Instructions for installing Windows on a tablet running Android

A modern user has the opportunity to choose among a fairly wide range of devices of all stripes with different architectures and working on different operating systems. Tablets for the most part are running the Android OS, but there are quite a few other options, in particular, the well-known Windows, which has long migrated from stationary PCs to mobile devices. Fans of "windows" often seek to equip their tablets with a good old OS, because, whatever one may say, the usual interface warms the soul, and sometimes it is simply necessary to perform certain tasks. All existing operating systems offer users a different level of comfort and functionality. The Windows operating system provides an opportunity to feel "at home" and on portable devices, allowing you to stay within the comfort zone. In addition to the differences in the working environment, there is also a difference in the requirements for hardware, on low-power tablets with a processor of less than two cores, you can not even try to set up “windows”.

The method of installing Windows on a tablet with Android.

By the way, for those who can not make a choice or do not consider it necessary to choose, created tablets with the variable launch of a particular system of the installed next. It is possible to implement Dual Boot and do it yourself, if the processor architecture and user skills allow. Of course, the best solution would be to buy a device with a pre-installed system that you prefer, but the reasons why you want to put Windows on an Android tablet are different for everyone. Often the choice is due to professional activity, because many programs are sharpened just under Windows. Also, the user may be interested in games that run on this platform. Well, if the question is only in the interface and familiar navigation, then the solution is much easier - in the Google Play Market app store you can download the launcher for Android, which will simulate the external shell of the "window" OS. In this case, the system itself will not be affected, so that the incorrect operation of the device in this case is out of the question.

Reinstalling the same system on a tablet is not as easy as on a stationary PC. In addition, the efforts of the amateur as a result of wrong actions can take a completely undesirable turn. Risks to turn a device into a brick exist, even if the iron fits under the installed platform, among other things, you will immediately be deprived of the warranty on the tablet, so unless absolutely necessary you should not install a full-fledged OS, and ordinary emulation using special software will be suitable for solving many problems.

What devices can I install Windows on?

Unlike the operating system emulator, full installation of Windows on a tablet is not always possible. It’s all a matter of large OS requests, it is more demanding than Android, and you initially need to determine if an OS is supported by a specific device. Requirements are made to the gland, the amount of memory, but what is equally important, besides the desire to equip the device with another resource management system, the corresponding skills of the user are also required. Installing Windows on a tablet instead of Android is troublesome, but in capable hands it is quite feasible. To correctly install the OS, the following conditions are required:

  • I386 / ARM CPU. Processors manufacturers VIA, AMD, IDT, Transmeta different cross-platform;
  • Two, and better quad-core (with a core frequency of at least 3 GHz) a tablet with a RAM size of 2 GB for Windows 7, 8, 10.

As you understand, to install "windows" you will need to have a high-performance tablet, equipped with a powerful processor. Otherwise, even if the system can be delivered, device hangs are guaranteed. In addition, you need to take care of the actual drivers that will ensure the correct operation of the OSes.

Required Tools

Having preliminarily determined which system will be installed, and having ascertained whether the device has enough resources for it, we are preparing the appropriate means to carry out the work. To install Windows 10, 8, 7 on the tablet you will need the following tools:

  • A bootable USB flash drive or SD card with a capacity of 8-16 GB (depending on the selected OS version) with Windows recorded on it, you can also use a disk, burn it or buy it ready;
  • external DVD-drive, if a disk will be used as a distribution kit;
  • USB hub with three free ports;
  • USB mouse, keyboard.

Write Windows to USB flash drive

In addition, it is necessary to acquire a copy of the OS, its image should not just be thrown onto a carrier, but also made a bootable flash drive, because we need to install the system, and not drag data from one place to another. For this purpose, special software is used, for example, Media Creation Tool, WinSetupFromUSB, UltraISO, Rufus and others. It is quite easy to write a bootable USB flash drive using specialized software, the program will create it automatically, you just need to specify the path to the image file and start the process using the existing functionality. Consider the example of a simple free utility Rufus to create a bootable flash drive for installing Windows 7 on a tablet:

  • Download and install Rufus from the official resource, run the utility;
  • in the “Device” section there should be a flash drive on which we will record;
  • specify the path to the Windows image file;
  • the section “Partition scheme” assumes the choice of a scheme for a disk where Windows will be installed - MBR (for Legacy / CSM) or GPT (for UEFI). The parameters in the Target System column will be changed automatically;
  • the remaining values ​​will be written by default after the choice of distribution kit;
  • Press the "Start" button, confirm the action and wait for the end of the recording process.

In the new version of the utility Rufus 3 implementation of a bootable flash drive for XP is not provided, so that the software is suitable for more recent Windows 7, 8, 10.

Practical ways to run the Windows platform on Android devices

Before embarking on decisive actions, it is important to determine the need to install “windows” on your tablet and resort to the appropriate method of implementation:

  • if you are accustomed to the Windows interface, and the functionality is not so necessary, install the launcher, which will be a graphical shell of Windows, while all the functionality of Android will remain in its place;
  • to be able to play games that were not intended for the Android system, an emulator imitating the Windows operating environment is quite suitable;
  • when it is absolutely necessary to use the operating system as a working axis, Windows is installed on top of Android;
  • If you want to use both operating systems on the same device, the best solution would be to purchase a multiplatform device that supports different operating systems with the ability to switch between them, or a device with processor features that allow you to install different operating systems nearby.

Having decided on what Windows is needed for, we choose how it would be more expedient to port the platform to the device. Consider how to install Windows on a tablet in different ways according to your goals.

Windows emulation using Android

Installing a window system emulator on an Android tablet is the safest way to implement an OS environment. To perform the procedure using the instructions, even an inexperienced user can. There are various programs that mimic Windows, such as QEMU or BOCSH. The first is no longer supported by developers, so the latest OS versions cannot be emulated with its help. But BOCSH is a universal utility and allows you to port any version of Windows as a guest operating system. To implement the procedure, perform the following steps:

  • Download and install BOCSH on the Android device;
  • Download the SDL archive for BOCSH, containing the BIOS and drivers, and unpack it into the SDL folder previously created on the device's memory card;
  • Download the Windows image in the IMG format to the same SDL directory (to launch the eight or the version above, the image is converted from ISO to IMG, for which there is a special software, for example MagicISO, PowerISO, UltraISO and others);
  • Run the BOCSH emulator and enjoy the result.

The BOCSH utility differs in sound support in the guest OS and in operation stability, but the speed when emulating the latest versions of Windows leaves much to be desired.

Installing Windows as a second OS

So, you decided to install Windows 10, 8 or 7 versions next to Android. You have a difficult task in front of you, which is only possible for confident users who are also ready to part with the device. To host Windows next to Android, tablets with UEFI firmware are used, because the Recovery mode does not provide for the installation of other operating systems other than the native Android. If everything goes well, at the output you will get a device with the Dual Boot system, which provides for the variable launch of different operating systems that are neighboring and do not conflict with each other. The process is available only on devices whose hardware supports the installation of two software cores. During the work by flashing the standard Android Recovery is replaced by Dual Bootloader, but remember that the incompatibility of the hardware of the device with the software or unexpected failures when changing consoles can lead to unpleasant consequences.

There is no way to roll back your actions in the procedure for replacing a kernel preloader, therefore, taking up the task, you must have certain skills and be as attentive as possible. In case everything goes wrong, it is necessary to make a backup copy of Android before writing to install it, writing it to external media, using standard tools or using third-party software. Next, perform the following actions:

  • We connect to the tablet installation flash drive or SD-card with Windows OS;
  • in the UEFI console, set the boot from the specified media (bootable flash drive);
  • Install Windows 10 (8, 7) by analogy with a desktop computer;
  • Download the appropriate device drivers (display, Wi-Fi adapter, etc.) for the correct functioning of the system.

Installation can be considered complete, and with great success, drivers may not be required.

Installing Windows instead of Android

If you decide to install Windows 7, 8 or 10, completely replacing the Android system, and alternative options do not suit you, and the risks do not frighten, then consider how to do it. On the condition of compatibility with the filling of the device, as well as on user skills, do not forget. The process involves the following actions:

  1. We connect to the tablet bootable USB flash drive, mouse, keyboard via USB hub.
  2. Perform a restart and go to the UEFI mode by pressing the F key
  3. We put the boot from the bootable flash drive and after running the installer, select the option "Full installation".
  4. We delete, create a new one and format the section C in the device’s memory, after which its original size will be visible. It can be divided into sections C and D for convenience, by analogy with installing OSes on a computer. A disk partition will remove the shell and kernel of the Android OS, in place of which Windows will be installed.
  5. Apply and confirm selected actions.
  6. Start the installation of Windows.

Upon completion of the procedure, you will receive Windows on your tablet without an alternative to launch Android. If space is left on the D drive, you can return the Android by putting the OS as the second one.

Despite the seeming simplicity of porting the “windows” to the Android tablet and the analogy with the usual installation of Windows on a PC, in fact the process requires great care from the user, starting from ascertaining the characteristics of the device and preparing to perform actions and ending directly with the installation. Only in the case of skillfully executed manipulations can we count on the success of the implementation of the “non-native” platform on the device.