---
title: "My Mac won't open .exe files?Why?"  
description: "My Mac won't open .exe files?Why?"  
author: "Richardson hayes"  
published: 2018-09-19  
canonical: https://answers.mindstick.com/qa/50031/my-mac-won-t-open-exe-files-why  
category: "troubleshooting"  
tags: ["mac troubleshooting"]  
reading_time: 2 minutes  

---

# My Mac won't open .exe files?Why?

My [Mac](https://www.mindstick.com/articles/12464/what-is-mac-o-s) won't open .exe [files](https://www.mindstick.com/articles/23302/the-importance-and-advantage-of-keeping-your-important-files-on-the-cloud)?Why?\

## Answers

### Answer by Hitesh Vohra

![My Mac won](https://answers.mindstick.com/questionanswer/bb68f06e-e2ea-4fc2-b65c-b13333eda625/images/64ebb58f-7aa0-48c8-978a-ddda824ff0ee.jpeg)\

- To open the file, you'll need to use Boot Camp, Parallels Desktop, VMware Fusion, or CrossOver Mac. Except for CrossOver Mac, all options necessitate the purchase of Windows. You have a Windows executable (.exe) that can only be run on a Windows operating system.
- Given this context, it's understandable that the Mac can't open a '.exe' file by itself because the.exe extension indicates that the file is a [**Windows**](https://answers.mindstick.com/qa/95066/what-problems-can-i-expect-if-i-install-windows-11) application. To open a **'.exe' file,** you'll need the Windows operating system.
- When you have Parallels Desktop and a Windows virtual machine (VM) installed on your Mac, all you have to do is double-click a '.exe' file to get it to function. It has a magical quality to it.
- The following is how the magic works: Parallels Desktop informs the Mac that '.exe' files can be opened. When you double-click that '.exe' file, Parallels Desktop is launched by macOS®. When you double-click a '.jpeg' file, the macOS runs Preview; similarly, when you double-click a '.docx' file, the macOS launches Microsoft Word.

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