How to open exe on mac

How to Run EXE Files on a Mac

WineBottler or Boot Camp are your best options

What to Know

This article explains two ways to run Windows EXE files on your Mac, either using the Boot Camp software that comes pre-installed on some Macs or using the WineBottler application, which translates Windows files for use on Macs.

Can My Mac Run Windows EXE?

No, you cannot run Windows EXE files without some help. However, with a translator or a compatible installation of Windows, you can get a Windows EXE file working on your Mac. Fortunately, Mac has some built-in capabilities to make this process easier, and if you prefer not to use the Mac capabilities, there are applications available to help.

How Do I Run an EXE File on a Mac?

There are two ways that you can Windows EXE files on a Mac. One is to use the Mac’s Boot Camp capability. The other is to use an application like WineBottler, which translates Windows applications to Mac on the fly.

How to Install Window EXE Files on Mac With Boot Camp

Boot Camp is a utility that comes pre-installed on some Macs, which lets you install an instance of Windows on your Mac so you can switch between the two operating systems. When you use Boot Camp, you’ll have to create a Windows partition, format that Windows partition, and then install the Windows operating system on your Mac. You’ll also need a valid Windows license key to complete the installation.

Boot Camp is only supported on Macs running Intel processors. Apple is currently moving away from using Intel processors to their home-grown processors. If your Mac has an M1, M1 Pro, or M1 Max, you can’t use Boot Camp.

If this is the method you would like to take, you can follow our guide to using Boot Camp to install Windows on your Mac to get started. You’ll need enough available resources on your Mac to run both macOS and the Windows operating system you choose.

The two operating systems don’t run concurrently. At the boot-up time, you have to choose whether your Mac will boot into Windows or macOS.

How to Install Windows EXE Files on Mac With WineBottler

WineBottler is another option for running Windows EXE files on a Mac. WineBottler is a compatibility layer that converts the Windows Application Programming Interface (API) calls made by Windows apps to portable operating system interface (POSIX) calls that macOS can use.

The caveat is it’s not always completely reliable. WineBottler will not translate all Windows API calls entirely, so sometimes Windows applications won’t work as expected or at all. Still, this is another option you may find helpful if you have the occasional need to run Windows applications from your Mac.

Go to the WineBottler site and download the version of WineBottler compatible with your macOS installation.

Double-click the downloaded file and drag Wine and WineBottler into the Applications folder to begin the installation process. It may take a couple of minutes for the installation to complete.

Once the file installs, you can navigate to the EXE file in Finder. Then right-click the file to bring up a drop-down menu.

Select Open With.

Choose Wine.

A pop-up window appears that prompts you to choose how to run the file. Select Run directly in [address].

Then click Go, and your file should begin to load.

If your file does not begin to load, it likely isn’t supported by Wine, which means you’ll have to use the Boot Camp option listed at the beginning of this article (if your Mac can use Boot Camp).

Open Finder > in the left pane, select All My Files. Newer versions of macOS do not have this option, so you have to search for files using Finder.

To find downloads on a Mac, open Finder > go to the left pane and select Downloads. Alternatively, use the keyboard shortcut Command+Option+L to open the Downloads folder.

To unzip a file on Mac, open it like any other file by double-clicking. To zip a file, right-click and select Compress.

To select multiple files on a Mac, press the Command key as you choose your files. Or, click and drag files with your mouse. To select all files in a folder, long-press Command+A.

Seven Ways to Open EXE Files on macOS

EXE files are made for users of Microsoft’s Windows, but today you have several ways to use EXE files on your Mac.

File Juicer

13 second movie showing how to extract images from an EXE file (a screen saver). This will work on some EXE files, but not if the EXE file is encrypted or use a proprietary storage system.

ZIP and RAR files are common inside EXE files which are made «self extracting» on Windows by wrapping them in an EXE file. You open ZIP files by double-clicking them. RAR files require RAR Expander.

Pocket PC applications are often packaged as «Windows only installers» in EXE files, and the developers forget to make an installer for macOS.
File Juicer can extract the CAB files from the exe file, and you can manually copy this file to the Pocket PC and get it installed this way.

Some EXE files containing other files are not possible to open with File Juicer. Typically this is packages made by installer applications like InstallerVise from MindVision.

VirtualBox

The most affordable free and supported app to run Windows and apps on your Mac is VirtualBox from Oracle.

It takes only a few minutes to download and install Virtual Box, but it may take more than an hour to get your copy of Windows and all the Windows software updates installed. You will also need 30-50GB of free disk space to set aside as to a virtual disk for your «Windows PC». I have successfully been able to run Windows 7 on a 20GB virtual disk

Parallels Desktop

Parallels Desktop require a Mac with an Intel processor. It is more convenient to use than Apple’s Boot Camp as it does not require to restart your Mac every time you want to run a Windows application.

Parallels Desktop is focused on personal use, while VMWare cater for enterprise users even though they keep VMWare Fusion for personal use

You still need a copy of Microsoft Windows and install it on a part of your hard disk. You also need to keep this part of your disk free of spyware, viruses. You can keep the Mac part of your disk separate from your Windows part, so nasty applications will not ruin your Mac data.

If your Mac is not quite new and only updated to macOS 13 «High Sierra» you can get away with an older copy of Parallels from Amazon: Parallels Desktop 15

VMWare’s Fusion

If you have a Mac with an Intel processor, VMWare Fusion will be an alternative to Parallels Desktop. VMWare is mostly focused on business users, but they still sell a version for personal use which is conveninent if you want to use the same software at home and at work. They are already known for making virtual Windows environments on Windows, so Windows users can run different versions of Windows on the same PC.

You do need a copy of Microsoft Windows

EXE files can be nasty to Windows users. If you want to use any of the applications below to run the EXE file you have, I recommend checking it for virus first. This is a good idea even though Windows viruses will only be dangerous for the part of your hard disk you set aside for Windows: one can never be too careful when running EXE files. Because File Juicer does not run EXE files, but search them for images, Flash animations and more, even infected EXE files are not dangerous when dropped on File Juicer for a search for extractable files.

ClamAV knows about 90.000 viruses. It is free and you can download ClamXav for macOS here.

ClamXav is quite nice as it does not run in the background and slow your Mac down unless you directly ask for it (by launching ClamXav Sentry from the File menu).

Apple’s Boot Camp

You still need to purchase a copy of Microsoft Windows, install it and keep that corner of your hard disk free of virus, worms and spyware.

Crossover Mac

The disadvantage is that it is not a 100% Windows replacement, but they have focused on the most common parts of Windows, and if an application only depend on those it should work. Their compatibility list of supported applications give an impression of how much of Windows they support.

How to avoid EXE files (Where to look for Mac Software)

While most active software developers list their software on these sites, there are more which write about using Mac software. MacWorld.

Открываем EXE-файлы на macOS

Запуск EXE на macOS

Естественно, сами по себе исполняемые файлы для «окон» на Маке не заработают: ОС от Майкрософт и Эппл слишком разные. Тем не менее, существуют возможные варианты работы с ними, а именно установка Windows второй системой посредством Boot Camp, использование виртуальной машины или эмулятора Wine.

Способ 1: Установка Windows посредством Boot Camp

Изначально компьютеры Apple работали на процессорах архитектур RISC и MIPS, аппаратно несовместимых с архитектурой x86-64, но вот уже десять лет как в MacBook и iMac используются решения от Intel, что позволяет установить на эти машины ОС Виндовс. Причём последнее поддерживается вполне официально – не так давно Эппл начали встраивать в свои настольные продукты инструмент Boot Camp, предоставляющий возможность инсталляции операционной системы от Майкрософт в качестве второй рабочей. Один из наших авторов подготовил инструкцию по его использованию, ознакомиться с которой вы можете по ссылке далее.

Этот вариант является идеальным решением нашей сегодняшней задачи: доступны все аппаратные возможности машины и программные особенности Виндовс, что позволяет без проблем работать со всеми совместимыми программами. Однако этот метод требует перезагрузки компьютера, а также отнимает приличный объём пространства на накопителе.

Способ 2: Виртуальная машина

Следующий метод запуска EXE-файлов на макОС – инсталляция виртуальной машины с последующей установкой в неё одной из систем от Майкрософт. Таковых для ОС от Apple существует несколько, лучшие из них представлены в отдельном обзоре.

Работу с этим ПО покажем на примере программы Parallels Desktop.

Вариант вручную подразумевает использование бесплатных тестировочных образов Microsoft, загрузочных флешек либо ISO-файла.

Выберите подходящий для вашей ситуации вариант и установите Виндовс – технически непосредственно процедура инсталляции ничем не отличается от таковой для обычного компьютера.

О дополнительных возможностях Параллелс Десктоп мы расскажем в отдельном материале.

Parallels Desktop представляет собой одно из самых мощных решений, однако приложение распространяется на платной основе, причём полноценная версия стоит весьма дорого. К счастью, у него есть бесплатные альтернативы, пусть и не такие богатые функционально. Однако стоит иметь в виду, что виртуальные среды могут работать неправильно или не работать вовсе на «хакинтошах».

Способ 3: Wine

Пользователям систем на ядре Linux известна программа Wine, которая представляет собой программную «прослойку» для работы приложений Windows на ОС с ядром UNIX. Существует версия этого ПО и для macOS, однако нужно иметь в виду, что оно пока несовместимо с новейшим на момент написания статьи релизом 10.15 Catalina.

Также потребуется загрузить программный компонент под названием XQuartz – без этого фреймворка Вайн не заработает.

Wine по совокупности параметров представляет собой хорошее решение нашей сегодняшней задачи, однако недостатки в виде проблем с совместимостью мешают назвать его идеальным.

Заключение

На этом заканчиваем наше руководство по запуску EXE-файлов в операционной системе macOS. Подводя итоги, отметим, что оптимальным в плане совместимости будет установка Windows через Boot Camp, тогда как по простоте эксплуатации лидирует Wine, а вариант с виртуальной машиной занимает промежуточное место между этими двумя.

I frequently get questions like this from Mac users:

My friend asked me to download a file named Paint-tool-sai.exe, but I can’t open it on my Mac. How can I open this file?

From a person who only uses Mac computers and iPads, this is a very reasonable question.

The quick, short answer is, “By itself, the Mac can’t open this file.”

The longer, more positive answer requires a little background.

File Extensions

Both PC and Mac computers use three- or four-letter extensions on file names—the portion of the name after the period—to determine which application can open a file.

You may have noticed that files with extensions “.jpg” or “.jpeg” are opened by the Preview app on the Mac. Those files are images or photos.

Similarly, you may have noticed that files with extensions “.docx” or “.doc” are opened on the Mac by Microsoft Word or TextEdit. Those files are word processing documents.

What you may not have noticed is that Mac applications themselves have an “.app” extension. (See figure 1.)

Figure 1_Applications on the Mac have the file name extension “.app”

When you double click on a file with the “.app” extension on a Mac, the macOS® launches that application. In other words, opening a file with an “.app” extension is really launching that application; the macOS itself opens that file.

Enter Parallels Desktop

When you have Parallels Desktop and a Windows virtual machine (VM) on your Mac, everything just works when you double click on an “.exe” file. It feels a little bit like magic.

Underneath, here is how the magic works: Parallels Desktop tells the Mac that it can open “.exe” files. So when you double click on that “.exe” file, the macOS ® launches Parallels Desktop. This is just like when you double click on a “.jpg” file and the macOS launches Preview, or when you double click on a “.docx” file and the macOS launches Microsoft Word.

When Parallels Desktop is launched because you clicked on an “.exe” file, Parallels Desktop boots your Windows VM and tells Windows that you want this “.exe” file opened. Windows then launches the application for that “.exe” file.

While the quick, short answer to the question at the beginning of this blog post still is, “By itself, the Mac can’t open this file”…

The longer, more positive answer is, “This is a Windows file, so you need Windows to open it. The easiest way to get Windows on your Mac is to get Parallels Desktop and a Windows VM.”

Oh yeah, and if you have Boot Camp ® on your Mac, you still won’t be able to double click on that “.exe” file and have it open. The short answer to “Why not?” is because the macOS and Boot Camp can’t talk to each other. The long answer will be the subject of a future blog post.

Try Parallels Desktop for free for 14 days!

How to Open and Run EXE File on Mac

EXE files are not intended to work on Mac, but there are workarounds to this. You can now easily run any EXE file on your macOS using its inbuilt tools. The best part of it is it’s a very easy process.

Sue Wayne

May 20, 2022 • Filed to: Solve Mac Problems • Proven solutions

Mac’s impressive library of apps gives you everything you need but let’s face it: Windows has a far larger library.

Haven’t you ever come across software native to Windows which endear itself to you? But since they all come with the EXE file extension, your Mac is incapable of running them. Well, there are workarounds to this problem and you’ll learn about them today.

It’s possible to safely open and run EXE files on your Mac using mediums like Boot Camp, Remote Desktop, CrossOver, Virtual Machine, and WINE, to mention the most prominent ones. And you don’t need to be an expert to do this. As long as you can follow simple instructions, you’re all set.

Part 1: Can You Run an EXE File on a Mac?

Yes, you can! With how innovative and creative developers have become, it was only a matter of time before they devised a means to run EXE files on Mac, even though such files are incompatible with macOS.

What’s an EXE file, though? It’s a file extension that denotes an executable file format. Okay, but what’s an executable file? It’s any file capable of being executed as a program. To put it simply, it’s what makes the installation and running of software possible.

EXE files are used in a few operating systems, the most notable of them being Microsoft Windows. You can think of EXE files as the Windows version of APP files (APP files, if you’re unaware, are executable files under macOS).

Running EXE files on Mac is very possible but only through backdoor means, so to speak. You need an emulator (WINE is by far the most popular), or you install a virtual machine software on your macOS to enable you to load Windows VM or make an extra partition on your disk where you can simultaneously have both macOS and Windows in your Mac.

Part 2: How to Open EXE Files on Mac?

Again, you have several options to choose from when attempting this. So many software out there can help you open EXE files on Mac. You are advised to go with the Parallel Desktop.

Parallel Desktop

This software is simplistic and won’t take up much on your time because it doesn’t even require a Mac restart anytime you wish to run a Windows application. A copy of Microsoft Windows is required though. You have to install it on your hard disk but it’s easy to do:

Step 1: Windows Installation

Step 2: Using Parallels Desktop

Part 3: How to Run Windows APPs on Mac?

The question now is not whether you want to run EXE files on your Mac, but rather how to go about it conveniently. There are countless of great Windows apps that never made it to macOS, and they probably never will. A lot of them have very attractive features that make Windows the envy of all Mac owners.

Running EXE files on Mac is made easy and convenient via Boot Camp and Remote Desktop. You can use any. It depends on preference and what you find more convenient.

Boot Camp

This application makes it possible for you toВ install Windows on your Mac. Switching between macOS and Windows thus becomes a matter of you restarting your system and deciding which OS to log into.

Step 1: Windows Installation File

Step 2: Launch Your Mac’s Utilities folder

Step 3: Launch Boot Camp Assistant

Step 4: On-screen Instructions

Step 5: Your Mac Will Restart

Step 6: Install Windows

Step 7: Startup Manager

Step 8: Boot Camp

Remote Desktop

This free tool does what many others fail at: lets you take full advantage of your Windows apps from your Mac. That’s pretty convenient, don’t you agree? Even though you’ll need Mac and PC to use the Remote Desktop, it’s still a great software that deserves praise. Here’s how you use it:

Step 1: Get Your PC Ready

Step 2: Know Your IP Address & PC Name

Step 3: Install the Mac Version of Microsoft Remote Desktop

Step 4: Open Add Your PC to Remote Desktop

Step 5: You Can Now Connect

Closing Words

Well, there you have it. Running your EXE files via your Mac is now a thing of the past. As long as you have the right tools, you can do it in a matter of minutes.

These tools make your Mac more versatile than even Apple intended and anticipated because they enable you to go beyond what your Mac is capable of doing. You can achieve an end goal that would have otherwise been impossible. That’s the power of a Mac for you.

A Comprehensive Guide to Files Recovery on Mac

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