Home-Word-Running Windows programs on a Mac. How to Run Windows Programs on Mac OS X

Running Windows programs on a Mac. How to Run Windows Programs on Mac OS X

In software stores, the number of applications compatible with macOS is growing daily. However, there are also such necessary products that only work on Windows. Users have found several ways to run this kind of software on Mac. The most commonplace, but, by the way, not so simple, method involves installing a full-fledged Windows, which in turn requires creating a new partition on the installation disk.

But you must admit that this is a waste of effort and time if you only need one or two Windows programs, there is no point in installing a full-fledged operating system on your computer. We suggest getting out of this situation using one of two applications, which we will discuss below.

WineBottle

This application does not support all existing Windows applications, but its database contains more than 23,000 titles. There is a high probability that you will find the one you need among those that it can provide you with. In addition, the obvious advantage of WineBottler is that it is freely available.

WineBottler does not run Windows when it runs, but packages applications so that they can open in OS X. All this happens using a special element. To find out if the application you need is in the list of supported ones, we recommend going through .

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

CrossOver

The software emulator is considered the best for running Windows programs on macOS. It is very important that the program supports the Russian language. Therefore, you should not have any problems using it.

CrossOver is developed by CodeWeavers. They built it based on code from a similar program that is freely available. Despite this, CrossOver itself is a commercial product. Its developers add their own improvements, as well as graphical configuration utilities. It's true that they return some of their own additions to the free project.

What's the difference between CrossOver and WineBottler?

CrossOver, unlike WineBottler, is more narrowly targeted: it supports the most popular office, graphics and other applications among users. At the same time, compatibility with this software is thoroughly tested and regulated, so the operation of the application is stable.

The price of CrossOver is in the range of 40-60 dollars. There is also a version of CrossOver Games designed to run popular games developed for Windows on the Mac.

When switching from Windows to Mac OS, perhaps the most common first thought is - how will I live without my favorite Windows programs?

There are a sufficient number of ways to solve this issue and this is good news! Each method is good in its own way and there are both paid and free methods. First, you should decide whether you really want to use Win programs under Mac OS? Perhaps now you think so, but over time, I assure you, Windows windows against the background of Mac OS will seem miserable to you and the search for alternatives will begin in order to move away from the Windows system as quickly as possible and forget it like a terrible glitchy dream.

Well, while you still don’t have such thoughts and a certain feeling of uncertainty in the selection of alternatives remains, let’s look at one of the good options for launching programs for Windows under Mac OS.

Let's take a little look at the options for Windows emulation and together we'll figure out which option is solved by the utility in the review

- Boot Camp- installs Windows as the second operating system and does not allow you to use two operating systems at the same time. This method is good because Windows uses all the computer’s resources to the maximum, in particular, it makes it possible to play.

- Installation of virtual machines Windows/Linux etc... This method allows you to run Windows in a separate window or organize it as a separate desktop. This method is good because we can use several OSes at the same time and even switch to Unity mode, which allows you to open Windows programs like regular Mac OS programs, i.e. you will have open programs on the screen, without the Windows desktop. This method is quite good and is suitable for owners of powerful computers. The disadvantages include the inability to install “heavy” 3D games, because The emulator does not fully support your video card. Also, the disadvantages of this method include the excessive space occupied by the emulated system and the “eating up” of a certain percentage of your computer resources (RAM, processor).

- Installation of Windows emulators. This option is the most optimal if you need to constantly run some kind of non-resource-intensive program, for which there are no alternatives for Mac OS, although today emulators allow you to run “heavy” 3D games (but I have not tested this). Emulators are good because for each program they create a kind of “bottle” in which the program itself is located, as well as vital files for launching it. This method allows you to significantly save space and resources on your computer.

Today we will introduce you to the third option “Installing emulators in Windows”(later and everyone else).

There are options for paid and free emulators. Free ones usually require a lot of fiddling and figuring out how to use them. In paid ones, it all comes down to simple mouse clicks.

One of these emulators is CrossOver ($60) and is considered the best tool today!

The first huge plus of the program is support for the Russian language. You will not have any difficulties using the program and now I will show and tell you everything.

The program does not have outstanding interfaces (outwardly it reminds me of the good old one), because... You know what its main task is. After installing and launching the program in the system menu we see:


Let's try to take any example program, for example the VKMusic program for Windows. Download the installation file VKMusic_4.45.exe


Next, in the system menu, select “Configure” and “Install software”


This window opens. There is a lot in the list of supported programs. You can bother and pay attention to it. Even if the program you want to install is not in the list, you will still install it and it will work, but for this it is important to scroll down the list and in the " tab Unsupported applications" choose " Other Application"


Next, go to the “Select an installer” section.


I think comments here will be unnecessary. We simply indicate the path to the program installation file, in our case VKMusic_4.45.exe in the Finder.


pay attention to the label exe file, it is in the form of the CrossOver logo. In fact, to install the program, you could immediately click on it and it would automatically install, however, my task is to introduce you to the program so that you can navigate it.


So, you have selected the installation file. Now you can safely press the “Install” button in the very bottom right corner and CrossOver will create separate bottle and will install it into it. However! Before installation, you have the opportunity to select the axis under which the program runs (xp, win2000, etc.), as well as rename the bottle itself. To do this, go to the section “Select a bottle into which to install”


Here you choose which OS your program runs under and enter the name of the bottle.

If you have installed games before and want to store them in one bottle, then select a ready-made bottle with the game and program installed.

Is it better to create new bottles or keep everything in one?
when creating a bootle, as I wrote above, vital system files from Windows are added to it. Of course, a program that takes up 12 MB will weigh 300 megabytes, due to the added system files. If you create new bottles, they will waste the disk space of your HDD, but again, these are all minor things. I prefer not to bother and create new ones every time, so that later I can delete the unnecessary ones with peace of mind.

And here is the installation process itself:


1. A bottle is created


2. The program installation starts in the same way as on Windows. I didn’t recognize the coding of Russian words, no big deal.


Just install it like a regular Windows program. the path in this case is inside the bottle itself, there is no point in changing it.


Ready.

Now we try to run the installed Windows program:


That's all love is.

P.S
1. A shortcut to the installed Windows program is also added to “Mission Control” Mac OS and looks like a normal Mac OS application:

2. if you need to manually change the internal program files in the boot, for example, transfer game saves to the program folder or something else, this is done simply:

3. Where does CrossOver store bottles?

4. Is it possible to install programs that do not have an installation?
Possible!

Not all software manufacturers, especially specific ones, adapt it to work under anything other than Windows. The same can be said about computer game manufacturers.

What to do if you just need to run a specific program or just really want to play? Don't buy a separate computer just for this!

There is a way out, and not even just one! In this article we will look at 3 Ways to Run Windows Applications on Your Macintosh.

So, there are three ways to run a Windows program on a Mac:

  • using a utility that allows you to install Windows OS on a separate partition of your hard drive;
  • by creating a virtual machine with Windows OS in Mac OS X using one of the programs: Parallels Desktop, Vmware Fusion, Virtual Box;
  • using the CrossOver application, which emulates the Windows environment necessary for the program in Mac OS X, making it work as in a full-fledged MS Windows operating system.

Let's take a brief excursion into each of the methods, consider their advantages and disadvantages.

Apple BootCamp - Windows OS on a separate hard drive partition

Boot Camp is a program included in OS X that allows you to install a compatible version of Microsoft Windows on a Mac computer with an Intel processor. After installation, by holding down the Option (Alt) key while booting your computer, you can choose which system to boot into - MacOS X or Windows.

The latest version of the program (Boot Camp 4.0) officially supports the installation of the Windows 7 operating system of various configurations and bit depths. However, you can install older versions of Windows and even Linux systems in the same way.

The BootCamp Assistant system utility will help you create a separate partition on your hard drive for installing Windows OS on it, ask you to insert the installation disk and reboot your computer to begin installation. After installing Windows, you will need to insert the installation disk with Mac OS X to install drivers for all devices: video card, webcam, bluetooth, wi-fi transmitters, and so on.

Remember that to install Windows you need a distribution kit with it: a DVD or its image (.ISO).

Advantages of installing Windows using Apple BootCamp:

  • maximum performance - the best choice if you need Windows for computer games;
  • maximum compatibility - your Mac becomes a full-fledged PC computer with Windows on board. It will be possible to run absolutely all programs and games that should work in Windows;
  • independence of Windows OS from Mac OS X;
  • the ability to use Windows installed in this way to import it into a virtual machine using the Parallels or Vmware application (more details in the corresponding section).

Disadvantages of installing Windows using Apple BootCamp:

  • the need to restart the computer every time you want to use a different operating system (the system to boot can be selected by holding down the Alt key while booting, but you can also set the system to boot as the “default”). This drawback is eliminated by the ability to use installed Windows in a virtual machine (more details in the section about Parallels/Vmware);
  • data inaccessibility in Windows - Windows cannot read hard drive partitions in the format used by Mac OS X (HFS+ format). On the other hand, if you use the NTFS file system format for a Windows partition, then in Mac OS it will be read-only. However, both reading and writing operations are possible with FAT32 partitions (but FAT32 can only be used for hard drive partitions smaller than 32GB). In order for the mac partition to become accessible in windows, you need to install the appropriate third-party programs, for example MacDrive.

Installing Windows on a virtual machine Parallels Desktop, Vmware Fusion, Virtual Box

These programs allow you to install not only operating systems of the Windows family, but also Linux, OS/2, Solaris, FreeBSD and others.

All three programs have similar functionality: they allow you to create so-called “virtual machines” without leaving Mac OS X. In other words, they create a virtual computer with certain technical characteristics that you can customize at your discretion. So, you can create virtual machines with different amounts of RAM and different peripheral devices. But remember: a virtual machine uses some of the CPU power and some of the memory of your real machine.

Peculiarities:

  • the ability to use the “Coherence” (“Unity”) mode, in which Windows application windows behave like Mac OS X windows. In this case, the line between two simultaneously running operating systems is completely erased;
  • the ability to open files with both Windows and Mac applications;
  • the ability to use the network capabilities of native Mac OS X on Windows. For example, if there is an active Internet connection in Mac OS X, all Windows applications will be able to access the network;
  • the ability to access Windows files without starting it, access to shared folders, support for the Drag&Drop mechanism between two systems.

It is worth especially noting the excellent opportunity to use the Windows partition of Apple BootCamp to run a virtual machine. This means that you can only have one copy of Windows installed. But at the same time choose:

  • or boot into it when the computer starts, and at the same time receive all the advantages of a separately installed Windows;
  • or boot Windows using a virtual machine and get all the benefits of Mac OS X and Windows working together.

Advantages of using virtual machines:

  • joint work of mac applications and windows applications;
  • There is no need to restart the computer to run Windows programs. However, this possibility exists if Windows installed using Apple Boot Camp was used to create the virtual machine;
  • Easy access to files on both operating systems.

Disadvantages of using virtual machines:

  • Performance is noticeably lower compared to using a separately installed Windows OS. As noted above, the virtual machine takes away some of the power of the real machine and your hardware has to simultaneously run two operating systems: Mac OS X and Windows. It should be noted that Macintoshes are quite powerful computers, so using virtual machines for low-resource applications is quite comfortable - you will even forget that you are working in two operating systems at the same time. However, you can’t play heavy modern games this way normally.
  • Continuing with regards to games and applications that require direct access to hardware: not all of them will work normally in this mode. This is due to the fact that a virtual machine only provides access to virtual hardware, which can lead to some incompatibilities that affect the operation of applications.
  • dependence of a Windows virtual machine on Mac OS X: if the Mac OS X system crashes while the virtual machine is running, this can lead to data loss in the running Windows.

Running Windows applications using CrossOver

Unlike Parallels/Vmware/VirtualBox virtual machines, the CrossOver program emulates a Windows environment for a single program. Thus, a small “deception” of the Windows application occurs, which believes that it is running in a full-fledged version of Windows.

It should be noted that not all Windows applications allow themselves to “deceive” themselves. The CrossOver developers have on their website a detailed list of Windows programs that are guaranteed to run using CrossOver - the so-called “golden support status”. An even larger number of apps have a "silver" status, which means that their launch is possible, but not guaranteed by the developers. You can see a list of applications with their statuses.

The CrossOver program will be especially convenient for those who need only a few Windows programs that can run in this mode.

Advantages of using CrossOver:

  • there is no need to have a Windows installation distribution;
  • better performance compared to using virtual machines.

Disadvantages of using CrossOver:

  • The application you need simply may not launch using CrossOver;
  • There may be problems with fonts in Windows applications (however, these problems can be easily solved).

I hope that the information presented will allow you not only to comfortably switch from Windows to Mac, but also to gain the benefits of both operating systems.

macOS is an advanced and at the same time reliable operating system that many PC users chose instead of Windows 10. Unfortunately, installing the Apple platform on a computer from another manufacturer is not so easy. The easiest and most convenient way is to boot a virtual machine.

Requirements for installing macOS on a Windows PC

To install Mac OS X (10.5 and higher) on a Windows PC, you will need a virtual machine. You can use VMWare, which allows you to run the macOS operating system in a Windows environment. As for hardware requirements, they are as follows:

  • 8 GB RAM.
  • Intel Core i3, i5 or i7 processor.
  • 128 GB hard disk space.

Applications needed to install Mac on Windows PC or laptop

You also need to download the macOS image. The password is “xnohat”.

How to install Mac OS X on Windows

Step 1: Install the latest version of VMWare Workstation.

Step 2. Unpack Unlocker 2.0.8 and run the “win-install.cmd” file as administrator.

Step 3. After launching, you need to wait until the patch is installed and unlocks the ability to install macOS in VMWare. Open VMWare and create a new virtual machine (automatic method). In the window that appears, select "Apple Mac OS X". In the Version list, select Mac OS X 10.7 or any newer version.


Step 4: After clicking the “Next” button, the virtual machine will be created. In order for macOS to work properly, you need to configure the hardware. To do this, select “Edit Virtual Machine Settings”.

Step 5: Click the "Add" button, then click "Next" twice and select "Use an Existing Virtual Disk" and click "Next" again. Now select the operating system image you downloaded earlier and click “Finish”.

Step 6: After completing all the settings, click on the blue launch button and follow the on-screen instructions to install OS X.




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