How to run windows on mac

There are various tools for running Windows programs on Mac, some of which do not require the Microsoft operating system to be installed.

Today, in order to run Windows programs on Mac, there is no need to install the Microsoft operating system on Apple products, and it is easy to install Windows programs on Mac through emulators and peripheral tools developed for this purpose. In the following article, we will discuss how to do this along with introducing the best current options.

How to run Windows programs on Mac With Wineskin

The Wineskin application is one of the best options for providing the necessary environment for installing Windows programs on Mac, which is completely free for Apple computer owners. Also, unlike similar examples such as Wine, this project is constantly receiving updates and can be used on MacOS version 13 and products based on Apple’s proprietary chips.

The easiest way to install Wineskin on Mac OS is to use Homebrew. If you haven’t installed this tool on your PC or laptop in the past, you can download and install it by entering the following command in Terminal.

/bin/bash -c "$(curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/Homebrew/install/HEAD/install.sh)"

• After the Homebrew installation process is complete, enter the following command in the terminal and press the “Enter” key.

echo 'eval $(/opt/homebrew/bin/brew shellenv)' >> /Users/$USER/.zprofile

• Next, type the command below in the terminal and press the “Enter” key again to install the Wineskin application on the system.

brew install --cask --no-quarantine gcenx/wine/unofficial-wineskin

Wineskin application configuration

After installing the Wineskin application according to the steps mentioned above, you will still not be able to run Windows programs on Mac, and you must first apply the appropriate settings. You will be able to launch the new app by running “Wineskin Winery.app” in the Applications folder or using Spotlight on macOS.

• Inside the Wineskin application, click on the “+” sign at the bottom of the Installed Engines title to display the “Add Engine” window.
• From the drop-down menu, select the latest available version and then press the “Download and Install” button.
• In the opened window, you can define a desired name for the new engine and then click “OK“.
• The time required to download and install the new engine depends on your internet speed.

• After the download and installation of the new engine are complete, a notification will be displayed. Now it’s time to click on the “Create New Blank Wrapper” option.
• In the new window, enter a name in the specified box. Note that you will need this name in the next steps; So it is better to choose a short title.
• After typing the desired name, click on the “OK” button. Next, you will be asked to install two packages for the correct operation of the application.

• Mono package for running “Net” programs. Windows is used on Mac and the “Gecko” package is also used to display HTML-based content.
• After the process of receiving and installing the mentioned packages is completed, a Wrapper will be created.
• By default, you can see the “Wrapper” created at the address because; But clicking on it will not result.
• Applications > Wineskin > [your wrapper]
• For this purpose, right-click on it and then select “Show Package Contents“. Next, from among the displayed items, click on the “Wineskin” option.

• Then select “Install Software” and “Choose Setup Executable” options in the next windows.
• Finally, a window will open where you can define the “EXE” file address of the desired application.
• You can now exit “Wineskin” and use the displayed launchpad to run Windows applications on your Mac.
• Also, if the desired application does not need to be installed, you can choose “Copy a Folder Inside” instead of “Choose Setup Executable” in the previous steps and then specify the app folder.

How to run Windows programs on Mac With Wineskin with Parallels Desktop

“Parallels Desktop” application is another option for installing Windows programs on Mac. Of course, this tool installs Windows 11 alongside MacOS; But thanks to the “Coherence” feature, after the initial configuration, the user will no longer need to interact with the Microsoft operating system. How to work with the said app is mentioned below.

• First, download the “Parallels Desktop” application installation file using this link and install it on your Mac computer.
• At the first login to the app, select the “New” option and then click on “Get Windows 11 from Microsoft“.
• Finally, press the “Install Windows” key and wait until the process of receiving and installing the operating system is completed. Note that in this case, you will need a legal Windows license.

If you want to install Windows from another file, select “Install Windows or another OS from DVD or image file” in the previous step and then continue the installation process. Note that the selected file must be in ISO format.

• After the process is completed, you can create a new Windows 11 virtual machine and then install your desired applications on it.
• Now right-click on the Windows icon in the dock and select “Enter Coherence” from the “View” menu.

Now the Windows desktop will be hidden, But you can still continue to use apps based on it. You can have all the apps installed through “Parallels Desktop” in the Applications folder or through the Spotlight tool. When this feature is enabled, Windows apps will run like native Mac software. It is worth noting that the Windows 11 virtual machine is still running in the background, But it does not affect the user experience.

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Frequently asked questions about How to run Windows programs on Mac

• What is the best program to install Windows 11 on Mac?

The Parallels Desktop tool provides the possibility of installing Windows alongside MacOS for users in recent versions of Apple’s operating system and products based on this company’s proprietary chip.

• What is the best way to run Windows programs on Mac?

Using external tools like WineSkin or Parallels Desktop can be the easiest way to run Windows apps.

• Is it possible to run Windows programs on Mac without installing the operating system?

Yes; Using the Wineskin application, you can use Windows programs on Mac without installing the Microsoft operating system.

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In this article, we talked about “How to run Windows programs on Mac” and we are waiting for your experiences to use these methods. Please share your thoughts with us.

Running Windows on a Mac is no easy task. It requires a dual-boot installation, and the resources to run two operating systems simultaneously. This guide explains three methods on how you can install Windows on your Mac.

Contents:

1. Run Windows for Mac using Virtualbox
2. Run Windows on a Mac using WineBottler
3. Install Windows on a Mac using Bootcamp

Run Windows on Mac using VirtualBox

Virtualbox, which originally belonged to the Oracle Corporation, is designed in a way that you can run any OS that you need on your Mac. Follow the steps below to install Windows on macOS:

1. Download VirtualBox on your Mac.
2. Open VirtualBox and click to create a new virtual machine.



3. Type a name for your virtual machine. Since we are installing Windows 10 for a Mac, we will type the appropriate name in this field.



4. Select memory size to allocate to the machine. You can leave it at the default setting if you don’t need any more or less.



5. Select in the next window.



6. Leave the default option as is and click on .



7. You can also leave this option as is unless you would like your virtual drive to have more space than it has by default.



8. For the “File location and size” section, you can also leave it as is unless you want to have more space on your virtual Windows.

Great! You are finished. Now you can see your drive in the left-hand sidebar. Simply click on it twice to launch Windows on your Mac.

Since you already created the virtual hard disk and all is set on that end, you will need to download a Windows Disk Image. We’ve included a link that you can follow to download it. Otherwise, you may get the OS from other trusted, convenient sources.

1. Once you have downloaded the disk image, simply click twice on the virtual disk in the left side of the VirtualBox window to launch it.



2. In the next window, you will need to select the Windows ISO file to install it and then click .



3. Proceed with the instructions in the windows that follow. You will need to select the language, time and currency format, as well as the input method.



4. After that, simply start the installation by clicking .



5. Accept all of the license agreements that follow.



6. Select the installation type as “Custom: Install Windows only (advanced)”.



7. You will see the virtual disk you allocated within the VirtualBox software. Click .



8. Give it some time for the Windows installation to finalize.



9. Once Windows has finalized its installation, you will need to choose the region in which you are based.



10. Proceed with choosing your keyboard layout and click when done.



11. If you wish to add a second keyboard layout, click on ; if not click on .



12. Enter the name of the person who will be using this virtual Windows machine and click .
13. Create a password for your machine and click .



14. In this window, you will need to create three security questions, which will be used to restore your password in case you forget it.



15. Make Cortana your personal assistant if you wish. Otherwise, click on and proceed to the next step.



16. Choose the privacy settings for your virtual machine and click on .

Congratulations, you’re all set! You can now run Windows on your Mac via Virtualbox.

As you can see, VirtualBox provides an easy way to set up Windows for Mac. If you don’t mind spending a little time figuring out how it works, as well as downloading the Windows ISO file, your virtual machine will be ready in just a few clicks.

If for some reason you don’t like this method or simply want to uninstall VirtualBox, please refer to our article on how to uninstall Virtualbox.

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Run Windows on a Mac using WineBottler

Running Windows applications on a Mac via the well-known program WineBottler is another way to get your work done while avoiding virtual drives and remote desktops. However, as good as it sounds, there are some drawbacks. Wine on Mac by default can only support a limited number of applications. Meaning, you won’t be able to run some of the newest programs that are only compatible with Windows 10 and later.

This also means that even if you do manage to run an application that isn’t supposed to be compatible with Wine, it is likely that you will experience crashes, glitches, and slow performance. Even so, it’s still one of the quickest ways to get into some useful apps on Windows for a Mac without having to wait for a virtual drive to launch.

1. Complete the Winebottler download.
2. Once you have opened the DMG file, you will need to move both of the Wine icons to Applications in order to install it.



3. Launched WineBottler.app
4. Choose from a whole range of default Windows apps. In this instance, we used Mozilla Firefox as an example.



5. Click to start converting the Windows program into a Mac bundle app.



6. Once you are done, head to the section in the menu bar in order to launch the Firefox program through Windows emulation.



7. Firefox will prompt you to import any cookies or data from other browsers. If you don’t have any, check the box and click .

Congratulations! Your Firefox Browser has started and now you can run Windows programs on your Mac.

Since you can already choose from a whole list of default WineBottler apps, we will also show you how you can execute any other .exe file using WineBottler.

1. Downloaded the needed .exe file that you wish to execute
2. Right click on it and go



3. Click on in the window that follows to execute the software the same way it executed Firefox.



4. If you would rather install it first and convert it into an OS X Application bundle, it will automatically redirect you to the Advanced screen. There you will need to choose the correct parameters and specify the directory that you wish the app to go to.

Some programs are easy to install using WineBottler and some will take some effort. We would suggest doing some research on the app that you are trying to launch, specifically to learn which libraries other people successfully used.

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Install Windows on a Mac using Bootcamp

Note: Apple supports Boot Camp on Intel-based Macs only. On Apple silicon (i.e. M1 and M2) processors, you can’t use Bootcamp to run Windows on Mac.

What is Bootcamp for Mac?
Bootcamp on Mac, or the Bootcamp Assistant software, is a system utility app that you can use to install and run Windows on a Mac. While the process is fairly straightforward, what’s best about it is you won’t need to use any third-party software as the Bootcamp app is built into your Mac. However, be aware that you will need to have plenty of space on your Mac in order to be able to dual-run both operating systems. The Windows OS alone will be 64GB minimum.

Steps on how to run Windows on Intel-based Mac using Bootcamp:

1. Download a latest Windows ISO for your Boot Camp installation on your Mac.
2. Open up Bootcamp assistant on your Mac, which is located in .

   

3. Click on and locate the Windows ISO file if it hasn’t been automatically pulled up.



4. Proceed with pressing on in order to initiate the installation.
   
5. You will go through the standard Windows installation after that. Follow the instructions on the screen to proceed to the next step.
6. Congratulations! Once the installation has been finalized, your Mac will automatically boot into Windows.

Since you already know how to install Windows on a Mac using the Bootcamp Mac app, you will also want to know how to switch between macOS and Windows.

1. Restart your Mac and hold down the Option key, and then you will see two options:
   • Load Macintosh HD to get into Mac
   • Load Bootcamp to launch Windows.



2. If you don’t like switching upon startup, you can always change the boot drive from the macOS system preference panel for Startup Disk.

To see how you can install Windows on a Mac without Bootcamp, keep reading and you will find out how you can use several third-party methods to do it yourself.

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Conclusion

Whichever solution you choose to get Windows running on your Mac, you should keep in mind that the files will require a lot of memory. We would suggest using MacCleaner Pro bundle to optimize your disk space. MacCleaner Pro allows you to find and remove duplicate files, hidden files, unneeded logs, cache and other junk files. The app will help you delete them all in a matter of a few clicks. It also comes with the Memory Cleaner app that will allow you to clear RAM regularly, optimizing memory usage while you run the virtual drive.

It’s surprisingly easy to run Windows apps on a Mac, and you don’t always need to run Windows to do so. Use these solutions to play PC games, run productivity software, or access Windows tools that lack a native Mac version.

Run Windows in a Virtual Machine

One of the easiest ways of running Windows apps is to use a virtual machine. This involves running Windows on top of macOS by virtualizing the hardware required to do so. Software installed in a virtual machine behaves as if it’s installed natively on a Windows PC which means that compatibility is excellent, particularly in Windows 11.

If you have a modern Mac model with an Apple Silicon chip (M1, M2, and similar,) you will be limited to the Windows 11 on ARM release, which performs surprisingly well. This ARM version of Windows has compatibility with 64-bit apps written for the «standard» x86 version of Windows, which means that Windows 11 on ARM can run almost any app you throw at it without experiencing much of a performance penalty.

If you have an Intel Mac, then you’ll be able to run the more widely used x86 version of Windows in a virtual machine instead. You can also use virtualization to run other operating systems on top of macOS, including Linux distributions or other macOS installations.

If you want the smoothest virtualization experience, you’ll need to open your wallet. Parallels Desktop will download, install, and set up Windows 11 for you in a matter of minutes. It also supports 3D acceleration for games on Apple Silicon, which other solutions lack. Check out our review of Parallels Desktop for more details. Other virtualization options include VMware Fusion (with a free version of VMware Fusion Player), VirtualBox, and UTM.

Virtualization is useful since you can just launch an app and have access to Windows in moments. Apps like Parallels have modes that allow you to effectively hide the Windows UI and use apps as if they were running natively on your Mac. Many virtualization apps don’t require that you sacrifice disk space for your virtual machine, unlike a dedicated Windows installation.

Use Wine to Run Windows Apps With Wineskin

Wine is a compatibility layer that allows Windows software to run on top of macOS. It works by translating Windows API calls in real time so performance in apps that use Wine is generally very good. That said, not all apps will work, and some will exhibit odd behavior. Apps are more likely to crash or behave in unexpected ways compared to virtualization or running Windows natively.

That said, Wine might just be the solution you’ve been looking for. You don’t need to install Windows natively, which means you don’t need to dedicate disk space to Windows or run additional virtualization software. Wine apps appear on your desktop and in your dock just like native Mac apps do.

The Wine project is still under active development, but Mac packages are no longer maintained. Fortunately, you can use a community-maintained tool called Wineskin to create wrappers for your Windows apps. It is recommended that you install and maintain Wineskin using Homebrew, a package manager for macOS.

You can easily install Homebrew on your Mac using a few Terminal commands. With that out of the way, install Wineskin by running the following in Terminal:

 brew install --cask --no-quarantine gcenx/wine/unofficial-wineskin 

This will install the Wineskin Winery app on your Mac, which you can then use to create wrappers and start installing Windows software. Wineskin works on both Intel and Apple Silicon Mac using Apple’s Rosetta 2 transpiler.

Use CrossOver Mac to Run Windows Apps

Also built on Wine, CrossOver Mac is paid software that can help simplify the process of getting a Windows application working on your Mac. Available with a free trial, CrossOver Mac costs $74 and walks you through the process of installing Windows software with installation profiles available for many popular apps. Where apps lack profiles, CrossOver can help you make your own.

CrossOver is particularly popular among gamers who want to run Windows games on Apple hardware. CrossOver works on both Intel and Apple Silicon models, though Mac owners with Apple’s ARM-based chips will (currently) need to rely on Rosetta 2, which can introduce a small performance penalty.

You can use the free trial of CrossOver to test out any apps before you buy, and it’s cheaper than buying a Windows license (or a premium virtualization tool like Parallels Desktop). You can use a single CrossOver license to run Windows apps on macOS, Linux, and ChromeOS too.

Use Boot Camp to Install Windows on an Intel Mac

If you have an Intel Mac, you can install Windows natively on your Mac using Boot Camp, Apple’s dual-boot Windows partitioning tool. If you have a modern Apple Silicon Mac with an M1, M2, or later chip, then you won’t be able to use Boot Camp, which means you can’t install Windows natively. (Windows 11 on ARM can’t be installed directly on a Mac; you can only install it in a virtual machine.)

Intel Mac owners will find the Boot Camp Assistant under Applications > Utilities. Run it and follow the instructions to partition your drive for a Windows installation. Boot Camp officially supports Windows 10 only, since Windows 11 requires Trusted Platform Module 2.0 (TPM 2.0) support.

You may be able to install Windows 11 by creating a custom .ISO if you’re desperate to do so. These machines are still getting Windows updates (for now) though Microsoft has started displaying watermarks on machines that don’t make the grade.

Running Windows natively has some benefits and drawbacks, assuming your Mac is compatible in the first place. You’ll need to reboot every time you want to use Windows, which can be a hassle. You’ll also need to sacrifice a good chunk of your available drive space to Windows if you want to install a decent amount of software.

On the plus side, performance is as good as it gets since you’ll be using the full potential of your hardware in a native Windows environment. If gaming is your main use for Windows, this is arguably your best choice.

Do you have a Windows PC already but are simply looking for a way to interact with it on your Mac? Maybe your Windows machine is in a bedroom, but you primarily use your Mac in the study. Remote desktop software lets you make use of the hardware you already have—remotely over a network.

This can work both over the internet or over a local network, but keep in mind that using a machine over the internet can incur a severe latency penalty. You might be able to help fix a friend’s computer over the internet or check for files in your documents folder, but you wouldn’t want to play games or use most software in this way.

Local network connections will be far more stable, particularly if you have a wired network inside your house. Wireless will work too, but Wi-Fi is subject to all sorts of interference and bottlenecks. Faster is always better, whether you’re networking over a cable or the airwaves.

The apps required to accomplish this are largely the same, regardless of the connection type. Microsoft’s Remote Desktop lets you connect to your Windows 10 or Windows 11 machine using dedicated apps for macOS or iPad and iPhone (as well as other Windows computers.)

If you use Google’s Chrome browser then Chrome Remote Desktop is worth a shot. It’s a completely free remote desktop app that uses your Google Account for remote access using a browser extension. DWService is another free solution that provides access to your computer via a web page. Other free remote access tools include AnyDesk and TigerVNC.

Consider Looking For Native Mac Alternatives

If none of the solutions above appeal to you, it might be worth putting in some time to hunt for a suitable Mac alternative that runs natively. You can use websites like Alternative To, ask on message boards like Apple Support Community or r/MacApps or simply scour the web in your favorite search engine.

You might even find the app you’re looking for in our list of Mac apps you should be using everyday.

macOS can be really great for productivity-related tasks. However, there are still a few applications that require you to have a Windows computer to run them, such as Paint.NET and Notepad++.

What if you could run these apps on your Mac without having to buy a new Windows PC?

Also read: How to play Windows games on a Mac

In this guide, we will show you how to run Windows apps on macOS.

How to run Windows apps on Mac (5 ways)

Parallels

Parallels is easy to use and can help you run Windows apps on Mac. You will be able to run Windows apps without even rebooting your system.

The program offers over 30 tools that can help you simplify your tasks across both Windows and macOS.

It also lets you access your apps and files located on both operating systems.

You can run apps like Microsoft Office, Internet Explorer, etc.

It is compatible with different macOS versions, and you can easily copy-paste files from Windows and macOS seamlessly.

Parallels also lets you use the touch bar in Windows and works well with Apple’s proprietary Boot Camp utility.

VMware Fusion

VMware Fusion is a very versatile software that allows you to install different operating systems, such as Windows 11, Linux, ChromeOS, etc., on your Mac.

You can run any operating system on macOS without even needing to reboot. The program supports features like dark mode and Sidecar, so you can even use your iPad in conjunction with Windows.

Apple’s Metal technology support can be used in this program to support GPU-intensive tasks and games.

The Unity mode can be used to hide your Windows desktop so you can use Windows and Mac applications side by side.

Boot Camp

Boot camp is an Apple proprietary feature that enables users to install Windows on their macOS device and easily switch between both of them. However, only one operating system can be used at a time, and you will need to restart your computer to switch between them.

It is similar to the dual-booting feature supported by Windows computers.

In order to use the Boot Camp feature, just download a copy of Windows 11 and let the program handle the rest.

It will assist in installing the operating system. Since Boot Camp is similar to dual-booting, you can enjoy much better performance since Windows will be able to utilize the hardware of your Mac to its full potential. This can be great if you are looking forward to running demanding applications on Windows on your Mac computer.

However, the inability to run macOS applications and Windows applications side by side can be a deal-breaker for some, as you can only use one operating system at a time.

Wine

Wine is a compatibility layer that derives its origins from Linux and allows you to run Windows programs on other operating systems such as macOS, BSD, and Linux.

The idea behind this program is to rewrite the code of applications so they can run smoothly on other operating systems.

With the help of Wine, you will be able to easily run Windows apps on macOS. However, Wine isn’t perfect, and you won’t be able to run all of the Windows applications, so expect to encounter some bugs when you plan to do so.

You can take a look at the Wine Application Database to find which applications are currently supported.

It is a great way to run Windows applications on macOS since you don’t actually need to install Windows, so you don’t need a Windows license to use the Wine.

CrossOver

CrossOver allows you to run thousands of Windows apps and games on macOS. Moreover, it doesn’t require any virtual machine or Windows license key, and it offers features such as keyboard shortcuts, copy-paste, mission controls, etc.

You can easily set up the program with an easy 1-click installation and use all of your Windows applications with ease.

If a program doesn’t work on CrossOver, then you can contact the developers, and they will make it work for you.

It is a paid application that contributes back to the open-source Wine project that it is based on.

With a starting price of $15.95, CrossOver is well worth the price since it utilizes the true potential of your hardware to run Windows on Mac, and you don’t even need to reboot to run Windows applications.

You can also try it before purchasing by downloading the free trial version of the software. Do check their list of compatible apps first before you decide to purchase.

These are some of the ways that you can use to run Windows programs on macOS.

You can take the help of the software mentioned to smoothly run any Windows applications and even switch between both operating systems seamlessly.

Also read: How to run Windows 11 on M1 Mac

In case you have a spare Windows laptop or computer lying around, then you can use remote desktop software to control and access the Windows machine using your Mac computer. This will save you the hassle of doing things like dual booting or installing software that requires a Windows license.

We hope you find this guide useful, and in case of any doubts, feel free to ask them in the comments section below.