Volume Licensing brief
Licensing Windows and Microsoft Office for use on the
Macintosh
This brief applies to all Volume Licensing programs.
Contents
Summary .............................................................................................................................................................................. 1
What's new in this brief .................................................................................................................................................... 1
Details .................................................................................................................................................................................... 1
Licensing of the Windows operating system for the Mac ................................................................................ 1
Scenarios ....................................................................................................................................................................... 2
Licensing of Microsoft Office for Windows and Microsoft Office for Mac.................................................. 6
Frequently asked questions ............................................................................................................................................ 7
Summary
This licensing brief addresses the commonly asked questions about licensing the Windows operating system and
Microsoft Office to run on the Macintosh.
What's new in this brief
This replaces a previous version published in August 2015. It has been updated to reflect Windows 10 and Office 2019
for Mac.
Details
Licensing of the Windows operating system for the Mac
Microsoft distinguishes between a full operating system that's complete and bootable and an upgrade operating system that's installed over a previously installed full operating system.
Licensing Windows and Microsoft Office for use on a
Mac
Full Windows operating system licenses aren't available through Microsoft Volume Licensing programs. You can obtain full Windows operating system licenses by having Windows preinstalled on your PCs by the Original
Equipment Manufacturer (OEM). For existing PCs with a licensed and installed Qualifying Operating System, you can purchase the Windows 10 Pro Upgrade license or Windows 10 Enterprise Upgrade license through Volume Licensing.
The Apple Macintosh operating system is considered a Qualifying Operating System, meaning you can purchase the
Windows 10 Pro Upgrade license or Windows 10 Enterprise Upgrade license for Macs that have a licensed and installed Mac operating system.
Scenarios
Your options for licensing Windows to run on a Mac depend on the specific scenario. The following explains the most common scenarios.
Note: If you require full installation media for deploying your Windows upgrade acquired through Volume Licensing, you may download the files from the Microsoft Volume Licensing
Service Center (VLSC) or order physical media through your Microsoft reseller.
Scenario 1: Installing and running Windows as a second full operating system under Apple Boot Camp on a Mac
You can install Windows as a second full operating system on a Mac using Apple Boot Camp in addition to the already installed Mac operating system. To acquire the necessary Windows software license to accommodate this scenario which allows you to keep the Mac operating system on the computer purchase Windows Enterprise
Upgrade with Software Assurance through Volume Licensing. Software Assurance for Windows allows you to run
Windows Enterprise on a computer even if the Qualifying Operating System is still installed and running on that
