◆Error Codes Wiki

Universal Binary Running Wrong Architecture — Force Native Apple Silicon Execution

Informationalapplication

Overview

Fix Universal Binary applications running under Rosetta 2 Intel translation instead of native Apple Silicon mode, reducing performance on M-series Macs.

Key Details

  • Universal Binaries contain both Intel (x86_64) and Apple Silicon (ARM64) code in a single app
  • macOS automatically selects the correct architecture, but sometimes defaults to Intel via Rosetta
  • Running the Intel slice on Apple Silicon works but is slower than native ARM64 execution
  • Plugins or extensions may force an app to run in Intel mode for compatibility
  • Activity Monitor shows the architecture each process is using

Common Causes

  • Open using Rosetta checkbox enabled in the app's Get Info panel from a previous troubleshooting step
  • Intel-only plugin or extension forcing the host application into Rosetta compatibility mode
  • App downloaded as Intel-only version instead of the Universal Binary version
  • Corrupted Universal Binary where the ARM64 slice is damaged

Steps

  1. 1Check architecture in Activity Monitor: look for 'Intel' next to the app (should show 'Apple')
  2. 2Uncheck Rosetta: right-click app in Finder > Get Info > uncheck 'Open using Rosetta'
  3. 3Download the Universal Binary or Apple Silicon version from the developer's website
  4. 4Remove incompatible Intel-only plugins that force the app into Rosetta mode
  5. 5Reinstall the app from scratch if the binary may be corrupted

Tags

universal-binaryapple-siliconarchitecturerosettaperformance

Related Items

mac-rosetta-2-translation-failed

More in Application

windows-C0000005-access-violationWindows Error 0xC0000005 — Access Violation
Error
windows-C000007B-bad-image-formatWindows Error 0xC000007B — Bad Image Format
Error
windows-C0000142-application-init-failedWindows Error 0xC0000142 — Application Init Failed
Error
windows-SxS-Error-side-by-side-configuration-errorWindows Error SxS-Error — Side-by-Side Configuration Error
Warning
windows-DLL-Missing-dll-not-foundWindows Error DLL-Missing — DLL Not Found
Warning
windows-app-runtime-r6025Windows Runtime Error R6025 — Pure Virtual Function Call
Warning

Frequently Asked Questions

Right-click the app > Get Info. Under 'Kind' it will say 'Application (Universal)' for Universal binaries, 'Application (Intel)' for Intel-only, or 'Application (Apple Silicon)' for ARM-only.