Installing Windows 10 on a 2010 Mac Mini with macOS Sonoma

Guide:

Yes, it is possible to install Windows 10 on a 2010 Mac Mini, even though Apple officially supports only Windows 7 for this model. Here's a step-by-step guide on how to do it manually:

Note: Ensure you have a backup of your important data before proceeding, as this process involves repartitioning your hard drive.

1. Prepare a Bootable Windows 10 USB Drive:

   • Download the Windows 10 Media Creation Tool from the official Microsoft website.
   • Use this tool to create a bootable USB drive with the Windows 10 installation files.

2. Partition Your Hard Drive:

   • Boot your Mac Mini into macOS Sonoma.
   • Open "Disk Utility" (you can find it in the Utilities folder).
   • Select your internal hard drive.
   • Click the "Partition" tab.
   • Add a new partition by clicking the "+" button.
   • Choose a size for your Windows partition. Windows 10 requires at least 32 GB of storage, but it's recommended to allocate more space if you have it available.
   • Format the new partition as "MS-DOS (FAT)" for compatibility with Windows.
   • Click "Apply" to create the partition.

3. Install Windows 10:

   • Insert the bootable Windows 10 USB drive into your Mac Mini.
   • Restart your Mac Mini.
   • Hold down the "Option" key as it restarts to access the boot menu.
   • Select the Windows 10 USB drive as the boot option.
   • Follow the on-screen instructions to install Windows 10 on the newly created partition.
   • During the installation process, you'll be asked to enter a product key. You can skip this step for now; you can enter the key later or use Windows 10 without activation with limited customization options.

4. Complete Windows Setup:

   • After the installation is complete, follow the initial setup process for Windows 10.
   • Once you're in the Windows desktop, install Boot Camp drivers for better hardware compatibility. You can download the Boot Camp drivers from the official Apple support website.

5. Switch Between macOS and Windows:

   • To switch between macOS and Windows, restart your Mac Mini and hold down the "Option" key during startup to access the boot menu. From there, you can select either macOS or Windows.

By following these steps, you can manually install and run Windows 10 on your 2010 Mac Mini alongside macOS Sonoma. Keep in mind that while it's not officially supported by Apple, it is possible to achieve a functional Windows 10 installation on older Mac hardware with the right configurations.