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Help Installing Windows on Asus Zenfone 2/any Intel Atom x86 smartphones

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kappeal

Lurker
Hi everybody,

I was wondering if there was any way that I could install Windows on a Asus ZenPad. Since it has a x86 CPU and not an ARM chip, it should work. The only problem is that I don't know how to get it to boot into the Windows iso. I am not talking about emulation here, I am talking about it running natively. Is there a way to get around this? It can be any x86 based tablet, just using the zenpad as an example. Thank you!
 
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Welcome to our AndroidForums, @kappeal :).

Well, looking at this from a generic perspective, like say "could I install a version of Android built for device X on device Y?", the core issue, to me, would seem to be if the kernel of the new OS understands how to talk and control the hardware of device Y.

So, the Windows device drivers would need to be available and working for the various Asus ZenPad hardware components.

Interesting thought, though :).
 
kappeal said:
Hi everybody,

I was wondering if there was any way that I could install Windows on a Asus ZenPad. Since it has a x86 CPU and not an ARM chip, it should work. The only problem is that I don't know how to get it to boot into the Windows iso. I am not talking about emulation here, I am talking about it running natively. Is there a way to get around this? It can be any x86 based tablet, just using the zenpad as an example. Thank you!
Click to expand...

I have a Windows tablet, a Ramos i9s, came with Win 8.1 but I upgraded it to 10. The Ramos i9s is also available with Android.
http://en.ramos.com.cn/showproduct.php?id=38

And it is an Intel Atom x86 mobile CPU, same family as the Asus ZenPhone and ZenPad CPUs, but it's a faster quad-core version. AFAICT the hardware is the same for both the Windows and Android versions of this device. However the Windows version has an American Megatrends BIOS (AMIBIOS), just like what you'd find in a PC, the Android version does not, It's got a recovery of some sort, like what you find in most Android devices. And I'm pretty sure it's the Megatrends PC BIOS that makes it able to boot Windows, which is something the Asus Android devices don't have.

Another thing to consider, Windows has a much larger install size than Android, like a device that has 16GB storage, just would not be enough. My Win 10 tablet is 32GB, but with Windows and the apps I require, there's 8GB free. But on the other hand I've put a 64GB SD in, which Windows can use as drive D:.

EDIT:-
I'm sure this is what differentiates it from its Android brethren, a PC style BIOS. Probably the same with all Windows, Intel Atom x86 mobile devices, such as Asus ZenPad.
IMG20160115125216.jpg

F1, F2, F3, F4, Esc, Enter, arrows, etc. to navigate and change anything, you have to plug a PC keyboard in via OTG, the touch-screen doesn't work here. In fact I found it by trying different button combinations when turning it on, it's not documented anywhere, and you don't normally see it.
 
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