Installing an Android OS on a Windows Tablet

I have a Toshiba Encore with the following components:

Processor: Intel Atom Z3740 @1.33GHz
32 bit operating system, x64-based processor

Currently running Windows 10 successfully.

The downside is that Windows 10 is so poorly supported for suitable apps for a tablet and my phone is an Android, so I am looking to upgrade the tablet to Android.

Has anyone had experience with this? Does anyone have a guide for this to occur? I do not want to «brick» the tablet, so it is still important to me. But is it possible?

Thoughts? Concerns? Positive reinforcements?

Might look here. 8 but should be similar for 10:

I saw that, but they’re using Android x86. «When everything is installed, and Android booted up, it works pretty much as you might expect. Not all features are available as the x86 version is unofficial. As such you’ll need to install gApps to get things like Google Play and Gmail. This is true of any unofficial Android build and we’ll take a look at it in a future guide.»

Why can I not go the official route and get Nougat?

Has anyone tried this?

I am treating my tablet as a PC as essentially it is the same. Not quite as powerful maybe and a slightly different motherboard with an eMMC instead of a hard-drive. But essentially the same. right?

Right. latest is:

I have used an image file of this ReleaseNote 7.1-rc1 — Android-x86 — Porting Android to x86 and have got as far as the Android screen, but it doesn’t seem to go any further when running from the USB. Not willing to risk installing it.

I used three different programs, in this case, Win32DiskImager to put the image on the USB.

The Android screen is the furthest I have got now (better than the blank screen earlier).

Downloaded Download Android-x86 ISO file — 677.00 MB | version: 6.0-r3 64-bit | File Signatures from: https://www.fosshub.com/Android-x86.html

I have managed to boot from USB and to fully operate. Now my next step is to fully install this on the hard drive of the Toshiba. This may be interesting. But the good news is, it worked!

I used unetbootin-windows-654 to image the USB this time.

Turning this into a running diary:

I have a USB keyboard and a USB hub. I installed Android. But once I shut down the tablet the original boot loader is looking for Windows. Even though I installed the GRUB(?) with Android. I can not seem to skip the first sequence.

Ok, latest update (especially to all the naysayers out there):

A full install of Nougat from Android x86 worked perfectly (a few minor glitches, but enough functionality for the requirements).

I removed the Windows boot platform by running gparted, creating two partitions, one 1080 MiB for the boot (flagging for boot) and another partition for the install.

I installed Nougat and it did reboot into Nougat the first two or three times. But then it stopped.

Here is the boot loading commands, I can not see what is wrong with these. https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B5. 3lseFZEVDlnajg

So something there needs to change and remain changed. Just not quite sure what (yet).

I have a Toshiba Encore with the following components:

Processor: Intel Atom Z3740 @1.33GHz
32 bit operating system, x64-based processor

Currently running Windows 10 successfully.

The downside is that Windows 10 is so poorly supported for suitable apps for a tablet and my phone is an Android, so I am looking to upgrade the tablet to Android.

Has anyone had experience with this? Does anyone have a guide for this to occur? I do not want to «brick» the tablet, so it is still important to me. But is it possible?

Thoughts? Concerns? Positive reinforcements?

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How to Install Android on Your Windows Tablet

Want to install Android on your Windows tablet? Here’s how using two methods: dual-booting or emulation.

Windows tablets are becoming more popular. But if you’re looking for a bigger selection of apps, Android is the answer.

While installing Android on a desktop PC is reasonably straightforward, you might find installation tricky on a Windows tablet. One problem is that tablets don’t have a CD/DVD drive.

So how can you install Android on a Windows tablet? We’ll show you.

What Tablet Are You Using?

Before proceeding, be aware that Android can only be installed on standard 32-bit or 64-bit Windows tablets. Those that use ARM processors (such as the old Microsoft Surface RT) are incompatible.

Meanwhile, the process of installing Android on your Windows tablet differs from device to device. However, the general approach is the same.

Windows 8 tablets are desperate for an upgrade to a usable operating system. In many cases, Windows 10 is the solution. However, the lack of apps or the increasing complexity of Windows 10 may prevent you from upgrading.

For many, Android is the only way to keep using old but perfectly adequate tablet hardware.

What You Need to Install Android on a Windows Tablet

Get started by gathering everything you need to install Android:

• Your Windows tablet, plugged into a power source
• A blank USB flash drive of 16GB or more
• Second USB flash drive with the Windows installer loaded on it (in case of problems)
• USB flash disk writing software (we recommend Etcher)
• USB keyboard (a mouse is optional)
• A USB hub so you can connect multiple devices to your tablet at once
• The right version of Android for your system

When it comes to installing Android, the first option you should try is Phoenix OS. Be sure to check our guide to installing Phoenix OS for full instructions.

Intel also maintains some Android images for Windows machines. You’ll find these as part of the open source Celadon project, available to download on GitHub.

Before proceeding, check the web for steps specifically pertaining to your tablet. It’s important to have a direct, step-by-step reference to ensure you don’t make any mistakes that could wipe your drive. You certainly want to avoid any errors that could leave your computer unbootable.

Why Install Android on a Windows Tablet?

Windows has a usable UI in touchscreen and tablet mode, but the Microsoft Store’s app selection is comparatively modest.

If you already have experience with Android tablets and don’t particularly like the Windows touch environment, switching is sensible (where possible, that is). Thanks to enhanced OTG support on Android (so you can connect USB drives and input devices) you might not even notice a difference!

Note, however, that you’ll be restricted to apps that support x86-compatible systems. These are growing in number, but don’t expect to run every app in the Play store.

Configuring Your Windows Tablet for Android Installation

You can’t just install a second operating system on a device designed for Windows without making a few adjustments to the system setup.

First, you’ll need to ensure Secure Boot is disabled. Open Settings > Update and Recovery > Recovery and select Restart Now under Advanced Start-up. From here, use your arrow keys to select Troubleshoot, then Advanced Options > UEFI Firmware Settings.

Here, find Security in the left-hand menu and set a Supervisor password. Once you’ve added that, open Boot, find the Secure Boot option, and set it to Disabled.

With that done, hold down Power to restart, then hold the Windows button as well until the screen comes back on. This enables a quick shortcut back into the BIOS screen, where you should ensure UEFI Mode is selected.

Next, switch the tablet off, and connect the USB hub directly to the USB port. Do not use a docking station.

With the keyboard and USB stick connected to the hub, boot up your tablet PC, pressing F12. In the boot menu, use the arrow keys to select the USB drive. When you need to make selections (such as enabling dual boot), use your device’s volume keys.

Different versions of the Android installer have slightly different steps. In most cases, the dual boot option should be selected. It’s often not worth removing Windows entirely as the bootloader is required for Android to boot.

If all goes according to plan, when you next boot up the tablet you should see a boot menu, where you can select between Android and Windows.

Alternative Ways to Run Android Apps on Windows

If your main motivation for installing Android on your Windows tablet is to use apps, emulation is a simpler solution. You can choose from several tools to run Android apps in this way, including:

• NoxPlayer: Probably the best Android emulator for Windows.
• BlueStacks: Ideal for fans of Android gaming.
• Andy: Includes features for game and app development.

Note that these will only run as well as the hardware on your Windows machine allows. Check our guide to the best Android emulators for Windows for more.

Turn Your Windows Tablet Into Android With a Virtual Machine

Installing Android on a Windows tablet can be tough. It might take a while to find a suitable image, for example. In the worst cases, there may not even be a compatible version of Android for you to use.

Don’t give up. If Android emulation doesn’t suit you, consider a virtual machine instead.

Tools such as VMWare Player or VirtualBox run a virtual environment, upon which you install an Android operating system. This might be the operating system you downloaded earlier to run on your specific tablet model, or it could simply be Phoenix OS.

Either way, this is a cleaner option than dual booting or removing Windows entirely. Simply boot Windows, launch the virtual machine, and run Android. Our guide to using VirtualBox will get you started with virtual machines.

Running Android on a Windows Tablet

It can be a hard slog, but eventually you should be able to install Android on your Windows tablet. Perhaps you’ll end up with a dual-boot setup, or maybe you’ll rely on a virtual machine instead. Either way, with Android running, you can start enjoying your favorite apps and games.

With everything is installed, and Android booted up, it should work perfectly. However, whichever method you use to install Android on your Windows tablet, you’ll likely find some features missing or disabled.

As such you’ll need to install Google Apps to get staples like YouTube, Google Play, Gmail, and all the other popular Google-provided Android apps.

Image Credit: peshkova/Depositphotos

Wondering which Windows 10 apps to uninstall? Here are several unnecessary Windows 10 apps, programs, and bloatware you should remove.

Deputy Editor for Security, Linux, DIY, Programming, and Tech Explained. He also produces The Really Useful Podcast and has extensive experience in desktop and software support. A contributor to Linux Format magazine, Christian is a Raspberry Pi tinkerer, Lego lover and retro gaming fan.

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Here’s how to install Windows on Android tablets

While there are some Windows 10 tablets you can buy, there are even more Android-based tablets that are available, and many of them even come with keyboards that let people work on them like they would on a Windows desktop or tablet. But what if you wanted to install Windows on your Android tablet? If you want to risk voiding your tablet’s warranty, there is a program called Change My Software that promises to install Windows on Android devices.

Change My Software may allow you to install Windows on your Android tablet.

Keep in mind that this application is unsupported third-party software, and is not authorized by either Google or Microsoft. Also, your tablet may not have the hardware enabled to run Windows, even with Change My Software. In other words, you will be downloading and using this program at your own risk.

With that out of the way, here’s how to install Windows on Android tablets with Change My Software.

Note: Since you aren’t actually buying a copy of Windows for this transfer, at best this is a gray area experiment. In other words, proceed with caution.

Download and install Change My Software

First, you first must install the Change My Software application on your Windows-based PC. There are several versions of the app, each for a different version of the OS (Windows XP, Windows 7, Windows 8, Windows 8.1 and Windows 10). You can download all of the versions in one ZIP file at the link below.

Steps to install Windows on Android

After you install Change My Software on your PC, here are the steps you will need to install Windows on your Android tablet with this tool.

1. Make sure your Windows PC has a high-speed internet connection.
2. Connect your Android tablet to your Windows PC, via a USB cable
3. Open the version of the Change My Software tool you want to use.
4. Select the Android option in Change My Software, followed by your desired language
5. The Change My Software app should then start downloading the required drivers from your Windows PC to your Android tablet.
6. Once that’s done, click “Install” to begin the process. Obviously, you should keep your tablet connected to your Windows PC for this entire time. If you want to dual boot between Windows and Android on your tablet when the process is finished, you should not check the “Remove Android” box in the Change My Software app.
7. Once Windows has been installed on your Android device, it should either boot directly to the Windows OS, or to the “Choose and operating system” screen if you decided to make the tablet into a dual boot device. After that, your version of Windows should then begin its own normal setup process.

Install Windows on Android – Conclusion

While Change My Software is supposed to work, we have to emphasize once again that installing Windows on Android tablets will void their warranties, and that the software itself is unsupported and not approved by Google or Microsoft. Did you find success in using this program to install Windows on your Android tablet? If not, did you find another way to run Windows on Android devices? Let us know in the comments!