Cheapest way to run Microsoft access on a mac

Hi all,

Annoyingly my work still want to use the number of access databases we have, this is hindering my ability to switch over to a mac.

I am aware I can purchase a program to run an OS but I do not want to pay for windows just to run one program. Can I install another OS using say parallels or VMWare thats free and install MS Access on that easily?

Any help, guides etc so very appreciated.

Microsoft Access only runs on Windows, so if you want to use it on your Mac you'll need a solution for running Windows on your Mac.

Those solutions include BootCamp (built into OSX), VMWare Fusion, Parallels, and VirtualBox among others.

Any solution will require your investing in a Windows operating system license.

Your complaint of having to load a Windows solution on your Mac to run a single program is a common one: I am faced with the same challenge, and I use BootCamp to resolve that challenge.

Hope this helps!

Yes I see.

Is there any way I can run a free OS and then MS Access using Bootcamp or parallels? That would save a cost there at least if I could.

There's one more option not mentioned:

You can buy CrossOver and run Access with it. A copy of Windows is not required as CrossOver (using WINE) sets up a Windows environment and can install and run most Windows apps. CrossOver has no problem running MS Office 2010 and should be able to run Access. You can download their trial version first to make sure it can run Access.

Be sure to download the Mac trail not Windows. Here is the LINK.

Oh that could be an excellent solution, thank you

chscag said:

You can buy CrossOver and run Access with it. A copy of Windows is not required as CrossOver (using WINE) sets up a Windows environment and can install and run most Windows apps.

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I may have to look into this...and give it a try. $59 bucks isn't too bad compared to the cost of Parallels/VMware Fusion + a copy of Windows.

- Nick

Wait a bit Nick.... Reason is that their annual "sale" is coming up. Last two years in the Summer, they gave away CrossOver for free. And after the year of free is up, upgrades are like $15. It's a great way to run Windows software without Windows.

chscag said:

Wait a bit Nick.... Reason is that their annual "sale" is coming up. Last two years in the Summer, they gave away CrossOver for free. And after the year of free is up, upgrades are like $15. It's a great way to run Windows software without Windows.

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Thanks Charlie! I meant to add to my earlier post...$59 without any discounts. But FREE...is even better...with low cost upgrades!!!

- Do you know of any serious limitations with Crossover vs. Parallels/VMware Vusion?
- What basically is missing from Crossover vs. a "real" install of Windows?

Thanks,

- Nick

- Do you know of any serious limitations with CrossOver vs. Parallels/VMware Vusion?
- What basically is missing from CrossOver vs. a "real" install of Windows?

Click to expand...

Parallels and Fusion are going to do better with the more complex Windows apps and games that need graphics. You can go to the CodeWeavers site and get an idea of what Windows apps and games it can positively run. For those Windows apps that are not listed, it provides a generic automated install. Most of the time the Windows app will run with the generic install.

Like I mentioned above, it easily runs MS Windows Office 2010 which is a fairly large suite. I'm using it to run one of my favorite Windows games "Solstice 2014".

What CrossOver does is create a "bottle" which is like a small copy of Windows all by itself separated from OS X. The bottle is placed within CrossOver. When the Windows app is run, it's run from that bottle. When the app runs, it looks like a Mac app.

chscag said:

Parallels and Fusion are going to do better with the more complex Windows apps and games that need graphics.

Click to expand...

Ok...I see...thanks. I would probably mostly want it for games...but nothing new...probably older games.

- Nick

pigoo3 said:

I may have to look into this...and give it a try. $59 bucks isn't too bad compared to the cost of Parallels/VMware Fusion + a copy of Windows.

- Nick

Click to expand...

I got CrossOver in a NYOP (Name Your Own Price) bundle from the Mac-Forums newsletter, and paid $9 for it and can be found here.
Has Rapid Weaver, CrossOver 13, TuneUp, SnapHeal Pro, Disk Drill, Voila, mSecure and more. I got it for Crossover 13 and Rapid Weaver all latest Apps.

TattooedMac said:

I got CrossOver in a NYOP (Name Your Own Price) bundle from the Mac-Forums newsletter, and paid $9 for it and can be found here.
Has Rapid Weaver, CrossOver 13, TuneUp, SnapHeal Pro, Disk Drill, Voila, mSecure and more. I got it for Crossover 13 and Rapid Weaver all latest Apps.

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Darn Brent...you may have forced me to spend around $9 bucks! CrossOver 13 is the latest version...very hard to resist. I wish I hadn't purchased Disk Drill a few weeks ago...that would have made the deal even better!

Thanks for the suggestion!

- Nick

Just an aside: Virtualbox is free. It doesn't get you around the fact that you need to own a valid Windows license though.

Actually, VirtualBox is a good alternative if you need to use virtual software. It doesn't have all the frills that Parallels or Fusion has but you can't beat free. I used it for awhile when I ran XP on an older MacBook and it worked fine. But like member "caribiner23" stated, you do need a licensed version of Windows.

pigoo3 said:

Darn Brent...you may have forced me to spend around $9 bucks! CrossOver 13 is the latest version...very hard to resist. I wish I hadn't purchased Disk Drill a few weeks ago...that would have made the deal even better!

Thanks for the suggestion!

- Nick

Click to expand...

HAHA I felt the same way when I saw it, but for Crossover and RapidWeaver, that was enough to sweeten the deal, and I handed on the other Apps to family .. ...

Yes its me