How to Run EXE files on Windows, Mac, and Linux

1. 1
   Download and install Porting Kit. Porting Kit is an app that uses Wineskin technology. It creates a compatibility layer called a wrapper around an EXE file so it can run on on macOS without the need for a virtual machine. It’s free to download and easy to use. Porting Kit also has a variety of game ports that you can install from within the app. ^[1]

   • To download the Porting Kit, go to the download website and click Download PK5 (macOS 10.13+) (DMG) . This will download the installation file. Open the installation file in your Downloads folder once it is finished downloading. When prompted, click and drag the Porting Kit icon into your Applications folder.
2. 2
   Open Porting Kit. Porting Kit has a grey icon with an image that resembles a gear with a checkmark on the inside. Click the Porting Kit icon in your Applications folder to open Porting Kit.
3. 3
   Click Installed below “Apps. ” This will show a list of installed apps (if any).

   • If you want to install a game, you can click Installed below “Games” instead.
4. 4
   Click Add Application . It’s the button at the top of the page. This allows you to install a new program.
5. 5
   Select the EXE file and click Open . Use the menu bar on the left to navigate to where you have the EXE file saved to (i.e., Downloads). Click the EXE file, and then click Open in the lower-right corner.
6. 6
   Give the port a name. This is the port that will be used to run the program inside Porting Kit. This can be the name of the program or any name you want. Enter the name you want to give the port in the bar, and click Ok .
7. 7
   Click Next on the introduction and agreement. There will be a number of slides you will need to go through to import the installer into Porting Kit. Click Next on the first two slides.
8. 8
   Select a version of Windows and an engine. Use the drop-down menu next to “Operating System” to select the best version of Windows the app you want to install is compatible with. Then you can use the drop-down menu to select an engine. Most likely, you will just leave the “Engine” drop-down menu on the default setting, unless you have problems running the program. Then you can try reinstalling the program with a different engine.
9. 9
   Select a Windows Driver. It’s recommended you select “Mac Driver,” which is the default. If you have issues using Mac Driver, you can try to reinstall the application with “Quartz (X11)” instead.
10. 10
    Select any dependencies you need to install. If you are installing a game you got off of Steam, UPlay, Origin (EA Games), or Big Fish Games, check the box next to the proper checkbox so that you install the correct dependencies. You can also install LAVFilters, or OpenAL 3D audio.
11. 11
    Click Next . Once you are done selecting the proper operating system, engine, driver, and dependencies, click Next in the lower-right corner.
12. 12
    Click Install . It’s in the lower-right corner. This will create a wrapper for the EXE file that will allow it to run in Porting Kit.
13. 13
    Install the application. Once the wrapper is created, the EXE file will run just as it would on Windows. Follow the prompts in the Windows installer to install the program in Porting Kit.
14. 14
    Select the EXE file and click Ok . After the program is installed, you will be asked to select the EXE file used to start the program. Select the correct EXE file (if given more than one choice), and click Ok . This will complete the installation.
15. 15
    Run the application in Porting Kit. To run a program you installed in Porting Kit, open Porting Kit in the Applications folder, and click Installed below Games or Apps. Click the Play triangle icon below the application or game you want to run. ^[2]
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1. 1
   Press Ctrl + Alt + T to open the Terminal. You can use the Terminal to install Wine, which is a Windows emulator you can use to open EXE files on Linux. Use the keyboard shortcut to open the Terminal.

   • Alternatively, you may be able to install Wine using the software center/distributor that came with your Linux distribution.
2. 2
   Enable 32-bit architecture (if you haven’t already). If you have a 64-bit system, you’ll need to enable 32-bit architecture. To do so, enter the following command in the terminal and press Enter :

   • sudo dpkg --add-architecture i386
3. 3
   Add the repository keys. To do this, you’ll need to create the directory for the repository key. Then you will need to download the repository key. Enter the following two commands and press Enter to do so:

   • sudo mkdir -pm755 /etc/apt/keyrings
   • sudo wget -O /etc/apt/keyrings/winehq-archive.key https://dl.winehq.org/wine-builds/winehq.key
4. 4
   Add the WineHQ source. There is a different command you need to enter, depending on what Linux distribution and what version you are using. Enter one of the following commands and press Enter :

   • Ubuntu 23.10: sudo wget -NP /etc/apt/sources.list.d/ https://dl.winehq.org/wine-builds/ubuntu/dists/mantic/winehq-mantic.sources
   • Ubuntu 22.04/Mint 21.x: sudo wget -nc -P /etc/apt/sources.list.d/ https://dl.winehq.org/wine-builds/ubuntu/dists/jammy/winehq-jammy.sources
   • Debian 13 (Trixie): sudo wget -NP /etc/apt/sources.list.d/ https://dl.winehq.org/wine-builds/debian/dists/trixie/winehq-trixie.sources
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Install Wine. Use the following command to install the latest stable version of Wine:

1. 1
   • sudo apt install --install-recommends winehq-stable
2. 2
   Navigate to the directory with an EXE file. Use the cd command to navigate to change directories in the terminal (i.e., cd ~/Downloads/ ). Then press Enter .
3. 3
   Type wine followed by the EXE file name. The following is an example: ^[3]

   • wine fileName.exe
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1. 1
   Download and install 7-Zip. 7-Zip is a free, open-source archive program that can open EXE files as if they were an archive like a ZIP or RAR file. This will work with many EXE files, but not all of them.

   • You can download 7-Zip from 7-zip.org
2. 2
   Right-click on the EXE file and select 7-Zip → Open archive . This will open the EXE file in the 7-Zip archive explorer. If you don't have the 7-Zip options when you right-click on a file, open 7-Zip from the Start menu and then browse for the EXE file that you want to open.

   • 7-Zip cannot open all EXE files. You may get an error when attempting to open certain EXE files. You can try using a different archive program, such as WinRAR , but chances are you won't be able to open the file due to the way it was originally compiled.
3. 3
   Browse for the file or files that you want to extract. When you open the EXE file in 7-Zip, you'll be shown a list of files and folders that the zipped EXE file contains. You can double-click folders to see the files stored inside. You can select multiple files by holding Ctrl and clicking each one.
4. 4
   Click the Extract button after selecting the files. You'll be prompted to select a location, which will default to the same location as the EXE file.
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   Computer & Tech Specialist

   Luigi Oppido is the Owner and Operator of Pleasure Point Computers in Santa Cruz, California. Luigi has over 25 years of experience in general computer repair, data recovery, virus removal, and upgrades. He is also the host of the Computer Man Show! broadcasted on KSQD covering central California for over two years.

   Luigi Oppido
   Computer & Tech Specialist

   Make sure you scan any EXE file for malware. EXEs can be dangerous, especially if you don't know what they are or if it's just a single file in EXE format. That's why it's important to have a good antivirus program that you can use to scan the file first before you run it.
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1. 1
   Adjust the compatibility settings. EXE files might not run properly if they were designed for an older version of Windows. You can try adjusting the compatibility settings, but this is not guaranteed to solve the problem. Use the following steps to do so:

   • Right-click on the file.
   • Select Properties .
   • Click the Compatibility tab.
   • Set what version of Windows you want to run the EXE file as.
2. 2
   Run a virus scan. If an EXE file is not running, it’s possible that your computer may have a virus or malware. You can use Windows' built-in virus scanner to scan for viruses. Use the following steps to do so:

   • Click the Windows Start menu.
   • Type virus .
   • Click Virus & threat protection .
   • Click Scan options.
   • Select Full Scan .
   • Click Scan now .
   • Restart your computer when the scan is complete.
3. 3
   Scan for malware. If you are still unable to open an EXE file after running a virus scan, you may have other types of malware affecting your computer. You can download and install Malwarebytes for free. Use Malwarebytes to run a malware scan.
4. 4
   Run System File Checker. You may have missing or corrupt system files. Windows has built-in tools that can scan your files and attempt to repair them. Use the following steps to run System File Checker:

   • Click the Windows Start menu.
   • Type CMD .
   • Right-click Command Prompt .
   • Click Run as administrator .
   • Type sfc /scannow and press Enter .
5. 5
   Perform a clean boot. There may be software conflicts preventing the EXE file from opening. Perform a clean boot to start Windows with minimal drivers and background apps running. This can help you determine which application is conflicting. Use the following steps to do a clean boot:

   • Click the Windows Start menu.
   • Type msconfig
   • Click System Configuration .
   • Click the Services tab.
   • Check “Hide all Microsoft services.”
   • Click Disable all .
   • Click the Startup tab.
   • Click Open Task Manager .
   • Select all enabled startup items and click Disable at the top.
   • Click Ok in System Configuration.
   • Restart your computer.
6. 6
   Make adjustments to the registry. If you get error messages when you try to run an EXE file or nothing happens, there may be a problem with your Windows registry settings. Editing your registry may seem a little daunting, but it should only take a few minutes. Warning: Making improper adjustments to the registry can damage your system. Make sure you follow these steps exactly. ^[4]

   • Press the Windows key + R and type regedit .
   • Double-click . HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT.
   • Click the “ .exe ” folder.
   • Right-click on the (Default) entry and select Modify .
   • Type . exefile into the "Value data" field.
   • Click Ok to save the changes.
   • Double-click HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT .
   • Click the “ exefile ” folder.
   • Right-click on the (Default) entry and select Modify
   • Enter . "%1" %* into the "Value data" field.
   • Click Ok to save the changes. ^[5]
   • Open the “shell” folder.
   • Open the “open” folder.
   • Right-click on the (Default) entry and select Modify
   • Enter . "%1" %* into the "Value data" field .
   • Click Ok to save the changes. ^[6]
   • Reboot your computer.
7. 7
   Reinstall Windows. Your Windows system may be corrupt. If you can’t get any EXE files to run and/or you are experiencing other issues, there may be a major problem with your Windows installation. You may need to reinstall Windows. This may wipe your files and data, and should be done as a last resort. Be sure to back up anything you want to keep before proceeding. Use the following steps to reinstall Windows :

   • Click the Windows Start menu.
   • Click the Settings/Gear icon.
   • Click System (Windows 11) or Update & Security (Windows 10).
   • Click Recovery .
   • Click Reset PC (Windows 11), or click Get Started below “Reset this PC” (Windows 10).
   • Click Keep my files (if this doesn’t fix the problem, then back up your files and click Remove everything ).
   • Follow the on-screen prompts and click Reset .
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