[2025] How to Open EXE Files on Mac – 4 Methods

Before learning how to open EXE files on Mac, it is imperative to understand what they are and how they function. If you are not interested in this, you can jump to the solutions.

In a nutshell, EXE files have *.exe extension, which is recognized only by the Windows operating system. When double-clicked, EXE files execute their corresponding programs which can be of two types, namely:

· Installation/Setup

To install a program on Windows, you run a setup file that has the *.exe extension. When you launch such a file, generally, it opens a wizard that guides you through the rest of the installation process.

· Application Execution

After installation, when you want to use the software, you double-click a different file (whose shortcut is automatically placed on the desktop). This file also has a *.exe extension but instead of initializing a wizard, it opens the application so you can work on it.

For instance, if you want to install and use Google Chrome on a Windows PC, you download the ChromeSetup.exe file that you double-click to start the installation process. Once Chrome is installed and its shortcut is placed on the desktop, you double-click the shortcut which runs another *.exe file to launch the Google Chrome web browser so you can start surfing the Internet.

Compare the Methods to Open EXE Files on Mac

Coming back to the main question, how to open EXE on Mac. Listed below are four solutions namely, using a virtual machine, Boot Camp, and remote desktop. The good news is that all of them work equally well. The only difference is the ease of usage, how much time you want to invest, and for how long you would like to use the EXE file(s) that you open on your Mac PC.

You can check the following chart to get an overview of how each method functions and which of these can meet your needs:

Now that you have understood the pros and cons of the solutions, you can learn how to use them by learning the step-by-step process for each of them given below:

Solution 1: Use Virtual Machine

Using a virtual machine is a permanent solution when you want to run both macOS and Windows simultaneously on your Mac. Although the initial process may take some time to complete, once everything is set up, you can execute Windows EXE files on Mac seamlessly.

How Virtual Machines Function

Virtual machines are created using their corresponding consoles. At the time of this writing, the three major applications that are mostly used on Mac are Oracle VirtualBox, VMware Fusion, and Parallels Desktop. Although the apps are different and have varied interfaces, all of them work on the same principle that is explained below:

• Obtain a desktop virtualization program (VirtualBox, Fusion, or Parallels Desktop).
• Create a virtual machine using the software console.
• Start the virtual machine.
• Install Windows on the virtual machine.
• Run EXE files on Windows running inside the virtual machine.

The step-by-step process given below explains how open Windows files on Mac with the help of a virtual machine:

Note: Parallels Desktop is used here for demonstration. On your part, you can pick any desktop virtualization software that you find convenient.

• Use your favorite web browser to download Parallels Desktop for Mac.
• Install the program on your Mac using the regular installation method.
• Click Continue from the bottom-right corner of the launch screen.

• On the Create New screen, click Get Windows 11 from Microsoft and click Continue.
• Click Continue on the Download and Install Windows 11 screen and sit back and relax while Parallels Desktop installs Windows 11 on your Mac.

• Once the installation is complete, you can drag and drop the Windows EXE files inside the virtual machine and run the setup/application normally.

URLs for Other Desktop Virtualization Programs

• Oracle VirtualBox (https://www.virtualbox.org/)
• VMware Fusion (https://www.vmware.com/in/products/fusion/fusion-evaluation.html)

Solution 2: Use Boot Camp

Boot Camp Assistant is a built-in utility in macOS that allows you to make your computer work in a dual-boot environment, i.e., with two operating systems installed. One of the biggest advantages of using Windows via Boot Camp is that it runs natively on Mac and therefore gets exclusive access to all the hardware resources that your PC has.

However, the two major downsides of using Boot Camp Assistant are:

• It allows you to run only one operating system at a time, i.e., either macOS or Windows. You must choose the OS you want to work on at the time of computer startup. To switch to a different operating system, you must restart the PC, and make your choice.
• At the time of this writing, Boot Camp works only on Intel-based Mac computers. If your Mac has an M1 or M2 Silicon chip, you will not be able to use the utility whatsoever.

You can learn how to open EXE files on Mac after installing Windows with Boot Camp by following the instructions given below:

Note: For this method, you must obtain Windows installation media that will be used to install the operating system on your Mac.

• You can obtain Windows 11 from the URL https://www.microsoft.com/software-download/windows11.
• You can obtain Windows 10 from the URL https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/software-download/windows10.

Once you have downloaded the ISO file of your preferred operating system, you can follow the steps explained below:

• On your Mac, go to Finder > Applications > Utilities.
• Double-click Boot Camp Assistant.
• Click Continue from the bottom-right corner of the Boot Camp Assistant launch page. Note: To proceed, you must remove any external storage that is connected to your PC.
• From the Install Windows screen, drag the partition bar to adjust the volume size that you want to assign to Windows.
  • Note 1: The Windows partition will not be shown when the computer starts with Mac.
  • Note 2: Notice that Boot Camp Assistant automatically detected the Windows installation media that you downloaded earlier.
• Click Install from the bottom-right corner.
• Wait while Windows installs on Mac with Boot Camp Assistant.
  • Note: You may have to configure and customize Windows during the installation process. This is something that you do even while installing the OS on any non-Mac PC.
• Once Windows is installed, you can run EXE files on it normally, i.e., as you do on a regular Windows computer.

To switch to Mac, you must restart Windows and press and hold down the Option key during the restart process. Once the computer shuts down and starts up again, the window that shows up displays both Mac and Boot Camp partitions. You can click Mac to boot the PC to macOS. To switch back to Windows, you can again restart your Mac and press and hold down the Option key during the restart process which will take you to the selection screen.

Solution 3: Use Remote Desktop

If you want to run an EXE file on Windows merely for testing purposes, you can request any of your friends to give you access to their Windows computer via a remote desktop session. A third-party program called TeamViewer makes remote access tasks pretty easy.

Now, because you are borrowing your friend’s computer remotely, this solution cannot be considered permanent and is good only when you what to use Windows for a short while.

You can learn how to open Windows files on Mac with TeamViewer by following the instructions given below:

• Use your favorite web browser to go to the official website of TeamViewer and download software on your Mac.
• Install and then launch TeamViewer on your Mac.
• Call your friend and request them to do the same.
• Request your friend to share with you the values present under the Your ID and Password fields on their instance of TeamViewer.
• Enter the Your ID value in the Partner ID field on your instance of the program.
• Ensure that the Remote Control radio button is selected.
• Click Connect.
• On the next screen, enter the password that your friend shared and start the remote desktop session.
• Once you are inside your friend’s computer, use the regular method to run the EXE file on Windows.

Solution 4: Use Wine

Wine can run .exe files on Mac using a compatibility layer, without installing emulators or virtual machines, or booting into Windows OS. It creates the directory structures of the Windows operating system on Mac so that your Mac can run .exe files. It sounds like a good choice. However, it doesn’t support all macOS, only available for macOS 10.8 to 10.14, and not all Windows apps are supported. You can check the compatibility here.

Here is how to use Wine to run .exe files on Mac:

• Download WineBottler here.
• Choose the Stable version.
• On the pop-up that comes after you click the Stable version, click Download. You will have to wait for some time because there are ads. They show ads to sponsor their software. You can skip ads after 5 seconds.
• After the download, drag both Wine and Winebottler icons into your Applications folder to finish the installation.
• After the installation, you can right-click the .exe file and choose to open with Wine.

Conclusion

There are many ways to run executable files on Mac, and it’s you who must decide which solution you find the best depending on the ease of accessibility and your usage. For instance, you can use TeamViewer if you want to test the functioning of a program or use it temporarily. On the other hand, if you want to know how to open EXE files on Mac so you can use them for the next couple of years, you can go for the Boot Camp or virtual machine solution which is more durable and lasts long.