Instructions for emulating Windows 10X on Windows 10 to try it out

Microsoft has released the first preview of the Windows 10X emulator. This is a new version of Windows 10 designed for dual screens like Surface Duo. You can now run the Windows 10X emulator to test the new features of this operating system.

Many new features, including the Start menu, along with parts of the new interface and how apps work in dual-screen mode. However, if you are interested in Windows 10X, you can experience it on Windows 10 itself. Of course, your computer must be configured enough to use the Windows 10X emulator.

Requirements to emulate Windows 10X

While the Windows 10X emulator is available to anyone, there are some software and also hardware requirements to use it.

Software requirements

Required software to run Windows 10X:

• Windows 10 Pro, Enterprise, or Education (x64) from version 19555 or later.
• Microsoft Hyper-V with GPU-PV for hardware acceleration.

Hardware requirements

Minimum hardware requirements include:

• CPU: Intel CPUs with at least 4 cores support virtualization (a bit of a pity for the red team).
• RAM: 8gb or more
• .Hard Drive: 15GB to 20GB or more (SSD is better).
• GPU: Discrete graphics card supports DirectX 11 and graphics support WDDM 2.4.

The emulator is only supported on Intel CPUs, you must make sure that hardware-assisted virtualization, Second Level Address Translation (SLAT), and Hardware-based Data Execution Prevention (DEP) are enabled on BIOS or UEFI.

If you are sure that you have met the above conditions, you can skip this step. You can follow the installation instructions Microsoft Emlator and Windows 10X Emulator Image under.

How to install Windows 10X

To install Windows 10X, you must install the latest Windows 10 Insider preview and you need to enable Hyper-V virtualization feature.

Install Windows 10 preview

The Windows 10X emulator is currently under development, so you must install the latest version from Windows insider program.

Important: After upgrading, you may not be able to go back to the previous version and the installation process may also fail. So make sure you have system backup before continuing.

To install the preview of Windows 10, follow these steps:

1. Open Settings.
2. Press Update & Security.
3. Press Windows Insider Program.
4. Press Get started.
5. Press Link an account.
6. Select your Microsoft account or use another account.
7. Press Tiếp tục.
8. In “Pick your Insider settings”, select Fast.
9. Press Confirm.
10. Press Confirm Again.
11. Press Restart.
12. After restarting the device, open Settings.
13. Press Update & Security.
14. Press Windows Update.
15. Press Check for updates.
16. Press Restart now

After completing the above steps, the latest Preview version in the Fast ring will be installed on your device, allowing you to install Windows 10X Emulator Image from the Microsoft Store.

Enable Microsoft Hyper-V

Hyper-V is a virtualization tool available on Windows 10 Pro, Enterprise and Education and it allows you to create virtual machines to install and run different operating systems. It is also the technology that allows you to run Windows 10X.

Check if the system supports Hyper-V?

To confirm that your computer meets the requirements to support Hyper-V, perform the following steps:

1. Open Start.
2. Import Cmd Go to the search box and click on the first result.
3. Enter the command line below and press Enter:
   systeminfo.exe
   
4. In section “Hyper-V Requirements”if it appears Yesthen you can run Hyper-V.

If the result is Nothen your hardware does not support this feature.

The emulator also requires at least a processor with 4 cores. Although most modern devices will meet this minimum requirement (my computer now has 2 cores). You can see how many cores the CPU has from Task Manager by pressing Ctrl + Shift + ESC and switch to tab Performance.

Turn on Hyper-V

1. Open Settings.
2. Press Apps.
3. In the “Related settings” section, press Programs and Features.
4. Press Turn Windows features on or off.
5. Check in Hyper-V.
6. Press OK.
7. Press Restart now.

Once completed, you can proceed with the steps to download and install Windows 10X.

Install Microsoft Emulator

1. Open Microsoft Store.
2. Search Microsoft Emulator.
3. Select the application as shown below.
4. Press Get (or Install).

Now the final step is to download the Windows 10X Emulator image.

Install Windows 10X Emulator Image

1. Open Microsoft Store.
2. Search Windows 10X Emulator Image
3. Select the result like the image below.
4. Press Get (or Install).

Once completed, Windows 10X Emulator Image has been installed on the device.

Open Windows 10X Emulator

1. Open Start.
2. Search Microsoft Emulator and click on the first result.
3. Press Start.
   If you receive the error “XDE:019, You do not have permission to run the emulator”, click Retry to continue.
4. Use the right controller to rotate, navigate, take screenshots, control volume, and turn off the emulator.

Once you complete the steps, the emulator will launch and you can experience Windows 10X on Windows 10.

If you get any error, you can press Edit from Microsoft Emulator, and then you will see “Diff Disk and Checkpoint”, click on it. You can also adjust memory usage and disable GPU if necessary.

If you want to know more about Windows 10X, you can read Microsoft documentation.