How to Open EXE Files

Files with the '.exe' extension are called executable files, or EXE files. This is one of the most popular 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 users to condense their work into a single file and compress its size. Opening an EXE file on Windows is quite simple, but opening an EXE on Mac is a bit more complicated. Alternatively, you can extract the EXE file.

Open EXE file (Windows)

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Double click on the EXE file to open it. An EXE file is a Windows executable designed to run as a program. Double click on any EXE file to open it.

If you download an EXE file from the internet, you are asked to confirm whether you want to open the file or not. Be wary when opening EXE files from unknown sources because this is a common way viruses spread. Never open an EXE file downloaded from an email attachment, even if you know the sender.

EXE files will not open properly if they were designed for an older version of Windows. You can adjust 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 is not guaranteed to fix the problem.

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Open Registry Editor if the EXE file cannot be run. If there is an error message when you open the EXE file and the file cannot be opened, it is likely that the Windows registry settings are at fault. Editing the registry can be daunting, but it actually only takes a few minutes.

To open Registry Editor, press Windows key + R and type regedit.

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Navigate to .HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT.exe. Use the navigation bar on the left side of the window to open this category.

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Right-click "(Default)" and select "Modify". A new window will appear.

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Type . exefile into the "Value data" field. Click OK to save changes.

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Navigate to .HKEY_CLASSES_ROOTexefile. Use the navigation bar on the left side of the window to open this category.

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Right click on "(Default)" and select "Modify". A new window will appear.

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Import . "%1" %* into the "Value data" field. Click the OK button to save changes.

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Navigate to .KEY_CLASSES_ROOTexefileshellopen. Use the navigation bar on the left to open this category.

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Right click on "(Default)" and select "Modify". A new window will appear.

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Import . "%1" %* into the "Value data" field. Click OK to save the changes.

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Restart the computer. After editing the above 3 items, close Registry Editor and restart the computer. You can now open the EXE file. You are advised to find out the cause of the problem in the first place. 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.

Open EXE file (OS X)

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Learn the process. EXE files are not designed for OS X, so you need to use special software to run them. You need to install the open source utility "wine" to add a Windows "shell" to EXE files, allowing them to access important Windows files to open them. The wine utility cannot open all Windows EXE files, depending on the file you choose the utility. You don't need a Windows disc to install wine.

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Download and install Xcode from the Mac App Store. This is a free development tool essential for editing software code. You will not use it directly but the tool you will install to open the EXE file depends on it.

Launch Xcode after downloading, then click on the "Xcode" menu. Select "Preferences" and click the "Downloads" tab. Click the Install button next to "Command Line Tools".

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Download and install MacPorts. This is a free utility to simplify the editing process, used to build your version of wine. You can download MacPorts from heremacports.org/install.php. Click on the path corresponding to the OS X version you are using, then double-click the .pkg file downloaded to your computer to install MacPorts.

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Open Terminal. You need to use Terminal to adjust MacPorts settings. You can open Terminal in the Utilities folder.

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Copy and paste the following commands. Copy the command into the Terminal window and press the Return key:

echo export PATH=/opt/local/bin:/opt/local/sbin:$PATH$'n'export MANPATH=/opt/local/man:$MANPATH | sudo tee -a /etc/profile

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Enter the administrator password. You are required to enter the administrator password before running the command. When you type in your password, you won't see anything. Press the Return key after typing the password. Without the administrator account's password, the process will fail.

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Copy and paste the following commands. This is the command that tells MacPorts whether your operating system is 64-bit or not. Paste the following command and press the Return key:

if [ `sysctl -n hw.cpu64bit_capable` -eq 1 ] ; then echo "+universal" | sudo tee -a /opt/local/etc/macports/variants.conf; else echo "n/a"; fi

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Enter the command to accept the Xcode terms. This quick command tells Xcode that you have accepted the program's terms, allowing you to compile the code. Close and reopen the Terminal window after running this command:

sudo xcodebuild -license

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Enter the command to install wine. After reopening the Terminal window, you can proceed to install wine. You may be asked to enter an administrator password. The installation will take a while. When you return to the Terminal input, the process is complete:

sudo port install wine

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Navigate to the EXE file location. Use the command cdto navigate to the location where the EXE file is stored on your Mac. You need to do it through Terminal.

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Use wine to run the EXE file. Enter the following command to open the EXE file saved in the open folder. Replace fileName with the filename:

wine fileName.exe

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Use the program as usual. If the EXE file is a standalone program, you can use it immediately. If it is the installation file of a program, you need to perform the installation process as on Windows.

Not all programs work with wine. To see the full list of compatible programs, visit the pageappdb.winehq.org.

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Open the program you just installed. If you use an EXE file to install the program, you need to use wine to open the installation file.

Type cd ~/.wine/drive_c/Program Files/to open the Program Files folder and wine is installed into it.

Tap lsfor list of installed programs. Tap to open the program catalog. If the program category has a space, you need to add the space before it. For example, Microsoft Office will become .cd programNamecd Microsoft Office

Type lsagain in the program folder to find the EXE file.

Tap to open the program.wine fileName.exe

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Install the Mono library if the program requires .NET. .NET is the library software for many Windows programs, and Mono is the alternative that wine can use. You only install .NET if the program requires it.

Type sudo port install winetricksand press the Return key.

Type winetricks mono210and press the Return key to install Mono.

Unzip the EXE file

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Download and install 7-Zip. 7-Zip is a free, open source archive program that opens EXE files similar to ZIP or RAR files. The program can extract many EXE files, but not all.

You can download 7-Zip from7-zip.org.

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Click on the EXE file and select "7-Zip" → "Open archive". This is the operation to open the file in the 7-Zip archive window. If you right-click the file and don't see 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 you still won't be able to open the file because it was edited for the first time.

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Access the file you want to extract. When you open an EXE file in 7-Zip, you are presented with a list of files and folders containing 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.

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Click the "Extract" button and select the file. You are asked to choose a location. If left as default, the file will be extracted to the current location.