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Running Windows app without Windows on Mac

macstatic

macstatic

macrumors 68020
Original poster
Oct 21, 2005
2,029
168
Norway
I have a single Windows app which I need to (occasionally) run on my Macbook Pro (OSX 10.9.5). Specifically it's software for a USB-driven EPROM EPROM, PIC etc. hardware programmer (TL-866) which runs on Windows 2000, 2003, XP, Vista, Windows 7, Windows 8 and Windows 10.

I've installed Bootcamp and Windows on my computer which works fine, but with Windows in 30 day trial mode (extendable to 120 days) I'd rather find another way to run the software than buy a Windows license for just running this single app.

I heard somewhere that it's possible to run some Windows software without having Windows, but I'm not sure about the details. Could it be Virtualbox and/or WINE? Or something completely different?
I do remember dabbling around with the above a while back, but not for running the TL-866 programmer software and I'd rather hear from others here what might possibly work before investing time installing/setting up/troubleshooting (which I understand is a side-effect for free solutions like that) ;)
 
VirtualBox won't help since it runs Windows as a virtual machine within MacOS, and thus you still need a Windows license. You could try WINE. I took a quick look and the TL-866 stuff doesn't seem to be listed in the app database, but that might just mean that nobody has tried it. Your best bet is to install WINE and see if it works for your app.
 
I've run Windows games using WINE and also using CrossOver. CrossOver is a more sophisticated paid version of WINE and will run things like MS Office. But it requires a license. I doubt that WINE or any of its derivitives will be able to run your TL-866 hardware programmer but I agree with the previous reply to give it a try. Of the WINE derivitives, I like Wineskin best.
 
Fancuku said:
Get a W10 key from this website for $13 and call it a day. I have a W10 Pro install on my new 2017 MBP using a key bought from them. It's definitely legit.

https://www.scdkey.com/microsoft-windows-10-home-oem-cd-key-global_1379-20.html
Click to expand...

You mean legit as in a licence that works, but not legal?
I did a quick check at Microsoft's website and W10 sells for ten times that price.
[doublepost=1503289896][/doublepost]
chscag said:
I've run Windows games using WINE and also using CrossOver. CrossOver is a more sophisticated paid version of WINE and will run things like MS Office. But it requires a license. I doubt that WINE or any of its derivitives will be able to run your TL-866 hardware programmer but I agree with the previous reply to give it a try. Of the WINE derivitives, I like Wineskin best.
Click to expand...

Interesting.
So Crossover works in principle the same way (doesn't need Windows to be installed) but is compatible with more software? I see it's US$ 60 though, so in that case it might be a better solution to dish out the US$ 120 for Windows 10 Home which would let me run any Windows software (in case I ever need to use more Windows software which Crossover can't handle).

I think I'll give WINE a go. What exactly is Wineskin in comparison with WINE? A different version with different features and/or an easier way to install and use it?

Kschendel: the TL-866 software is rather specialized and not your average, mainstream app, so that might be the reason it won't show up in the Virtualbox app database, but for free I guess it's worth a try (depending on how much hassle it is to install/configure).
 
Well, I gave Wineskin a try (WINE was too much of a hassle, Wineskin was easier to install) with the TL-866 Windows app but I got a "Wineskin has encountered a serious problem and needs to close".

I don't know if this means it's time to give up as it's just not compatible with WINE/Wineskin, or if there's something I can configure or change, but here's the error message in case someone can decipher what it means and if there's something I can do about it:


Code: 
fixme:shell:SHAutoComplete stub
fixme:ieframe:PersistStreamInit_InitNew (0x191380)
err:winediag:SECUR32_initNTLMSP ntlm_auth was not found or is outdated. Make sure that ntlm_auth >= 3.0.25 is in your path. Usually, you can find it in the winbind package of your distribution.
fixme:dwmapi:DwmIsCompositionEnabled 0x6d5d3018
fixme:winsock:set_dont_fragment IP_DONTFRAGMENT for IPv4 not supported in this platform
fixme:iphlpapi:NotifyIpInterfaceChange (family 0, callback 0x6a0cb608, context 0x4cb8440, init_notify 0, handle 0x55ff424): stub
fixme:msctf:ThreadMgrSource_AdviseSink (0x80d398) Unhandled Sink: {71c6e74e-0f28-11d8-a82a-00065b84435c}
fixme:imm:ImmGetDescriptionW (0x4090409, 0x0, 0): semi stub
fixme:imm:ImmGetDescriptionW (0x4090409, 0x83452a0, 9): semi stub
fixme:module:load_library unsupported flag(s) used (flags: 0x00000800)
fixme:imm:ImmGetOpenStatus (0x80f598): semi-stub
fixme:imm:ImmReleaseContext (0x10086, 0x80f598): stub
fixme:ntdll:NtLockFile I/O completion on lock not implemented yet
fixme:ieframe:BrowserService_GetTravelLog 0x191de0 0x337fe0
fixme:mshtml:OleControl_OnAmbientPropertyChange offline connection is not supported
fixme:mshtml:OleObject_SetClientSite silent == true
fixme:mshtml:prepare_for_binding silent == true
fixme:mshtml:prepare_for_binding offline == true
fixme:ieframe:ClientSite_GetContainer (0x19144c)->(0x337fbc)
fixme:mshtml:nsChannel_GetContentDisposition (0x816118)->(0x3376a8)
fixme:mshtml:nsChannel_GetContentDispositionHeader (0x816118)->(0x336dfc)
wine: Unhandled page fault on read access to 0x00000000 at address 0x45964849 (thread 0034), starting debugger...
 
macstatic said:
Well, I gave Wineskin a try (WINE was too much of a hassle, Wineskin was easier to install) with the TL-866 Windows app but I got a "Wineskin has encountered a serious problem and needs to close".

I don't know if this means it's time to give up as it's just not compatible with WINE/Wineskin, or if there's something I can configure or change, but here's the error message in case someone can decipher what it means and if there's something I can do about it:


Code: 
fixme:shell:SHAutoComplete stub
fixme:ieframe:PersistStreamInit_InitNew (0x191380)
err:winediag:SECUR32_initNTLMSP ntlm_auth was not found or is outdated. Make sure that ntlm_auth >= 3.0.25 is in your path. Usually, you can find it in the winbind package of your distribution.
fixme:dwmapi:DwmIsCompositionEnabled 0x6d5d3018
fixme:winsock:set_dont_fragment IP_DONTFRAGMENT for IPv4 not supported in this platform
fixme:iphlpapi:NotifyIpInterfaceChange (family 0, callback 0x6a0cb608, context 0x4cb8440, init_notify 0, handle 0x55ff424): stub
fixme:msctf:ThreadMgrSource_AdviseSink (0x80d398) Unhandled Sink: {71c6e74e-0f28-11d8-a82a-00065b84435c}
fixme:imm:ImmGetDescriptionW (0x4090409, 0x0, 0): semi stub
fixme:imm:ImmGetDescriptionW (0x4090409, 0x83452a0, 9): semi stub
fixme:module:load_library unsupported flag(s) used (flags: 0x00000800)
fixme:imm:ImmGetOpenStatus (0x80f598): semi-stub
fixme:imm:ImmReleaseContext (0x10086, 0x80f598): stub
fixme:ntdll:NtLockFile I/O completion on lock not implemented yet
fixme:ieframe:BrowserService_GetTravelLog 0x191de0 0x337fe0
fixme:mshtml:OleControl_OnAmbientPropertyChange offline connection is not supported
fixme:mshtml:OleObject_SetClientSite silent == true
fixme:mshtml:prepare_for_binding silent == true
fixme:mshtml:prepare_for_binding offline == true
fixme:ieframe:ClientSite_GetContainer (0x19144c)->(0x337fbc)
fixme:mshtml:nsChannel_GetContentDisposition (0x816118)->(0x3376a8)
fixme:mshtml:nsChannel_GetContentDispositionHeader (0x816118)->(0x336dfc)
wine: Unhandled page fault on read access to 0x00000000 at address 0x45964849 (thread 0034), starting debugger...
Click to expand...

In a nutshell it means Wineskin could not create a "wrapper" for it. Which also means that other derivitives of WINE are also going to run into the same problem.

Looks like maybe your only other option is to use Boot Camp and activate your copy of Windows 10. I've looked around at Windows 10 prices and it's almost impossible to get a decent discount on a legal copy. Used to be Amazon sold OEM PC builder's full install versions at a good discount but it looks like they no longer have that. And I don't particulary trust buying a copy off eBay. Too much fraud on there.
 
I agree about not buying stuff like that off eBay.
So how about older versions of Windows? Windows 7 for instance would work fine for my use (probably even XP). Is anything like that still available (legally) from somewhere?
 
You can run Windows 10 in trial mode, without a licence for now. The only limitation is that you can't customise themes. That might be all you need to use your software occasionally.

If Microsoft restrict unlicensed use in future, you could register then.
 
I'm fine with not being able to customize themes, but past the 120 day extended trial won't Windows stop working, forcing people to either pay for a license or remove it from the computer?
 
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