Transfer Windows 10 from MacBook Pro to new M1 MacBook Air

Hi
Trying to transfer my previous working Windows 10 setup from my old MacBook Pro (Late 2012) to new MacBook Air M1.

I use the Windows 10 VM to run some really old windows programs, such as Microsoft Money.

I have managed to install the Parallels® Desktop 16 for M1 Mac Technical Preview on the new MacBook Air, which I set up using a Time machine backup on a portable hard drive.

I have also managed to download the "Windows 10 Client ARM64 Insider Preview - Build 20231" and install it on the new MacBook Air.

When I run It, it seems to have transferred some of the things over from the Windows 10 VM.
But not the programs I need!

Any ideas?

I am making a "Windows Backup" from the MacBook Pro using another portable hard drive.
Can I use this to "restore" to the new MacBook Air?
It's a long time since I've done anything like this and I'm a little rusty!

 

First the bad news. I don't think a straight copy will work. I have been there...I have done this copy many times. Each time it was moving from a x86 MacBook to a newer x86 MacBook. The M1 has a new Arm-based CPU and so far at least Parallels Desktop cannot run x86 images as is. Others can keep me honest here.

The good news is that you can download an Arm-based Windows 10 installer and try to move your apps one by one. Use build 21277 so you will have a half decent chance that they'll work in emulation mode.

 

The Technical Preview for Parallels is (as best I know) not able to run Windows VMs from an Intel Mac at this time. On the page you download the technical preview from (https://www.parallels.com/blogs/parallels-desktop-apple-silicon-mac/ > Try Technical Preview button > Login to your Account > Welcome to the Parallels Desktop 16 for M1 Mac Technical Preview page), one of the listed limitations is:

• It is not possible to install or start an Intel x86 based operating system in a virtual machine.

Once you get Windows 10 ARM edition installed, you will need to run Windows Update to upgrade to at least Build 21277.rs_preprelease.201207-1443 to get the x64 emulation system, which itself, is a beta/preview feature in Windows 10 ARM. I wasn't able to run any 64-bit apps, like Notepad++, until this update was installed. I don't believe Windows 10 ARM edition will run older x86/32-bit apps.

In all honesty, it might be a good idea to hang on to that 2012 MacBook Pro if you still need/want to run your old copy of Microsoft Money.

 

This is wrong. Windows 10 on ARM was always able to run x32 apps via emulation. Build 21277 adds support for x64 app emulation, but for people who don't need to run x64 apps it's probably a better choice to stay in the beta channel and use a more stable version of Windows.

 

I agree. I miss spoke about the x86/32-bit app support. I went back and tested Notepad++ x86 and x64 and they are both working as expected.

Sorry for the confusion.

 

Thanks for input.
I've made quite good progress as follows;
Deleted both Parallels and the Windows 10 VM completely from the new MacBook Air.

Installed a completely fresh copy of Parallels.
Downloaded a fresh copy of Windows 10 and created a new VM from it.
Dug out my old Microsoft Money 2005 install disc and installed with no issue, along with the updates I'd also kept copies of.
Was able to open and run the Money file I've been using for the last 17 years, even able to run the MSMoneyquotes program that downloads share prices!

Also able to download and install the MS Office 2016 package I'd got on the HUP.

Happy so far!

 

Does the company plan to support x86-based Operating Systems or are they saying that support for the x86 architecture has ended? If support has ended, it seems a poor business model. I have a number of Windows x86 VMs; Windows XP, Windows 8, and Windows 10. As the ARM-based Macs grow in use, without x86 support, the number of Parallels users will shrink.

 

The only way they could support an x86/x64 OS on an M1 processor would be emulation which Parallels has never done before. I doubt that will ever happen, but certainly not before they finish work on the VM software.

 

the best solution IMO is to let Windows do the x86/x64 emulation while Parallels provides a solid native hypervisor subsystem. Trying to do x86 emulation at the hypervisor layer will open up Parallels to a range of compatibility issues.

 

To prepare for a smooth migration:

• Make sure Windows is up to date. Migration Assistant works with Windows 7 and later.
• Make sure you know the name and password of an administrator account on your PC.
• Connect your Mac and PC to the same network, such as your home Wi-Fi network. Or connect an Ethernet cable between the ports on your Mac and PC to create a direct network connection. Some Mac models require an Ethernet adapter, such as the Belkin USB-C to Gigabit Ethernet Adapter or Apple Thunderbolt to Gigabit Ethernet Adapter.
• If you're using Microsoft OneDrive on your PC, follow Microsoft's instructions for uninstalling OneDrive before continuing. You can reinstall OneDrive after the migration has been completed.

Then use the check disk (chkdsk) utility on your PC to make sure your Windows hard drive doesn't have any issues:

1. Right-click the Start button, then click Run.
2. Type cmd and press Enter. Command Prompt opens.
3. At the prompt, type chkdsk and press Enter.
4. If the utility reports that it has found problems, type the following, where drive is the letter that represents your Windows startup disk, such as D:
   chkdsk drive: /F
   
   
5. Press Enter.
6. At the prompt, type Y, then restart your PC.
7. Repeat this process until the check disk utility is not reporting any issues. If the utility can't fix every issue that it has found, you may need to get your PC serviced. Then migrate your data to your Mac.

 

I am not able to install it in my Macbook Pro m1 chip. I installed latest Parallel but not able to install WINDOWS10. Please help what are next step.