How to Remove Windows from Mac | Full Guide

Dany updated on Nov 27, 2024 to Mac File Recovery | How-to Articles

Learn how to remove Windows from Mac using Boot Camp Assistant, Disk Utility, and Terminal. This article will help you with every step; keep reading to find out!

Running macOS and Windows on a Mac is flexible, but you may wish to delete Windows to save up storage. The right way to delete Windows is to simplify your system or free up storage, which is crucial to prevent upsetting your macOS environment. This article covers three methods to make uninstalling Windows from a Mac easy and secure.

If you installed Windows via Boot Camp, Boot Camp Assistant is the easiest Apple-recommended alternative. Disk Utility and Terminal may remove Windows partitions if Boot Camp Assistant fails. We'll guide you through each option to restore your Mac's storage without losing macOS data. Follow our full instructions for each technique to understand how EaseUS Data Recovery Wizard for Mac may restore lost data after deleting Windows from your Mac.

Method 1. Remove Windows from Mac with Boot Camp Assistant

The suggested method for removing Windows from your Mac is to utilize Boot Camp Assistant, particularly if you installed Windows via this utility. Boot Camp Assistant streamlines the removal procedure by restoring your data to a single macOS disk. If this approach does not work, you may use Disk Utility or Terminal, which we will discuss next. Follow the following steps to remove Windows using Boot Camp Assistant:

Step 1. To start in macOS, restart your Mac and hold down the "Option key" until the boot menu opens. From there, choose "macOS" as your Mac startup disk.

Step 2.  To ensure a seamless operation, close all active apps and log out other users from the system.

Step 3. To open Boot Camp Assistant, use "Spotlight" search or open Finder and head to "Applications > Utilities > Boot Camp Assistant."

Step 4. To remove using Boot Camp Assistant, launch the program and click "Continue."

Step 5. To remove Windows, choose the "Remove Windows 10 or later version" option when requested, then click "Continue."

Step 6. Click restore:

  • If your Mac has a single internal disk, choose "Restore."
  • For Macs with numerous internal drives, select "Windows Disk," restore the disk to a single macOS partition, and click "Continue."

Step 7. Enter your admin password if requested to approve the modifications and begin the procedure.

Step 8. After partition elimination is complete, a notification will display. To quit Boot Camp Assistant, click the "Quit" button.

Completing these steps will have successfully deleted Windows from your Mac. If this solution works for you, please share it on social media so others can do the same.

 

Method 2. Erase Windows on a Mac with Disk Utility

Disk Utility may delete the Windows partition on your Mac if Boot Camp Assistant fails. Another macOS application, Disk Utility, allows you to manage APFS volumes, create and remove partitions, and more. Using Disk Utility, wipe the Boot Camp partition:

Step 1. Start restarting your Mac and holding the Option key until the boot menu opens. Choose "macOS" from the menu to boot in macOS.

Step 2. Launch "Spotlight" with Command+Spacebar. Open "Disk Utility" by typing and selecting the software.

Step 3. The Windows Boot Camp drive may be found in Disk Utility under the list of accessible drives.

Step 4. To erase the Boot Camp partition, select it and then select the "Erase" option. Disk Utility will request confirmation.

Step 5. After erasing the partition, format it as "MacOS Extended or APFS" to incorporate the space back into macOS.

Step 6. Let Disk Utility finish erasing and reformatting the partition. Your Mac will have disk space when the Boot Camp partition is gone.

By the way, if you have formatted the wrong disk, apply EaseUS Data Recovery Wizard for Mac to recover the formatted hard drive on Mac.

Method 3. Uninstall Windows from Mac with Terminal

Terminal is an effective way to handle your Mac if Boot Camp Assistant or Disk Utility fails to delete the Windows partition. Terminal on macOS lets you run commands that circumvent software constraints. Terminal instructions for Boot Camp partition deletion:

Step 1. Search for "Terminal" in Spotlight using Command + Spacebar, then hit Enter to launch the program.

Step 2. Type in diskutil list in the Terminal to see all Mac drives and partitions.

Step 3. To discover the Windows partition, search for the Boot Camp partition name beneath the IDENTIFIER column, such as disk0s3 in the list. The following step requires this identification.

Step 4. Replace disk0s3 with the Boot Camp partition identifier in the sudo diskutil eraseVolume JHFS+ deleteme /dev/disk0s3 command. This command removes Boot Camp and makes room for macOS. To approve, enter your admin password.

Step 5. To confirm the deletion, input the password, and Terminal will continue with the deletion. Completed Boot Camp partition removal frees up space for macOS.

Recover Lost Data After Removing Windows from Mac

Unfortunately, deleting a Windows Boot Camp partition on a Mac often causes data loss. Essential data may be recoverable if files were accidentally deleted or lost during partition modifications. EaseUS Data Recovery Wizard for Mac provides a complete solution.

This sophisticated recovery program can recover information lost due to partition deletion, disk formatting, system failures, and more, making it a trustworthy solution for macOS data loss. If you need to restore a partition on a Mac, you can try this recovery software.

Advanced recovery tools in EaseUS Data Recovery Wizard for Mac enable users to scan and recover data from Mac hard drives, SSDs, USB drives, memory cards, and more. EaseUS can recover crucial files rapidly after accidental deletion, system failures, or formatting.

Follow these steps to recover lost data on Mac using EaseUS Data Recovery Wizard after deleting the Windows partition:

Step 1. Search for lost files

Select the disk location to search for lost files (it can be an internal HDD/SSD or an external hard drive) where you lost data and files. Click the "Search for lost files" button.

Step 2. Go through the scanning results

This software will immediately scan your selected disk volume and display pictures, documents, audio, videos, and emails on the left pane.

Step 3. Select the file(s) and recover

Click the data to preview, and click the "Recover" button to have them back.

Share this advice on social media to aid others with data recovery issues!

 

Conclusion

Boot Camp Assistant, Disk Utility, and Terminal may remove Windows OS from your Mac. Each method offers versatility depending on the tools and Boot Camp partition status. Data loss might occur unintentionally during these operations.

The EaseUS Data Recovery Wizard for Mac is vital for recovering data that has been mistakenly deleted or lost after partition removal. With its extensive scanning capabilities, Mac model compatibility, and file format support, EaseUS makes data recovery simple and reliable. Consider adding the EaseUS Data Recovery Wizard to your macOS toolbox to protect your data during and after partition modifications.

Remove Windows OS from Mac FAQs

Below are the highly-searched questions regarding removing windows os from Mac issues:

1. How do I remove Windows 10 from a Mac?

Boot Camp Assistant can find and delete the Boot Camp partition to uninstall Windows 10 from your Mac. If Boot Camp Assistant fails, use Disk Utility or Terminal to manually delete the partition. Delete the Windows partition to restore full Mac storage utilizing each technique.

2. Can I delete Boot Camp partitions on my Mac?

Yes, Mac Boot Camp partitions may be deleted in numerous ways. Boot Camp Assistant is the easiest tool; however, Disk Utility or Terminal may manually wipe the Boot Camp partition. Windows storage may be reclaimed using these techniques.

3. How do I switch from Windows to Mac?

Hold down the Option key to transition from Windows to macOS when booting up a Mac with Boot Camp. The starting Manager lets you choose macOS as your starting disk. To start macOS automatically, designate it as the default OS in System Preferences > Startup Disk.