We must bear in mind that, since this operating system’s support for the RPi is not officialwe are going to have a series of limitations that can influence the experience of using this operating system.
For example, the first thing to note is that this only works on the Pi 3 and Pi 4. Nothing else. We cannot install it on any other version of the micro-computer.
It is also true that we are going to encounter significant performance problems. Although Windows 10 runs 50% better on the Raspberry Pi 4 than it does on the Pi 3, the operating system can only use 1 GB of RAM of the 4 GB available. This weighs heavily on the overall performance of Microsoft’s operating system.
Some functions and features (such as sound, video output, and even GPIO) may not work properly on Windows 10 due to a lack of implementation. We must also take into account that the operating system can be unstable and generate blue screens. In addition, it is necessary to have some technical knowledge to be able to start this operating system on the Raspberry Pi.
The developers of WOA Deployer They are working on making Windows 10 work on the Raspberry Pi more and more, although it will still take time to make it fully functional.
If we do not want to wait, then we explain how to try it.
Download a Windows ISO for Raspberry
Before beginning the installation process of our valid operating system for a Raspberry Pi, obviously we will have to get hold of the corresponding Microsoft software image. For this, it is necessary that we get hold of the corresponding ISO image of this reduced version valid for ARM devices. The first thing that we must take into consideration before carrying out this is that downloading and installing any version and its corresponding edition of Windows is not something illegal at all.
Although we are referring to a paid operating system, we must bear in mind that what really costs money is its license. In this way we can download an ISO image completely free of charge, although that is, without its corresponding license or official and unique key. The same happens with the version that we need in this specific case to install on the Raspberry Pi.
In fact, on Microsoft’s own websites we have the possibility of downloading the different versions and editions that still have official Windows support. Specifically, and to get the version of Windows that we need in this case, we just have to go to this . Once we have saved the ISO image on our hard drive, we can continue with the process that we explain below to install this somewhat peculiar version of Windows on the mini board.
How to install the system on an SD
Before beginning the installation process as such, we must take into account a series of sections in order to be sure that we can do it. In the event that the process is carried out halfway, it could pose a serious problem for the Raspberry Pi as such. That is why we are going to give you a list with the minimum essential requirements to be able to install Windows on this minicomputer.
Thus, in order to install the Microsoft operating system on the Raspberry Pi we need a series of requirements that are the following:
- Have a Raspberry Pi 3 or 4 (an older version is not worth it).
- We must have a Micro-SD card with at least 16 gigabytes of free storage, anyway, it is more advisable to reach at least 32 gigabytes.
- Download a WIM image of Windows 10 for ARM, since it will be the one that we are really going to use in the installation as such. We can easily do it by following the steps in . We recommend choosing a stable Windows image, no Insider builds that could present us with malfunctions in the future.
- Download WOA Deployer, which we can do on your . WOA Deployer can be found in two different versions. The CLI version, to use it in terminal mode, with commands, and the GUI version, with an easier-to-use graphical interface.
When we already have all of the above, we can start with the process itself for the installation of the system. We are going to use the GUI version of WOA Deployer. When executing the program we can see a window similar to the following. In it we will have to choose the device for which we want to prepare the micro-SD with Windows. As we see at first, this is a process through this program, which should not give us headaches.
Once done, we will click on the button “Deploy” and the program will begin to perform its work. Next, a new window will appear in which we must select the Windows 10 WIM image for ARM (which we will have downloaded and generated before), and the memory card where we want to install Windows 10, which must be connected to the computer.
We must keep in mind that the memory card will be completely erased to install Windows 10 on it. Therefore, we must be sure that we do not store important information, and that we select the correct drive and not make a mistake.
Once this is selected, we will click on “Okay” and the creation of the memory card will begin. This process will take a long time, so we must calmly wait for it to finish.
When it reaches the end, we can already disconnect the memory card from our computer, put it in the Raspberry Pi and start it. The micro-computer will run Windows in much the same way as a PC.
As you can imagine, an operating system of this potential installed on a Raspberry Pi gives us the opportunity to carry out all kinds of tasks and tests. In addition, here the best thing to do is to connect the device as such to a large format television and thus use the mini PC that we most want. A clear example of all this can be found if we want to turn the Raspberry into a complete Windows based media center.
How to erase Windows from the Raspberry Pi
Being able to install the Microsoft operating system on the Raspberry Pi is, without a doubt, a great advantage to convert the micro-computer into a fully functional computer. However, its limitations may mean that it is not worth dedicating this device to running Windows, when we have much more optimized and better Linux distros.
If we get tired of using this disabled version of Windows 10 we have several options. The first of them is to simply change the memory card to another. Since the operating systems work like this on the Raspberry Pi, we will only have to change the micro-SD for another to load another operating system. And we can save the Windows card to use it at another time, if we regret it.
And, if we are not going to use Windows 10 on ARM again, then we can simply format the memory card. We will delete all data from it so that it is clean. Next, we can install any other system (such as Raspbian, or RetroPie) to give the RasPi a new use.
Common problems that we will encounter
We have already commented that we are not going to be able to compare the performance of Windows on a conventional PC, to what we are going to obtain here on a Raspberry Pi. With everything and with it for many users who want to experiment with this type of device and the Microsoft system, the method that we have shown will be very interesting. But keep in mind that we are going to find some important execution problems when working with the Microsoft operating system on this device.
Apart from the general performance that we are going to obtain and that we have mentioned before, on many occasions we will see that both system RAM and CPU they are working at 100%, something we see in the Task Manager. Of course this will cause blockages in the execution of programs and general operation of Windows. It is worth mentioning that these states of high consumption will be more frequent than we would like and what is usual in a conventional PC.
In the same way we are going to find that the reproduction of multimedia content, both audio and video, which is usually somewhat demanding, will not go well here. For example, we can try to upload videos to the popular YouTube portal, to experience poor performance and playback.
Worth?
The truth is that, although it is possible, in truth not worth it. From the moment we tried to carry out this practice we found more problems than advantages. Without going any further, we will have problems from the moment we are going to create the bootable SD card, an unnecessarily complicated process that we must carry out.
Windows performance on the Raspberry Pi also leaves a lot to be desired. We’re talking about a PC-oriented operating system running on a $40 device. Although we are not complaining about the power of this micro-computer, the limitations are more than clear, both in processing by the CPU and in the speed of the RAM. In the long run, the system will be heavy and clunky, especially since it is not optimized. Nothing to do with any Linux system.
Nor should we forget that many of the programs that we are going to use do not work. Most Windows software is prepared for x86 and x86_64 systems, depending on whether they are 32-bit or 64-bit. These programs will not run on Windows for ARM. The ones that we can use are those from the Microsoft Store.
With the arrival of Windows 11 this may change. Microsoft’s new operating system will be better designed to run on 64-bit ARM platforms. We may even see some official image. But, for now, it is not worth installing the Microsoft system on this micro-pc.
And I can’t install a full Windows?
The version of Windows that we usually use daily on our PC is a system designed for x86 and x86_64 processors. What we usually know as 32 and 64 bit respectively. However, the Raspberry Pi, although it uses a 64-bit processor, has a different architecture called ARM. And it completely changes the way operating systems work.
It is technically impossible to install an operating system designed for one processor architecture on another device with a different architecture. It won’t even boot. For this reason, it is not possible to have the same Windows on the Raspberry that we can have on the PC at home.
It is true that there is a Windows version for ARM, which is used in tablets. But this is very limited in terms of the hardware it can work on, and cannot be installed beyond that. And keep in mind that programs for Win32 do not work on ARM. Therefore, we will not be able to play on the RPi, nor use programs that, surely, we use every day.
As we have already explained, Windows 11 is going to be a bit of a game changer. Microsoft’s new operating system wants to go a little further, and will have a special version for ARM devices. Of course, it is not yet available, nor is it known if it can be used…
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