Matlab using parallels on M1 macbook pro

Hello,

For the purpose of research, I need to use a image analysis program designed for windows, that requires matlab, which is run using parallels on macs with intel-processors. I'm currently looking at purchasing a new macbook pro m1 for work. Collegues have warned me that it's only possible to run the insider preview ARM-based windows 11, not x86, using parallels on macbook M1, which is, if I understand this correctly, not compatible with matlab, and therefore I cannot run the programs needed for work. Do anyone know any solution to this problem? I would be most thankful.

Answer 1

[Mara Quach]

As at 14 March 2023, here's what worked for me on my M1 MacBook + Windows 11 on Parallels v18.2 for MATLAB r2022b:

• Download MATLAB for Windows
• Unzip the downloaded file, taking note of the temp folder the files are to be unzipped into (mine was "_temp_matlab_R2022a_win64")
• Go into the temp folder, then the bin folder, then win64 folder. Once here, find MathWorksProductInstaller and double click. (My directory was: \Downloads\_temp_matlab_R2022a_win64\bin\win64\MathWorksProductInstaller)
• You should be able to continue with the normal installation from here.

This is similar to what Nigil and Hugo mentioned above. Hope this helps someone :)

[mansour ghomashi]

thank you very much...

[Xavier Liu]

thank you very much. works on M2 as well.

[Valderio Cavalcanti]

thank you so much

[Yuxuan]

This worked! thank you!

[Roberto]

R2024b works also well!

Answer 2

[Nigil Lee]

To actually answer the question. I was successfully able to run Matlab 2021b (and 2020b) within a Windows in Parallels enviroment on a M1 Mac. Runs pretty well in fact, able to cross compile / use embedded coder fine.

[Angelo Ugenti]

Hi Nigil,

may I ask how did you manage to do it?

Thanks

[Nigil Lee]

Where are you running into issues? The most non inititutive step was running the matlab installer in WIndows. I got some sort of platform unsupported error. Matlab extracts its install files to a local directory. If you manually open that directory and run the installer from there I was able to install successfully.

[Andrea]

HI! I have gotten stuck on that step. What do you mean by local directory, where can i find it and install successfully as you describe?

[Andrea]

For me, a small window opens that says "Cannot find appropriate setup.exe file."

[Nigil Lee]

When you run the matlab installer the first thing it does is unzip a ton of files somewhere onto your machine. I believe it tells you where this directory is while it is doing it / it shouldn't be that hard to find. The installer you need to run manually is inside. Sorry thats all the help I can give.

[Hugo]

This indeed works, thanks so much. For me there was a different installing file, in the bin folder, that upon running did the job no problem.

[Andrej]

if you get

"Cannot find appropriate setup.exe file."

and you are using Parallels Desktop to install Matlab in a VM, just copy the installion file to a folder on the virtual machine. Parallels places it in your mac's download folder (even when downloaded within the VM - confusing) if you have 'integration' with your mac turned on. Go to a user folder in the local VM, copy the setup files there.

[Giliam Scott]

For those going through the same trouble I am. I haven't been able to run the new MATLAB 2022 version on my Parallels vm. Though, with the above info I have been able to run MATLAB 2021b successfully.

Answer 3

[Walter Roberson]

https://www.parallels.com/products/desktop/resources/ says

Supported Guest Operating Systems (Mac with Apple M1 chip):

Only ARM versions of operating systems are supported.

• Windows 11 on ARM (recommended)
• Additional information on the M1 experience may be found in this article.
• Windows ARM can run most of the regular Windows x86 applications. You can download the Parallels Desktop trial and install the application of your interest. If it doesn't work, let us know at Parallels Forum.

But notice it talks about Windows x86, not about Windows x64 . They really do mean x86 -- as in 32 bit programs.

So, what just might work, maybe is to use MATLAB R2015b for Windows 32 bit, inside Windows 11 on ARM... even though R2015b is not officially supported by even Windows 10, it just might work.

To be honest... I wouldn't stake my buying decision on it "maybe" working.

[Peter Somhorst]

x86 is commonly used for 64-bit processors, so unless this software is ancient, you can assume it's x86_64 (which is the official name, not x64).

I agree, however, you can't just assume it works. You can, however, try it out. Buy a Mac, try it, and if it's not working, return it. Apple has lenient return policies.

[Walter Roberson]

@Peter Somhorst

The Windows ARM x64 support is significantly behind their ARM x86 support. In June the x64 was pre-beta, experimental release, not even Developer's release.

[Chris Ballance]

I'm just a student getting up to speed on Matlab, but I am running the 64 bit 2021b using Windows 11 ARM via parallels on a Apple M1. No problems so far, but looking for good scripts to benchmark performance.

I am also using Engineering Equation Solver (EES) software and found the 32 bit version of that software had problems running on Windows 11 ARM. For some reason it was not possible to intitalize variables to zero in functions and proceedures. Error didn't occur with the 64 bit version of EES.