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How to Easily Run Windows Apps on Mac? Wineskin app. Run Windows programs on Mac without installing Windows Exe file on Mac

The number of applications supported by the macOS operating system is growing every day. However, some software products work only on Windows. Exist various ways running this kind of software on a Mac. The most obvious involves installing virtual machine with the creation of a new partition on the disk for installing a full-fledged Windows.

But if you only need one Windows program, then you do not need to install a full-fledged one on your computer operating system. MacDigger suggests turning to one of two utilities that solve this problem.

WineBottler

It cannot be said that WineBottler can boast of supporting all Windows applications, but the program’s database contains over 23,000 items. With a high probability, among those that she knows and understands, you will most likely find what you need. Moreover, the advantage of WineBottler is that it is distributed completely free of charge.

WineBottler does not run Windows to operate, but packages applications so that they can run on OS X. All this happens using a special component. To find out if the application you are looking for is on the compatibility list, we recommend going through. There is sorting and convenient search here.

You can download WineBottler for Mac on the developers' website. Latest version WineBottler is compatible with OS X El Capitan and macOS Sierra.

CrossOver

The CrossOver software emulator is considered the best option for running Windows programs on macOS. A big plus of the program is support for the Russian language. Therefore, Russian users will not have any difficulties using it.

CrossOver is developed by CodeWeavers based on the source codes of its free counterpart. Moreover, it itself is a commercial product. The product's creators add their own patches, as well as graphical configuration utilities. The company has hired several Wine developers, and is returning some of its work to the free project.

CrossOver differs from WineBottler in a narrower focus: it is aimed at supporting the most popular office, graphics and other applications. At the same time, compatibility with this software is carefully tested and debugged, so its operation is usually more stable than that of its free counterpart.

The cost is 40-60 dollars. There is also a version of CrossOver Games designed to run popular Windows games on the Mac.

Mak is beautiful from all sides. Usually people fall in love with him at first sight. However, it is worth recognizing that programs on Windows have undeniable advantages: widespread and generally accepted. It is for this reason that Mac users periodically (increasingly less often, fortunately) are forced to get creative and come up with ways to run programs that only run on Windows.

Some services (bank clients and other sites working with digital signature) only support (!sic) Internet Explorer, they may send you a file in some prehistoric format that can only be opened by a Windows program that does not have a Mac version. Be that as it may, such situations arise. And further in the article we will consider all the ways to resolve such situations and summarize in a way that suits almost everyone and always.

1. Virtual machines

Virtual machines allow you to run an entire operating system inside another operating system. On MacOS there are three large virtual machines: , and . The latter has already been discussed in a recent article about.

We can say for sure that if you are willing to fork out the cash, then Parallels is the best virtual machine of these three. Especially for beginners. You don't need to configure anything during installation (and you don't even need to download Windows) - the program will do everything itself. Parallels supports the so-called Coherence mode, which launches Windows in a Mac window. Moreover, regular Win applications can be docked. And run win files directly from Finder. In this case, files and applications are highlighted with the Parallels logo.

I must say that I personally use Parallels. I won’t talk about VMware for the reason that when choosing a virtual machine for myself, I realized that “Parallels” this moment are head and shoulders ahead of VMware and, in general, there is no special choice among virtual machines.

The only negative is, of course, the price. The program has only paid versions and the cheapest (home) will cost you (at the time of writing) 3,990 ₽

At the same time, VirtualBox is free. But installing it will require a little effort. In addition, the result in VB will not look as beautiful as in “Parallels”, because the latter was made specifically for Mac, and VB is a cross-platform program. If you are ready to get confused and save money, then about installing Windows 8 in VirtualBox.

If you have doubts (and you don’t have much time), then install the 14-day trial version of “Parallels” and during this time decide whether it is worth the money. If there is money for paid programs definitely not, then VirtualBox - the best choice. On VirtualBox, at the same time, look at articles about and, in fact, . Let us remind you that Win10 can now be easily installed without activation (with a small uncritical functionality limitation).

Advantages	Flaws
There is no need to restart the computer to start the virtual machine. You can quickly launch Win programs along with Mac applications Parallels has a nice Mac design You can configure virtualization settings (for example, how many random access memory And hard drive will get the OS running in the virtual machine).	Parallels is expensive. The graphics performance in the VM is rather weak, so most likely it will not allow you to play Windows games If you install VirtualBox, you may become a bearded geek during the installation process. Old Macs may not be able to handle the VM, or will be severely slow

2.Boot Camp

While virtual machines allow you to run Win inside a running MacOS, Boot Camp allows you to install Windows directly on the Mac itself. Also known as “dual boot,” Boot Camp allows you to have a Mac and Windows on the same hard drive.

For MacOS you need Boot Camp Assistant and this wizard will guide you through the entire installation process. What the installation itself consists of: an additional (bootable) partition will be created on the hard drive, where Windows will be located and you can then boot the computer from it.

How to install Windows 10 via Boot Camp Assistant

You will need:

Flash drive or external hard 8GB disk or more (the information on them will disappear, so do not use a flash drive with your dissertation)
The Mac must be plugged into an outlet. It won't be very cool if it turns off in the middle of the process
Requires a license for Windows 10
Connected Internet

1. Download Windows ISO

Microsoft offers Windows ISO files for free download on its official website.

Be sure to read the list of minimum hardware requirements. If your Mac doesn't match them, then don't even try. After reading the minimum requirements, select the version ( Windows 10) press the button “ Confirm“.

Next, select the product language (for example, Russian), press the “ button again Confirm“. After this, your system will be checked for compatibility and if successful, you will see download links on the screen.

Select the version with your processor bit (in my case x64) and download the ISO file with Windows.

2. Insert the flash drive

Disconnect all USB devices from your computer during installation. Insert the prepared flash drive or external HDD.

3. Launch Boot Camp Assistant

MacOS X has a built-in BCA (Boot Camp Assistant) and it will do everything itself, so you don't need any third-party utilities. To launch BCA, open Spotlight (there is a magnifying glass icon in the upper right corner of the screen, click on it), and there enter Boot Camp Assistant. Select program Boot Camp Assistant.

4. Select installation type

Select the first item “ Create a Windows 7 or later installation disc“. Second checkbox ( Download the latest Windows support software from Apple) in theory will be checked by default and cannot be turned off. But the third item can be turned on or off by default. Turn off third point ( Install Windows 7 or later). Next press “ Continue“.

5. Write Windows to a USB flash drive

Select the Windows ISO file you downloaded in the first step.
Make sure that the prepared flash drive is selected as the installation disk.

Please note that the flash drive will be formatted during the process and all data on it will be lost.

Click “ Continue“. Another window will appear asking if you are sure you want to continue, because... The flash drive will be formatted and the data will disappear. If you are sure, press “ again” Continue“.

If you are performing an operation on a MacBook, do not close the lid of the laptop. This will send the Mac to sleep and interrupt the recording process.

After everything is finished, you will see the message “Windows has been saved.” Click “ Exit“, unmount and disconnect the flash drive.

Congratulations, you have a windows flash drive for mac.

Running the installer from a flash drive

In order to boot from a USB drive, you need to hold down the Mac boot button. ALT(a boot menu will appear, where you need to select a flash drive). Or, when booting your Mac, hold down C, then the computer will immediately boot from the flash drive.

After you boot from the flash drive, .

So, this was a small lyrical digression on the topic of installing Windows 10 as a second system on a computer. Now let's get back to where we started: is it worth doing and who will it suit.

The main downside to this whole dual boot thing is that you won't be able to run Windows and Mac programs in parallel. Each time you switch between systems, you need to reboot and select your OS. There are benefits to this, of course, and they include greater system performance because Windows can use all of your Mac's resources.

3. Wine

Both solutions above (virtual machines and boot camp) include the installation of a full-fledged Windows with all the attendant nuances. Wine is something else. This is a “pad” that allows you to run Win programs on MacOS and Linux. In this regard, Wine is a much easier solution than installing Windows, especially if you need to use 1-2 popular programs. But as often happens, compromise options have a whole set of limitations and pitfalls.

That's the problem: Wine does not work with all programs. Some will launch and work great, others may throw an error while running, and others won't start at all. First, you can check program compatibility and look for the applications you need there.

And one more problem The problem is that this is not exactly a “box solution” and finishing it can cause confusion among new users.

The second problem can be simplified slightly. The WineBottler program was created for this, and we’ll talk about it.

Choose stable version, download the DMG file.

After opening the DMG file, drag Wine and WineBottler into Applications (the same as you do when installing any other software not from the App Store).

After installation, launch WineBottler and you will see a list of programs that you can install right away, such as Internet Explorer.

To run other Windows programs through Wine, download executable files these programs (.EXE) and run them as follows: right click and Open -> Wine. Yes, I repeat once again that not all programs will work through Wine.

Below is a video about WineBottler in broken English, in principle, everything is clear in it without translation 😉

Wine is good when you need to work with 1-2 programs that are guaranteed to be compatible. If the list of programs is wide and changes regularly, then you should choose a different method for working with them.

CrossOver

CrossOver is a paid solution that is also based on Wine.

The application offers a high-quality interface that allows you to simply enter the name of the required Windows program and it will be found and launched. Since this is commercial software, you can count on support help if something goes wrong or you need support for some program that is not on the list.

But compared to the options presented above, CrossOver is a complete compromise and will not suit most users. Again, if you need to run various programs, then it is much easier to do this using a virtual machine. If performance is important to you (for example, in games), then it is better to use Boot Camp. In general, with a price tag of $40, we can recommend this option for highly specialized applications.

Remote access

If none of the options suggested above suits you, then why not try to deal with the problem in a different way? If you have another computer that has Windows installed, then you can use remote access to work on it from your Mac.

TeamViewer is a free and powerful remote access tool. By the way, there was a topic about remote access.

All you need to do is choose a communication method, install it on both computers (Win and Mac), log in to your account on both machines, check the “easy login” box on Win. And after that, you can connect to your Windows computer at any time.

Depending on , you may experience some delays and slowdowns in your work. Yes, and also, the lack of cross-support for hotkeys is a little annoying. You try to switch the language on a Mac in the usual way, but instead of changing the language, all sorts of windows pop up. But on the other hand, if you need relatively fast (and free) access to Windows, then this option may be suitable for you!

Advantages

Flaws

Free and easy installation
Doesn't eat up space on your hard drive
Windows programs are guaranteed to work, simply because they run on Windows 😉

You need to have a Windows computer that is always on. Or it will have to be turned on every time.
Sluggish Internet can lead to slowdown of the entire interface and, accordingly, infuriate.

We have studied everything above possible options (if not everything, then write in the comments, we will add to the article).
But which of these options to choose?..

The least-evil option for most people is to install Windows in a virtual machine (option #1). The exception is for users who need Windows for gaming.

Using a virtual machine allows you to open Windows programs at the same time as opening Mac applications, all without restarting your computer. And it works much more reliably than Wine.

Whether you use Parallels or VirtualBox is up to you. If you don't mind paying for a boxed solution, are not a computer specialist and want to get the best results, choose Parallels. If you are “on a short leg” with a PC, have the time and desire to get confused + want to save money – choose VirtualBox.

Results:

In fact, if virtual machines are the best choice for the average user, then in general, this does not mean that they are the best choice for you and your tasks. Therefore, let’s go through all the options again:

Virtual machines. The best option if you need to work with an unlimited list of Windows programs and run them in parallel with Mac programs. Without rebooting the computer. Not very good for gamers.
Boot Camp. Suitable for those who need to use the full potential of hardware, and not just what
which is limited by virtualization. Ideal for gamers. It's inconvenient to restart your computer every time to switch between operating systems.
Wine. Suitable only for those who need popular Windows programs. If you plan to go beyond the limited list of programs, choose virtual machines.
CrossOver. Most likely not worth paying for. Based on Wine.
Remote access. It is worth considering this option if you have a free Windows computer. If not, then buying a separate computer will still be much more expensive than buying the same Parallels. Among the disadvantages of this option: possible slowdowns if the Internet is not ice.

What do you use? Write in the comments.

Also on the site:

Running Windows programs on Mac: an overview of the most popular methods updated: January 25, 2018 by: admin

In most cases, OS X users are quite satisfied with the existing set of software for this system. What to do when required application designed exclusively for the more popular Windows system? There are several ways to run a program for Windows on Mac computer in OS X environment.

There are three such ways:

BootCamp

Boot Camp is a program included with Mac OS X 10.6 Snow Leopard that allows you to install and use a compatible version of the OS Microsoft Windows on an Intel-based Mac. (Apple)

Apple introduced BootCamp in 2006, following the transition of Mac to Intel processors. For the sake of historical justice, we note that it was possible to run Windows applications on the Macintosh before: for this, an expensive expansion card was installed on the Macintosh. For obvious reasons, this decision was not popular.

Before creating an additional partition on your hard drive Mac drive, create backup copy computer contents using Time Machine, and then launch “BootCamp Assistant” (located in “Programs” - “Utilities”) and follow the instructions.

The solution is not ideal, but the main thing is that the Mac turns into Windows computer. This means that the Microsoft system will work at maximum speed.

Disadvantages of BootCamp:

A complete reboot of the Mac is required to start Windows. To select an operating system (OS X or Windows) during boot, press and hold the Option (Alt) key.
Partitions (logical drives) created in Windows are not visible in OS X and vice versa. Why? Windows doesn't understand file system HFS+ with which OS X works, and the latter does not work with NTFS by default. Using additional utilities like Tuxera NTFS, you can add NTFS compatibility (read and write) to OS X.
BootCamp installs only certain Windows versions. So, only Windows 8 with all its inconveniences.

BootCamp is suitable when there is no need to boot two operating systems at the same time and you need maximum performance. For example, it may be useful for gamers: after working in OS X, they restarted the computer and launched their favorite game in Windows.

Windows Emulator

This method is only good for running one or two Windows programs in OS X. It provides fairly high performance and there is no need to install an additional system.

Using Wineskin and CrossOver you can try to run things that are not compatible with OS X software. Just give it a try, since this trick doesn’t always work: even if successful, problems with stability may arise.

Beginner users may encounter problems, since working with the emulator requires certain knowledge. Nothing complicated, information is easy to find on the Internet, but taking into account the fact that there are other ways, this method It cannot be called elegant.

Virtual machine

Virtual machine(VM, from English. virtual machine) is a software and/or hardware system that emulates Hardware some platform (in our case OS X) and executing programs for the target platform (Windows). (Wikipedia)

The best solution when you need two systems at the same time, or need to switch between them frequently. For example, for developers. When running Windows in a virtual machine, there is no need to restart the Mac, and files from different partitions can simply be dragged and dropped from one window to another. In addition to Windows, you can install any modern operating system in a virtual machine, with the exception of outright exotic ones.

To deploy an operating system (one or more) that is not supported by a Mac, you must install a virtual machine (program) in OS X. There are quite a few similar programs: Parallels Desktop, Vmware Fusion and Virtual Box. Each has its own advantages and disadvantages, but in any case there is plenty to choose from.

Separately, I would like to mention Virtual Box from Oracle. This program has one important advantage - it is free, while competitors cost a lot of money: Parallels Desktop - from $79; Vmware Fusion - from $150. A free virtual machine has performance problems and even frequent lags are inevitable. Virtual Box is an excellent solution if you only need Windows for a couple of undemanding utilities.

After creating a virtual machine (installing the program and configuring the machine), you can begin installing the system. It is important that this can be done directly from bootable flash drive, connected in a virtual machine through a virtual USB port. Also, Windows can be installed from an ISO image.

Disadvantages of virtual machines:

Limited performance - Virtual machines suck up a share of the Mac's hardware power.
When connected external device to Mac, it is not available in the virtual machine (connected in a separate menu).

What to choose?

The answer to this question depends on your needs. If you only need a single application, using BootCamp is not advisable because you need to restart your computer. In this case, it is easier to run Windows in an emulator. A virtual machine allows you to install different operating systems and easily switch between them - perfect option for developers creating cross-platform applications.

Well, if you need high performance (for gamers), then BootCamp will be ideal.

P.S.: Some virtual machines are capable of running Windows installed using BootCamp.

Unfortunately, the vast majority of modern software does not have mac versions, although recently this situation has begun to change a little, but the balance of the scales is still far away. This is due to the unfair prevalence windows systems(statement of a true poppy grower 🙂), of course the most popular apps They have versions for all operating systems, but what if you need to run a program that only has a “window” version?

Over time, every Mac user needs to run a Windows application on a Mac; there are several ways to solve this problem.

1. You can use a standard utility that allows you to install Windows as a second operating system; this method is most relevant for users who often have to resort to the services of full-fledged Windows.

2. You can also create a virtual machine that will allow you to run Windows directly from a Mac, even without rebooting the system; this solution is faster than installing Windows but quite resource-intensive; owners of basic versions of Mac will feel this especially acutely.

3. And finally, the third method, which we will consider in detail - start windows applications using special software shells (emulators). In today's article we'll talk O Wineskin Winery, this program has a high level of compatibility and is ideal solution if you only need to use one or another Windows application occasionally.

Installation

1. First, you need to download the latest version of Wineskin Winery (at the time of writing - 1.7).

2. Move the downloaded application to the folder programs and run it.

3. In the window that opens, you need to click + to install the latest version of the engine required to run Windows applications.

Now you are ready to install the windowed application.

Installing windows applications

1. Before installation, make sure that you already have the exe file desired application. Click “Create new blank wrapper” to create an application wrapper, then enter the name of the wrapper, we will install the PeaZip program as an example.

2. Now let's view the contents of the wrapper in finder (View wrapper in finder).

3. Run the Wineskin.app file and select install software.

4. Click “Choose setup Executable” and select the required exe file. The installation will proceed the same as in the Windows environment.

Like this in a simple way you can run windows applications on Mac, of course, Wineskin does not support all applications, but at the moment this is one of the most successful solutions. By the way, you can also launch Windows games in this way, if you want, you can try it. And finally, in fairness, I note that the Mac platform also has in its arsenal very useful and functional programs that are head and shoulders above similar products for other OSes. So, the need to run Windows programs on a Mac is most likely a dying problem, especially considering .

P.S. Dear friends, if this article was useful for you, don’t hesitate to press the buttons :) In the following publications, we will look at how to run Windows using Parallels desktop and how to install “windows” as a second OS on your Mac.

The number of applications supported by the macOS operating system is growing every day. However, some software products only work on Windows. There are various ways to run this type of software on a Mac. The most obvious involves installing a virtual machine and creating a new partition on the disk to install full-fledged Windows.

But if you only need one Windows program, then you do not need to install a full-fledged operating system on your computer. MacDigger suggests turning to one of two utilities that solve this problem.

WineBottler

You can download WineBottler for Mac on the developers' website. The latest version of WineBottler is compatible with OS X El Capitan and macOS Sierra.