New Mac Pro gives Windows 7 the heave-ho, won’t run in Boot Camp

By Mike Epstein Published March 18, 2014

new mac pro wont run windows 7 boot camp macpro 01260 — Image used with permission by copyright holder

If you were looking forward to dual-booting Windows 7 on the brand new Mac Pro, you’re out of luck. According to allegedly leaked support documents, Apple has dropped Boot Camp support for Windows 7, making Microsoft’s most popular desktop operating system incompatible with Cupertino’s cylindrical powerhouse.

The documents reveal that the Mac Pro, which will sport Boot Camp 5, will only support Windows 8. The Twocanoes blog published screenshots of the Boot Camp setup assistant for the new Mac Pro, indicating that the program only supports “Windows 8 or later.”

windows8orlater — Image Credit: Twocanoes Blog Image used with permission by copyright holder

Apple is definitely forcing Windows-booting Mac Pro users to run Windows 8: The question is why? The public’s incredibly slow adoption rate of Windows 8 paired with the popularity of Windows 7 makes this a curious decision. The most recent stats from Net Marketshare indicate that Windows 7’s desktop OS share sits at roughly 47 percent, while Windows 8 and 8.1’s is roughly 10 percent. We wonder whether future MacBooks and iMacs released later this year and beyond will also refuse to support Windows 7 in Boot Camp.

Recommended Videos

Will the lack of Windows 7 support in the new Mac Pro prevent you from buying Apple’s newest workstation? Or are you willing to live with using Windows 8/8.1 alongside OS X? Let us know in the comments below.

Topics

Former Digital Trends Contributor

Michael is a New York-based tech and culture reporter, and a graduate of Northwestwern University’s Medill School of…

Computing

The new iPad Pro would be perfect, if only it were a Mac

A person gaming on the M4 iPad Pro and playing Diablo Immortal.

It’s no secret that I’ve been cheering on Apple’s gaming advances over the last year or so. Long-suffering Mac gamers have gone from being the forgotten also-rans of Apple’s ecosystem to feeling on top of the world, all in a very short period of time. But there’s one vital piece missing from the puzzle, and Apple’s new M4 iPad Pros have made it incredibly obvious.

I’ll admit, Mac gamers have been treated well in recent times. Not only have we had phenomenal hardware advancements in the form of the M3 Max chip -- which is a genuine gaming chip so cool and quiet that you’d be fooled into thinking it’s not -- but there’s also been a slate of top-tier games arriving on Apple’s platform, including my beloved Baldur’s Gate 3. It’s a good time to be a Mac gamer.

Mobile

I tried the Apple Vision Pro. Here’s why it won’t replace my iPhone

Christine wearing the Apple Vision Pro demo unit.

The Apple Vision Pro is one of Apple’s most fascinating new product launches. It’s the first new product line from Apple since the Apple Watch, but the hype around it has been more like when Apple first introduced the original iPhone. Of course, Apple was not the first to the market with a VR/AR headset, but it is definitely what would be considered the most “mainstream” option out there, considering the brand name.

When Apple announced the Apple Vision Pro on June 5, 2023, during its WWDC 2023 keynote, I was excited. After years of rumors, it was finally happening. Preorders started on January 19, 2024, and the Apple Vision Pro launched on February 2, 2024, in the U.S. The problem? It costs at least $3,500, making it a hard sell for many as a first-generation Apple product.

Computing

My hopes for a new iMac Pro have been dashed — for now

An Apple iMac Pro in a dark room flanked by two monitors, one on either side of it.

Apple’s iMac Pro has been shrouded in mystery ever since it was discontinued in 2021. Over the past year, it has swung back into the news as numerous leakers and analysts have claimed a new one is coming soon. But when exactly? That’s far from certain.

Now, though, we might have moved a little closer toward knowing, and it’s not great news if you’ve been hoping for an imminent update. That’s because reporter Mark Gurman’s latest Power On newsletter has outlined Apple’s plans for 2024 -- and the iMac Pro is conspicuous by its absence.