How to Remove Windows From Mac Computers?

Did you know you can install Windows on your Mac computer and switch the operating system whenever needed? Well, that is something that most non-Mac users won’t believe, but that’s true. You can use Windows on your Mac computer using BootCamp. 

If you have installed Windows and want to delete it after fulfilling the purpose, there are quite a few ways to do that effortlessly. 

So whether you want to remove Windows from Mac or looking to install it, you need Boot Camp. Being a native macOS utility, Boot Camp enables you to use multiple operating systems on your Mac Computer, which is indeed useful for many reasons.

Does M1 Macs Support Boot Camp Assistant?

One more noteworthy thing is that Boot Camp is Intel-based, and it’s not possible to run the utility on Apple’s latest M1 chips. When Apple launched the first Mac integrating proprietary system architecture, some native apps and utilities were removed. Since new Macs lack Intel architecture, they do not support Boot Camp utility. 

For many users, Boot Camp is just a piece of software that you can do without. Well, if you are someone who would never use another operating system on Mac, you can remove the BootCamp utility itself. However, if you have deleted the Boot Camp and want to reinstall it, you will need to learn how to install bootcamp on Mac so that you can use Windows on Mac.

Install Boot Camp on Mac

Want to install Boot Camp on your Mac but don’t know the right way to do it properly? 

To get started, first you need to check your Secure Boot settings. By default, it is set to Full Security; however, if you have changed it to No Security, you need to swap it with Full Security before installing the Windows partition. 

Next, you need to use Boot Camp Assistant to create a partition. You will find Boot Camp under Utilities in the Applications folder. Next, insert the USB drive which your computer will use to create a bootable drive for installing Windows.  

Once the process completes, Mac will restart the Windows installer. You need to select the BOOTCAMP partition and select Format when the installer asks where to install the partition. Make sure to unplug any unnecessary external devices, click Next, and follow instructions that appear on the screen. 

After the Windows installation process completes, Mac will start in Windows, and you’ll see the Welcome to the Boot Camp Installer window. Follow the on-screen instructions to complete the process. Please note that you may need to open the Boot Camp installer manually to complete the Windows installation process. 

Remove Windows Partition Using Boot Camp

Let’s get back to the topic. Here is the process to remove the Windows partition from the Mac. It is recommended to use only Boot Camp Assistant for removing Windows from an Intel-based Mac. You must avoid using any professional tool to remove the Windows partition created using the Mac’s built-in Boot Camp Assistant. 

1. Start Mac computer in macOS.
2. Before you remove Windows from your Mac, make sure to back up the entire partition to avoid data loss.
3. Log out from all user accounts and quit all open applications or programs.
4. Open Boot Camp Assistant and tap Continue.
5. In the Select Tasks window, tap on Remove Windows 10 or later version, and select Continue. 
6. Next, do one of the following:

• Click Restore if your computer has a single internal disk.
• Select the Windows disk and click Restore disk to a single macOS partition if your Mac computer integrates multiple disks. 

Remove Windows Partition Using Disk Utility

If, due to any reason, you are not able to remove Windows partitions using Boot Camp Assistant, try Disk Utility. It’s another built-in utility in your macOS that enables you to handle disk and volume-related tasks. 

1. Start your Mac computer and close all apps and programs.
2. Backup data on Windows OS as all the items will be erased once the partition is deleted. 
3. Open Disk Utility on your Mac computer and select Windows partition.
4. Select Erase and format the disk as Mac OS Extended (Journaled) and delete the partition.

Remove Windows Partition Using Terminal

One possible option to remove Windows from Mac is via Terminal. It can be the last resort for many users as they only want to try it if the other two options don’t work. If you are a newbie, you need to enter all commands carefully to avoid adverse outcomes. Here’s the process to remove Windows using Terminal. 

1. Go to Spotlight by pressing Command + Spacebar keys and select Terminal.
2. Type in the command “diskutil list”.
3. Then type in “sudo diskutil eraseVolume JHFS+deleteme/dev/disk0s3” and a list of disks and partitions will appear.
4. Now find the name of the disk and partition you want to remove under the IDENTIFIER column.
5. Now, write the name of the partition that you want to delete in the place of disk0s3.
6. At last, enter your admin password and tap Action.

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