Summary :
The software will require you to reboot or restart your computer in order to run the second OS, which is the Windows. Other.exe for Mac applications will often just run it in another window without having to reboot at all. Another application that is free and can run Windows-based applications on Mac computers. Can Microsoft Programs Run On Mac Free. Run Windows and Windows applications locally: To dual-boot between macOS and Windows, use Apple's Boot Camp. This approach provides the most compatibility with Windows software and peripherals, but does not allow you to run Windows and macOS applications at the same time. To run Windows in a virtual. Download Parallels Desktop. Open Parallels Desktop.app from the Applications folder and choose File » New. Now you can create a new virtual machine for Mac, including a Windows VM on Mac. Get Windows from Microsoft or install freely available operating systems such as Ubuntu, Fedora, or other Linux systems supported by Parallels Desktop.
For Mac users, if they need to run some programs that are exclusive to Windows, they should either install Windows to dual-boot between macOS and Windows or use a reliable Windows emulator for Mac. What is the right emulator to choose? This post will introduce some powerful emulators for users to run Windows on Mac easily.
Though Mac computers have become more and more popular in recent years, there’s still chance people need to use some programs and software that are exclusive to Windows operating system (OS). At this time, you have mainly 3 choices:
- Find a Windows computer to run the necessary applications.
- Install a Windows operating system on Mac to dual boot it.
- Use Windows emulator for Mac to run Windows applications on Mac easily.
Data recovery tool for Mac:
Data recovery tool for Windows:
What Is Windows Emulator for Mac
What does emulator mean? To be specific, it’s a hardware or software that makes one computer system to behave like another computer system. An emulator is very necessary when you need to run software or use peripheral devices that are not supported by your system (designed specifically for another system).
A Windows emulator for Mac enables your macOS to behave like Windows operating system so that you can run Windows programs and software on macOS easily. On the contrary, without a Mac window emulator, you’ll need to install a Windows OS for dual-boot on Mac in order to run the Windows exclusive applications.
Are you interested in APFS vs Mac OS Extended? This post introduces these two Mac file systems to you and tells you how to format a hard drive on Mac.
A special partition will be created on your drive by the emulators for storing the applications. A large memory is needed to store the emulator itself, Windows installation, and the applications you want to run.
An emulator or a virtual machine is actually needed for running Windows on Mac. Both allow you to run applications that aren’t compatible with your Mac hardware; but emulator and virtual machine are indeed different.
Use Windows Apps On Mac
- The virtualization tools are able to offer the best possible performance by using the Mac hardware.
- However, in the emulation process, no hardware is involved; it is all replaced by software.
Best Windows Emulators for Mac
Is there any free Windows emulator for Mac? What is the best emulator to choose? A few popular emulators are listed in the following in random order.
#1. Boot Camp
Designed by Apple, the Boot Camp allows you to install Windows together with macOS on your Mac computer and dual-boot while utilizing full Mac hardware. It is a free emulator; you don't need to pay any money except for the license for Windows. Boot Camp is built in every Intel Mac and you can access it from the Utilities section in the Applications folder.
One of the main advantages of Boot Camp (other than it’s free of charge) lies in the speed. You run Windows (not on top of macOS) by using Boot Camp, so less RAM and fewer processor cycles are needed when compared to other similar solutions. However, you’d better install Windows as a real operating system on your Mac, instead of using Windows emulator, if you want to play Windows games or use demanding applications.
How to run Windows programs on Mac:
Since you can run only one operating system at a time, you have to restart your Mac computer to switch from macOS to Windows (or vice versa). After booting into Windows successfully, you can install and run all the applications you need on your Mac.
Usually, you can’t read Mac drive on a Windows PC; this post shows you how to view content on Mac-formatted drive easily.
#2. Parallels Desktop
Parallels Desktop is another PC emulator for Mac which delivers fast and stable performance, so a lot of people prefer to use it to run Windows programs on Mac without installing Windows.
- Parallels is easy to set up and use.
- Parallels is updated frequently to support the new OS and hardware.
- You can run Windows on Mac without rebooting it by using Parallels Desktop.
- It provides more than 30 utilities to simplify the tasks.
#3. VMware Fusion
VMware Fusion is not a free Windows emulator for Mac; it will cost you some money, but it deserves the money. With the help of VMware Fusion, you can run Windows OS inside a window on your Mac, just like you run an application on Mac, without rebooting.
- You can use any Mac apps while using a Windows operating system.
- The latest version of VMware Fusion can support Sidecar, Dark Mode, and MacBook Pro’s Touch Bar.
- It supports 100s of operating systems, including Windows 10, the latest macOS, and even Linux distributions.
- It allows you to install and use Windows apps easily and the Unity mode allows you to run the Windows file browser as an application in macOS.
#4. VirtualBox
VirtualBox is a free and open-source tool that allows you to create a virtual machine on your Mac computer to run Windows and Windows applications. It is one of the most powerful virtualization products suitable for both home users and enterprises.
- VirtualBox allows you to run Windows and its programs without rebooting Mac.
- It is easy to set up and use.
- It well supports Windows systems, apps, games, audio, and 3D graphics.
- It has a paid version that offers IT support and improved features.
Ever found yourself in a situation where you loved software, only to know that it is compatible with Mac machines? Agreed, it is an anomaly as the number of Windows compatible software is vast. But at times, you might find yourself in such a situation or may come across with certain apps that work better on macOS.
If you are stuck in such a situation, here we will state ways for you to run Mac apps on Windows 10 device. Surprised! Don’t be, just remember nothing is impossible.
Ways to run Mac Apps on Windows 10
Step 1: Make a Virtual Machine with macOS on it
Run Windows Application On Mac
This is the simplest way to get Mac on Windows and run Mac apps on windows PC. To learn how to run Mac programs on Windows check out my tutorial on How to Install macOS Mojave on Windows 10 in a Virtual Machine?
The step by step guide will make you learn how to get macOS virtual machine and how to install it on Windows 10.
Once you have the virtual machine up and running with macOS on it, come back here to learn ways to install and run Mac apps on Windows.
Step 2: Use your Apple Account
From this step onwards everything will work in a similar manner as it works on actual macOS. You’ll need to login into your Apple account to access App Store. If you don’t have one you’ll need to create an Apple account.
To create an Apple account on a web browser, follow the steps below:
1. Head to Apple ID account page, fill in all the particulars given in the form to create your AppleID. Remember provided email address will be your new AppleID.
2. Next select security questions, if you want to receive updated checkbox to subscribe.
3. Click Continue.
These simple steps will help you create an Apple ID.
Once done login to your Apple account to start downloading apps from App Store. To access App Store click on App Store icon present in the dock. Log in to your Apple account > look for the app you wish to download > click on Get > Install.
This will install the apps on your macOS virtual machine installed on Windows 10.
Using these simple steps you can use macOS on Windows 10 with the help of a virtual machine.
This might hit you with questions like what about the current session? Will you able to resume it from where you left or not?
To resume working from where you left you would need to shut down virtual machine in a sequence for this click on Apple logo > Shut Down. This will help you resume working.
However, if you want to extra cautious you can take a snapshot, to save the current state of the virtual machine.
To take a snapshot on VMware click on VM > Snapshot > Take Snapshot.
Next, give a name to the snapshot and hit Take Snapshot.
This way you’ll be able to save your current session.
Using these simple steps you can easily run Mac Apps on Windows machine. However, you must never forget since you are using a Virtual machine they might not work as on actual macOS. This is simply due to a virtual machine sharing the host machine’s system resource. In addition to this, a piece of advice avoid updating your macOS Virtual Machine as the patch that makes the macOS virtual machine run is compatible with a specific version and may not work with the updates.
FAQ’s
Can you run Mac apps on Windows?
You can run Mac apps on Windows 10 easily, but before that you need to install macOS on Windows 10 in a virtual machine. Here, virtual machines play an important role to imitate dedicated hardware by emulation of a computer system. You also need to download and install certain essential tools such as VMware to run Mac apps on Windows 10.
Can you run Mac on a PC?
Yes you can run Mac on a PC like a pro. To do this, you would require a compatible PC where you can install macOS. Here, you need to select the hard drive on which you never had Windows installed. You can run Mac on a PC by creating an image file of macOS or doing it through a virtual machine.
Can you download Apple apps on Windows 10?
Apple’s iTunes apps are now available to download on Microsoft’s Windows 10 Store. It is useful development for users who wish to access iTunes apps on Windows 10. Here, you can download, purchase, and manage iTunes apps easily from Windows 10 Store.
Is it safe to use Hackintosh?
Well, it totally depends on the method you use to access macOS on Windows machine. If you create an image of macOS and clone it on Windows PC or you try a virtual machine to access Mac apps on windows PC, you probably are in safe hands. On the other hand, it could be debatable whether using Mac on Windows is legal or not, as you are licensed to use the software and license terms don’t allow you to imitate software.
Running Mac Apps In Windows
Is a Hackintosh worth it?
If you want to access all features and functionalities of Mac without spending money on buying new Mac system, then Hackintosh is a good option. It is also useful for users who tend to work on two different systems that require access to Mac and Windows features.
Of course, you can give it try, but keep in mind you can lose everything on the virtual machine in this process.
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