If you already have a product key, you can download Windows installation media for free and install it in a virtual machine program.RELATED: How to Seamlessly Run Windows Programs on Your Mac with ParallelsPopular virtual machine programs for Mac include Parallels and VMware Fusion. While it’s most often used on Linux, Wine can run Windows software directly on a Mac, toowithout requiring a Windows license or needing Windows running in the background.You’ll need a Windows license to install Windows in a virtual machine. It is available both as a x86 and a x64 application.Wine is an open source program for running Windows software on non-Windows operating systems.Yes, it can work—especially with older games—but you won’t get the best performance, even in an ideal situation. In the long run, the price is well worth it.There’s one big downside to virtual machines: 3D graphics performance isn’t amazing, so this isn’t the best way to run Windows games on your Mac. The integration with macOS is amazingly well done, and the speed blows away VirtualBox. Parallels and VMWare Fusion both offer free trials, so you can try all these programs and decide which is best for you.Note: We don’t often recommend paid software, but in the case of Parallels Desktop, it’s something we use at How-To Geek every single day for testing software and running Windows. You can also use the completely free and open-source VirtualBox for Mac, but its 3D graphics support and Mac operating system integration aren’t as good.
It’s a compatibility layer that allows Windows applications to run on other operating systems. WineRELATED: How to Run Windows Programs on a Mac With WineWine originated on Linux. On the other hand, if you want to play the latest Windows games on your Mac, Boot Camp will be ideal.As with virtual machines, you’ll need a Windows license to install Windows on your Mac. Wine Windows Emulator Code To AccomplishWhile CrossOver focuses on compatibility, it’s still based on Wine, and won’t work with everything.Most people will probably be happiest going for a virtual machine program and a Windows license. You can also view a list of which programs run well on CrossOver before buying. CodeWeavers contributes their improvements back to the open-source Wine project, so paying for CrossOver Mac also helps the Wine project itself.CrossOver offers a free trial it you want to try it out first. If an officially supported program doesn’t work, you can contact CodeWeavers and expect them to make it work for you. It uses the open-source Wine code to accomplish this, but CrossOver provides a nice graphical interface and focuses on officially supporting popular programs. Laser engraver software for macBear in mind that this isn’t ideal for visually intensive applications like PC games.If you’re a Chrome user, you can even use Chrome Remote Desktop to connect to a Windows PC running Chrome from your Mac running Chrome.All these tricks obviously require more work than simply installing a Windows program on a Windows PC. If you’re just a home user who also has a Windows PC, you could configure that Windows PC for remote access and connect to it whenever you need a Windows application. Organizations with business software that runs on Windows can host Windows servers and make their applications available to Macs, Chromebooks, Linux PCs, iPads, Android tablet, and other devices. Remote DesktopRELATED: How to Access Windows Remote Desktop Over the InternetIf you already have a Windows system, you could skip running Windows software on your Mac completely and use remote desktop software to access the Windows machine from your Mac’s desktop. Boot Camp may still be a better solution for that. CrossOver does theoretically allow you to run Windows PC games on a Mac with better performance than you’d get in a virtual machine, but you’ll risk running into bugs and unsupported programs. Wine and CrossOver are nice ideas, but they aren’t perfect. Windows programs won’t be as integrated or work as well.You may have to buy a Windows license for your Mac to get the best compatibility, whether you’re using a virtual machine or installing Windows in Boot Camp.
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