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See also: Is there any way to write a WinRt (Metro) app that will also work on Windows 7 and Vista?

I am trying to understand how to target both Windows 8 on Arm and Windows 7, given that Windows 7 cannot run WinRT apps. And as I understand it, apps can only be installed on ARM version of Windows 8 from the App Store.

So can Windows 8 on the Arm run none WinRT apps?

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Ian Ringrose
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    It is that the ARM version of Win 8 can't run x86/x64 apps. It can certainly run apps apps compiled for the ARM processor, including desktop apps, like Desktop IE10, etc. – Todd Main Oct 05 '11 at 06:47
  • @Otaku, can you please provide more details, and does this include desktop .net apps? – Ian Ringrose Oct 05 '11 at 09:03
  • See: http://www.zdnet.com/blog/microsoft/microsoft-desktop-apps-will-run-on-windows-8-on-arm/10756. It's unknown if .NET will be ported to ARM, but my guess would be probably not. – Todd Main Oct 05 '11 at 15:53

3 Answers3

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The definitive answer is out now. There will be a desktop, but you will not be able to install desktop apps. "WOA does not support running, emulating, or porting existing x86/64 desktop apps." All apps will come from the store and will have to abide by the Metro style app guidelines.

The only desktop apps appear to be Office (which seems to ship with the OS) and built-in apps like the control panel, Explorer, IE, etc. Everything else will be a new Metro-style app written against the Windows Runtime.

See this Building Windows 8 blog post for details.

Steve Rowe
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  • Nothing in there indicates to me that third-parties will not be allowed to create "desktop" apps on ARM and use the APIs that are marked "For Desktop", but not "For Metro". All I see in the reference above is that you can't take your existing applications (x86) and use them on ARM. So I think the original question stands: Is there a defninitive answer on whether or not the APIs marked as "Desktop only" in the WinRT references will be able to be run on ARM in the desktop area of an ARM tablet? Anyone know...? – Disco Jun 25 '12 at 22:40
  • You might want to re-read it. "Consumers obtain all software, including device drivers, through the Windows Store and Microsoft Update or Windows Update." All software comes from the store and the store doesn't have desktop apps in it. – Steve Rowe Jun 27 '12 at 08:30
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"No legacy apps" is not the same as "no Desktop apps" though.

Nothing I've seen suggests that there won't be a regular Win32 with COM, IE, MSHTA, etc. on ARM along with an Explorer Desktop.

You may simply need to recompile C++ or .Net after some tweaking or "retargeting." Things like HTAs may even port with close to zero effort as long as they don't use any custom COM libraries. I'm surprised anyone ever expected any x86 code to run on ARM, even under some sort of WOW emulation. Microsoft has been pretty clear about that.

Whether it makes any sense to do much of this (desktop apps on ARM) is another matter, even if you can. The ARM-based devices are likely to be quite resource-constrained, which is the purpose in having them in the first place: cheap and portable.

Bob77
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  • No. From Microsofts perspective the purpose is to get less dependent on AMD/Intel. Otherwise, +1. – Prof. Falken Oct 25 '11 at 16:41
  • Sorry but this answer is now wrong. As detailed in this [blog post](http://blogs.msdn.com/b/b8/archive/2012/02/09/building-windows-for-the-arm-processor-architecture.aspx), you won't be able to simply "re-compile" existing desktop apps to the new WOA (Windows on ARM) platform. You will need to re-write them completely for Metro, targeting the new WinRT API. – dodgy_coder May 10 '12 at 05:12
  • Microsoft is trying to discourage it, but nothing there suggests to me that it is impossible. Then again, who would want to anyway? Win8 will be lucky to survive on the desktop, let alone ARM platforms. – Bob77 May 10 '12 at 17:48
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Microsoft has made no statement about whether or not desktop apps will be supported on Arm processors. They have shown Microsoft Office running, but have not said whether that will be supported on the final platform.

For now the only statements have been about Metro style apps and those will be supported written in any language.

Steve Rowe
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  • You are correct, but see.... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yw7M4OYgpck - It's sounding like desktop apps may still be possible after a recompile - as it should be!! – James Johnston Oct 05 '11 at 15:47
  • I think they've been pretty clear that ARM devices with Win8 have a Desktop and run Desktop apps. – Bob77 Oct 26 '11 at 01:28
  • @Bob, the story has not changed since //build/. – Steve Rowe Oct 26 '11 at 18:40
  • Just because BUILD didn't mention it doesn't make it false though. See http://getwired.com/2011/09/20/win32-the-reports-of-my-death-are-greatly-exaggerated/ – Bob77 Nov 25 '11 at 07:47
  • Also see http://channel9.msdn.com/posts/Windows-8-Running-on-ARM and go in to about 2:30 to see a desktop on Win8 ARM. – Bob77 Nov 25 '11 at 07:51