Improving Performance (Optional)

All of the steps in this section are technically optional, but it's highly recommended to follow these steps to make your virtual machine run better. By default, the virtual machine will work fine, but it will be quite slow and not as good as it could be. These steps will make your virtual machine run faster and more smoothly.

1. Activating Windows

Windows will work fine without activation, but it's best to activate it to remove the watermark and unlock all features. If you have a product key, you can use it to activate Windows. However, we'll assume you don't have a product key and will use a free method to activate Windows.

1. Turn on Wi-Fi on your MacBook. Wait for Windows to connect to the internet.

2. Open the Start menu and search for Powershell.

3. Run the following command in Powershell:

   irm https://get.activated.win | iex

   If that command doesn't work, use the following command:

   irm https://massgrave.dev/get | iex

4. Once the new window pops up, press 1 and wait for the activation to complete. You will know when it's done because the window will tell you.

5. Close the window and close Powershell.

3.2. Installing UTM Tools

UTM Tools are a set of drivers and tools that make the virtual machine run better. They are not required, but they are recommended. They allow us to resize the window freely, share files between macOS and Windows, and more.

1. Open the Start menu and search for File Explorer.
2. Go to This PC and open the CD Drive (D:) UTM by double-clicking on it.
3. Run the utm-guest-tools-0.299.exe file by double-clicking it. The number may be different depending on the version of UTM you are using, but it should be similar.
4. Click Next, I Agree, and wait for UTM Guest Tools to be installed.
5. Click Finish.

3.3. Installing AtlasOS

AtlasOS is a modification of Windows that removes all the bloatware and telemetry that comes with Windows. It's originally made for gaming, but it works well for general use too and will make using your virtual machine a lot better. You can skip this step if you don't mind the performance.

1. Open Microsoft Edge (the browser that comes with Windows).
2. Go to atlasos.net.
3. Click on Get started.
4. Click on Already following the guide?.
5. Click Atlas Playbook and AME Wizard and wait for them to download.
6. In your File Explorer window, go to Downloads and right-click both of the files you just downloaded. To do this, hold down the Control key on your keyboard while clicking.
7. Extract both files by clicking Extract here.
8. Open the AME Wizard Beta folder and run the AME Wizard Beta.exe file.
9. Return to your File Explorer window, navigate back to your Downloads folder and open the AtlasPlaybook_v0.4.0 folder. It may have a different version number, but it should be similar.
10. Drag the similarly named AtlasPlaybook_v0.4.0.apbx folder into the AME Wizard Beta window, right onto where it says to drag .apbx files to.
11. Follow the instructions in the AME Wizard Beta window to install AtlasOS.

3.4. Disabling Visual Effects

1. Open the Start menu and open Settings.
2. Go to Ease of Access > Display and make sure the following settings are off:
   • Show animations in Windows
   • Show transparency in Windows
3. Close the Settings window.
4. Open the Start menu and search for Control Panel.
5. Click on System and Security > System.
6. Scroll down and click on Advanced system settings.
7. Click on Settings under Performance.
8. Leave only the following settings checked:
   • Show thumbnails instead of icons
   • Show window contents while dragging
   • Smooth edges of screen fonts
   • Smooth-scroll list boxes
9. Click Apply and then OK.
10. Close the windows that are open.

3.5. Cleaning Up Leftovers

1. Open the Start menu and click on the power button.
2. Click on Shut down.
3. Wait for the virtual machine to shut down.
4. Close the UTM window.
5. Open UTM again and click on the virtual machine you created.
6. Click on the settings button in the upper right corner, next to the play button.
7. Scroll down in the left sidebar and delete the two IDE drives by Control-clicking on them and selecting Delete.