Windows Software on Mac: How to Run Windows on Mac

Introduction

Want to run Windows software on Mac?

The ecosystem of Mac is thriving for software but some programs support Windows. Whether you wish to make use of the Windows software or enjoy Windows PC games, there are several ways to run Windows software on Mac.

You can find some of the ways similar to the ways through which install Windows software on Linux. Among the solutions, we have included virtual machines, dual-booting, and remote desktop solutions.

Virtual Machines

You will be aghast to know that a virtual machine is one of the best ways to run Windows desktop software.

They allow the user to install Windows and other operating systems in a Window of the Mac desktop.
Windows will feel as if it is running on a real computer but in reality, it will be running inside a piece of software.
Programs of many virtual machines allow the users to break Windows programs out of the virtual machine window.
The programs will be still running in the background of the virtual machine.
For this, you need to have a Windows license.
If you already have the product key, then you need to just download and install it on your virtual machine.
Some of the popular virtual machine programs for Mac are PARALLELS and VMware fusion.
The above ones are paid so you need to buy the license for Windows and a copy of your virtual machine program

Also read: How to Perform a Health Checkup of Mac Hardware?

Boot Camp

This allows the user to install Windows alongside macOS on your Mac. The disturbing thing is that only one operating system can run at a time. So, you need to restart your Mac to switch between macOS and Windows.

Installation of Windows as a real operating system on your Mac is a great idea if you wish to play Windows games or using demanding applications.
While installing Windows on your Mac, you will be able to use windows and its applications with maximum performance.
Windows PC and Mac will perform with the same specifications.
On the downside, you cannot run macOS applications and Windows applications side-by-side at the same time.
If you wish to run a Windows desktop application alongside your mac application, the virtual machine will be ideal for this.
On contrary to this, if you wish to play the latest Windows games on mac, the boot camp will be ideal.

With Virtual machines, you need to have a Windows license to install Windows on your Mac.

Wine

It was originated on Linux and is a compatibility layer that permits Windows applications to run on other operating systems. In other words, it is an attempt to rewrite the Windows code on which the application depends to run on operating systems.

This means the wine is nowhere near perfection.
With this, you cannot run every Windows application on a Mac.
It can provide you an idea of which applications can be supported.
This is one of the ways through which you can run try to run a Windows application on a Mac.
Because you are not required to use actually Windows, you don’t need a license here.
It is free so you just need to download it and install it to work on it.

CrossOver Mac

CrossOver Mac is a paid application that runs Windows applications on Mac.

It utilizes an open-source Wine code to accomplish the task but provides a nice graphical interface and sheds more focus on officially supporting popular programs.
It belongs to Crossweaver’s, so if the program is not supporting you, then you can contact them and expect to make things work for you.
This can improve back to the open-source wine project.
Also, it offers a free trial if you want to try it.
Though it focuses on compatibility, it is still based on Wine and cannot work with everything.

Remote Desktop

If you are equipped with a Windows system, you can overlook running Windows software on Mac and make use of the remote desktop software to access Windows.

If you are one of the home users and have a Windows PC, then you can configure it for remote access and get it connected whenever you need a Windows application.
Chrome users can make use of Chrome remote desktop to get connected to a Windows PC running on Chrome.

So, this is another way through which you can use the Windows application.