Author:
Peter Berry
Date Of Creation:
12 February 2021
Update Date:
1 July 2024
Content
Files with the ".exe" extension are called executables, or EXE files. This is one of the most common file formats on Windows operating systems, they are used to install or run application software. EXE files are also used to package and distribute small scripts or macros because they allow the user to collapse their work into a single file and compress the size. Opening an EXE file on Windows is pretty straightforward, but opening an EXE on a Mac is a bit more complicated. Alternatively, you can extract the EXE file.
Steps
Method 1 of 3: Open EXE file (Windows)
Double-click the EXE file to open it. EXE file is an executable on Windows, designed to be run as a program. Double click any EXE file to open it.
- If you downloaded the EXE file from the internet, you are asked to confirm whether you want to open the file or not. Be wary of opening an EXE file from an unknown source as this is a common way of spreading viruses. Never open an EXE file downloaded from an email attachment, even if you know the sender.
- EXE files will not open properly if they are designed for an older version of Windows. You can adjust the compatibility settings by right-clicking the file, selecting "Properties", and clicking the Compatibility tab. You can set the version of Windows you want to run the EXE file, but this doesn't guarantee to fix the problem.
Open Registry Editor if the EXE file cannot be run. If you get an error message when you open an EXE file and can't open it, chances are your Windows registry setting has an error. Registry editing can be frustrating, but it actually only takes a few minutes.- To open Registry Editor, press Windows key + R and type regedit.
Navigate to.. Use the navigation bar on the left side of the window to open this category.
Right-click "(Default)" and select "Modify". A new window will appear.
Type.exefileinto the "Value data" field. Click on OK to save changes.
Navigate to.. Use the navigation bar on the left side of the window to open this category.
Right click on "(Default)" and choose "Modify". A new window will appear.
Import .’%1’ %*into the "Value data" field. Click the OK button to save the changes.
Navigate to.. Use the navigation bar on the left to open this category.
Right click on "(Default)" and choose "Modify". A new window will appear.
Import .’%1’ %*into the "Value data" field. Click OK to save the changes.
Restart the computer. After editing the 3 items above, close Registry Editor and restart your computer. Now you can open the EXE file. You are advised to find out the cause of the problem from the very beginning. Your machine may be infected with a virus or malware, which will continue to cause the same error in the future. Click on this article to learn how to find and remove viruses. advertisement
Method 2 of 3: Open the EXE file (OS X)
Learn the process. EXE files are not designed for OS X, so you need special software to run them. You need to install the open source "wine" utility to add a Windows "shell" to the EXE file, allowing them access to important Windows files to open the file. The wine utility cannot open all Windows EXE files, but depending on the file, choose the utility. You do not need a Windows disc to install wine.
Download and install Xcode from the Mac App Store. This is the essential free development tool for editing software code. You will not directly use the tools you will install to open the EXE file depending on it.
- Launch Xcode once downloaded, then click on the menu "Xcode". Select "Preferences" and click the "Downloads" tab. Click the Install button next to "Command Line Tools".
Download and install MacPorts. This is a free add-on to simplify the editing process, used to build your wine version. You can download MacPorts from the site. Click on the path corresponding to the version of OS X you are using, then double-click the.pkg file downloaded to your computer to install MacPorts.
Open Terminal. You need to use Terminal to adjust the MacPorts settings. You can open the Terminal in the Utilities folder.
Copy and paste the following commands. Copy the command into the Terminal window and press the Return key:
Enter the administrator password. You are prompted for an administrator password before running the command. When you type the password, you will see nothing. Press the Return key after typing the password. Without the password of an administrator account, the process will fail.
Copy and paste the following commands. This is the command that tells MacPorts whether your operating system is 64-bit. Paste the following command and press the Return key:
Enter an order to accept the Xcode terms. This quick command informs Xcode that you have accepted the terms of the program, allowing you to compile the code. Close and reopen the Terminal window after running this command:
- sudo xcodebuild -license
Enter the command to install wine. After opening the Terminal window again, you can install wine. You may be asked to enter an administrator password. The installation will take a while. Once back in the Terminal input process is complete:
- sudo port install wine
Navigate to the EXE file location. Use command CD to navigate to the location of the EXE file stored on the Mac. You need to do this through the Terminal.
Use wine to run the EXE file. Enter the following command to open an EXE file saved in an open folder. Instead of, replace fileName by file name:
- wine fileName.exe
Use the program as usual. If the EXE file is a standalone program, you can use it right away. If it's a program's installation file, you'll need to go through the same process as it did on Windows.
- Not all programs work with wine. For the full list of compatible programs, visit the page.
Open the program just installed. If you are using the EXE file to install the program, you will need wine to open the installation file.
- Type cd ~ / .wine / drive_c / Program Files / to open the Program Files folder and the wine is installed.
- Type ls to list of installed programs. Type CD programName to open the program directory. If the program list has spaces, you need to add before the gap. For example, Microsoft Office will become cd Microsoft Office.
- Type ls again in the program directory to find the EXE file.
- Type wine fileName.exe to open the program.
Install the Mono library if required by the program .NET..NET is the library software for many Windows programs, and Mono is the alternative that wine can use. You only install .NET if it asks for it.
- Type sudo port install winetricks and press the Return key.
- Type winetricks mono210 and press the Return key to install Mono.
Method 3 of 3: Extract the EXE file
Download and install 7-Zip. 7-Zip is a free, open source archive program for opening EXE files similar to a ZIP or RAR file. The program can extract many EXE files, but not all.
- You can download 7-Zip from.
Click on the EXE file and select "7-Zip" → "Open archive". This will open the file in a 7-Zip archive window. If you right-click on the file without the 7-Zip option, open 7-Zip in the Start menu and access the EXE file you want to open.
- 7-Zip cannot open all EXE files. You may receive an error message when opening an EXE file. You can use another decompression program, such as WinRAR, but most likely still won't be able to open the file because it was first edited.
Access the file you want to extract. When you open the EXE file in 7-Zip, you are presented with a list of the files and folders that contain the EXE file. You can double click on the folder to view the files inside. You can select multiple files by holding down the Ctrl key and clicking each file.
Click the "Extract" button and select the file. You will be asked to select a location, if left to default the file will be extracted to the current location. advertisement
