Can I run an .exe file on a Mac?

Not directly. Use Wine or CrossOver to translate Windows API calls, or run a full Windows virtual machine with Parallels, VMware Fusion or UTM. Before either, check whether the software ships a native macOS build.

How do I extract files from an .exe without installing it?

Many Windows installers are self-extracting archives, so opening the .exe with 7-Zip on Windows or Keka on macOS lists the contents and lets you pull individual files out without running anything.

Why does Windows say the publisher is unknown?

The file is not signed with a certificate SmartScreen recognises. That is common for small and open-source projects and is not proof of malware, but it is exactly the moment to verify the SHA-256 hash against the publisher before running it.

File extensions

How to open a .exe file

Windows executable · Executable

An .exe is a Windows program. macOS cannot run one, and no download makes it possible directly. Your options are a compatibility layer such as Wine or CrossOver, or a Windows virtual machine.

What a .exe file actually is

EXE files use the Portable Executable format and contain machine code compiled against the Windows API. The problem is not the processor; it is that macOS provides none of the system calls the program expects.

On Apple Silicon there is a second obstacle: most Windows software is compiled for x86, so it needs instruction translation as well as API translation. That is why performance and compatibility vary so much.

Why it will not open

Double-clicking an .exe on macOS gives "you can't open the application because it is not supported on this Mac". Nothing is broken and nothing is missing; the file is simply for a different operating system.

Step by step

Windows

01On Windows, double-click it. That is all.
02If Windows blocks it with a SmartScreen warning, the publisher is unrecognised. Verify the file against the publisher's own hash before choosing "Run anyway".
03If nothing happens at all, the download may be incomplete or quarantined by your antivirus.

macOS

01First, check whether the software has a native Mac version. This is by far the best answer and is true more often than people expect.
02If not, install Wine or CrossOver, which translate Windows API calls in real time. Many simple applications run; many complex ones do not.
03For anything that must work reliably, run a Windows virtual machine with Parallels, VMware Fusion or UTM. This needs a Windows licence but behaves like real Windows.
04To extract files from a Windows installer without running it, open the .exe with Keka or The Unarchiver. Many installers are just archives.

What usually goes wrong

An .exe you did not expect is a red flag

Executables arriving by email or messaging are one of the oldest malware vectors there is. If you were not expecting it, do not run it on any operating system, and treat a double extension such as invoice.pdf.exe as hostile by definition.

Wine is not an emulator, and it shows

Wine reimplements the Windows API rather than simulating a PC. That makes it fast, and also means anything relying on unusual drivers, anti-cheat or deep system integration simply will not run.

Programs that open .exe

Our pick, in order. Every one links to the publisher's official download URL and the SHA-256 hash of the installer, so you can check the file before you run it.

Common questions

Can I run an .exe file on a Mac?: Not directly. Use Wine or CrossOver to translate Windows API calls, or run a full Windows virtual machine with Parallels, VMware Fusion or UTM. Before either, check whether the software ships a native macOS build.
How do I extract files from an .exe without installing it?: Many Windows installers are self-extracting archives, so opening the .exe with 7-Zip on Windows or Keka on macOS lists the contents and lets you pull individual files out without running anything.
Why does Windows say the publisher is unknown?: The file is not signed with a certificate SmartScreen recognises. That is common for small and open-source projects and is not proof of malware, but it is exactly the moment to verify the SHA-256 hash against the publisher before running it.