It’s 2021 and Microsoft has almost finalized Windows 10X build for public release. Many reports suggest that Windows 10X is ready for OEMs and will ship later this year. So if you’ve been waiting to try the latest version of Windows 10X, we have good news for you. The almost final version of Windows 10X has been leaked and you can run it on your PC right now. In fact, we tested the latest version of Windows 10X (20279) on our PC and it worked quite well. So, if you are also interested, go ahead and learn how to run Windows 10X on your PC from our detailed guide below.
Run Windows 10X on your PC (2021)
Here we have explained all the steps in detail so that anyone can run Windows 10X Build 20279 on their PC. I recommend that you go through all the points to get a better idea of the installation process. You can click on the link below to jump to the relevant part.
Things to know
- We are not going to install Windows 10X on physical hardware as the ISO image is not released yet. However, we can try the almost final version of Windows 10X through a virtual machine. Unlike the official emulator, the performance is much better on the virtual machine.
- We are going to use a VHDX file (hard disk image file) which can only be used on Microsoft’s Hyper-V application and it is only available on Windows 10 Pro. So in tandem, you need Windows 10 Pro, Enterprise or Education to run Windows 10X on your PC.
- Currently, you cannot run Windows 10X on third-party virtual machine applications such as VirtualBox, VMware, QEMU, etc.
- Equipment virtualization support is required via BIOS or UEFI.
- If you have a AMD graphics processor then you cannot run Windows 10X virtual machine. However, we have found a workaround and you can find the solution below.
Configure Hyper-V
1. First, you need to enable virtualization from your BIOS settings. When restarting your PC, you must press the BIOS key which will open the BIOS settings page. You can find the BIOS key in our table below. If the key below does not work, find your PC manufacturer’s specific BIOS key on the Internet.
2. Once you are on the BIOS page, you need to enable “virtualization”. Every PC has a different name for the virtualization technology, so search for “Intel VT-x”, “Intel VT-d” or something on similar lines. Move between the different menus and activate virtualization and save the changes by pressing the F10 key.
3. Once done, your computer will reboot into Windows 10. Now we need to enable Hyper-V on your Windows 10 computer. To do this, press Windows and R keys simultaneously to open a Run window. Now, type optionalfeatures.exe and press Enter.
4. Here, scroll down and search for Hyper-V. Now, check all boxes under Hyper-V and press the OK button. It will start installing the necessary packages and ask you to restart the computer when the installation is complete.
5. You have successfully enabled Hyper-V on your Windows 10 computer. To open it, just press the Windows key once and type “Hyper-V” in the search bar and you will find the application at the top. Click on it.
6. This is how Hyper-V goes look like.
7. Now you must download VHDX file created by the book is closed on Twitter. You can click here to download the file directly.
8. After downloading the file, extract the ZIP file and move the Flash.vhdx file to an accessible location like the desktop. I recommend that you save it where there is large storage space available.
9. Now go back to Hyper-V and click ” New ” and select “Virtual Machine” in the upper right pane.
10. After that, give a name to the virtual machine. I named it “Windows 10X”, but you can choose your own.
11. Next, choose “Generation 2” and click on the “Next” button.
12. After that, allocate RAM to the Windows 10X virtual machine. I would recommend you to allocate 3 GB (3072 MB) or more for better performance.
13. On the next page, choose ” Default switch in the drop-down menu and click “Next”.
14. Finally, click on “Use an existing virtual hard diskand select the “Flash.vhdx” file by clicking on the “Browse” button.
15. Finally, click on “To finish“.
16. Now is the time virtual machine which we will use to run the latest version of Windows 10X on our PC.
Run Windows 10X on your PC
1. Right-click on the virtual machine and choose ” Connect“.
2. After that, click on “ To start up” and Hyper-V will start the Windows 10X virtual machine directly from the VHDX file. On first run, it will take some time to process all files and information.
To note: Even after 30 minutes, if the VM is stuck on a black screen, you’re probably using an AMD GPU. Browse our next guide to find a solution.
3. Finally, you will be greeted by a Windows 10X boot animation.
4. Now go through all the on-screen instructions and sign in with your Microsoft account. You can also create a PIN during initial setup.
5. This is what almost ready Windows 10X looks like on a single screen. Sounds pretty promising, right? For more on the final release of Windows 10X, browse our first impressions below.
6. If you want to shut down the virtual machine, click “Action” in the top row menu and choose ” To extinguish“.
7. And if you want to delete the Windows 10X virtual machine, right click on the virtual machine and choose “ To erase“. That’s it.
Run Windows 10X Virtual Machine on AMD GPU
Currently there is no way to run Windows 10X virtual machine without completely disable the AMD GPU. You will need to use the integrated GPU that comes with the Intel chipset to run Windows 10X. And yes, performance will take a hit due to the lack of a powerful GPU. Nevertheless, if you want to taste the finalized version of Windows 10X on an AMD GPU then here is how to go about it.
1. Right-click on the start menu and open ” Device Manager“.
2. Here, expand the “Display Adapters” menu. Now right click on the AMD GPU and disable it.
3. Finally start the VM in Hyper-V Manager and this time Windows 10X should start well.
Windows 10X first impressions
Windows 10X, in its near-final release, is unlike anything we’ve experienced in a Microsoft product. It is polished straight from splash screen to onboarding setup. In terms of design and aesthetics, Microsoft has really done a great job of developing a consistent user interface across the board. Some would say it looks like Chrome OS and that would be partly true. However, I’m glad that Microsoft has ventured into offering a lightweight operating system to the general public.
Windows 10X User Interface 1 of 9
Now for the million dollar question: does the final version of Windows 10X support Win32 applications? Sadly, there is no support for legacy Windows applications on Windows 10X. It’s still surprising. In an earlier version of Windows 10X, Win32 apps were supported through the container, so why Microsoft removed it is beyond our understanding.
Support for Windows 10X apps 1 of 2
Also, it’s hilarious that you can run legacy Windows apps on Chromebook through Wine, but can’t run native Windows apps on Windows 10X. With a bit of luck, before the final release or a year later we might get legacy application support through improved x86 emulation. So far I can say that it runs great, has a nice UI and animations, but the lack of Win32 apps (even containerized ones) might push the much-hyped OS into oblivion, everything like Windows 10S.
Install Windows 10X on Windows 10 and experience the new user interface
This is how you can run Windows 10X on your Windows 10 PC and explore the new user interface that will likely be offered to Windows 10 users through the Sun Valley update. Since using Chromebook as my daily driver, I found the Windows 10X experience surprisingly similar to Chrome OS. And that’s not a bad thing.
I just hope that Win32 apps make a comeback in the near future or that Microsoft pushes developers to release a new version of their apps compatible with Windows 10X. Anyway, it all comes from us. If you face any issues, let us know in the comments section below. We will surely try to help you.
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