Can I use Projector on my Mac

Owned by Thomas Sherman (Deactivated)
Last updated: Sept 14, 2023 by Stephen Shenefield (Deactivated)
5 min read

Yes, Projector can run on Apple's Mac line of computers running the most up-to-date macOS versions 10.14 (Mojave), 10.15 (Catalina), 11* (Big Sur), 12 (Monterey), 13 (Ventura), 14 (Sonoma) including on Apple Silicon M1 hardware. Versions back to 10.12 (Sierra) likely will work but are not officially supported. 

There are a couple limitations discussed in this document broken up by major functional area of our product. Please see the sections below to determine whether those limitations affect you.

Due to the ever increasing relevance of macOS, Linux, and Tablet operating systems as business environments Projector is continually improving our cross platform compatibility. You will find that with each new release we have more functionality available via our website.

Projector Web

Projector Web is our website. It currently encompasses time entry, expense entry, project workspaces, time approval, expense approval, invoicing, project setup, reporting and dashboards about your engagements, contracts, and projects. It is completely compatible with OSX as long as you are running a modern web browser. See Web Browser Support.


Management Portal

The Management Portal is a desktop application used for administration purposes in Projector. It is typically used by admins, finance managers, project managers, and resource schedulers.


Limitations

Management Portal can run on macOS with a few limitations. Most of these limitations are due to the fact that third party software is only available on Windows, not on macOS.

  • Microsoft Project Integration - this is a Windows only application
  • QuickBooks Desktop Integration - this is a Windows only application
  • Microsoft Dynamics GP (Great Plains) Integration - this is a Windows only application
  • Invoice Template Editor - this is a Windows only application
  • When viewing  a grid in Management Portal, the Print button () is disabled. You will need to use the export to Excel button instead. Then print the Excel sheet.
  • You can only run one instance of Management Portal at a time


Known Issues

There are some known issues we are working on addressing. Current known issues:

  • The color selector does not display preview colors for utilization targets and stoplight UDFs. It still works, you just won't see a preview. 
  • On the Home Tab, you cannot reorder the sections using the blue arrows ()
  • If you export a grid to Excel using the excel button (), you will receive a warning message that the file is in use by "Crossover." Click Read-Only button to continue opening the file.


  • Right clicking to access Projector functions will cause a benign error if the Projector window is on a second display, and that display is located "above" the main screen, as is common for using a second screen with a laptop. The issue does not occur if the second display is located to the left or right of the main screen. Following this error, just click "OK" – there is NO need to restart Projector as the message says.

The workaround is to locate the second monitor to the left or right, or simply have Projector on the main screen when right-clicking is needed to context menus.



Full Functionality

If the limitations or known issues above are a showstopper, you can still access the full functionality of Management Portal on macOS. You will need to use Boot Camp, a virtual machine, or remote desktop to run the Windows version of Management Portal.

  • Virtual Machine - run Windows inside of macOS. See table below for software options.
  • Boot camp - install Windows on your Intel-based Mac and run it instead of macOS
  • Remote Desktop - remote into a Windows based PC

Virtual Machine Software

Description

VirtualBox

An open-source (free) virtual solution for OS X. Requires a Windows license.

VMWare

A free trial is available. Requires a Windows license.

Parallels

A free trial is available. Requires a Windows license.


Logging out of the Management Portal on the Mac

The Windows version of the Management Portal has a Logout command under the File menu. This deletes a stored password (if you selected this option on log in) and closes the application.

On the Mac, this Logout option is not included. If you need to log out, simply go to File > Options and pick the Password tab. Click Clear Password. Quit the application. On the next start up, you will need to enter your Projector credentials again.



Viewing Projector Reports

Reports from Projector can be viewed in Excel on a Mac. Projector reports require Excel for Mac 2011 or later.

Though rare, some users have found that when you click on the link in a Projector email for a scheduled/distributed report your computer may try to open it in Excel, causing an ugly result. This link is actually to a web page that will ask you to enter your Projector login and password before it lets you download the report.  The solution is to copy the URL of the link (i.e. Ctrl + click or "Right Click" on it and copy the link location) and then paste it into a web browser (Safari, Firefox, Etc..). When you do this it should bring you to a Projector login page.  Enter your credentials and it should then allow you to download the Excel file.