How To Run Bat File On Mac?

Being an enthusiast laptop savvy, Evan Charles shares his wisdom on LaptopEcho to help others pick the right machine. He loves guiding people to get...

Did you just switch from Windows to Mac and have no idea how to run bat file on Mac? This has been a widely debated topic among most mac users. Ideally, a bat file holds a series of commands that execute in the Windows operating system. However, unlike Windows, macOS is UNIX-based, making it impossible to execute a .bat file.

So how do you run bat files on Mac? If you have been asking yourself the same question, you have come to the right place. In this article, we dig deeper to find out how to run bat file on Mac computers as well as provide answers to your frequently asked questions. Let’s get started.

Key Notes:

  • BAT files are Windows executable files that contain a sequence of commands.
  • BAT files are usually saved with a .bat file name extension.
  • BAT file is not a virus or malware, but it’s a high target for cybercriminals to spread malicious software.
  • .bat files function similarly to bash scripts in macOS.

What Is a .bat File?

A batch file is a set of executable commands that don’t depend on user input or involvement to execute. Ideally, a batch file is designed to run on computers with Microsoft’s Windows operating system. It is saved as a file with the “.bat” name extension.

what is bat file

A batch file is often used to load applications, execute numerous processes simultaneously, and complete routine or recurring tasks. For example, it can be used to analyze log files, backup files, perform multiple diagnostics or computations, or any other task that requires a series of instructions to be executed.

A batch job may complete several tasks without requiring user intervention, allowing the user to focus on other activities.

Can You Run A .bat File on the Mac?

The answer is YES! It’s possible to run a .bat file on Mac. Even though the .bat file is a Windows-based program, you can create a batch file on Mac and run it in the terminal or using a third-party application. The process is somewhat extensive and involves several steps, as we’ll explain later in this text.

How To Run Bat File On Mac

As aforementioned, how to run bat files on Mac is not as easy as running them on Windows-based systems. Here are a few ways to get your .bat file running on Mac:

How To Run Bat File On Mac

1. Using MacOS Terminal

Did you know you can run bat files in the Mac terminal? Generally, running the bat file in the terminal is safe and functions perfectly like other programs. You need to drag and drop your .bat file into the terminal window and press enter on your keyboard. Type shutdown.sh to stop the BAT file from running.

Using MacOS Terminal

2. Using Mac Emulator

Another way to run the .bat file on Mac is to use the System Emulator. It is Apple’s freeware that transforms Windows executable files to Mac understandable files. Various commands can run the .bat file through the emulator. If correctly used, you should be able to run your .bat file without any problem.

Using Mac Emulator

3. Change the File Name

If you have files downloaded from the internet with a .bat extension, it’s more likely that your Mac might associate them with Windows BAT file. Before you launch such files, you should first change their permissions. Right-click on the file, then expand the display information and select change permission. You’ll be able to alter the authorization this way.

change file name

Another option is to type a command into the terminal. The command is a batch script called ‘chmod 755’ that allows you to modify the permissions. You must include the ‘. /batch script in order for it to work. For the terminal to locate your file, use ‘. /’ before the file name you want to look for. You’ll be able to execute your bat file after that.

4. Use Crossover for Mac

Crossover is a third-party application developed by Parallels. This application lets Mac users run programs built for the Windows environment on their Mac systems. Suppose your .bat file doesn’t run here; you may be required to provide access. From the menu bar, select the applications to where you want to locate the command options. Finally, run your .bat file after the crossover is launched.

Use Crossover for Mac

5. Change terminal pathname

Unlike how to run bat file in cmd, this method runs .bat files, but after altering its pathname in the terminal first. You can do this from the right-click options of the file. If you encounter a bash error, you will be required to type “./startup.sh” in the file. Be careful with punctuation marks, and if you can run it successfully, you should be able to alter the authorization running your .bat file.

Change terminal pathname

How Do I Delete a .bat File?

When running .bat file, the [del] command instructs/authorizes your system to permanently remove the stated file. Here is an example command line:

del “D:\Test_1\Test\*. txt”  –  This command basically locates the [test] folder and deletes the file  “.txt”

Frequently Asked Question

Do .bat files work on Mac?

Batch files are designed for Microsoft’s Windows operating system; therefore, they are incompatible with macOS. You can create shell scripts usually saved with a .sh extension in macOS. Shell scripts function similarly to Windows .bat files.

Is the BAT file a virus?

No. batch files are not viruses. However, since they are used to create scripts and automatically run applications and routine Windows operations, cybercriminals tend to exploit .bat files to spread viruses/malware, execute malicious scripts and launch cyber-attacks.

Are BAT files safe?

Although .bat files are considered safe, they can be a perfect target for malicious programmers. These files are often used to start applications and execute maintenance utilities within the operating system. Batch files are prone to malware attacks since they contain numerous command lines that automatically run when opened.

What is a USB BAT file?

A USB BAT file is basically a .bat file created inside a USB drive, such as a hard drive or thumb drive. It runs from a USB device. You can automatically run a batch immediately after inserting your USB drive on a computer; it’s called the ‘Autorun’ feature. You need to create two files; autorun.inf and a .bat file. The autorun file contains the batch file name and automatically calls it to execute.

Conclusion

How to run BAT file on Mac is not a difficult task but a quite lengthy procedure; there is no direct method as in Windows. macOS has bash script, which works similarly to the BAT file. However, if you still want to run your .bat files on Mac, we have provided a few practical methods to help you execute BAT files on your Mac.

After reading this article, we hope you can run a BAT file on your Mac computer without difficulties. Use the comment section to let us know which one worked for you.

Being an enthusiast laptop savvy, Evan Charles shares his wisdom on LaptopEcho to help others pick the right machine. He loves guiding people to get the best out of their laptops as he does.

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