Open Exe Files on Mac

EXE files are executable files designed to be opened in Microsoft Windows. If you need to open this file on a Mac, you have several options you can try. You can use Wine, which is a Windows emulator. This will create a wrapper that may allow you to run the EXE file like a Mac app. You can install Windows in a virtual machine. This will allow you to open the EXE file in the virtual Windows, but you may suffer performance problems. Finally, you can use Boot Camp to install Windows alongside OS X, allowing you to boot from it and run EXE files natively.

Steps

Using the "Wine" Emulator

  1. Use this method to run Windows applications in OS X. Wine is an emulator program that creates a "wrapper" for Windows programs, allowing them to operate on your Mac. The wrapper contains the essential Windows files that the program needs to operate. You may need to tweak the wrapper to get specific programs working, and some programs will simply not work at all. Still, there's a good chance that you can get at least some of your Windows apps working this way.
  2. Download WineBottler. This is a free environment for the Wine emulator that allows you to create wrappers for your Windows EXE files. You can download WineBottler for free from winebottler.kronenberg.org.
    • If you're using El Capitan, download the latest version (1.8-rc4 Development at the time of this writing).
    • If you haven't upgraded to El Capitan yet, download the Stable release.
  3. Install WineBottler. Double-click the DMG file that you downloaded and drag both Wine and WineBottler into the Applications folder. Make sure to drag both items.
  4. Run WineBottler. When you launch WineBottler, you'll see the Download tab. This is a list of premade wrappers for popular apps.
  5. Look for your app in the Download list. If you are trying to use a popular EXE file, there may be a premade wrapper that you can use. Simply select the app and WineBottler will download and install it for you.[1]
    • If you can find your app here, you are pretty much done. Just run the app that is created after downloading the proper files, and you should be able to run the program. If the EXE file is not listed in the Download list, read on to create a custom wrapper.
  6. Click the "Advanced" tab if your app isn't listed. If you can't find your EXE file in the Download list, you can create your own wrapper in the Advanced tab.
  7. Click "select File" and browse for your EXE file. Select the EXE file that you are trying to run on your Mac.
    • Note: If you have the option, choose the 32-bit version of the EXE file you want to run. WineBottler does not support 64-bit EXE files.
    • You'll have the best success with portable apps that don't need to be installed. If the program does need to be installed, WineBottler can handle the installation process.
  8. Select whether the EXE is an installer or the complete app. If the EXE file is used to install a program, select "This is an installer, execute it." If the EXE file is a standalone app, select "This is an actual app, copy it to the App Bundle."
  9. Determine any Winetricks your app may need. You can try creating a wrapper without selecting anything, and then come back and enable some if it doesn't work. You can also try to look up the program on appdb.winehq.org.
  10. Leave most other settings at their default settings. If you're performing advanced configurations, you can adjust other settings, but if you're just trying to get an EXE file working you can probably leave them at their default settings.
  11. Click "Install" to run the EXE file. WineBottler will begin creating the wrapper, and then the EXE file will start. If the EXE file is an installer, you'll be taken through the standard Windows installation prompts. If the program is a standalone EXE file, it should launch as soon as the wrapper is created.
  12. Install the program. Follow the installation prompts to install the application files. You can leave the installation settings at their default locations and WineBottler will create the necessary virtual folders.
    • Don't let the installer create any desktop shortcuts, and don't let it start the program after installation is complete. You'll be using the app generated by WineBottler to run the program.
  13. Select the file that launches the program. After installation is complete, WineBottler will prompt you to select the file that will launch your installed app. Choose the EXE file that will launch your newly-installed program. If you don't select the correct EXE, you'll need to create a new wrapper.
  14. Launch your new app. The newly-created WineBottler wrapper will be added to your Applications folder. Double-click the app to launch it like you would any Mac app.[2]

Creating a Virtual Windows Computer

  1. Obtain a Windows installation disc or ISO file. You'll be installing a full version of Windows onto a virtual machine. This requires a legitimate Windows installation disc, or an ISO downloaded from Microsoft. You'll also need a product key for Windows after it is installed.
  2. Download and install VirtualBox. VirtualBox is a free virtual machine manager that you can use to create a virtual Windows computer. You can use this virtual Windows machine to run Windows apps without having to reboot your computer.
    • You can download VirtualBox from virtualbox.org. Double-click the downloaded DMG file and then run the installer. You'll be able to find VirtualBox in your Applications folder.
    • Download the VirtualBox Extension Pack from the Downloads page as well. Run the Extension Pack installer after installing VirtualBox.
  3. Launch VirtualBox and click the "New" button. This will start the wizard to create a new virtual disk and install Windows on it.
  4. Select the version of Windows you are installing. Select "Microsoft Windows" from the Operating System menu, and then the version of Windows from the Version menu.
  5. Select how much RAM to dedicate to the virtual machine. This RAM will be allocated for the virtual machine from your Mac whenever the virtual machine is running. If you're planning on running memory-intensive programs in Windows, you'll want to make sure you assign enough memory. Generally, you'll want at least 2 GB of memory dedicated to your virtual machine.
    • Your dedicated RAM will not be available for other programs while your virtual Windows installation is running.
  6. Select "Create a new hard disk" and click "Continue." This will start the process of setting a portion of your storage space aside for the Windows virtual machine to use. This space will be unavailable for your Mac system.
  7. Select "VDI" as the type of virtual disk. The other options are for advanced users who use multiple types of virtualization software.
  8. Select "Dynamically allocated." This will allow the virtual drive to grow as you continue to add to it. This can help save space but also provide flexibility. Note that the virtual drive will not shrink as things are removed from it.
  9. Check the name and size and then finish the wizard. Click the "Create" button to make your virtual drive. It will appear in the left frame of the VirtualBox window. It will usually have the name of the version of Windows you're installing, unless you named it something else.
  10. Select your new virtual drive and click "Settings." This will open the Settings window for the virtual drive. You'll be setting the location of the Windows installation disc or ISO file so that the virtual machine can access it.
  11. Click the "Storage" tab and select your installation media. You can install Windows from a Windows installation DVD or from an ISO file:
    • If you're using a DVD, select your DVD drive from the "CD/DVD Drive" menu.
    • If you're using an ISO file, click the CD icon and then select "Choose a virtual CD/DVD disk file." Browse for the ISO file that you want to load.
  12. Close the Settings menu and click "Start." This will launch the virtual machine. A window will appear, and your virtual computer will start the bootup process.
  13. Install Windows on the virtual machine. Windows Setup will load once your virtual machine boots. Follow the prompts to install Windows on your virtual machine, which will take about 20-30 minutes. See Install Windows 7 for details on the Windows installation process.
    • When you're prompted to select the drive to install Windows on, you should only see your virtual drive. By default, it will display as 25 GB.
  14. Run your EXE file in your virtual Windows computer. Now that Windows is installed, you can use it to run EXE files. Since EXE files are designed to run in Windows, you shouldn't have any trouble running it.
    • You can transfer the file to your virtual computer by using a USB drive or by using a shared folder.

Dual-booting OS X and Windows

  1. Dual-boot Windows alongside OS X when you need the best performance. This method will install Windows on a separate partition, or section, of your hard drive. When you boot your computer, you'll pick between booting Windows or OS X. This can be inconvenient, as you won't be able to use the operating systems simultaneously, but you'll get the best performance. This is the best option for games and other system-intensive programs.
  2. Get a Windows installation disc or ISO. You'll need a Windows installation disc to install it on the new partition you create in Boot Camp. You'll also need a valid Windows product key to use Windows after the trial period. You can use an ISO of the Windows installation disc, and Boot Camp will create an installation USB drive for you.
    • Boot Camp only supports Windows 7 and later.
  3. Launch Boot Camp Assistant. You can find this in your Utilities folder.
  4. Choose your Boot Camp options. Boot Camp can create a Windows installation USB drive if you have an ISO file. If you're using a Windows installation disc, you can uncheck this option.
    • It's recommended that you allow Boot Camp to install the latest updates from Apple to keep it running as smoothly as possible.
    • Make sure the final box is checked to proceed with the Windows installation process.
  5. Create your Windows installation USB drive (if necessary). If you're creating a drive from an ISO file, you'll be prompted to select the ISO file and the destination drive. Make sure your USB drive has at least 4 GB of space available. Anything on the drive will be erased when the ISO is copied to it.
    • If you chose to install the extra Apple support software, you'll be prompted to select a USB drive to add it to. You can add it to the same drive as your Windows installation ISO.
  6. Select your hard drive. A list of your hard drives will be displayed. Select the drive that you want to install Windows to. You can create a new partition, or section, of any drive so that you don't lose any of your files.
  7. Select "Create a second partition for Windows." This will allow you to create a partition from the free space in the drive you selected. This partition will act as a completely separate hard drive, allowing you to install Windows alongside OS X.
  8. Use the slider to set the size for your Windows partition. The left side of the slider represents the free space available on your Mac. The right slide of slider is the amount of space you want to dedicate to Windows.
    • You'll need at least 20 GB for the Windows installation and some basic programs. If you intend to use the Windows partition for lots of programs, you'll want to dedicate more space.
    • Make sure to leave some free space for OS X.
  9. Create the partition and wait for Windows Setup to start. Boot Camp will create your new partition and then your computer will reboot. The Windows Setup program will load from your installation disc or USB drive.
  10. Start the Windows installation process. Follow the prompts to install Windows. The Windows installation process will likely take about 30 minutes or so. See Install Windows 7 for instructions on installing Windows.
  11. Select the correct drive during installation. When prompted to select the drive you want to install Windows on, select the drive labeled "BOOTCAMP" and click the "Format" button. This will format the drive in the correct format and allow you to proceed with the installation.[3]
  12. Hold the .⌥ Option key while booting to select Windows. After installing Windows, you can choose it by holding ⌥ Option while the computer starts up.
  13. Run the Boot Camp software in Windows. This additional software will be on the USB drive that you copied it to earlier. Run the installer to install the additional software necessary for stable performance.
  14. Run your EXE file in Windows. Now that you're in Windows, you can run the EXE file natively. Since EXE files are designed for Windows, you should have no issues opening the file.[4]

Related Articles

  • Delete a Boot Camp Partition from Your Mac

Sources and Citations

  1. ↑ http://winebottler.kronenberg.org/documentation
  2. ↑ http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/sleeping-with-the-enemy-running-windows-programs-on-your-mac-using-winebottler/
  3. ↑ http://www.howtogeek.com/186907/how-to-install-windows-on-a-mac-with-boot-camp/
  4. ↑ https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT201468
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