#Can macs run windows software how to

Only one operating system can be running at a time, so youвЂ™ll have to restart your Mac to switch betweenВ macOS and Windows.

#Can macs run windows software how to

RELATED: How to Install Windows on a Mac With Boot CampДЄppleвЂ™s Boot CampВ allows you to install Windows alongside macOS on your Mac. ThatвЂ™s where the next option comes into play.

Many games, especially newer ones, will be unplayable. Yes, it can work-especially with older games-but you wonвЂ™t get the best performance, even in an ideal situation. ThereвЂ™s one big downside to virtual machines: 3D graphics performance isnвЂ™t amazing, so this isnвЂ™t the best way to run Windows games on your Mac. In the long run, the price is well worth it. The integration with macOSВ is amazingly well done, and the speed blows away VirtualBox. Note: We donвЂ™t often recommend paid software, but in the case of Parallels Desktop, itвЂ™s something we use at How-To Geek every single day for testing software and running Windows. Parallels and VMWare FusionВ both offer free trials, so you can try all these programs and decide which is best for you. You can also use the completely free and open-source VirtualBox for Mac, but its 3D graphics support and Mac operating system integration arenвЂ™t as good. Each of these is a paid program, so youвЂ™ll have to buy both a Windows license and a copy of your virtual machine program of choice. Popular virtual machine programs for Mac include ParallelsВ and VMware Fusion. RELATED: How to Seamlessly Run Windows Programs on Your Mac with Parallels

If you already have a product key, you can download Windows installation media for freeВ and install it in a virtual machine program. YouвЂ™ll need a Windows license to install Windows in a virtual machine. However, theyвЂ™re still running inside the virtual machine in the background. You donвЂ™t have to use your Windows program in the virtual machine window, either-many virtual machine programs allow you to break Windows programs out of your virtual machine windowВ so they can appear on your Mac desktop.