Although Mac systems come with a default text editor “TextEdit”, however, many users wish to use Windows text editor “Notepad++” for Mac. So, is it possible to download and install Notepad for MacOS? Well, hypothetically it is not as Notepad++ mainly rely on Win32 API, a programming interface specifically developed to work on Windows, however, if you still wish to make Notepad++ on Mac, there are some workarounds that can help you achieve it. Below, there a couple of ways given that can guide you in making Notepad++ work on Mac. Just follow the instructions as provided.
Guide to Use Notepad++ on Mac
Install Notepad++ On Mac Using WINE
WINE basically stands for Wine Is Not an Emulator. It is a free and open-source compatible layer which helps in emulating the Windows runtime environment to function in Mac system. Follow the below mentioned steps to make Notepad++ work on Mac using WINE.
To begin with, you will need to install WINE on your MacOS. For this, firstly, make sure that you are using MacOS 10.8 or higher version, and you have configured Gatekeeper to not to block unsigned packages. If you satisfy these conditions, you can follow these steps:
- Download an installer for WINE Stable and double-click on the installer.
- Next, create a virtual C: Drive by entering “winecfg” into the terminal. This is where Windows application will be installed.
- Then, download Notepad++ program from the official website and place it in any directory of your choice.
- Now, open the terminal and go to the directory with Notepad++.
- Begin installing Notepad++ application (.exe file) by entering “wine name of the file.exe” into the terminal.
- After that, to launch Notepad++, go to its folder in the virtual Windows directory and enter “wine name of the file.exe” in the terminal.
- You will then be able to use the Notepad++ program on your Mac system.
Install Notepad++ On Mac Using VMware
While the advantage of running Notepad++ using WINE is that it works along with the native MacOS applications, however, sometimes, it may encounter minor bugs. If these minor bugs don’t let you use Notepad++ at all, you can try installing Notepad++ on Mac using VMware Fusion. This program allows you to create a virtual Windows machine on your Mac computer which in turn lets you execute any Windows software (including VMware) you wish to run.
To Use VMware:
- Download VMware Fusion disk image from their official website.
- Double click on the downloaded VMware Fusion.dmg file to mount it on your system.
- Next, insert the VMware Fusion ISM install the drive and then insert the VMware Fusion DVD.
- Then, drag the VMware Fusion icon onto the folder icon of Applications. The application will get installed without modifying the existing virtual machines.
- After installation, launch VMware Fusion by going to the Applications folder double-click on the VMware Fusion. This will open the Virtual Library window on your screen. In the window, you can begin working with virtual machines.
- If you wish to save VMware Fusion in the dock, you will need to right-click on the icon and choose Options > Keep in Dock
- Once you are done finishing the installation of VMware on your Mac, you can begin installing Windows using it.
- Installing Windows on VMware is just like installing it on a regular Windows PC. Open VMware, click on the File option and Select New Virtual Machine.
- You will be prompted for installation media. Install Windows using a Physical disc or ISO image. After that, simply follow the on-screen prompts to complete the Windows installation.
- When the Windows get installed on Mac via VMware, you can install Notepad++ to it.
And, this is how you will be able to use Notepad++ on Mac. In case, if you face trouble using Notepad++ by following the above-mentioned methods due to their stability concern, you can look for other alternatives to Notepad++ that are compatible with MacOS.
