.exe for mac? is it posible

Redgriffin · 2007-01-14

is it posible to run an .exe file on Mac OSX? and if so how.

shuuhen

· #2 · Jan 14, 2007

I assume you're talking about running a Windows program on Mac OS X. Short answer is no. Programs in their machine code state are very dependent on OS specific libraries, etc.

Long answer: maybe. If the machine running Mac OS X is an Intel based Mac, then you could look into programs like Crossover, Parallels and Bootcamp. I haven't been able to experiment with these products yet due to my lack of an Intel based Mac.

Bootcamp lets you dual boot your computer so you can have Mac OS X on one part of the hard drive and Windows on the other. The downside for this is you have to switch between the operating systems. However, it is a good option if you are ok with rebooting the computer to use Windows and Win apps.

Parallels runs what is called a virtual machine. A virtual machine basically is like having a Windows machine running inside your Mac OS X machine. A downside of this that is shared with Bootcamp is that you need a fully licensed version of Windows to install on you machine. I think you can also run Linux inside a virtual machine with Parallels.

Crossover is a program that offers the Windows programs what they need to run without having a copy of Windows. Not needing a copy of Windows is a big upside to this program. I haven't researched this one specifically, but the usual downside is that it doesn't support all programs as well as running Windows with either Parallels or Bootcamp.

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Redgriffin

Discussion Starter · #3 · Jan 14, 2007

Thanks for that, though it don't help much become i don't have an Intel based mac. but it dose answer some questions.

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sinclair_tm

· #4 · Jan 15, 2007

then you need to get an x86 emulator, kind of a parallels for ppc macs. virtual pc is a main one, but there are a few other offerings. but they require a copy of windows to work. but the best thing would be to run the app on a windows pc.
what is the app? maybe we can find a mac version for you.

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The9th

· #5 · Apr 4, 2008

Re: .exe for mac? is it possible? If it's a Unix executable?

shuuhen said:
I assume you're talking about running a Windows program on Mac OS X. Short answer is no. Programs in their machine code state are very dependent on OS specific libraries, etc.

Dear Shuuhen...just got a datafile from a town clerk's office here--it's the first time they've ever put their voter roll on a CD, so not all the kinks have been worked out--I had said I couldn't really deal with a floppy (unless I link up a 3400c laptop to a grape iMac to my iMac G5--the 3400c won't go above 8.6 (aahh, the good old days) and I've tried without success to go directly from 8.6 to 10.4.11 over ethernet appletalk. Hmm, Just occured to me that I haven't tried TCP/IP over the ethernet.

But I digress.

If I do a "get info" on the .exe file it returns "Kind: Unix Executable File."

Does that mean I can launch it under Terminal or "Single User"? (I just found out about single user (straight Unix?) mode--thank god it's there--was a ble to fix a a disk that Disk Utilities could do nothing with, using something called file system consistency check.)

localhost:/ root# fsck -f

Hmm. Maybe I can open it in text-edit if it's legible alpha/num ascii.

And if I could do something with it in Unix, how would I then get it back into 10.4.11? Guess I'd finally get down to learning Unix <sigh>.

TIA.

bw:3-specs:

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sinclair_tm

· #6 · Apr 5, 2008

No, even if the get info says its a unix executable, it is wrong. .exe is the suffix for win32 programs. That might just be something Apple did so that Safari would know that it could cause a problem if downloaded, like malware type thing.And if it was really a unix program, you can run it from the terminal. To just boot into single user mode will not let you run programs. It doesn't even mount the hard drives, which is why you can run fsck from it (you can't repair the active mounted drive as you have learned). It takes quite a bit of work to get to anything in single user mode, except fsck. As for a text program to open it with to check it out, I'd use TextWrangler, as it is powerful, and better yet, free. As for your networking, OS X doesn't support old fashion Appletalk like in the good old days. To network the old and new, you need to use TCP/IP, setting up the older Mac as a web server, and then connect to it from OS X. The old Mac will not see OS X (at least when I was running 10.2 and tried to move files between my two Macs).

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warrenanywhere

· #7 · Jul 3, 2008

hiya, I have Parallels install on Leopard but files formats such as .UIF are not being recognised. Any thoughts pls?

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datechgeek

· #8 · Jul 4, 2008

use a program called wine, i use it all the time, sometimes programs never work but most of the programs that i have used with wine work fine.

URL: http://wiki.winehq.org/MacOSX

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warrenanywhere

· #9 · Jul 4, 2008

Thanks for the advice but WINE looks very complicated to install, has the requirement for other installations (XQuartz). This is a lot of feedback in language that I have no idea of. So is there an easier method, a one stop solution?
It appears that no files are recognized in Parallels. I'm currently updating Windows.. maybe that'll do it.
MS seems always to torment.

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rainwalkr

· #10 · Jan 17, 2009

shuuhen said:
I assume you're talking about running a Windows program on Mac OS X. Short answer is no. Programs in their machine code state are very dependent on OS specific libraries, etc.

Long answer: maybe. If the machine running Mac OS X is an Intel based Mac, then you could look into programs like Crossover, Parallels and Bootcamp. I haven't been able to experiment with these products yet due to my lack of an Intel based Mac.

Bootcamp lets you dual boot your computer so you can have Mac OS X on one part of the hard drive and Windows on the other. The downside for this is you have to switch between the operating systems. However, it is a good option if you are ok with rebooting the computer to use Windows and Win apps.

Parallels runs what is called a virtual machine. A virtual machine basically is like having a Windows machine running inside your Mac OS X machine. A downside of this that is shared with Bootcamp is that you need a fully licensed version of Windows to install on you machine. I think you can also run Linux inside a virtual machine with Parallels.

Crossover is a program that offers the Windows programs what they need to run without having a copy of Windows. Not needing a copy of Windows is a big upside to this program. I haven't researched this one specifically, but the usual downside is that it doesn't support all programs as well as running Windows with either Parallels or Bootcamp.

I just tried the CX its okay, but not really what I am looking for.. its cool but not too useful. just hoping it will have a better support with other software and in language displays too.

I like VMfuzion a bit more than the Par. let you choose your setting...

if anyone know if theres other that works well let me know too

thanks...

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rainwalkr

· #11 · Jan 17, 2009

warrenanywhere said:
hiya, I have Parallels install on Leopard but files formats such as .UIF are not being recognised. Any thoughts pls?

try VMware. it might work.. so far i dont have any problems w/ it..
running vista..

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rainwalkr

· #12 · Jan 17, 2009

datechgeek said:
use a program called wine, i use it all the time, sometimes programs never work but most of the programs that i have used with wine work fine.

URL: http://wiki.winehq.org/MacOSX

yeah i tried to install wine, but never get it.. any simple help or instructions?

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sinclair_tm

· #13 · Jan 17, 2009

please don't multi post, or bring up threads this old.

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