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!

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3 Ways to Run Android Apps on Windows

Wondering how to run Android apps on a Windows PC? Here are the best methods for getting Android apps on your computer.

Do you want to run Android apps on Windows? Nowadays, it’s easier than ever with various emulators, app players, and mirroring tools that allow you to run Android apps on your computer.

Whether you want to play Android games in a PC environment, test out and develop your own app, or remotely control and run apps using your computer, here are three tools you can use to run Android apps on Windows.

1. BlueStacks

BlueStacks is an Android app player that primarily focuses on letting you play Android games on your PC. As such, it doesn’t emulate a complete Android environment that developers would need.

However, if your aim is to simply try out available Android apps or play a mobile game on PC, BlueStacks is perfect. The software is free, but comes with a premium subscription version too.

Because of its focused functionality, it is also extremely easy to install, with minimal setup. You can choose the type of simulated environment you would like based on a variety of device presets (such as a OnePlus 5 or Samsung Galaxy S8+).

To use Bluestacks, you will need to sign in with a Google account to use the Play Store. Other than this and some other minor setup, you can begin trying out apps on your PC in no time.

Using BlueStacks

The app allows you to adjust a variety of settings to optimize performance and input. Meanwhile, if you want to broadcast your gameplay, BlueStacks has recording and screenshot options available.

A major perk for mobile gamers is BlueStacks’ compatibility with gamepads. The software also includes control tutorials when opening up a game for the first time.

However, not every game will work on the platform, depending on developer policies. For example, Niantic has blacklisted BlueStacks and most other app players for Pokémon Go.

If you’re interested in other app players and emulators, have a look at our guide on the best Android emulators for Windows 10.

Download: BlueStacks (Free, subscription available)

2. Android Studio’s Official Android Emulator

If you’re looking for a full-featured Android emulator, look no further than Google’s official emulator inside Android Studio. As the official development environment for Android apps, Android Studio allows you to emulate the latest version of Android and create a virtual device.

This tool is obviously aimed at developers and not general consumers. As such, it is much more complex than the typical emulator. The software features code editing, APK analysis, and advanced emulation.

It’s available for free from the Android Developers website. You will need Java installed in order to run the program, but thankfully Android Studio now includes the JDK.

Download: Android Studio (Free)

Getting Set Up With Android Studio

When setting up Android Studio, Google advises that you follow the setup wizard and install any SDK packages that it recommends. One of these recommended SDK packages is Android Emulator, which Android Studio requires to simulate an Android environment on your computer.

Once set up, you can switch to the emulator (rather than creating a new project) by opening the Configure menu and choosing AVD Manager (which stands for Android Virtual Device).

In the AVD Manager, you are able to create a virtual device by either selecting an existing device profile or importing your own hardware profile. This opens up a window with an emulated Android device.

In this emulated environment, you can build your own app or load app files from existing apps. According to Android Studio support, you can drag APKs onto the emulator to install them and then run them.

However, we only recommend Android Studio for those who want to build and test apps on their Windows PC. If you want to run apps on your PC for convenience or gaming, the other tools on this list suit that purpose better.

Android Emulator Alternatives to Android Studio

There are other full Android emulators you can use to run Android apps on a PC instead of Android Studio. VirtualBox also lets you create a virtual Android device with its virtual machine tools. However, because VirtualBox is a general-purpose virtualizer, you will need to install a bootable version of Android (such as Android-x86) onto the virtual machine.

It isn’t the easiest emulator to set up, so we only recommend it for relatively tech-savvy users. There are also other Android-focused virtualizers and emulators that use VirtualBox software. These include Genymotion and YouWave.

But these emulators don’t always offer the latest version of Android. They also sometimes have compatibility issues if you already have VirtualBox installed, so we recommend avoiding them.

3. AirDroid

If you already own a capable Android phone and just want to view apps on a larger screen or use a keyboard and mouse as input, then you can use a mirroring and remote control tool. One option for this is AirDroid. The software lets you mirror and control your Android device with your computer. This means you can also run apps and control them directly through your PC.

As an added bonus, you can run AirDroid inside Chrome. However, AirDroid also offers standalone software for your PC. To use either version, you’ll also need the companion AirDroid mobile app installed on your smartphone, plus an AirDroid account.

To pair AirDroid to your phone, simply access AirDroid on your computer and scan the QR code provided. Using the remote control function of AirDroid either requires root access, or access through USB debugging if your phone isn’t rooted.

The downside to AirDroid is that mirroring your device results in a slight delay. Despite this, AirDroid is useful if you want to run Android apps on your PC without an emulated environment.

AirDroid comes with a bunch of other features too, such as mobile notifications and messaging via your PC. This means that screen mirroring isn’t its only use.

Download: AirDroid for Windows | Android (Free, subscription available)

Other Ways to Run Android on Windows

While these are the best tools and ways to run Android apps on your Windows PC, there are other methods available as well. This includes dual-booting an Android OS on your computer, choosing from a variety of app players, and more.

However, most people want a simple program that lets them run their Android apps on a PC. If your main aim is to play mobile games on a computer, check out our guide on tools that let you play Android games on your computer.

Running out of memory on Android? Here’s how to increase RAM on any Android phone or tablet.

Megan decided to unite her Honors Degree in New Media and lifetime of geekiness to pursue a career in tech and gaming journalism. You can usually find her writing about a variety of topics and drooling over new gadgets and games.

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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

Don’t know how to clean Windows 10? Here’s a clear step-by-step guide to getting your Windows PC nice and tidy again.

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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