[MaulerX]

Microsoft News | Hack allows Windows RT tablets to run unsigned non-Windows Store apps

I posted this here but it applies to any Windows RT tablet.

This proves that there is very little difference between Windows RT and Windows 8 as enabling this hack will allow you to run desktop apps on Windows RT. I guess Microsoft purposely removed this capability from ARM RT tablets to help with battery life etc...



Edit: This is the actual blog post with the instructions: http://surfsec.wordpress.com/2013/01...ity-mechanism/


Excerpt: "Windows RT is a clean port of Windows 8. They are the same thing and MSFT enforces Code Integrity to artificially separate these platforms."

[nuprotocol]

So does this mean that x86 apps can run on RT?

[MaulerX]

So does this mean that x86 apps can run on RT?

Pretty much yes. That's exactly what this means.

[shn'g]

I thought this would be coming and am happy that the option may soon be out there... at the same time I am very happy with what the OS does right now and probably wouldn't use this hack if it were released.

[chuks22]

I thought this would be coming and am happy that the option may soon be out there... at the same time I am very happy with what the OS does right now and probably wouldn't use this hack if it were released.

i agree with you. i bought this knowing its limitation, and am not gonna trade its optimization for services i already have on my x86 machine or my smartphone.
i enjoy hacking and seeing whats out there, but would prefer seeing bluestack on RT than any unauthorised reg edit

[slick5150]

Pretty much yes. That's exactly what this means.

Uh, no. It's not. Programs coded for x86 can't just magically run on an ARM CPU. You'd have to have some kind of emulator running which would be extremely CPU intensive and likely not work all that well.

The more useful application of such a hack would be a Cydia-esque alternative app store for programs coded for RT/ARM but not allowed in the official store.

[Dewg]

This does not mean x86 apps will run - this means unsigned apps can run (sideloaded), including .NET apps. x86 apps would still need to be recompiled for ARM processor instructions.

[Dewg]

Perfect example of what I just said - PuTTY was just recompiled for ARM instructions - so you can run PuTTY's EXE file if you hack Surface for unsigned apps.

[ninjaap]

Uh, no. It's not. Programs coded for x86 can't just magically run on an ARM CPU. You'd have to have some kind of emulator running which would be extremely CPU intensive and likely not work all that well.

The more useful application of such a hack would be a Cydia-esque alternative app store for programs coded for RT/ARM but not allowed in the official store.

I don't quite get it. How come "Metro" apps made for ARM CPU magically run on x86/x64 Surface Pro machines, but not the other way around? So are Pro machines always running some kind of emulator when you're in "Metro" mode?

[MarkAllett]

I don't quite get it. How come "Metro" apps made for ARM CPU magically run on x86/x64 Surface Pro machines, but not the other way around? So are Pro machines always running some kind of emulator when you're in "Metro" mode?

When a developer submits an app to the App Store, he submits 3 versions - ARM, x86, x64. The 3 versions are built automatically.

[nuprotocol]

Got it. I thought dev's submitted to have three different versions of their app in the windows store, x86, x64 and arm. So even with this unlocked, the program would still need to be written for ARM to run. Basically, this will allow us to side load desktop ARM apps? Otherwise we'll need an emulator to run x86 apps?

[johnbash612]

The one thing I would attempt to use this hack for is to install the driver for my external soundcard (audio 6 NI). I was really excited to use it but then quickly realized it wouldn't work without a quick .exe install of the driver. I don't know if the x86 issue would affect it, probably? But I'm willing to try.

[Digital Savior]

I would love to use winForm apps!!!

[slick5150]

Got it. I thought dev's submitted to have three different versions of their app in the windows store, x86, x64 and arm. So even with this unlocked, the program would still need to be written for ARM to run. Basically, this will allow us to side load desktop ARM apps? Otherwise we'll need an emulator to run x86 apps?

Correct. Someone could in theory develop an emulator that you could install that would allow x86 programs to run on an ARM Windows 8 RT machine, but emulators require serious CPU power to work so while you could probably run some basic Windows programs under emulation, running anything that's CPU intensive already is pretty much out of the question.