In this article I will talk about launching applications that are created for PC under Win, on phones and tablets under Android control. We will not be talking about updating your gadget to the Windows operating system instead of the Android one. Let's talk about the Win emulator for Android, which can be downloaded at the end of the page, for example, Windows XP or operating system windows 7, and they will work fine (depending on Android characteristics) under Android. Today there are 3 Android emulators, but we will talk about the advantages and disadvantages of only two versions of Windows emulators for PC: this is the BOSCHS program and the second option for Android is Sdlaap (QEMU).

You can download the emulator for Windows OS for Android at the end of the text.

But you should understand that none of the options for running PC Windows applications on Android technology will provide all the capabilities that were inherent in a full-fledged Windows OS installed on the user’s PC. If the overall speed of the Android emulator and the possible lack of sound are not so important to you, then you can download Windows program for Android, where you can then run various programs quite efficiently without the ability to access the network and the Internet. But, for example, you can play toys, especially under DOS, very well. The inability to connect to the Internet is a huge drawback of Android emulators. But for some reason, there is no access to the network from a Windows emulator for Android.

Before you download this Windows for Android, you should understand that, whatever one may say, the minimum RAM, frequency and how many cores the processor has are the most important characteristics of the performance of the Windows emulator. You must have at least 512 MB of RAM, not less than 500 MB free memory on the card and a single-core processor with a frequency of 1 GHz. Of course, it will work with slightly lower performance, but only Windows is not older than Win98. OS XP or Win 7 is unlikely to run through the emulator on your Android. This applies to both smartphones and tablets. But in any case, you can download the Windows program for Android with everything you need and try it. Attention: SDL files (bios firmware and video card) between versions of the Sdlaap (QEMU) and BOSCHS emulators do not fit together.

Windows Emulator Sdlaap (QEMU)

Installation process: 1. Download the emulator program: Sdlaap (QEMU)
2. Download SDL - this is the bios firmware and video card for emulation ( this file not suitable for BOCHS version)

4. Unpack the archive with SDL and place the entire folder in the root of the device’s memory card
5. Downloaded OS image ( img file) copy to the SDL folder
6. Install the Sdlaap program on your device. It will appear in the application section, launch it and wait until Windows loads.
Characteristics:
- Sound supported
- No network support
- Lower screen resolution
- Good speed work
- May be a little glitchy and slow down
- Running any 32 Bit OS (above Win98 is purely theoretical - depending on how it works)
- Absent technical support product Sdlaap (QEMU)

Windows emulator BOSCHS


Definitely, this is the best of all versions of Android emulators. It is not as slow as QEMU, it works much more stable and there are no problems with the mouse. Theoretically, you can run any Windows operating system on it. But this one works Android emulator slower than the first, so it turns out that the launch of any heavy systems can take tens of minutes. But why do you need this? After all, there are lightweight versions of the universally recognized Windows XP or Win 7. They can be run on Android with average characteristics in an acceptable time.

Installation process: 1. Download the emulator program: BOSCHS.
2. Download SDL - this is the bios and video card firmware for emulation (this file is not suitable for the Sdlaap (QEMU) version).
3. Download the Windows image: Win95, Win98, Win2000, WinXP, Win7.
4. Unpack the archive with SDL and place the entire folder in the root of the device’s memory card.
5. Copy the downloaded Windows image (img file) to the SDL folder.
6. Install the BOSCHS program on the device. It will appear in the application section, launch it and wait until Windows loads.
Characteristics:- Android version: Android 2.2+
- No network support
- Not good high speed work
- Operation stability
- Run any 32 Bit OS
- The mouse does not require third-party applications to operate
- The touchpad and mouse are emulated using the volume buttons
- Clicking on the screen is equivalent to clicking the left mouse button (Back = BackSpace, Menu = Enter, click on the upper left corner of the screen = TAB)
- Click on the lower left corner of the device screen to bring up the keyboard
- There is no sound, but you can activate it by making changes to the bochsrc.txt file and installing drivers for SoundBlaster 16 in the SDL folder
- There is technical support for the BOSCHS program
Tips and tricks:

If the Android emulator closes immediately after it starts, then there are two main points: either there is no bochsout.txt file in the SDL folder, or you have an error in it. For example, this may be due to an incorrectly specified path to Windows image(don't forget about the case of names). Or there are some special characters in the addressing due to the bochsout.txt file being saved in the wrong encoding.

You can click the mouse in Android by pressing the volume keys; double-clicking also works great.

If you want to run some of your own programs or games, then install the Android program described above - Sdlaap (QEMU). Then create a disk image and mount it like drive D. To force the emulator to use your image as the D drive, you need to open the bochsrc.txt file in the SDL folder and remove the # sign before the line #ata0-slave: type=disk, path="d.img". Then rename your image to d.img and drop it into the SDL folder.

Operating systems are developing quite rapidly, and with each new version The issue of compatibility of applications and games written, for example, for XP on later versions of the OS - Windows 8, 8.1 and 10 becomes more pressing. For versions, the solution to this compatibility problem is to install a separately downloadable component Windows XP Mode.

In more detail, we have a computer running Windows control 7, we install on it additional package Windows Virtual PC, which allows you to create virtual machines. Inside it we deploy Windows XP Mode - this is a virtual machine surrounded by Virtual PC in which we install XP Mode and, on which XP is already installed, in a sense it Windows emulator XP . Due to additional updates, our applications that we install in Windows XP are translated into Windows 7, creating a virtual environment.

Windows XP Emulator for Windows 10

In operating rooms Windows systems 8 and 10 support for virtualization is also present, only now on Hyper-V technology. Where can I install a full-fledged operating system on virtual machine. Hyper-V is included by default in all new OSes. But initially, during installation it is disabled, and to start working with virtual machines and, for example, install Windows XP, you will need to enable it in the settings for turning Windows components on and off.

If the computer processor does not support virtualization, then you will not be able to work with Hyper-V, you simply will not be able to enable it, this item in the settings will be inactive.

Virtual machine

If Hyper-V is not available due to limitations technical capabilities, or, more precisely, the processor does not support virtualization. In such cases, you can use third party applications, with which you can create virtual machines and deploy our operating systems in them. One of these third party programs is VirtualBox. Here we can deploy as many machines as needed, of any version and capacity. These are full-fledged operating systems running in a virtual environment.

  • In order for VirtualBox to be in a window running program click on the “Create” button. This is necessary in order to create a virtual HDD for subsequent installation of the operating system into it.
  • We set a name and select the version and bit depth for our future machine; the system will automatically determine the size of the required disk space that will be allocated for installation. The amount of memory can be set manually, of course.

  • Next, we don’t change anything in the settings, but three times in the virtual virtual creation wizard hard drive click “Next” - Next – Next.
  • Specify the file name and size, as well as the path (the location on the hard drive where our machine will be stored).

We have created a virtual hard disk, now you can install our operating system on it.

Click on the “Run” button and in the window that opens, select the section where we have the ISO image of the system. The further installation process will not differ from the usual one Windows installations XP.

Good afternoon.

Time moves inexorably forward and, sooner or later, certain programs and games become obsolete. The operating systems in which they worked are also beginning to be replaced en masse with newer ones.

But what about those who want to remember their youth, or who simply need this or that program or game for work that refuses to work in the newfangled Windows 8?

In this article I would like to look at running old programs and games on new computers. Let's look at several methods, including virtual machines, which allow you to run almost any application!

So, let's begin…

1. Game console emulators

Perhaps the first word in this article should go to game console emulators (Sega, Dendy, Sony PS). These consoles appeared in the 90s and immediately gained wild popularity. They were played by young and old at any time of the year and day!

By the 2000s, the excitement subsided, computers began to appear and somehow everyone forgot about them. But these console games can also be played on a computer by downloading a special program - emulator. Then download the game and open it in this emulator. Everything is quite simple.

By the way! The network is full of emulators for other game consoles. The purpose of this small preview for this article was to show that you can play console games on your computer!

Now let's move from console games to computer games and programs...

2. Launch using Windows OS Compatibility Tools

If a program or game refuses to start or behaves unstable, you can try running it in compatibility mode for a specific OS. Fortunately, the developers themselves built this opportunity on Windows.

Is it true, over the entire period of use, this method probably helped me out a couple of times out of several hundred launches of problematic applications! Therefore, it’s worth trying, but you can’t believe in 100% success.

1) Click right click on the desired executable file of the program and select properties. By the way, you can also click on the desktop icon (i.e., shortcut). The effect is the same.

2) Now check the box next to “compatibility mode” and select the OS you want to emulate.

Then save the settings and try to start the program. There is a chance that it will work.

3. Running games and programs in the DOS environment

Even the oldest programs can be run on a modern OS, however, this will require special programs, emulating the DOS environment.
O days of the best DOS emulators in Windows environment is DOSBox. You can download from of. site programs.

Installing DOSBox

Installing the program is not difficult. Only I would recommend that when installing, be sure to create an icon (shortcut) of the executable file on the desktop. Check the box next to “Desktop Shortcut”.

Running games in DOSBox

Let's take some old game that needs to be launched on Windows8. let it be step-by-step strategy Sid Meier's Civilization 1.

If your program requires Windows 98, for example, then you will no longer be able to do without a virtual machine. Next we will talk about them!

4. Running old operating systems in new versions of Windows

Run any old program on a new OS it is only possible using virtual machines. They are ordinary programs that emulate, as it were, the operation of a real computer. Those. It turns out that you can run an OS in Windows 8, for example, Windows 2000. And already in these running old OSs you can run any executable files (programs, games, etc.).

We'll talk about how to do all this in this section this article.

4.1. Virtual machine. Installation

This is a free virtual machine that will allow you to run dozens of operating systems on your new computer, from Windows 95 to Windows 7.

The only thing is that this type of program is quite demanding on system resources, so if you want to run Windows 8 on Windows 8, you need to have at least 4 GB.

Works in both 32 and 64 bit systems. The installation takes place in a standard way, personally, I don’t touch any checkboxes, everything is by default.

The only thing I leave a checkbox for is for the installer to create a shortcut on the desktop to launch the program (Create a shortcut on the desktop).

In general, after VirtualBox installations, you can start installing the OS into it. But more on that below.

4.2. Setting up a virtual machine

Before you begin installing the OS, you need to configure the virtual machine.

1) After the first launch in VirtualBox, you can click only one button - “create”. Actually, we press.

5) The virtual hard disk that you create in this program is a regular image file. It will be located in the folder that you specify during setup.

There are two types of virtual hard disk:

Dynamic: means that the file will grow in size as the disk fills up;

Fixed: The size will be set immediately.

6) This, as a rule, ends the setup of the virtual machine. By the way, you should have a button to start the created machine. It will behave as if you turned on the computer without the OS installed.

4.3. Installing Windows 2000 on a virtual machine

In this post, we will use Windows 2000 as an example. Its installation will not differ much from the installation of Windows Xp, NT, ME.

To start you need to create or download installation disk with this OS. By the way, the image is needed in ISO format (in principle, any image will do, but with ISO the entire installation procedure will be faster).

1) Start the virtual machine. Everything is simple here and there should be no problems.

2) The second step is to connect our image in ISO format to the virtual machine. To do this, select the item devices/select image optical disk . If the image is joined, then you should see a picture like the one in the screenshot below.

3) Now you need to reboot the virtual machine. This can be done using the command of the same name. See screenshot below.

4) If the image is working and you did everything correctly in the previous 3 steps, you will see a welcome screen and the installation of Windows 2000 will begin.

5) After 2-5 min. (on average) copying installation files, you will be asked to read license agreement, select the disk to install, whether to format it, etc. - in general, everything is the same as during a regular Windows installation.

The only thing. You don’t have to be afraid to make mistakes, because anyway, everything that happens will happen on a virtual machine, which means it won’t harm your main operating system in any way!

7) After another reboot you will already observe installed Windows 2000!

By the way, you can install games, programs in it, and generally work in it as if it were a computer running Windows control 2000.

4.3. Sharing files with a virtual machine (hard drive connection)

Many users do not experience any big problems with installing and specifying basic settings for a virtual machine. But difficulties may begin when you decide to add a file (or, conversely, copy it from the virtual machine disk). Directly, through “edit-copy-paste” the trick will not work...


3) Here you need to select the section “ disk management«.

In the column on the right, click on the control button and select the “attach virtual hard disk” option. Enter the address where it is located and connect the VHD file.

How to find a VHD file?

Very simply, by default, during installation, the file will be at:

C:\Users\alex\VirtualBox VMs\winme

where "alex" is your account name.

Personally, I would not have bothered to figure it out if I had not encountered the fact that the program needed for the calculations was not so ancient and would not refuse to work in Windows XP. I had to install and configure a virtual machine, then install Windows 2000 into it, and then carry out calculations in it...

By the way, how do you launch old programs? Or don't use them at all?

It just falls into the last category of answers.

Products Microsoft Windows, as a rule, are backwards compatible. It means that new system Windows has the ability to run software written for its immediate predecessor. For example, Windows 7 works correctly with Vista programs.

The vast majority of programs that run on Windows 7 and Windows 8 will work on Windows 10, with the exception of Windows Media Center, whose support is completely lacking. Some programs designed for older Windows versions can also work smoothly in Windows 10. To run other types of software, additional manipulations will be required.

The album, released in 1995, can be played on a computer. A video game from the same year may not work due to compatibility issues. The reason is that the game contains program code that runs from disk and works based on available libraries. While the way discs are played has not changed significantly over the past twenty years, operating systems have changed dramatically over the same period of time.

If you are using old computer, outdated files and programs may be installed on it. For example, these could be old files Microsoft Word or old Sim City or Oregon Trail games. Perhaps you are postponing updating the package Microsoft Office, because you like using the current version of the software. Regardless of the reason, you'll need to make sure you can run them if you want to use them on Windows 10. Updating the OS may make the files unreadable and you'll lose access to them.

Microsoft offers a compatibility tool for users who want to find out if their files and programs will open in Windows 10. Interested users can visit the Windows Compatibility Center website to find out for sure.

The webpage offers the option to scan your computer and connected devices to see if the content will be available on Windows 10.

Assuming the computer responds system requirements, software that will not work after the system update will be listed. Depending on the results, your old files may require updating or special operations to run.

Like its predecessors, Windows 10 has a compatibility mode to run programs designed for older versions of the OS. This call access option context menu specific object, right-click and select “Properties”, and then the “Compatibility” tab.

To run the file, you can use emulators of different OS versions. On Windows 7, this feature allowed you to run programs developed for Windows 95. Similar utilities from 20 years ago are still popular among Windows enthusiasts.

Running an application in compatibility mode has always been a very simple operation. On the “Compatibility” tab of the “Properties” window, activate the “Run this program in compatibility mode for” option and select the required OS version from the drop-down list.

Windows 10 is compatible with Microsoft Virtual PC virtualization software, which allows users to run multiple versions of Windows. This free tool allows you to run programs designed for Windows XP and higher, so the chances of running software that is incompatible with Windows 10 are high.

You can install the tool from the Microsoft Product Download Center. Download and upload it. Accept the license agreement if you want to continue. You can leave the settings recommended by the installer, or you can configure the settings yourself.

Another option is to install on a computer virtual version old system. In this case, you can create a file version of the old OS in a single file on your computer. This method differs from installing multiple operating systems, where they are installed on the same hard drive by dividing it.

Advantage this method is the ability to load a program in the native environment for which it was designed. VirtualBox and VMWare are the most popular virtual machines and are available for Windows users, Mac and Linux. Mac users can also use Boot Camp and Parallels. The installation process is very similar to Windows Virtual PC. Download the product, accept the agreement and get started.

For the launch of the new Windows 10 OS, Paragon Software presented free version Paragon Go Virtual 2015 application, with which you can use the old system even after switching from Windows 7 and Windows 8.

Users who are worried about important files created in older versions of Word, Excel or PowerPoint should be reassured - they will also be available on Windows 10 high probability. Many Microsoft applications offer the ability to save your work in compatibility mode. This function has been present in Microsoft Office products for many years. This way, if you start working on a document in a public library on an old computer with Microsoft Word 2007, you can continue editing the document on a brand new Windows 10 laptop without having to convert to plain text or PDF.

When working in any of these programs, be sure to save documents in a compatible format. New Microsoft versions Office also allows you to run a compatibility check - File -> Details -> Find Issues -> Compatibility Check. Depending on the results, the user can fix or ignore the compatibility errors. In addition, use the “Open with.” item. when selecting a file to launch the desired program.

Greetings, dear reader. In today's article, I will tell you how you can run the Windows operating system on your gadget, based on a mobile operating system Android systems. This can be done using a special software, such tools are called emulators. Using these programs, we will run Windows on your gadget (phone or tablet with Android OS).

The practical benefits of this operation can be quite significant.. In addition to the surprise of your friends that you can cause starting Windows on your device, very specific tasks can be solved. For example, you need to run on your Android gadget This is a program that only works under Windows. You can also run some simple Windows games.

So, below you can find a list of emulator programs, as well as short descriptions and instructions for them. I would like to warn you right away, because... Windows is a fairly resource-intensive system, so your Android gadget should be relatively powerful.

QEMU


A good emulator that will allow you to run Windows 98 (95) on your device. Below you can find short instructions on how to use this software.:

  • Download the QEMU emulator from our website ( sdlapp.apk) and install it on your Android device;
  • Download the file from BIOS firmware, drivers, etc. You can also download this file from our website using a direct link ( sdl.zip). Unpack the archive to the root of the SDCard;
  • Next you need to download the operating system image Windows systems, this emulator only supports Windows 95 and Windows 98. Links – – ;
  • Next, from the archive downloaded in the previous step, we take out the C.img file and “throw” it into the “SDL” folder in the root of your SDCard;
  • We launch the program installed in the first stage. If everything is done correctly, Windows will start.

Running programs in the emulator

A short instruction on how to run programs in QEMU. So, let's begin:

  • Download the archive with images (empty). Link from our website - qemu_hdd.rar ;
  • Loading WinImage program (winimage_8.10.8100.rar). Using this tool, you need to upload your files into an image of a suitable size;
  • Next, you need to rename the image with your program files to “D.img” and transfer it to the SDL (folder) on your SDCard;
  • In the sdl.conf file you need to add the line: “/sdl -L . -m 128 -boot c -hda C.img -hdb D.img -usb -usbdevice tablet”;
  • Start Windows, install necessary programs from drive “D”.

BOCHS


Another one for devices based on the Android operating system. Theoretically, this emulator will allow you to run the operating system Windows any versions, but, relatively speaking, only two will work stably - 98 and 95. If you want to install XP or 7, then get ready for the fact that they (XP, 7) will not work as you would like. So, let's start setting up:

  • Download and install the device ( bochs2_5_1.apk);
  • Download the firmware (sdl_for_bochs.zip), unpack it into the SDL folder in the root of your SDCard;
  • Download the .img image of the required operating system (links to Win98.95 are above, links to winXP and 7 can be found on the Internet);
  • After you download the image (archive with Win 95, 98, XP, 7), unpack it and rename the file in the archive to c.img, place it in the SDL folder in the root of the SDCard;
  • Open the emulator installed in the first step.

Running programs in Bochs

The process of launching programs in this emulator similar to what we described earlier (to QEMU emulator), use it.