How to install applications from Windows to Android. Running Windows applications on Android via CrossOver

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Today, one of the most popular mobile operating systems is Android. More and more devices are coming out running this system, and some owners of Apple devices are abandoning them in favor of Android. But it often happens that with all the abundance of all kinds of programs written for Android, the user cannot find an analogue of the necessary program or game that is available for the Windows operating system. What to do in this case? The answer is much simpler than you think: you just need to install a Windows operating system emulator.

What is an emulator

An emulator is a virtual machine. A special program that, when launched, begins to “reproduce” the image of the operating system that is installed in it. Most often, Windows emulators for Android devices consist of several components.

1. The program itself. The most popular programs for emulating the Microsoft system on devices running the Google robot are QEMU and BOCHS (read as “box”). In the first case, you will be able to run and use Windows versions 95 and 98 on everything, including older devices. However, for all its speed, QEMU is still inferior to the BOCHS program, which, although it works slower, is stable, and with its help you can run images of any system, from Windows 3 to XP or Seven. Plus the ability to run operating systems of the Linux family.

2. BIOS, video card and other components of any personal computer are several files, the code of which the emulator uses to create a virtual machine. You can download all these files in one archive and then unpack them to the internal storage of your Android device.

3. The disk itself with the installed operating system. This is an ordinary image file with the .img extension, which contains a “snapshot” of the local drive C with the installed system. Such virtual copies of system disks can be edited and saved in any program like UltraISO, Alcohol or Daemon Tools. Windows system images of various versions and builds can be found and downloaded on the Internet.

The user can also download or create empty images of hard disk partitions. This may be useful so that the user can store his personal files as on a personal computer, or install his programs or games into the virtual system.

You should not expect that you will be able to turn your tablet or smartphone into a multimedia monster that would support Android, Windows, Linux, and even Macintosh. More or less modern operating systems, like XP, if they start at all, will load for a very, very long time, sometimes about half an hour, and the most games you can try are the first part of the cult HALF-LIFE saga, but something more anything demanding is unlikely to work. However, enthusiasts may well try to add some desirable features to their device. And now I will tell you how to do this using the BOCHS emulator as an example.

BOCHS installation

Let's assume that you have already downloaded all the necessary components of the program (fortunately, you can easily find them on the Internet), and they are on your tablet or smartphone. Now:.

Step 1. Install the program. To do this, simply run the installation package.apk, click on the "Install" button and wait until the installation is complete.

Step 2. Unzip the "SDL" archive, which contains files for the video card, BIOS\"a and other internal devices of the computer. Then copy the unzipped "SDL" folder to the root of the memory card.

Step 3. Rename the system disk image file to “c.img” and move or copy to the “SDL” folder.

Step 4. If you want to add a second local disk to your system, then go to the "SDL" folder, open the bochscr.txt file, find the line in it

#ata0 - slave: type = disc, path = "d.img" and remove the "#" sign in front of it. It is also possible to directly access the internal storage of the device itself in read-only mode. Registration is not yet available. In addition, this can harm both the operation of the program and the operation of your device. But if you still decide to take this important step, open the file “bochscr.txt” and enter the following line after the line indicating the local drive D:

ata1-master: type=disk, mode=vvfat, path=/sdcard/HDD, journal=/sdcard/SDL/vvfat.redolog

Step 5. The original version of BOCHS, unlike the one modified by amateurs, does not have built-in audio support. That is, your system will work, it will launch applications, but you won’t get a single word from it. It is possible to deal with this problem using the same "bochscr.txt" file. To do this, replace the line starting with "sb16:" (that is, Sound Blaster 16) with the following value: sb16: wavemode=1, dmatimer=500000

Well, as I said, you don’t need to expect much from Windows emulators. But if you want to try something new for yourself or just feel a pleasant deja vu from using some old version of an operating system or playing the good old games of your childhood, this path is for you.

Ok, today let’s do some nonsense, i.e. I wanted to say installing Windows 8, 7, XP, 98, 95 on an Android tablet. Basically, such bad thoughts among users of Android tablets arise purely out of curiosity, but there are some individuals who seriously dream of installing a windowed OS on the tablet, and for them it is necessary, not only that all the functionality of the tablet works, and that this axis replaces or complements the main one, with the ability to switch between them. Yeah, everyone's gone crazy.

Before I run too far, I’ll ask you to slow down your horses so that you don’t read this material in vain. I will help people with a normally functioning brain save a lot of time and a whole bucket of nerves. You can install via emulator- play around and return to Android, or replace Android with Windows forever. The most important thing I want to say is that Windows is not installed “forever” on all Android devices, but only on those whose processor supports running an OS such as Windows. As a rule, these are processors with i386 architecture (Windows 7, 8) or ARM (Windows 8 only). You can find out what processor you have in the instructions, by rummaging through the papers in the box from under the tablet, or look for information on the manufacturer’s website. Here are, for example, a few names of devices that support full installation of Windows:

Odeon TPC-10
Archos 9
ViewSonic ViewPAD
Iconia Tab W500
3Q Qoo

Determine for yourself the goals you are pursuing:

1. Just to play? We install the emulator, you can turn it off at any time and use the normal Android OS.

2. If you need Windows as a working axis...um, do you want some thrills? Well, then you will have to rewrite Windows over Android, having previously saved everything important, because there is a high probability that you will turn your device into a pile... just a non-working pile of the case and parts.

3. If you really need different OSes on your tablet, you should think about purchasing a special device, for example the Ekoore Python S tablet. It has three OS installed on it: Ubuntu, Windows, Android. They work separately from each other, and you can freely switch between operating systems. For another example, look at the ViewSonic ViewPad 10 device - there are 2 OS, Android and Windows.

4. If you really want a “caramel” interface, like on the seven, or a tiled interface, like on the eight, but you don’t want to follow all these hellishly complicated instructions for installing the emulator and running Windows on it, for God’s sake, download any launcher from Google Play, which simply replace the standard shell (the appearance of the desktops) with the Windows one. By the way, you don’t have to have a special processor to do this.

About the power of devices, operating speed of the OS, and system capabilities

Keep in mind that it is Windows in Africa (i.e. on a tablet). Therefore, to run it you need quite powerful devices. Almost all you can do is launch standard simple programs such as WorPad and Paint, use the Windows interface, opening and closing folders. Oh yes, I forgot that Windows is mainly installed on tablets in order to run games under Windows. Yes, I hasten to congratulate you, you will be able to launch “Klondike”! If you try really hard, you can, through dancing with tambourines, launch a couple of very old igrulins, like they were back in the days of MS-DOS. If 512 MB of RAM and 1 GHz processor are enough to run/install Windows 95-98, then for XP this will not be enough. And if you want to install seven or eight, you will need at least a dual-core, or better yet, a quad-core device with two GB of RAM. Have you changed your mind yet? Okay, let's move on. By the way, I don’t recommend installing outdated Windows XP at all, even if you love it very much.

Running Windows on a tablet using emulators

The simplest and safest way to use Windows programs on Android devices is to install appropriate software emulators. In this case, it does not mean making any significant changes to the preinstalled operating system; we are only talking about running Windows on Android. There are several emulators that allow you to run Windows 9x and Windows XP operating systems in emulation mode. Each of them has its own advantages and disadvantages. The following remains common: none of the emulators support Internet connections and network protocols, but they all allow you to run most of the usual programs (mostly standard ones) and play your favorite games (usually the simplest ones).

Let's take a closer look at the most popular emulators:

QEMU emulator

This emulator allows you to run one of the operating systems of the Windows 9x line on Android.

Installation (all mentioned files are there):

Download the SDLapp.apk file (about 1.4 MB) from the Internet and install it on your device. This file is a QEMU emulator for Android.
Download the SDL.zip archive (contains BIOS firmware, video card drivers and other devices). Unpack the downloaded archive into the root directory of the sdcard (using WinRar, WinZip or a similar program).
Download the *.img image of the operating system (Windows 9x) or create it using Nero or a similar program (if a distribution kit is available).
Copy the *.img file to the device in the SDL folder.
Run the program.

Inexperienced users are recommended to run Windows 95; running Windows 98 on Android devices is fraught with some difficulties. Windows 9x has an on-screen keyboard; right or left mouse clicks are simulated by volume buttons. It can be difficult to double-click; it is much easier to select what you need and press the “Menu” key. The “Menu” key replaces pressing “Enter”, and the “Back” key replaces “Esc”. The cursor stops where you dragged it.

Testing shows that Windows 95 runs noticeably faster on Android than other products in this line. Its speed matches the performance of computers of that time, although many programs do not run with it.

All necessary programs must be placed in the D disk image; this can be done as follows:

Download Qemu_HDD.rar (RAR archive containing zero disk images of different sizes).
Download the program and install WinImage. Select an image of the required size and use it to place the necessary files into it.
Rename the image to D.img and copy it to the device in the SDL folder.
In sdl.conf write the following line: /sdl -L . -m 128 -boot c -hda C.img -hdb D.img -usb -usbdevice tablet.
Reboot the device, start Windows and run the program from D:.

Flaws:

Clicks (taps) do not work clearly.
There is no network or internet support.
Low screen resolution.
There is no sound.
The time is displayed incorrectly.
Technical support for the product has been discontinued.

Advantages:

The operating speed is significantly higher than other emulators

BOCHS Emulator

Considered the best emulator. Most of the shortcomings of QEMU are absent, there are no problems with the mouse, and operation stability is higher. In principle, it allows you to run Windows of any version, but the speed of its operation makes running powerful operating systems pointless. However, there are lightweight distributions, the use of which allows you to launch Windows XP in an acceptable period of time.

Installation

Download and install Bochs2_5_1.apk (about 1.2 MB) and the SDL_for_BOCHS.zip archive (contains BIOS firmware, video card drivers and other devices) on the device.
Unpack it onto the device into the SDL folder, having previously created it in the root directory of the sdcard.
Download an image (*.img) of the operating system or create it using Nero or a similar program (if a distribution kit is available).
Copy the *.img file to the device in the “SDL” folder.
Run the program.

The mouse and all keys work similarly to the version with QEMU, with the difference that a double click works clearly.

Games and programs are launched in the manner described for QEMU. There is only one difference: instead of the sdl.conf file, you need to edit bochsrc.txt (located in the SDL folder), in which you need to find the line #ata0-slave: type=disk, path=»d.img and remove the “#”.

There is a second, simpler option for launching applications, without creating an image. BOCHS supports access to the storage of Android devices. To enable this function, you need to write the following line in bochsrc.txt: ata0-slave: type=disk, mode=vvfat, path=/sdcard/HDD, journal=vvfat.redolog, and create the HDD folder in the sdcard root directory.

Flaws:

Works slowly.
No network support.

Advantages:

High stability.
Improved mouse emulation.
Sound card emulation is supported.
Almost all versions of Windows can be run.
Technical support for the program is provided.

Emulator aDOSBox

This emulator will be of interest to fans of old DOS games. In addition to launching DOS, which is what it was created for, it also allows you to launch Windows 9x.

Installation:

Download aDosBox_v0.2.5.apk (approximately 1.8 MB) and install it on your device.
Download archive

Big fans of Windows, having spent many years on the operating system, are trying to teach modern smartphones to run programs and games written for the desktop OS. Some last for several days, while others make every effort to see the cherished greeting on the screen of their smartphone. But is Windows and its software even needed on an Android device? Isn’t it easier to find an analogue of the required program, developed specifically for the “green robot”? Be that as it may, we will tell you about ways to run Windows on Android, but decide for yourself whether it is necessary.

How to Run Windows Programs on Android

Most often, this idea is asked by users who simply wanted to experiment with systems and software. Agree, it’s interesting to look at an old game for personal computers running on an Android smartphone. But these systems have different architectures, which prevents programs and games from running freely. On Windows, as many people know, programs have the extension .exe, on Android it is completely different - .apk. However, special tools can still make .exe programs work on Android. These tools are called emulators, and today we will get acquainted with the most popular of them.

Want to play around with the systems' capabilities a little? We will install an emulator that allows you to easily switch to the native system of your smartphone. Essentially, this is a simple program that will not affect Android in any way.
Have you ever thought about turning your device into a full-fledged computer? You will have to study its characteristics (find out whether the processor supports the desired architecture), search through a bunch of forums, and perhaps you will be able to get the system to work more or less normally.

To completely replace one system with another, the device processor must have the appropriate architecture (for Windows - i386). You should also note that doing such manipulations is very risky - there is a high probability of simply disabling the device. If the tablet was originally developed on Android, then it is very difficult to make its hardware work at least somehow with Windows.

Need a fullWindowsin your pocket that will work perfectly without errors. The best option would be to buy a compact DualBoot tablet that runs on two popular operating systems at once.
I just like the lookWindows? There are users who, in principle, are satisfied with the capabilities of Android, but like the design of the Windows interface. If you are one of them, then go to Google Play, where there are a lot of free applications (launchers) that will turn your smartphone into a mini-PC.

Windows emulators for Android

The simplest and safest way to run Windows games and programs on Android is through emulators. They are special applications that have a minimal impact on the operating system - you can be sure that your smartphone or tablet will not turn into a “brick”. Today there are many emulators, we have selected several of the most popular. Each has its own advantages and disadvantages, but there is a common feature - none of the emulators support internet connection.

We also need to make a small digression: Windows is a rather “gluttonous” system, so it is advisable to have a productive device. If you hope that you will be able to run GTA 5 or Photoshop using an emulator, then it is better to immediately discard the idea of installing it. All you can run are standard Windows tools and a couple of prehistoric games, and only if the stars align correctly, since no one guarantees you absolute performance.

Now that you know about the nuances, let's move on to the emulators themselves.

QEMU

Of all the emulators that we will consider today, this one is the fastest in operation, but with an abundance of glitches. Due to its simplicity, it is suitable for beginners who do not want to get acquainted with all the nuances of emulators. More on the pros and cons later, but for now installation instructions:

download the necessary files (you can take everything);
unpack the downloaded archive;
Install the SDLapp.apk application on Android - and there is an emulator;
The SDL.zip archive must be unpacked into the root folder of the sdcard (use a file manager and any unzipping application);
place the win_95_em system image (will also be in the archive) in the SDL folder;

QEMU supports emulation of Windows 95 and 98. We recommend using the first version as a basis - it is more stable, easier to install and use. If you wish, it will not be difficult to find Windows 98 on the Internet, only the image must have the .img extension.

launch the SDLapp.apk application and enjoy loading Windows (though not everyone will be lucky).

Control occurs by dragging the mouse cursor with your finger, clicks are made using the volume buttons or double tap. You'll have to get used to it.

Now let’s talk about how to install your programs and games on Windows, which is also installed on Android. Here we will also need additional files and applications that can be downloaded. Let's move on to the instructions:

download Qemu_HDD.rar (archive with images) and the WinImage program, which will help load your programs into the image of the required size;
rename the resulting image with programs to “D.img” (without quotes), and then place it in the SDL folder, which is located in the root of the device’s memory;
open (create if not) sdl.conf, into which you need to insert the following line: “/sdl -L . -m 128 -boot c -hda C.img -hdb D.img -usb -usbdevice tablet” (without quotes);
restart Windows.

What we liked about this Windows emulator for Android:

works quickly;
easy to install and use.

What are its disadvantages:

abundance of errors;
poor technical support;
it took a long time to get used to the controls;
unable to connect to the Internet.

BOCHS

A popular emulator that has become famous due to its stable operation with a minimum of crashes and errors. The developer has improved the controls, which have become simpler and more understandable than in QEMU. BOCHS is capable of emulating almost any system from the Windows family, but the performance of smartphones is not enough to quickly launch timely versions. However, there are distributions of the much-revered XP, which will already allow you to test the operation of many programs and games on an Android smartphone.

The installation instructions are similar to those we described just above for QEMU. So, we take all the necessary files and applications, after which:

install the BOCHS.apk program on Android, having previously allowed installation from unknown sources;
create the SDL folder in the root directory of the device, where we unpack the downloaded SDL_for_BOCHS.zip archive;
We also put the system image into the SDL folder, the name of which should be “c.img”;

The image can be downloaded on the Internet or made yourself (you only need the installation distribution of the operating system). You can create an image directly on your smartphone using the DriveDroid program, which is available on Google Play.

launch BOCHS.apk.

The system works stably for most users, but it is not too fast, which can be called the main disadvantage of this emulator. Control is carried out via touch screen and navigation buttons.

You can launch Windows games and programs using the method described for QEMU. Only in this case, changes are made to the bochsrc.txt file located in the SDL folder. Open it and find the line # ata0-slave: type=disk, path=”d.img” and remove the “#”. In addition, the BOCHS emulator supports another method that allows you to add the ability to run programs. In the same document (bochsrc.txt) you need to add one line - ata0-slave: type=disk, mode=vvfat, path=/sdcard/HDD, journal=vvfat.redolog.

What's good about the emulator:

works stably;
supports many systems;
easy setup and operation;

What are the disadvantages:

slow;
there is no way to connect to the Internet.

A rather interesting emulator, which, as you might understand from the name, is designed to run DOS games and programs on Android. First of all, fans of old-school games will be pleased. It works no worse than other emulators, although it has its drawbacks. In addition, enthusiasts have found a way to run Windows 95 and 98 with their programs using this emulator. We take the necessary files, then:

install the aDosBox.apk application on your smartphone;
from the config-adosbox.rar archive, take the dosbox-0.74.conf file and move it to the “\sdcard\app-data\org.hystudio.android.dosbox\.dosbox\” folder, which will appear after installing the application;
download the image of Windows 95 or 98 (suitable from BOCHS) and move it to the root of the sdcard;
launch aDosBox.apk, wait for installation.

What you liked about the emulator:

fairly fast and stable operation;
convenient control;
high-quality image display on the screen.

Its disadvantages:

failures occur periodically;
there is no way to go online.

Analogues of Windows programs on Android

Whatever one may say, emulators are more of a way to have fun. These programs will not be able to fully provide the user with normal working conditions: regular lags, support for a minimum of peripheral devices, and few programs can be installed. A more reasonable solution, if you need Windows programs on Android, are analogues of the necessary software. Google's system is developing rapidly; today it is full of programs that, in terms of functionality, can replace desktop options. Only you also get convenient control, stable operation and a minimum of fuss with installation.

The same goes for games. In recent years, many releases for Windows have been transferred to Android, and quite high-quality ones at that.

If you are an ardent Windows fan, then buy a small tablet on this system that will fit in your pocket, since the price tag on them today has dropped below $100. Windows tablets can handle running popular programs without any problems, and you can play all the old games without “dancing with a tambourine.”

Conclusion

What we have as a result: Windows programs can be run on Android, but only the simplest ones. Emulators are quite interesting tools that can keep you busy for an evening. But, be that as it may, it will not be possible to replace a personal computer with their help, and is it necessary? Android today is ready to offer thousands of applications for every taste that can replace programs written for Windows. In addition, this system is well adapted to touch screens.

Not many people know that today there are several ways to run a full-fledged Windows OS on an ARM tablet or smartphone running on the Android platform. Often, such an opportunity may be needed not only to surprise friends and acquaintances, but also to solve quite serious problems. For example, you urgently need to use a program that only works in Windows while on the road, for example in a cramped subway (you won’t be using a 15” laptop there). Also, the methods described in the article allow you to stably play almost any DOS games and some for Windows (Fallout for example).

Windows-based tablets are not cheap, but an Android-based tablet that allows you to work normally with Windows running on it can today be bought for less than $100. In this article I want to talk about several ways to get working Windows on an Android tablet, and as a test subject we will use a cheap Chinese tablet with a 1GHz processor and 1GB of RAM.

All testing is carried out on an ONDA Vi10 Elite tablet with Android 4.0.3 ICS installed. The better your tablet's hardware, the faster Windows will load and run on it. This tablet is quite sufficient for Windows 95 and 98; running Windows XP requires more powerful hardware, so it was not tested on this tablet.

Method 1 – using aDOSBox

aDOSBox is a program for Android that allows you to run a full-fledged MS-DOS on, with which you can also launch Windows.

The emulator allows you to emulate a keyboard and mouse, and correctly stretches Windows to full screen.

Installation process:

1) Download aDOSBox and install it on the memory card

2) Create\edit aDOSBox configuration file \sdcard\app-data\org.hystudio.android.dosbox\.dosbox\dosbox-0.74.conf:

Output=surface
priority=higher

Frameskip=1

Core=dynamic
cycles=2100

Nosound=true

Joysticktype=none

Xms=true
ems=true
umb=true
keyboardlayout=none

Mount e/sdcard
e: imgmount c e:\win98.img -t hdd -fs fat
boot -l c

Imgmount c e:\win98.img -t hdd -fs fat
boot -l c

By doing this, we configured the automatic creation and mounting of the e:/ disk, which will be created from our image with Windows 98 installed, and its autorun.

3) Download the image of the installed Windows 98. I tested it on the 98 Lite Professional image (a special lightweight version of Windows 80 MB, you can find a link to the image on the Internet, I’m afraid the link in the article will be considered Varez)

4) Rename the downloaded image to win98.img(if it was called differently) and put it in the root of the sdcard.

5) Launch aDOSBox. Windows will start automatically (on my tablet it takes about 2 minutes to load).

Windows 98 and 95 work quite quickly even on a cheap tablet. aDOSBox has many settings, an on-screen keyboard, an on-screen joystick, and the ability to enable screen smoothing (especially useful if you have a non-standard tablet resolution).

Disadvantages of this method:
1) No network support
2) No sound

Pros:

1) Operation stability
2) Run any x86 OS
3) Sound emulation

Method 3 - using QEMU

I think with QEMU Almost everyone is familiar with it, as it is a very famous cross-platform emulator that also allows you to run Windows 95 and 98 on Android.

The installation process is similar to the second method; you can download QEMU and SDL on 4pda. A Windows image configured for QEMU is also available at the above link.

Windows 95 is fast and stable, Windows 98 is a little slower.

Minuses:
- No coprocessor emulation (required in Windows XP)
- No sound emulation
- No network support
- QEMU support has been discontinued

Pros:
- Good speed, faster than other emulators

conclusions

Of course, Windows emulation on Android will not replace a full-fledged laptop or computer, but it can often help and save in some situations, and having an image with Windows ready to run on your tablet will not be superfluous, especially since it only takes up 80 MB on your memory card .

Tags: emulation, android, windows

Why do you need a Windows XP emulator for Android? There is no practical benefit to this. It’s an extremely strange desire to install this, albeit kind and dear, but old operating system on your Android device. This is usually done for games and programs that are only compatible with Windows. For all this, a regular Windows emulator for Android is enough.

This process should not be perceived as making any changes to the operating system. In fact, it's just running Windows on Android. There are several reliable emulators with which you can achieve the task, but they all have one significant and constant drawback. They do not support network connectivity. That is, you won’t be able to access the Internet through an Android device emulator. You will need to switch back to the Android operating system and access the Internet from it. But the launch of regular games and programs will proceed as planned, a little slower, but calmly and without surprises. It’s worth mentioning right away that such manipulations are only possible with the simplest games and software.

Installing the Windows Emulator

To make the instructions more specific, let's look at the process of installing a specific emulator. Today, the BOCHS emulator is considered the best and most efficient of everything that is presented on the Internet. Its main advantages, unlike other emulators:

stable and correct operation of the mouse;
presence of sound (very rare for an emulator);
can run almost any Windows operating system, including XP;
availability of technical support from the development team;
overall stable operation of the system.

To run Windows XP through this emulator, you should use a lightweight distribution. Otherwise, there may be problems with system boot time.

First you need to download the installation file. Be careful about the site from which you are going to download the distribution. For installation you need: Bochs2_5_1.apk and zip archive SDL_for_BOCHS.zip. The archive should contain the BIOS firmware and main drivers. Next, open the root directory of the sdcard. and manually create the SDL folder in it. We download the image of the operating system we need, in this case Windows XP with .img resolution, and drag it into the SDL folder created earlier. The file itself needs to be renamed c.img. Now launch Bochs2_5_1.apk and install the program. All that remains is to launch it.

The buttons and mouse work the same as with the original Windows XP operating system (some emulators have problems with double-clicking the mouse). You should immediately be prepared for the fact that the emulator always works slower than the original.

But is Windows and its software even needed on an Android device? Isn’t it easier to find an analogue of the required program, developed specifically for the “green robot”? Be that as it may, we will tell you about ways to run Windows on Android, but decide for yourself whether it is necessary.

How to Run Windows Programs on Android

On Windows, as many people know, programs have the extension .exe, on Android it is completely different - .apk. However, special tools can still make .exe programs work on Android. These tools are called emulators, and today we will get acquainted with the most popular of them.

Want to play around with the systems' capabilities a little? We will install an emulator that allows you to easily switch to the native system of your smartphone. Essentially, this is a simple program that will not affect Android in any way.
Have you ever thought about turning your device into a full-fledged computer? You will have to study its characteristics (find out whether the processor supports the desired architecture), search through a bunch of forums, and perhaps you will be able to get the system to work more or less normally.

Need a fullWindowsin your pocket that will work perfectly without errors. The best option would be to buy a compact DualBoot tablet that runs on two popular operating systems at once.
I just like the lookWindows? There are users who, in principle, are satisfied with the capabilities of Android, but like the design of the Windows interface. If you are one of them, then go to Google Play, where there are a lot of free applications (launchers) that will turn your smartphone into a mini-PC.

Windows emulators for Android

Today there are many emulators, we have selected several of the most popular. Each has its own advantages and disadvantages, but there is a common feature - none of the emulators support internet connection.

All you can run are standard Windows tools and a couple of prehistoric games, and only if the stars align correctly, since no one guarantees you absolute performance.

Now that you know about the nuances, let's move on to the emulators themselves.

QEMU

download the necessary files (you can take everything);
unpack the downloaded archive;
Install the SDLapp.apk application on Android - and there is an emulator;
The SDL.zip archive must be unpacked into the root folder of the sdcard (use a file manager and any unzipping application);
place the win_95_em system image (will also be in the archive) in the SDL folder;

launch the SDLapp.apk application and enjoy loading Windows (though not everyone will be lucky).

Control occurs by dragging the mouse cursor with your finger, clicks are made using the volume buttons or double tap. You'll have to get used to it.

download Qemu_HDD.rar (archive with images) and the WinImage program, which will help load your programs into the image of the required size;
rename the resulting image with programs to “D.img” (without quotes), and then place it in the SDL folder, which is located in the root of the device’s memory;
open (create if not) sdl.conf, into which you need to insert the following line: “/sdl -L . -m 128 -boot c -hda C.img -hdb D.img -usb -usbdevice tablet” (without quotes);
restart Windows.

What we liked about this Windows emulator for Android:

works quickly;
easy to install and use.

What are its disadvantages:

abundance of errors;
poor technical support;
it took a long time to get used to the controls;
unable to connect to the Internet.

BOCHS

BOCHS is capable of emulating almost any system from the Windows family, but the performance of smartphones is not enough to quickly launch timely versions. However, there are distributions of the much-revered XP, which will already allow you to test the operation of many programs and games on an Android smartphone.

The installation instructions are similar to those we described just above for QEMU. So, we take all the necessary files and applications, after which:

install the BOCHS.apk program on Android, having previously allowed installation from unknown sources;
create the SDL folder in the root directory of the device, where we unpack the downloaded SDL_for_BOCHS.zip archive;
We also put the system image into the SDL folder, the name of which should be “c.img”;

launch BOCHS.apk.

The system works stably for most users, but it is not too fast, which can be called the main disadvantage of this emulator. Control is carried out via touch screen and navigation buttons.

What's good about the emulator:

works stably;
supports many systems;
easy setup and operation;
convenient control.

What are the disadvantages:

slow;
there is no way to connect to the Internet.

install the aDosBox.apk application on your smartphone;
from the config-adosbox.rar archive, take the dosbox-0.74.conf file and move it to the “\sdcard\app-data\org.hystudio.android.dosbox\.dosbox\” folder, which will appear after installing the application;
download the image of Windows 95 or 98 (suitable from BOCHS) and move it to the root of the sdcard;
launch aDosBox.apk, wait for installation.

What you liked about the emulator:

fairly fast and stable operation;
convenient control;
high-quality image display on the screen.

Its disadvantages:

failures occur periodically;
there is no way to go online.

Analogues of Windows programs on Android

A more reasonable solution, if you need Windows programs on Android, are analogues of the necessary software. Google's system is developing rapidly; today it is full of programs that, in terms of functionality, can replace desktop options. Only you also get convenient control, stable operation and a minimum of fuss with installation.

The same goes for games. In recent years, many releases for Windows have been transferred to Android, and quite high-quality ones at that.

Conclusion

Android today is ready to offer thousands of applications for every taste that can replace programs written for Windows. In addition, this system is well adapted to touch screens.

Wine, which allows you to run Windows applications on Linux and UNIX systems, has been around for over twenty years. The latest versions of Wine cope with this task so well that it can be used to work with most popular applications and play almost all games that support DirectX 9. Wine has recently appeared for Android - a commercial version of CrossOver. And we, of course, could not ignore this event.

Wine is a recursive acronym for Wine Is Not an Emulator. And it's really true: Wine is an alternative implementation of the Win32 API written from scratch. CrossOver is a commercial version of Wine, which is designed to run primarily Microsoft Office and Windows games on UNIX-compatible systems and provides all the necessary optimizations and compatibility settings for this. In CrossOver, applications often work more stable and require less fiddling with settings. In other words, CrossOver is an improved Wine. And expensive: the developers are asking $50 for it.

In 2013, one of the Wine developers, Alexandre Julliard, at the Free and Open source Software Developers’ European Meeting summit, demonstrated a preliminary version of software for the Android mobile operating system, which makes it possible to run a variety of Windows applications. There were practically no portable devices with an Intel x86 processor and Android on board at that time, so the project was interesting solely as a proof of concept.

However, the story did not end there. In October 2015, CodeWaves opened registration for testing CrossOver for Android, where I happily signed up. The release was planned for the end of 2015. But there was no news either at the end of 2015 or at the beginning of 2016. The beta version appeared only on August 25, 2016 and is currently only available to testers. And immediately in the version for Android and for devices with Chrome OS (which have the Play Market).

So, in this article we will look at what CrossOver for Android is.

Test computer characteristics:

Processor: Intel Core i5 4200H
Video processor: Intel HD Graphic 4600
RAM: 8 GB (1600 MHz)
Disk: SSD ADATA Premier Pro SP920 256 GB (22 GB allocated for Android)
CrossOver: 15.5.0 alpha4

Immediately after launch, we are presented with a desktop with a blue background. At the bottom is the Start button, in the upper left corner is the inscription CrossOver, and in the upper right is the main Install Application button. After clicking on it, a window will open with the choice of application. Moreover, there are only four programs in the list itself: Steam, MS Office 2007 and 2010, WinZip 14.0, which is depressing. But it’s enough to uncheck the Only know-good applications box, and a list of more than a hundred programs and games will appear before us.

Many of them can be installed via the Install button, but some will still have to be downloaded separately. You can find some pretty interesting games on the list: Bioshock Infinite, Tomb Raider 2013, Star Wars: Battlefront, World of Tanks, Dota 2, Batman Arkham City... Programs include Adobe Photoshop CS3, Adobe Acrobat Reader XI, Autocad 2013, Total Commander . The links contain those versions that should definitely work.

All programs run in windows. But if you wish, you can collapse them into the task bar, like in Windows. There is also a tray; some programs can be minimized there and run in the background. The number of simultaneously running applications is apparently limited by the amount of RAM on the device.

The integration with Android OS is amazing. For example, you can open a browser, launch a YouTube video in it, press the Home button, and playback will continue in the background. The clipboard is shared. You can copy text in the Android application and paste it into a text editor running in CrossOver.

If you go to “Start → Control Panel”, then there we will find interesting items:

Game controllers. Setting up joysticks and switching between them.
Internet settings. Setting up a home page for the browser (CrossOver does not have a browser itself, but there is an HTML engine that applications can use to display web pages), managing history, cache, and cookies. There is also certificate management and security settings for different types of Internet connections.
Installing/removing programs. The name speaks for itself.

The “Start → Run...” command does the same thing as pressing Win + R in Windows itself, that is, it opens the Run bar. The regedit command will open the registry editor (yes, there is a full-fledged registry), cmd will open the command line (bat files work), explorer is a primitive file manager.

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Sometimes you want to surprise not only your friends, but also yourself with the functionality and “stuffing” of your smartphone. Thus, you can figuratively change the internal OS of an Android smartphone to Windows. This is done, of course, not by completely replacing the operating system, but mainly on the basis of an application that will run this very Windows system.

Such programs are called emulators. Their essence is to create such an environment in the system so that a set of functional programs works independently of the system of the environment for which they are adapted. This is how emulators are often launched and images are created on a PC to run games that are intended for the Sony Playstation or, for example, to run the Android system itself on a PC. But now we need to figure out how Windows emulators for Android do this.

Application selection

There are several emulator applications that work properly, but differ in the functioning and perception of the Android system itself. You should also understand that the Windows system itself consumes quite a lot of energy and resources, so before installing the system on your smartphone, see if it is suitable in terms of power and characteristics to carry out such an upgrade. After you have checked the initial data with which to work, you can begin:

Running programs on the Windows operating system with Android:

To run Windows programs on Android, you need to download an archive with empty images, and then download a special program with which you select your files, those that are suitable in size, rename the image to “D.img” and transfer it to the SDL folder on the SDCard. And also change the data in the “config” so that the system reads the necessary programs to run.

As a result, if everything is done in the correct sequence, you can safely use the brand new Windows on your Android smartphone.

In order to use the Android OS on Windows, you can install special programs - emulators. They are created so that people can test different mobile applications on a PC before installing them on a smartphone or tablet. Emulators are also needed by developers creating software for portable gadgets.

If you want to download an Android emulator for Windows 7, 8.1 or 10, be sure to check out this article. You can also search the Internet for information on how to run Android applications from a flash drive or using various virtual machines, for example, Virtual Box or Hyper-V.

Important: in order for Android emulators to fully function on a computer, AMD-v or Intel VT-x virtualization must be enabled in EUFI or BIOS. Most often, it is activated by default, but if problems arise with the operation of special applications, be sure to check the settings.

Top 10 best Android emulators for a computer running Windows 7,8,10

Below, we provide 10 of the highest quality Android OS emulator programs (in Russian) for PCs with Windows 7,8,10.

BlueStacks

This is the most popular program used by millions of people to run Android games in the Windiws environment. BlueStacks has good performance, a Russian-language interface and thoughtful settings that are easy to understand.

After installing the emulator, it will launch in full screen mode, but you can also turn it on in a window. In the program you will see a search for games and a list of applications available for download. To be able to install them, use a Google account. For these purposes, you can not use the old profile, but create a new one.

Do you have an Android tablet or smartphone? Then install the BlueStacks Cloud Connect app. Then you can synchronize applications between your computer and portable gadgets.

Various programs in BlueStacks work without problems, as do games, but in the second case the emulator may slow down a little. But it is good because it works not only in Windows, but also in Mac OS X.

You can download the BlueStacks emulator program (in Russian) for free on the developer’s website.

MEmu

The distinctive features of this emulator are the possibility of free use and the presence of Russian in the interface settings and shell parameters. MEmu works without lag, loads quickly and has good compatibility with games from the Play Market. It provides many useful options: binding keyboard keys to certain areas of the screen, organizing shared access to folders on a PC, replacing GPS.

New applications in MEmu can be installed from Google Play (you will need an account for this) and using APK files. In the second case, the user needs to press the corresponding button on the taskbar or double-click on the file, after which the program will appear on the display of the virtual device.

MEmu also provides the ability to transfer software from a computer to smartphones or tablets. To do this, you need to connect the gadget to the PC via a USB cable and press the corresponding key in the emulator.

You can download the MEmu emulator on the official website. The selection of the Russian language in the program occurs during its installation process.

Remix OS Player

This emulator is based on Remix OS, a modification of Android x86 designed specifically to work on laptops and computers. It has a taskbar and a Start button. In general, this is a full-fledged Android system. The bad thing about it is that it is intended exclusively for computers with Intel processors.

In Remix OS Player, Google services, in particular the Play Market, are disabled for security reasons. You can activate them at any time. We remind you that experts do not recommend using the main Google account in emulators - for these purposes it is better to create a separate account.

Some applications in Remix OS Player run in small windows, but they usually expand to fill the entire display. Unlike Bluestacks and other programs, Remix OS Player is designed for use on a PC with a regular display, not a touchscreen. There is always a cursor in the program window, and when entering text, a virtual keyboard does not appear on the screen, occupying almost the entire screen. To switch the cursor between windows in the emulator and Windows, you can use the Ctrl + Alt key combination.

You can download the Remix OS Player emulator (in Russian) on the official website page.

Nox App Player

According to many users, Nox App Player is the best Android emulator for Windows. It deserves special attention, because it has practically no shortcomings and copes with the assigned tasks perfectly. This program is intended for Windows 7, 8.1 and 10.

A few seconds after the program starts, you will see the Android screen on the monitor.

Nox App Player uses the Nova Launcher shell, has a browser and a file manager. In older versions of the emulator, the Russian language had to be enabled in the settings, but in the new one it is present initially.

The tablet resolution is enabled in the program settings - 1280x720. To change this setting, click on the gear icon in the upper right corner of the screen - this will take you to settings. By default, low performance is selected in Nox App Player, but even with this option, the emulator running on a weak computer runs without freezing.

The program's controls are completely identical to those used in Android devices. The video camera and sound work there; there are no problems with the functioning of the regular and on-screen keyboard. Nox App Player also has PlayMarket, from where you can download various software and test it on Windows.

For greater user convenience, the developers have placed icons for the following actions on the right side of the emulator window:

installing applications from APK files;
taking screenshots;
location spoofing for GPS;
export and download files;
simultaneous launch of several emulator windows.

Do you run different Android applications on your computer, use Instagram and want the emulator to work flawlessly? Then use Nox App Player. Most programs run in it without freezing. Some “brakes” can only be observed when launching heavy 3D games.

You can download the Nox App Player emulator (in Russian) on the developer’s website page.

You can find complaints on the Internet that Nox App Player does not start after installation. To solve this problem, change the username and the name of his folder, using the Latin alphabet instead of the Cyrillic alphabet.

Leapdroid

Back in 2016, many users paid attention to the Leapdroid emulator. At that time it had just appeared on the market, but over time it became a serious competitor to software with similar functionality.

Main advantages of Leapdroid:

Availability of Russian language;
high performance;
support for many applications and games for Android;
ability to work without activating hardware virtualization.

When using Leapdroid, pay attention to the settings of the mouse buttons and control keys in games. Some gaming apps load these options automatically, while others require the user to manually assign individual keys and set the desired screen areas.

The developers of the Leapdroid emulator recently announced the end of support for it. The program can be found on the page. When downloading the emulator from third-party resources, do not forget to check the files for viruses.

Koplayer

Koplayer is a free emulator that allows you to run Android applications and games on laptops and desktop computers. It works quickly even on weak machines and has a large number of settings. In Koplayer, you can even choose how much RAM is allocated for use by the emulator. Its important advantage is the convenient setup of the keyboard for games. For each key, the user can assign ascelerometer actions, gestures and presses to different areas of the display.

Other interesting features of Koplayer include buttons for taking screenshots and capturing video from the screen, and changing the display orientation (vertical and horizontal). In the program, the developers provide the ability to transfer data from different sensors, in particular, the same accelerometer. Thanks to its presence, users can comfortably play car racing and other games.

In the Koplayer emulator, game control settings are configured as follows. Start an arcade or race, then click on the item with its image in the upper left corner of the screen. As a result, you will be able to create virtual buttons by clicking anywhere on the display and then pressing the desired keys to “bind” them to a specific action.

You can download the Koplayer emulator on the official website.

Droid4X

A good emulator that demonstrates high speed, a well-thought-out interface, and is easy to learn. Droid4X is quite fast. It has the Play Market, the ability to connect Windows folders and install APK files, as well as location substitution. In this emulator, you can also bind the coordinates of points on the display of the emulated Android to the keys of the computer keyboard. This option is especially useful for customizing game controls.

When testing Droid4X, you can run, for example, the popular game Asphalt. You will see that it will work with virtually no lag even on a relatively weak computer with 4 gigabytes of RAM and a Core i3 processor.

The program emulates a fairly powerful device with 16 GB of internal and 32 GB of external memory. Considering that the largest applications from the Play Market take up about 2 GB, you can install about 20 games in the emulator, even demanding ones.

Droid4X boasts flexible customization. It provides the ability to change the screen orientation and resolution, and set the desired volume level. Using the emulator, you can take screenshots, record videos, and synchronize all data with your Android device. Droid4X attracted people due to its easy installation and configuration, moderate consumption of PC system resources. With its help, you can operate a virtual device as if you were actually working with a real tablet or smartphone.

You can download the emulator program on the official website page.

Windroy

The Windroy emulator was produced by Chinese programmers and has a number of fundamental differences from similar software. It does not provide emulation, but porting Dalvik and Android to Windows. This uses the Windows kernel and real PC hardware resources. Windroy works quickly, but since it appeared recently and is still far from perfect, it often freezes and produces various errors. For example, it does not launch for all users and does not always switch from full-screen to windowed mode.

At the moment, Windroy cannot be downloaded from the official website (for some reason it does not work). You can find this emulator on third-party resources.

AMIDuOS

A high-quality program that is very popular. It was published by American Megatrends. AMIDuOS is a paid emulator, but you can test it for free for 1 month. If other similar programs are not suitable for you for some reason, you can install AMIDuOS. It will delight you with high performance and a wide range of functions.

The disadvantage of AMIDuOS is that the original installation package of the emulator does not contain Google Play services. Accordingly, the user has to download and install them independently.

Another drawback of the program is that its interface does not have a button for installing APK files. When installing packages, you have to use the Apply to AMIDuOS item from the Windows Explorer context menu.

You can download the YouWave emulator on the official website. The program has two versions - free and paid. If you are interested in new OS editions, use the paid YouWave Premium emulator.

How to install applications from Windows to Android. Running Windows applications on Android via CrossOver

What is an emulator

BOCHS installation

Running Windows on a tablet using emulators

How to Run Windows Programs on Android

Windows emulators for Android

QEMU

BOCHS

Analogues of Windows programs on Android

Conclusion

Method 1 – using aDOSBox

Method 3 - using QEMU

conclusions

Installing the Windows Emulator

How to Run Windows Programs on Android

Windows emulators for Android

QEMU

BOCHS

Analogues of Windows programs on Android

Conclusion

Continuation is available only to members

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Application selection

Top 10 best Android emulators for a computer running Windows 7,8,10

BlueStacks

MEmu

Remix OS Player

Nox App Player

Leapdroid

Koplayer

Droid4X

Windroy

AMIDuOS

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