Macs have a thriving ecosystem of software, but some programs still only support Windows. Whether you want to use business software or play Windows PC games, there are many ways to run Windows programs on your Mac.
Some of these methods are similar to the ways you can install Windows software on Linux or run Windows programs on a Chromebook. Virtual machines, dual-booting, the Wine compatibility layer, and remote desktop solutions are all included here.
Install Pc Software On Mac
One other note: You must factor in the costs of purchasing a Windows license, virtualization software, and any software subscriptions for this method. The combination of those three expenses means you will likely end up paying several hundred dollars.
If you have an Intel-based Mac, your best choices for installing a virtual Windows machine are Parallels Desktop ($79.99 for Standard Edition) and VMware Fusion ($199 for VMware Fusion 12 Pro). On an Apple Silicon-based Mac (such as those with an M1 chip), Parallels Desktop is your top option. Parallels is more approachable for beginners and faster. VMware Fusion is friendly enough for any experienced Windows or Mac user, but it's more suitable for corporate use. As mentioned, whichever software you choose, you'll still need to purchase a Windows license (Windows 10 Home currently costs $139 to download) and enter it when Parallels Desktop or VMware Fusion prompt you.
Once the app launches, click the Update button to download the latest version of the Wineskin Wrapper; this is the software responsible for actually launching your programs. Next to the New Engines Available menu item, click the plus sign. An engine with a complex name (WS11WineCX64Bit20.0.2 at the time of testing) will appear. Click the Download and Install option. The list of available engines may be different depending on when you read this guide; find the highest-numbered one with the CX64Bit string in its name and download it.
Boot Camp requires a Mac with an Intel processor. When you install Microsoft Windows on your Mac, Boot Camp Assistant automatically opens the Boot Camp installer, which installs the latest Windows support software (drivers). If that doesn't happen, or you experience any of the following issues while using Windows on your Mac, follow the steps in this article.
After downloading the Windows support software to your flash drive, follow these steps to install the software. (If you're attempting to resolve issues with a Bluetooth mouse or keyboard, it might be easier to use a USB mouse or keyboard until these steps are complete.)
If a Mac feature still doesn't work after updating the Windows support software, search for your symptom on the Apple support website or Microsoft support website. Some features of your Mac aren't designed to work in Windows.
Maybe you need to use a specific piece of software that only runs on Windows, or just miss something from your Windows days. Whatever the case, you have options for running Windows programs on your Mac.
Virtual machines allow you to run operating systems inside a piece of software. The virtual OS thinks it's running on a real computer, but you have full control over it thanks to the virtualization software. On macOS, you'll find three big VM names: Parallels, VMware Fusion, and VirtualBox.
Parallels offers the best VM user experience, especially for beginners. You don't have to configure anything or even download Windows yourself during the setup -- the software does it all for you. Coherence mode lets you run Windows apps right alongside Mac apps, even pinning them to your Dock, and get Windows out of the way. Indeed, Parallels has surged ahead of VMware Fusion.
We recommend giving the 14-day free trial of Parallels a try and deciding if it's worth the cost to you. If you don't want to pay, VirtualBox is your best bet for having a copy of Windows at the ready. Thankfully, you can download the Windows 10 installation media and use it without having to even activate the OS.
While virtual machines let you run a copy of Windows inside software, Boot Camp lets you install Windows right onto your Mac. Also known as dual-booting, this lets you run Windows and macOS side by side on one hard drive.
The Boot Camp Assistant in macOS walks you through the entire process. This will partition your hard drive and install Windows so you can reboot into it. We've covered how to download a Windows installer for Boot Camp and everything you need to know about running Windows on your Mac if you decide to go with this method.
Both of the above solutions involve actually using the Windows OS to run Windows programs. But Wine is different. It's a compatibility layer that lets you run Windows software on macOS and Linux. Wine is a lighter solution than an installation of Windows, if you just need to use a program or two. But it doesn't come without its own set of problems.
Download WineBottler and open the DMG file when complete. In the resulting window, drag and drop both the Wine and WineBottler icons to your Applications folder just like you'd install other software. Launch WineBottler, and you'll see some programs that you can install right away, such as Internet Explorer on Mac.
CrossOver is a paid tool that's based on Wine. It features a solid user interface, allowing you to simply type the name of the Windows software you want to install and handles it all for you. Since it's commercial software, you can also ask the developers about adding support for a new piece of software if you're a subscriber.
If none of the above solutions work for you, why not attack the problem in a different way? Those who have a Windows computer already can simply use a remote control software to access Windows from their Mac.
While you can't run Windows apps through your browser, it's worth mentioning that so much software is available online and doesn't require an install. No matter if you're using macOS, Linux, or Chrome OS, these tools all work through any browser.
If you prefer Microsoft Office to the iWork suite, you can use Office Online at no cost. Online image editing tools offer an alternative to Windows apps like Paint.NET. And online collaboration tools let you communicate with others without anyone installing software. These give you a way to run alternative software if you don't like the Mac offering available.
Boot Camp requires a Mac with an Intel processor. MacBook introduced in 2015 or later
MacBook Air introduced in 2012 or later
MacBook Pro introduced in 2012 or later
Mac mini introduced in 2012 or later
iMac introduced in 2012 or later1
iMac Pro (all models)
Mac Pro introduced in 2013 or later
The latest macOS updates, which can include updates to Boot Camp Assistant. You will use Boot Camp Assistant to install Windows 10.
A 64-bit version of Windows 10 Home or Windows 10 Pro on a disk image (ISO) or other installation media. If installing Windows on your Mac for the first time, this must be a full version of Windows, not an upgrade.
Learn how to check your Secure Boot setting. The default Secure Boot setting is Full Security. If you changed it to No Security, change it back to Full Security before installing Windows. After installing Windows, you can use any Secure Boot setting without affecting your ability to start up from Windows.
When Boot Camp Assistant finishes, your Mac restarts to the Windows installer. If the installer asks where to install Windows, select the BOOTCAMP partition and click Format. In most cases, the installer selects and formats the BOOTCAMP partition automatically.
1. If you're using an iMac (Retina 5K, 27-inch, Late 2014) or iMac (27-inch, Late 2013) or iMac (27-inch, Late 2012) with a 3TB hard drive and macOS Mojave or later, learn about an alert you might see during installation.
You can provide your own Microsoft Windows license key, purchase a new Windows license from within Windows in Microsoft Store, or transfer an existing Boot Camp partition with Windows already installed.
If you have already installed Windows 10, Windows 8.1, Windows 8, or Windows 7 on your Mac using Boot Camp, you can set Parallels Desktop to run Windows from the Boot Camp Partition or import Windows and your data from Boot Camp into Parallels Desktop as a new virtual machine.
Do you like buying Windows licenses? You do? Great. You do you. For the rest of humanity, CrossOver is the easiest way to run many Microsoft applications on your Mac without a clunky Windows emulator. (Seriously, have you tried emulators? Do you like how they run on your Mac?) CrossOver works differently. It's not an emulator. It does the work of translating Windows commands into Mac commands so that you can run Windows software as if it were designed native to Mac.
So you're a ChromeOS user, you say? You've taken the grand escape from a sluggish PC, but you want to use your Chromebook for more than email, social media and general internet. You want to run full featured Windows software. Impossible they said! Hold our beer. Introducing CrossOver ChromeOS! Run Windows programs that are not available in the Google Play store alongside mobile apps. Scrap remote sessions with multiple users. Run utility software like Quicken and Microsoft Office, or DirectX games, like Wizard101. And bonus: Games from your Steam library will run with CrossOver ChromeOS at native speeds. Roger that!
Performing an install of CrossOver on ChromeOS is a task we just know you can handle. Put your eyeballs to this pre-recorded live stream to get yourself in the know. If you want even more knowledge, use these links:
A Virtual Machine lets you run Windows within MacOS. This means that you do not need to actually have dual systems and switch between the two. Here are some popular Virtual Machine apps for MacOS:1. Parallels is probably one of the most powerful Virtual Machine apps. Although you need to pay for the official version, it is worth the money if you constantly need to run Windows software and you do not want to switch between two systems.2. VMware Fusion Fusion is similar to Parallels. However, you need to pay for the Virtual Machine function. You can also register for the free personal use license for VMware Fusion Player.3. VirtualBox is an open source virtual machine tool. Although it is free, it also requires more professional and technical knowledge. 2ff7e9595c
Comments