Concurrent Excel for Mac and Excel for Windows on MacBook

Hi

1. Power Query on Mac comes with the full PQ editor. The only restriction is that you can not use Power Query on a Data Model that was created in Excel for Windows. You would have to export the Data Model as .csv and use the .csv connector. There is no connector for PDF files, but again, you can always turn the PDF contents into a .csv text file and use the text connector, instead.

2. It depends on your license. If you have a subscription you can run Microsoft Office concurrently on up to 6 devices at once in any combination of Mac, Windows, Android, or iOS. There is no licensing issue with installing Office on Mac and Office on Windows on the same Mac, but it counts as two installations for licensing purposes. What you would want to avoid is opening the same locally stored file at the same time on both platforms. That would be a sharing violation unless you use the legacy workbook sharing feature within Excel on both Mac and Windows.

Hello, rinkster.

Welcome to Microsoft community.

Here’s a detailed response to your queries:

1. Can Excel Power Queries be modified on Excel for Mac?

There are versions of Excel for Mac that do support the Power Query Editor, but this feature is generally available to users in the Beta Channel or those with specific Microsoft 365 subscriptions.

For your use case:

• You can continue to refresh Power Queries on Excel for Mac.
• If modifications are needed, you'll need to use Excel for Windows (either via Parallels on your MacBook or another Windows device).

2. Can I install and use Excel for Windows via Parallels on the same MacBook?

Yes, you can install and use Excel for Windows on Parallels without any issues. Excel for Mac and Excel for Windows operate independently, even if installed on the same machine.

Key considerations:

• Licensing: Ensure your Microsoft 365 license allows installation on multiple devices. Most Microsoft 365 Personal or Family subscriptions permit this.
• Parallels Compatibility: Excel for Windows runs seamlessly on Parallels with Windows 11 on M1/M2 MacBooks using ARM architecture. Microsoft provides an ARM version of Windows 11 compatible with your setup.
• Storage: Make sure you allocate sufficient disk space for both macOS and the Parallels/Windows environment.
• File Access: Files stored on your Mac can be accessed from Excel for Windows through Parallels, ensuring seamless integration.

Recommendation for Optimal Workflow

1. Primary Use on Excel for Mac:
   • Refresh Power Queries and perform 95% of your tasks.
   • Use the macOS version of Excel for general work to take advantage of its native macOS performance and integration.
2. Switch to Excel for Windows via Parallels:
   • For creating or modifying Power Queries.
   • For any Excel features exclusive to the Windows version (e.g., advanced VBA integrations).

📖-<Download, install, or reinstall Microsoft 365, Office 2024, or Office 2021 on a PC or Mac - Microsoft Support>

📖-<www.parallels.cn>

Feel free to share updates with me on how things are progressing after you've completed the aforementioned steps. Should you have any questions or require clarification, do not hesitate to reach out to me. I‘d like to do my utmost to assist you.

Best Regards,

Hannah.Z- MSFT |Microsoft Community Support Specialist