Installing Windows on Your Mac Mini

If you're looking to install Windows on your Mac Mini, this guide will walk you through the process of modifying Boot Camp Assistant to create a bootable USB drive.

Before we begin, make sure you have the following requirements: 50GB free disk space, an ISO containing Windows 10 (I used Windows 10 Enterprise), and a mid-2011 iMac or similar running macOS El Capitan. Additionally, ensure that you have enough space on your hard drive to install Windows.

Step 1: Disable System Integrity Protection

To modify Boot Camp Assistant, we need to disable System Integrity Protection (SIP). This can be done by following these steps:

* Open the Terminal app and navigate to `/Applications/Utilities/Boot Camp Assistant.app/Contents`

* Run `csrutil disable` at the prompt

* Restart your Mac Mini

Step 2: Modify Bootcamp

Next, we'll modify Boot Camp Assistant to allow creation of a bootable USB drive. Follow these steps:

* Open the Terminal app and navigate to `/Applications/Utilities/Boot Camp Assistant.app/Contents`

* Delete the word 'Pre' from `USBBootSupportedModels` and add your Model Identifier

* Delete the word 'Pre' from `UEFIModels` and add your Model Identifier

* Add your Boot ROM Version to `DARequiredROMVersions`

Step 3: Create a Bootable USB Drive

Now that we've modified Boot Camp Assistant, let's create a bootable USB drive. Follow these steps:

* Open the Terminal app and navigate to `/Applications/Utilities/Boot Camp Assistant.app/Contents`

* Run `sudo cp ist` to make a backup of the file

* Change directory: `cd /Applications/Utilities/Boot Camp Assistant.app/Contents`

* Open the file in your favorite text editor (I'll use nano)

* Replace 'Pre' with your Model Identifier and Boot ROM Version

Step 4: Install Windows

Once you've created a bootable USB drive, you can install Windows on your Mac Mini. Follow these steps:

* Insert the USB

Install windows on mac mini