.exe files and mac...

[Build it Myself]

I've googled for days and it seems that it's fairly obvious to me that I cannot run an .exe file in mac...ok, got it, but I have another question then...

I have an .iso I made and I tried to run it in mac...I open up the virtual drive by double clicking and then i look inside the folder...I scroll down to the setup.exe file and it doesn't let me open it.

If I used magiciso to convert this file to a .dmg file on my pc, then loaded it onto my mac, would I be able to open the file then? I don't understand what the point of converting an .iso to a .dmg file would be, so i'm curious, does this change all the code (so it'll run the .exe) or will it only change the file type and be completely useless?

I don't want to install virtual machine or boot camp or anything like that, this is my friend's mac and i'm trying to get a program I have to work for her computer because they don't make a mac version and I don't want to clutter up her computer for just one program.

Thanks,

John

 

[aphex]

The only way your gonna get a .exe to open on a Mac is to either use a windows virtualization program (Parallels, VMWare, Crossover) or install Windows via Bootcamp. Nothing else will work.

 

[Eastwind]

Yep. What he said. All that extra stuff you did doesn't change that .exe won't run on a Mac without the windows virtualization. I'm curious, what's the program you need?

 

[Nothinman]

I don't understand what the point of converting an .iso to a .dmg file would be, so i'm curious, does this change all the code (so it'll run the .exe) or will it only change the file type and be completely useless?

All it would do is change the container type from an ISO9660 image to a DMG image (probably containing a HFS filesystem), the data inside would still be the same.

I have to work for her computer because they don't make a mac version and I don't want to clutter up her computer for just one program.

If they don't make a Mac version why do you think you can make it run on a Mac? If it was really that easy to convert programs from Windows->OS X don't you think everyone would do it?

 

[ChAoTiCpInOy]

.exe requires Windows libraries to run therefore, it won't run on a mac because it isn't compiled for a mac.

 

[Zaap]

First off, this is an application, and not a .exe archive file (like a zip file) right?

If an application, you could try Crossover Mac. See if the application you want to run is on their compatibility listand/or download the trail and see if it works.

 

[silverpig]

I have an .iso I made and I tried to run it in mac...I open up the virtual drive by double clicking and then i look inside the folder...I scroll down to the setup.exe file and it doesn't let me open it.

The fact you're using an .iso and not a cd makes me think you don't have the cd... for some reason.

Also, getting setup.exe to run means you're trying to install a larger program.

Anyways, yeah, it won't work unless you use crossover.

 

[Build it Myself]

Originally posted by: silverpig

I have an .iso I made and I tried to run it in mac...I open up the virtual drive by double clicking and then i look inside the folder...I scroll down to the setup.exe file and it doesn't let me open it.

The fact you're using an .iso and not a cd makes me think you don't have the cd... for some reason.

Also, getting setup.exe to run means you're trying to install a larger program.

Anyways, yeah, it won't work unless you use crossover.

I do have the cd, her cd-rom drive gets stuck when you try to eject the disk and I didn't want to damage anything, so I made an iso of the disk thinking it'd be the same thing since you can do the virtual drive thing on mac desktops without needing any special programs...

Thanks for your help everyone, it seems that you are all reaffirming what I had expected to hear...since I've only worked with mac's a few times, I didn't know there was not a lot of cross-platform capability.

 

[TheStu]

Originally posted by: Build it Myself

Originally posted by: silverpig

I have an .iso I made and I tried to run it in mac...I open up the virtual drive by double clicking and then i look inside the folder...I scroll down to the setup.exe file and it doesn't let me open it.

The fact you're using an .iso and not a cd makes me think you don't have the cd... for some reason.

Also, getting setup.exe to run means you're trying to install a larger program.

Anyways, yeah, it won't work unless you use crossover.

I do have the cd, her cd-rom drive gets stuck when you try to eject the disk and I didn't want to damage anything, so I made an iso of the disk thinking it'd be the same thing since you can do the virtual drive thing on mac desktops without needing any special programs...

Thanks for your help everyone, it seems that you are all reaffirming what I had expected to hear...since I've only worked with mac's a few times, I didn't know there was not a lot of cross-platform capability.

It has less to do with cross-platform compatibility as it has to do with things that are by definition not compatible.

It would be like dropping an XBox 360 game into a PS3 and hoping for it to work. Or trying to convert a .mp3 into a .xls file. The 2 are completely non-compatible.

As others have said, you can try using CrossOver to get the application to install in OS X (CrossOver brings in the Windows APIs and runs them in itself, thus allowing things like Office 07 to work on OS X even though it is a Windows only program).

Or, alternatively, if you let us know what the program is, we might know of an OS X alternative that your friend can use to at least access/modify the files she needs to access/modify.

 

[Cogman]

Originally posted by: TheStu

Originally posted by: Build it Myself

Originally posted by: silverpig

I have an .iso I made and I tried to run it in mac...I open up the virtual drive by double clicking and then i look inside the folder...I scroll down to the setup.exe file and it doesn't let me open it.

The fact you're using an .iso and not a cd makes me think you don't have the cd... for some reason.

Also, getting setup.exe to run means you're trying to install a larger program.

Anyways, yeah, it won't work unless you use crossover.

I do have the cd, her cd-rom drive gets stuck when you try to eject the disk and I didn't want to damage anything, so I made an iso of the disk thinking it'd be the same thing since you can do the virtual drive thing on mac desktops without needing any special programs...

Thanks for your help everyone, it seems that you are all reaffirming what I had expected to hear...since I've only worked with mac's a few times, I didn't know there was not a lot of cross-platform capability.

It has less to do with cross-platform compatibility as it has to do with things that are by definition not compatible.

It would be like dropping an XBox 360 game into a PS3 and hoping for it to work. Or trying to convert a .mp3 into a .xls file. The 2 are completely non-compatible.

As others have said, you can try using CrossOver to get the application to install in OS X (CrossOver brings in the Windows APIs and runs them in itself, thus allowing things like Office 07 to work on OS X even though it is a Windows only program).

Or, alternatively, if you let us know what the program is, we might know of an OS X alternative that your friend can use to at least access/modify the files she needs to access/modify.

Meh, your .mp3 to .xls is wrong, it would be better to say something like "Trying to play an MP3 with an AAC decoder". But that is less powerful of a statement.

Theoretically you could get an exe to play on a mac if you got all the windows API and kernel stuff setup in the mac kernel. (that was WINE's original goal, to make a kernel module that would enable the execution of windows apps). Since both use the x86 architecture it wouldn't be too impossible to do.

but yeah, it is pretty much impossible to run a program on an executable to change said executable into mac code, or some other OS code.