Frequently Asked Questions

Should I buy a Windows RT device?

Not if the aim is to to make one useful for day to day use, there isn't much you can do with them these days.

A Surface RT or another of the first generation Tegra devices is ideal for those interested in researching the beta builds of Windows RT. Check out the BetaWiki Wiki and Discord.

Why is there so little application support on Windows RT devices?

Microsoft did not allow 3rd party applications to run on Windows RT devices other than those distributed by the Store (Universal Windows Platform). Apart from Microsoft Office 2013 RT and a few exceptions for development purposes, normal desktop applications were not allowed at all.

This artificial limitation was one of the main reasons Windows RT devices failed, while the limitation was eventually overcome thanks to the release of various jailbreaks the devices still have extremely limited application support.

Can a Windows RT device run a modern web browser?

Not at the time of writing, while it is more likely to be achieved under the leaked Windows 10 build than it is under Windows RT 8.1 it is still extremely unlikely that an attempt to port Chromium or Firefox will happen. Porting a browser is an extremely complex task which is hindered by the general lack of support for Windows on ARMv7. As of April 2022 the only browser port is Otter Browser however this is still a work in progress.

Can a Windows RT device run "Application X"?

If the device is jailbroken and the "Application X" has already been ported to Windows on ARMv7 then yes, alternatively if the "Application X" is open source then it may be possible to port it. In some cases this can be as simple as recompiling it for Windows on ARMv7 but in others it may be an extremely complex task that would require much more effort or may even be practically impossible.

Can a Windows RT device run x86/x64 applications?

No, there is no built-in x86/x64 emulation available in either Windows RT 8.1 or Windows 10 Build 15035.

The now inactive Win86emu project can run some x86 executables under Windows RT 8.1 and Windows 10 Build 15035 however compatibility is severely limited.

Can a Windows RT device run Windows 10?

The Tegra based devices can run the leaked Windows 10 build successfully.

Is Windows 10 Build 15035 going to make a Windows RT device useful?

Windows 10 Build 15035 is now six years old and it should not be considered as suitable for daily use, in addition to being outdated it has numerous bugs and other issues expected of an expired pre-release build. Consider running Windows 10 Build 15035 as novelty value only, it will not make any Windows RT device useful.

Is there a newer version of Windows 10 available for Windows RT devices?

No, Windows 10 for ARMv7 was never intended to become publicly available and build 15035 is the only version available at the time of writing. The leak of build 15035 was the result of a security breach at Microsoft and the circumstances are unlikely to be repeated. Microsoft are believed to have continued to build Windows 10 for ARMv7 until build 19041 (May 2020 Update) however it is not expected that this or any other client build will leak in the near future.

Can a Windows RT device run Windows 11?

No.

Can a Windows RT device view YouTube content?

YouTube is heading towards being a lost cause on Windows RT and Windows 10 Build 15035 however the YouTube Mobile site (http://m.youtube.com/?persist_app=1&app=m) may still offer a usable experience.

Can a Windows RT device run Android Or Linux?

Yes, although at the time of writing there is limited device support and significant issues remain. Check out the the Open RT project for details.

Can a Windows RT device run ReactOS?

Not at the time of writing but some discussion of this subject may be found at the Open RT project.