You can run Windows apps on a Mac by installing Windows in a virtual machine, using CrossOver for compatible apps, or connecting remotely to a Windows PC. Choose a virtual machine for a full Windows environment, CrossOver for a compatible application without installing Windows, or remote access when you already have a Windows computer available.
The short version
- Check your Mac: Apple silicon virtual machines normally need Windows 11 Arm, while Intel virtual machines use x64 Windows.
- Full Windows environment: Parallels, Fusion, UTM, and VirtualBox let you install applications inside a Windows virtual machine.
- Without installing Windows: CrossOver runs compatible Windows applications through compatibility layers.
- Existing PC: Remote access displays applications running on a Windows computer that stays powered on and reachable.
| Method | Use it for | Main catch |
|---|---|---|
| Parallels Desktop | Automatic Windows setup on Apple silicon | Windows licensing is separate |
| CrossOver | Compatible apps without installing Windows | Compatibility depends on the app |
| VMware Fusion Pro | Free virtualization software | Broadcom registration is required |
| UTM | Windows virtualization with a free website download | No Windows 3D GPU acceleration |
| VirtualBox | Windows VMs on Intel or Apple silicon | Windows media must match your Mac's architecture |
| Windows App | Remote access to an existing Windows PC | Windows Home cannot host Microsoft's Remote Desktop |
| Chrome Remote Desktop | Remote Windows access from a Mac browser | The Windows host must stay powered on and reachable |
| Browser edition | Apps with an official web alternative | Features can differ from the Windows application |
Check your Mac and choose an approach
Open the Apple menu, select About This Mac, and inspect Chip or Processor. An Apple silicon Mac normally uses Windows 11 Arm in a virtual machine. An Intel Mac uses x64 Windows, so choose the matching installation media and virtualization software.
Windows 11 Arm automatically translates ordinary x86 and x64 Windows applications when you install and launch them. You do not need a separate emulator download or an emulation switch. Kernel drivers require Arm64 versions, so check individual compatibility for applications with specialized hardware drivers or anti-cheat components.
For Parallels, use version 27 on Apple silicon and supported version 26 on Intel. Parallels lists at least 8 GB of RAM for version 27, with supported macOS releases including Sonoma 14.7+, Sequoia 15.5+, and Tahoe 26. Check the requirements for the version you plan to install.
Before setting up Windows, check whether your application offers an official browser edition. For example, you can sign into Microsoft 365's web apps and use Word, Excel, or PowerPoint online, although features can differ from their desktop versions. Apple's Boot Camp installation route is limited to Windows 10 on eligible Intel Macs; Apple provides no supported Boot Camp installation method for Apple silicon or Windows 11.
Install Windows with Parallels Desktop
Get Parallels from the official Parallels Desktop product page, choose Try now or a purchase option, and install the downloaded Mac application. On an Apple silicon Mac, launch it and choose Install Windows. Complete the Windows installation and accept the Windows agreement.
If Parallels already contains a virtual machine, click its menu-bar icon and open Control Center. Select + > Get Windows 11 from Microsoft > Continue > Install Windows. Windows activation and licensing are separate from installing Parallels.
On an Intel Mac using Parallels 26, obtain Microsoft's Windows 11 x64 ISO. Open Control Center, select +, choose Install Windows or another OS from a DVD or image, and click Continue. Select the ISO and complete the installation assistant; use Arm installation media for an Apple silicon VM.
Once Windows is running, install your Windows application and launch it inside the virtual machine. You can also use Coherence to display Windows applications alongside Mac applications. In Parallels 26 with Parallels Tools installed, choose View > Enter Coherence; this mode is excluded from the App Store edition.
Install a compatible app with CrossOver
Choose CrossOver when you want to run a compatible Windows application without installing Windows. Download it from the official CrossOver download page and install the Mac application. Compatibility depends on the application, so having its installer does not guarantee it will run.
Open CrossOver, select Install, search for your application, and select its tile. Choose Install to use its installation recipe, or choose Edit > Choose Installer to supply the application's installer. Complete installation, then double-click the application icon to launch it.
For an application outside the catalog, choose Install > Install an Unlisted Application. Edit the installer selection, select Choose Installer, and supply the installer file. Adjust the bottle name or type as needed, then choose Done > Install; unlisted applications are not guaranteed to work.
A bottle holds an application's Windows compatibility environment. For a portable executable, choose Bottle > New Bottle, name it, and select Create. Select the bottle, drag the executable into CrossOver, then choose Run Command > Run. Choose Save Command as a Launcher to create a reusable launch icon.
Set up Windows in VMware Fusion
VMware makes Fusion Pro free for personal, commercial, and educational use, while Windows licensing remains separate. To download it, open Broadcom's support portal, choose Go To Portal, and sign in or register; you need an approved profile but no Site ID for free downloads. Select VMware Cloud Foundation > My Downloads and open Free Software Downloads available HERE. Search for Fusion, select Show Results > VMware Fusion, and choose the latest release.
On Apple silicon, open Fusion and choose File > New > Get Windows from Microsoft > Continue. Select Windows 11 Pro and choose Download Windows. Use UEFI, configure encryption for the virtual TPM, and complete the Windows installer.
After Windows starts, choose Virtual Machine > Install VMware Tools. In Windows, open the mounted DVD, run setup.exe, select Typical, and finish installation. Restart Windows to complete the setup.
On Intel, create the virtual machine using an x64 Windows ISO because Fusion's automatic Windows downloader is unavailable. Complete Windows setup, then install and launch your applications in the Windows desktop. Current Fusion releases do not offer Unity Mode or the Applications Menu shown in older tutorials.
Set up Windows in UTM or VirtualBox
Download UTM from its official website for free, or get its paid Mac App Store version to support the project. In UTM, select + > Virtualize > Windows, assign memory and processors, and choose Continue. Enable Install Windows 10 or higher and Install drivers and SPICE tools, then use Browse to select your Windows ISO.
Configure storage and optional sharing, select Save, and press Run to complete Windows installation. Use Windows 11 Arm on Apple silicon or x64 Windows on Intel, along with a valid Windows license. Check your application's graphics requirements before choosing UTM because it does not support 3D acceleration, such as DirectX or OpenGL, for Windows guests.
Install UTM's guest tools by starting the VM, selecting the toolbar CD icon, and choosing Install Windows Guest Tools…. Open the UTM CD drive in Windows, run its spice-guest-tools-xxx.exe installer, and finish installation. Install your Windows application in the VM, and press Control + Option whenever you need to release captured mouse and keyboard input.
For VirtualBox 7.2, download the Mac package matching your Intel or Apple silicon processor from Oracle's VirtualBox product page. Open the DMG, double-click VirtualBox.pkg, and complete installation, then launch VirtualBox from Applications. Choose Home > New, enter the name, set VM Folder and ISO image, and configure memory, processors, and disk size. Finish creating the VM, start it, and complete Windows setup.
Use Windows 11 Arm media on Apple silicon or x64 Windows media on Intel, then install your application inside Windows. VirtualBox's default Mac Host key is the left Command key, which releases captured input. Check the bottom-right of the VM window if the key assignment has changed.
Run apps on an existing Windows PC remotely
Remote access lets you use applications on another Windows computer from your Mac. For Microsoft's Remote Desktop, the host must run Windows Pro, Enterprise, Education, or Windows Server; Windows Home cannot host this connection. Keep the PC powered on and reachable.
On the Windows PC, open Start > Settings > System > Remote Desktop, turn remote access on, and confirm. On your Mac, install Microsoft Windows App using Get. Open Devices > + > Add PC, enter the hostname or IP address in PC Name, and choose Add.
Double-click the PC, authenticate, and open your applications in the remote Windows desktop. You do not need to sign into Windows App with a cloud account for an ordinary remote-PC connection. The Windows computer runs the applications.
Chrome Remote Desktop provides another way to connect, including when Microsoft's host requirements do not fit your PC. On the Windows PC, open Google's Chrome Remote Desktop access portal, click Download under Set up Remote Access, follow the onscreen directions to install Chrome Remote Desktop, and configure its PIN. Open the same access portal on your Mac, select the computer, and enter its PIN to use the Windows desktop.
Fix apps that will not launch or respond
If an application fails under Windows 11 Arm emulation, right-click its executable and choose Properties > Compatibility > Windows on Arm > Change emulation settings. Try Default, Safe, Strict, or Very strict. These settings adjust application emulation, but an application that requires an x86 kernel driver still needs an Arm64 driver.
When an application freezes inside Windows, force quit the frozen Windows app before reopening it. With Parallels 26 and Parallels Tools, you can also force quit apps from your Mac by pressing Option + Command + Esc, selecting the Windows application, and choosing Force Quit. If Windows itself stops responding, follow the steps to restart an unresponsive computer.
For graphics problems in Fusion, complete the VMware Tools installation. UTM's Windows guest tools do not add 3D acceleration such as DirectX or OpenGL, so only older games that use software rendering may work in a UTM Windows VM. Check individual compatibility for games with anti-cheat, specialized drivers, or demanding graphics requirements before choosing a local Windows environment.
For CrossOver graphics problems, select the bottle and open Advanced Settings. The Graphics setting offers Auto, DXMT, D3DMetal, DXVK, and Wine, with availability depending on your hardware and application. To update CrossOver, choose CrossOver > Check For Updates; releases outside your license's update entitlement may require renewal.
If a remote connection fails, check that the Windows host remains powered on and reachable; organizational policy can also block Microsoft's Remote Desktop. For shortcut problems in Windows App, choose Connections > Keyboard Mode and switch between Scancode and Unicode. If you are considering Whisky as an alternative, its developer says the compatibility engine no longer receives updates or application-specific fixes and recommends CrossOver.
Remove an app or its Windows environment
To remove an application inside Windows 11, open Start > Settings > Apps > Installed apps. Open the application's More menu and select Uninstall. This removes the Windows application independently of the Mac virtualization or remote-access client.
In CrossOver, open Bottle Details, right-click the application, and choose Uninstall. To erase its entire environment, use Bottle Actions > Delete Bottle. Deleting a bottle removes its applications and stored data, so preserve the files you need first.
To remove a Parallels VM, stop it, open Control Center, right-click the VM, and choose Remove “[VM name]”…. Select Keep files to unregister it or Move to Trash to delete its Windows installation, applications, and stored data. Back up needed guest files before deleting the VM. Removing a Mac client alone does not automatically erase separate virtual machines, remote applications, or subscriptions.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can Rosetta run Windows apps by itself?
No, Rosetta alone is not a Windows runtime. You still need a Windows virtual machine, a compatible Windows application layer, or remote access to Windows.
Can I move an old Intel Windows virtual machine to an Apple silicon Mac?
Eligible Parallels editions offer a preview x86 emulator for supported existing Intel virtual machines. Shut down the VM on its original Intel Mac before transferring it, then right-click it in Control Center and choose Start using Emulator. The emulator is limited to one virtual CPU and 8 GB of guest memory, with no USB or sound and restricted Windows 11 compatibility.
Can Windows apps open my Mac files directly?
Yes, Parallels supports file associations with application sharing enabled. In Parallels 26, open Actions > Configure > Options > Applications and enable Share Windows applications with Mac. In Finder, right-click a file, choose Get Info, and select the Windows application under Open with. Choose Change All, then Continue, to apply the association to that file type.
Can I use a cloud Windows PC instead of installing Windows locally?
Yes, Shadow offers a subscription Windows desktop that you can access from its Mac application or a supported browser. Subscribe, wait for activation, then sign into the Mac app and connect to install your Windows applications. Availability and hardware plans depend on your region.
Does installing Steam on a Mac run Windows games?
Installing the Mac Steam client alone does not make games available only for Windows run locally. Steam Remote Play can stream supported games installed on a reachable Windows host. Sign into the same Steam account on both computers, select the host-installed game in your Mac's Library, and choose Stream.