I can’t believe I’m saying it, but you can run Windows 7 on your Android device. To be honest, I was convinced that running Windows XP on Android would be the final step in Windows emulation, but I was wrong. Before you get too excited about playing the latest AAA title on your phone, keep in mind that this is nothing further than a proof of concept. The performance is painfully sluggish and the app might crash if Windows starts using too much memory.
How are we doing this? This is all thanks to the bochs emulator which allows us to emulate practically anything; including running Windows 95 on Android. The driving force behind bochs is the SDL library which is built into a lot of other emulation apps. For example, Xash3D partially uses it to to allow the use of cool stuff like Counter Strike on Android wear. The copy of Windows 7 that we will be using is a portable and debloated version that I found online. So use this at your own risk. So here’s how to run Windows 7 on Android:
What You Will Need:
- Bochs For Android
- SDL Zip
How To:
First download the SDL zip from above. Then copy and paste the SDL folder to your device’s internal storage.
Next download the install the Bochs Apk. When you launch it, it should begin booting Windows 7. Remember, this is going to take a long time to boot. It took me approximately 15 minutes util I was at the desktop screen. For added productivity, you can connect an external keyboard and mouse. Unfortunately, there is no internet connection so you are limited to local programs only. I also doubt that this will be able to handle Chrome or Internet explorer anyway. When you are done playing around with windows, remember to properly shut down or you will be force to sit through repair options the next time you boot up.