac OS.

    • 3

      Apply patches to the Mac OS DVD, if necessary. This will require that the DVD be copied to your hard disk as an image file. Then, some intricate commands will need to be run on the image file.

    • 4

      Burn the patched or downloaded DVD image to a DVD recordable. If your burning program supports data verification, use it, in order to ensure a perfect DVD.

    • 5

      Partition the drive for Mac OS. If you would like to dual boot, shrink the Windows partition, and create a new partition in the free space. The file system of the new drive will not matter, as it will be erased during the Mac OS install.

    • 6

      Insert the Mac OS disc into the DVD-ROM drive and reboot the computer. It will take a long time to boot the disc, during which a black screen with white text will be displayed, and then, a blue screen with a spinning progress icon.

    • 7

      Select your language when the language screen is displayed. The default is English.

    • 8

      Click “Continue” on the welcome screen. The next screen will ask where to install the Mac OS, but the drive will need to be formatted first.

    • 9

      Click “Utilities” in the upper-left corner of the screen, and select “Disk Utility.”

    • 10

      Erase the partition you made for the Mac OS, and format it to the “Mac OS Extended (Journaled)” format.

    • 11

      Exit the disk utility. You will return to the disk selection screen. Choose the partition you just created, and click “Continue.” A series of installation options will be presented at the next screen.

    • 12

      Choose the options that correspond to the hardware on your machine. For instance, choose AMD if you have an AMD processor, and choose SSE3 if your machine supports it. Do not choose any options you do not need, such as extra languages, or drivers for hardware you do not have installed. More information about the items to select for your specific hardware can be found on the OSx86 project page’s hardware compatibility lists.

    • 13

      Click the “Continue” button, and allow the installer to check the DVD for errors. After the check is done, the installation will commence. It can take up to an hour to install the Mac OS. After the installation is done, the computer will be restarted. Remove the DVD to boot to the new Mac OS installation.

    • 14

      Answer the configuration questions, such as setting the time zone. When the OS boots to the desktop, you may still need to install drivers or configure some hardware to work correctly. The hardware compatibility lists are a great resource for help during this process.

Tips & Warnings

  • Running the Mac OS on a PC may be violation of the software’s license agreement. You must own a copy of the Mac OS in order to install it.

  • Backup your data before installing the Mac OS on a PC.

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