.exe files how do I open them?

[imac abuser]

Hello,
I downloaded some files and they are .exe how can I open them?

 

[Peyote]

use a pc

 

[840quadra]

use a pc

hmm. I don't think that helps.

Were these applications built for the Macintosh, or are they for normal PC systems. An EXE extension at the end of a file name, is simply that, an extension. Some programs built for OS X do contain the .EXE extension, Folding@Home comes to mind as one of them.

What is the application?

 

[Rod Rod]

Some .exe files are zip archives packaged in a way for Windows to auto-unzip them. Such files may be opened on a Mac by first changing the extension from .exe to .zip and then opening them with Stuffit Expander.

This worked for me when I downloaded .exe files of WMV HD trailers and opened them on my Mac. To get smooth playback I exported the WMV files to DVCProHD (using Flip4Mac to open the WMV files in QuickTime Player).

 

[GFLPraxis]

.exe files are windows applications.

Some self extracting zip files are .exe, but the .exe format is a Windows Executable. So it won't run on a Mac (except by the method mentioned above if it is actually a zip file).

 

[Rod Rod]

edit: redundant

 

[x86isslow]

Commercially, the only viable product to open windows programs is Virtual PC. There are a few free open-source projects that seek to replace VPC, but they aren't quite there yet.

Often, however, you can find Mac(aqua/classic)/UNIX(x11) versions of programs. VPC, as an emulator, is slow, so you'll probably find that it is best to find a native way of doing things.

As others have mentioned, .exe files can be self-extracting .zip files. These can be handled without VPC.