Running Windows Apps on Intel Macs without Windows

Introduction

Because it doesn't use Windows and no Windows license is required, the total cost of using CrossOver is less than virtual machine products such as Parallels Desktop and VMware Fusion. CrossOver also doesn't use the CPU bandwidth and doesn't require the large amount of RAM that virtual machine software such Parallels or VMware require.

The tradeoff is that CrossOver supports a selected Windows applications. The company continually adds support for more applications with each release. Some readers report that a few non-supported do run, but most do not. (See CodeWeavers list of supported applications.) Supported Windows applications include most Microsoft applications, including Outlook and Internet Exporer with ActiveX controls, as well popular business softare and popular PC games.

CodeWeavers offers two versions, standard CrossOver, which is focused on running Windows business applications, and CrossOver Games, which is compatible with many popular PC games.

CrossOver is based on the open source WINE software that recreates Windows calls in Mac OS X. CodeWeavers is a leading contributor to WINE.

You can purchase CrossOver at CodeWeavers' web site.

Post a question, tip, or comment about CrossOver in the MacWindows CrossOver forum.

Version History

CrossOver 11.1 adds support for Diablo III on Mac

CrossOver 11.0.3 fixes bugs with Win apps on Mac

Crossover XI merges Pro and Games, runs more Windows apps on Mac

CrossOver 10.2.0, maintenance update for running Windows apps in Mac OS X

CodeWeavers released CrossOver updates for Win apps on Lion

CrossOver 10.0.3 fixes issue with MS Project on Macs

CrossOver Games 10.1 enables Rift to run on Mac OS X

CrossOver 10 simplifies installation of Win apps on Macs, runs more Win apps

CrossOver Games 9.2 adds support of Civilization 5 on Mac and Linux

CrossOver 9.0.1 update fixes for Outlook, Quicken Access, IE 7

CrossOver 9 improves Win apps on Macs, adds new UI, simplifies setup

CrossOver 8.0.3 fixes IE, sound, Snow Leopard issues

CrossOver Games 8.1.4 fixes for Left 4 Dead, Guild Wars, Warcraft

CrossOver 7.0.2 fixes Office for Windows and printing bugs

Wednesday, July 9, 2008 -- On Monday, CodeWeavers released CrossOver 7.0.2, a maintenance update for the software that enables a Mac to run Windows applications without Windows itself. The update fixes a problem running Office 2000 and Office XP on some 64-bit Macs. It also fixes a problem with saving Word 2003 and Excel 2003 files and problem printing with copies of CrossOver that were upgraded.

If you've tried CrossOver 7

CrossOver 7 lets Macs run Office 2007, ActiveX in IE

Wednesday, June 18, 2008 -- Yesterday, CodeWeavers released CrossOver 7 for Mac (starting at US $40), a major upgrade to the software that enables a Mac to run Windows programs without Windows. The new version adds support for Microsoft Office 2007, Adobe CS for Windows applications, and ActiveX controls, all running in Mac OS X. CodeWeavers also released CrossOver 7 for Linux, with the same feature set as the Mac version.

The Microsoft Office 2007 compatibility includes support for Outlook 2007 group calendaring and other interactions with Exchange Server...

CrossOver Games runs PC games on Mac at native speeds, without Windows

Wednesday, March 26, 2008 -- Yesterday CodeWeavers debuted CrossOver Games (US $40), new software that runs Windows games natively in Mac OS X, but without using Windows. The company said that PC games will run faster in CrossOver Games than in virtual machine products such as Parallels Desktop and VMware Fusion. CodeWeavers also released a version for Linux.

CodeWeavers said that CrossOver Games will run Guild Wars, World of Warcraft, and most Steam-based games, including Team Fortress 2, Portal, Half Life 2, Civilization IV, Peggle...

CrossOver 6.2 improves Outlook on Mac and Team Fortress II gaming

October 3, 2007 -- Yesterday, CodeWeavers released Crossover Mac 6.2, an update for the software that enables Windows applications to run in Mac OS X. The company also released Crossover Linux 6.2. Unlike virtual machine products such as Parallels Desktop and VMware Fusion, CrossOver does not run Microsoft Windows. Instead, CrossOver enables Mac OS X to run selected Windows apps natively.

The new version includes some "major work" for support of Outlook, which is 50 percent faster than in version 6.1 when run on Mac OS X 10.5 Leopard, which Apple will release this month. Version 6.2 also has a number of bug fixes for Outlook support, including the fixing of time-zone issues, as well as bug fixes for other applications.

The company also said that CrossOver 6.2 is the first and only solution available that can run Valve's Team Fortress II "out of the box" in Mac OS X.

Other improvements include:

• Fixed font rendering in several apps, including Quicken 2007
• A new Dock presence for running Windows applications. This provides some Mac-like interfaces for applications, including the activation of apps and quitting via the Dock.
• Fixed problems with Flash Player 9
• Fixes for printing to printers without default fonts
• DirectSound support
• Preliminary MIDI support
• Improved audio input

CrossOver 6.2 is available for US$60 as a download, US$70 for a CD. CodeWeavers is offering a 10 percent discount through October 31 for orders at the company website, using the "special deal" code of "zomg".

If you've tried CrossOver 6.2

CrossOver Mac 6.1 improves Outlook 2003, 3D game support

With the new version, Outlook 2003 will support RPC over HTTP, which enables users to check email from outside of office firewalls. CrossOver 6.1 also improves authentication support in Outlook 2003 and fixes bugs with Outlook. CodeWeavers said that the new version also fixes a “major bug” with running FrameMaker 7.1 (related to font issues), and that FrameMaker 7.1 is now “usable” with CrossOver 6.1.

Running PC game in CrossOver is improved with a “major update” of DirectX support, including 3D graphics. There are also a few more games supported, including the EVE Online and Call of Duty 2 (through Steam).

For other fixes in CrossOver 6.1, see CodeWeavers’ changelog.

CodeWeavers said that for the next update, it would focus on further improvements Outlook and for Adobe applications, as well as enabling more games to run.

For more information, see our CrossOver tips and reports page.

New CrossOver beta fixes game bugs, spruces interface

April 23, 2007 -- CodeWeavers has just released CrossOver 6.1.0 Beta 3, a new pre-release version of the future 6.1.0 version. CrossOver is software for Mac OS X on Intel Macs that runs Windows applications without running Windows itself.

CodeWeavers said that the new beta fixes bugs that have caused crashes in Half-Life 2 and other games, improved support for composed characters, refined the user interface, and added a software update feature.

If you've tried the current Beta 3 what you think.

CrossOver 6.1 beta 2 focuses on Outlook 2003 and games

April 13, 2007 -- CodeWeavers has just released CrossOver 6.1.0 Beta 2, a new pre-release version of the future 6.1.0 version. CrossOver is software for Mac OS X on Intel Macs that runs Windows applications without running Windows itself. (See our CrossOver special report for more about CrossOver.)

CodeWeavers said that with this release the company focused on getting better support for running Outlook 2003 (as an alternative to Entourage). In addition to bug fixes and increased stability with running Outlook 2003, the new CrossOver Beta has improvements in RPC over HTTP, which enables remote users to access Exchange Server through firewalls.

CrossOver 6.1.0 Beta 2 also includes improvements for running PC games. It improved support for DirectX 8.1 and 9.0, which the company said will allow more unsupported games to be playable in CrossOver. The company said that game rendering and performance has also improved.

Other fixes include new support for installing a set of Windows-specific TrueType fonts, fixing font problems with FrameMaker 7.1, and the ability to automatically download and install localized versions of some installers and service packs, including IE.

(Click here for more MacWindows news.)

CrossOver 6.0 1 update addresses Outlook 2003 compatibility. March 16, 2006 -- Earlier this week, CodeWeavers released CrossOver 6.0.1 (US $60), a maintenance update to the software that enables Mac OS X users to run Windows applications without Windows. (An update was also released for the Linux version.) The update fixes bugs related to running Outlook 2003 as well as for the new Daylight Savings Time changes and other general issues.

The update is available as a download from VersionTracker. Customers can also login at the CodeWeavers home page and then click My Downloads.

Among the bug fixes, CrossOver 6.0.1 contains the following:

• Fixed Outlook 2003 crashes, including one related to right-clicks and one occurring on startup on some systems. Also fixed handling of emails containing quotes in Outlook 2003.
• Fixed some problems with Office 2003, Internet Explorer, Lotus Notes, FrameMaker, Photoshop, and Quicken 2006
• Fixed color printing on some printers.
• Fixed a bug with certain PostScript Type 1 fonts installed.
• Updated the time zone information to comply with the revised 2007 DST rules.

CodeWeavers has said that running Outlook for Windows in Mac OS X is one of its customers most requested features for CrossOver, which first shipped for Mac OS X in January. Currently, CrossOver has better support for Outlook 2000 than for Outlook 2003.

The company said that it intents to focus on Outlook and game compatibility with its next, version 6.1, to be released" in the relatively near future." CodeWeavers said the 6.1 upgrade would contain "more substantial improvements" than the 6.0.1 release.

CodeWeaver version 6.0 was the first version for Macintosh. It first shipped in January 2007 at Macworld Expo in San Francisco. Comment below

Reader Reports

Reports on the first release, version 6.0

January 29, 2007
Dave Scott had good resulsts with apps that were supported and a few that were not:

I have been using this since one of the beta releases. I use it every day with my work -- being a MacBook user in a Windows world -- to run Visio 2003 and an unsupported application (which installed fine and runs great) called Remedy Action Request System.

Great thing is how it integrates directly into the Mac OS. I get a Visio attachment in an email, double click to open. I jave also been running Outlook 2003 / Office 2003, Half Life / Half Life 2 demo / Unreal / Diablo II.

Have tried Parallels – but for day-to-day use, I prefer CrossOver.

January 29, 2007
Charles Ross tried unsuccessfully to use CrossOver with two unsupported applications:

I tried using AutoCAD. It would not load. I also tried using WatchTower Library. It was very slow and serveral functions would not work.

February 5, 2007
Barry Smythe is having success with a non-supported program:

I am running MS Project Professional on CrossOver 6.0 as well as an add-on program called Risk+. It's working well, I am very pleased.

February 5, 2007
Andrew could not run AutoCAD, but had limited results with a similar application:

I tried AutoCAD also, but it would not work. I then tried BricsCad 7, an AutoCad clone, and it works well, with some text recognition issues. If Crossover gets AutoCAD to run as a supported program they will pick up plenty of customers in the architecture world.

February 5, 2007
Michael Sayer:

I have been beta testing this and it is very useful to run Internet Explorer, which my company requires. But the other app I need is Adobe FrameMaker, which CrossOver does not support. It launches but is unusable because it doesn't display any fonts (no menus, dialogs, etc.) properly.

April 23, 2007
Tom Terry is a fan of CrossOver and has posted a review of version 6.0, the current release version, at his blog.

Reader reports on CrossOver 6.2

Robert reviews on some of the aspects of CrossOver 6.2, the new version of the software that runs Windows applications on an Intel Mac without the need for Windows. (This makes it an inexpensive solution). Robert wrote:

CrossOver 6.2 works OK with the listed approved applications. With unsupported applications, it is very much a hit and miss affair. Unfortunately, there has been a retrograde step with version 6.2, which no longer runs Radmin 3.0 from Famatech. Codeweavers also has a VERY odd support system where users have to 'pledge' (financial) support by buying copies of Crossover to get unsupported applications possibly added at some unspecified future date. I did this to get Radmin support but now it is broken again!

It is OK when you just want to use IE to view a site that is broken in Safari (Netclassroom for example), but for serious work with a Windows application, it is Boot Camp as first choice and Parallels as second.

Having said that, all three applications have enabled me to get rid of the Windows box I used to keep in my office for the very infrequent times I needed to run Windows to do something because the Macs couldn't.

If you've tried CrossOver 6.2

Readers says CrossOver update improves speed

Reports on Crossover 7

Reader says MS Project works on CrossOver 7 on Mac

Thursday, July 31, 2008

Graham Phillips reports on the lastest version of CodeWeavers CrossOver, software that runs Windows programs on a Mac without using Windows:

Responding to your question on the latest Crossover release 7.0.2, I have been using this for Microsoft Project and had no problems.

If you've tried CrossOver

Reader says CrossOver Games good for Guild Wars on Mac, not Wizard101

Friday, November 14, 2008

Todd Rosene reports that two Guild Wars games run on Mac with CrossOver Games from CodeWeavers. CrossOver is Mac OS X software that runs certain Windows applications within Mac OS X, without the use of Windows. CrossOver Games is a version optimized for running PC games on Macs. Rosene reports:

CrossOver Games works great for a game I've become mildly addicted to; Guild Wars and Guild Wars Eye of the North. I can keep up with the PC players with no remorse or abuse from my guild mates. Doesn't work with Wizard101, which is a game my wife and daughter play regularly. The girls got me into it this past month to help them quest so I've been borrowing one of my wife's older Gateway notebooks in order to play. I'm going to try Boot Camp with Vista on my MacBook Pro 17" 2.6 and see if Wizard101 runs.

If you've tried CrossOver Games

For more on CrossOver, see our CrossOver Reports page.

Wizard101 works with CrossOver Games 9.2

Monday, November 15, 2010

Jana Schmid of CodeWeavers points out that on old problem with CrossOver Games running the Windows game Wizard101 in Mac OS X is no longer a problem with the current version of CrossOver:

I noticed on your CodeWeavers CrossOver Reports that on the report for CrossOver 7 a review stated that CrossOver games does not work well with Wizard101. With the release of CrossOver Games 9.2, Wizard101 works beautifully. You can also visit the CodeWeavers community page for Wizard101 on Mac.

And, you can visit MacWindows discussion forums to leave a comment about CrossOver Gamers, or how it works for you.

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Reports about Crossover 8 and later

First reader reports on CrossOver 8.0

Thursday, June 25, 2009

Three readers sent their reports about the new CrossOver 8.0, software that enables some Windows software to run on Mac OS X, without Windows. Two of those readers report problems with Internet Explorer that they did not see with CrossOver 7.

Eric Ahnell is happy with it:

CrossOver 8.0 is brilliant - it runs all 3 Windows apps I use regularly perfectly! Those are Winamp (2.95, an older version), Silence Remover (an audio processing program) and Castles of Adventure (a game).

Eric La Fleur sees an Internet Explorer issue:

We purchased CrossOver so that we could use the Internet Explorer (and Active X). The previous version worked perfectly but our switch to 8.0 and installation of IE 7.0 has failed and to this date never worked.

Paul Levitt also reported an Internet Explorer problem

I installed Crossover Mac 8 and IE 7 yesterday, and encountered a showstopper: IE 7 is unable to access any web site that uses https. IE6 can still reach the sites while running in Crossover 8, so it seems to be an IE7 issue. If filed a bug report with Codeweavers.

I've also noticed that IE6, IE7 and Crossover 8 do not quit gracefully. I have had to force quit Crossover almost every time I've used either IE6 or IE7.I'm running 10.5.7 on a 2.4 GHz Core 2 Duo MacBook Pro (the last pre-unibody model).

Codeweavers sent me an email last night in response to my bug report. Apparently they know that IE7 https is broken in Crossover 8. They say that they managed to get it working for gmail and one or two other sites, but it fails on most.

If you used CrossOver 8.0

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Windows app quits in CrossOver when typing in input field

Monday, October 4, 2010

Graham Dodd reports a problem with CrossOver, software that enables Mac OS X to run Windows applications directly, without Windows

Help - running a Windows application called Family Historian v4 on Snow Leopard OS (MacBook Pro) vis Crossover by CodeWeavers - with Windows Visual C++ 6.0 in same bottle. Everything functioned well except that when I start to type something in an input field using the keyboard (rather than a drop-down menu which appears to work OK), the application (Family Historian v4) shuts down.

If you've seen this problem

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Reader sees zero byte files when saving Word 2007 files from CrossOver

Thursday, December 15, 2011

Kleinheincz Gabor in Belgrad reports having a problem saving files with Word 2007 for Windows on his Mac using CodeWeavers CrossOver. The problem is one that we've previously reported with Leopard and with Snow Leopard:

I read your post here, and I have the same issue again, with Mac OS X 10.7.2, working with Office 2007 with CrossOver, when saving on a 128 GB SDXC card formatted exfat (by the factory). I try to save as under another name a docx file, and I get a thousand of zero-byte fsa...tmp files.

If you've seen this problem