A Surface Duo running Windows? This developer is working on it.

The Surface Duo isn't supposed to run Windows, but that fact hasn't stopped a developer from trying to force the OS onto the foldable.

What you need to know

• A developer is attempting to get Windows running on a Surface Duo in a "usable" state.
• Some elements of Windows have been forced onto the Duo, but critical components have still not been worked out.
• The project is in its "early days" and is not near completion at this time.

Developer Gustave Monce is trying to get Windows onto the Surface Duo. This isn't the first time that Monce has worked on getting Windows to run on pieces of hardware it wasn't intended for. He's one of the minds behind the LumiaWOA project that involves getting Windows on ARM to run on Lumia hardware. At the moment, the work to get Windows onto the Surface Duo is in its early stages.

Monce explains in a Twitter thread that the end goal is to boot Windows on the Surface Duo in a somewhat "usable" state. A Unified Extensible Firmware Interface (UEFI) port has already been made, and some drivers already work. Notably, Monce has not managed to get the display panels to work on the Duo when running Windows.

About the Surface Duo I got. Here is a rundown of where I am today with experiments. As many have guessed by now, the end goal is to boot Windows on it in a somewhat "usable" state.

— Gustave Monce (@gus33000) January 27, 2022

Getting software to run on hardware that it wasn't meant for is complicated and difficult. The process usually takes time and moves forward gradually, so we will likely see snippets from Monce as things move forward.

If you're more interested in a software experience on the Surface Duo that actually works, Microsoft recently shipped the January 2022 update to the Surface Duo 2. Android 11 also rolled out for the original Surface Duo this month.