Download and install Windows 3.1 on your iPad using iDOS 2 app

A tech editor from Fast Company managed to install a classic version of Windows, 3.1, on iPad. The process requires an app called iDOS, which is available on the App Store, and you can install the popular desktop setting with support for third-party applications on an iPad.

iDOS is an app for both iPadOS and iOS, it was initially designed to let users play classic DOS games on Apple devices. Even though it was not meant to be created to run a full-fledged Windows version, it holds the capability to do so. Apart from installing the app, you will need an official copy of Windows 3.1. Read more to find out how you can achieve this.

iDOS 2 Windows 3.1 iPad App Store

You can download and install Windows 3.1 on your iPad using iDOS 2, available on App Store

Tech editor of Fast Company, Harry McCracken was the first to come up with the way to install Windows 3.1 on iPad using iDOS. How-to-Geek‘s Benj Edwards put together a step-by-step guide to get Windows 3.1 up and running on your iPad using iDOS.

Here’s the tricky part: To install Windows 3.1 in iDOS 2, you’ll need to somehow copy the Windows 3.1 installation files over to your iPad. The good news is that there’s a completely legal way to do this if you own original Windows 3.1 installation floppies—by literally copying all the files off of the floppies and putting them into a folder. If you do own the disks (and thus, a license to use Windows 3.1), you might also be able to find disk images of the floppies somewhere on the web, but we’re leaving the legal and ethical implications of doing that up to you.

M1 iPad Pro - iDOS

After you have obtained Windows 3.1 files, you will have to transfer them over to your iPad’s Files app. iDOS will create a separate folder in the Files app for additional things you might import to the app. Then you can finally load up the Windows 3.1 files in iDOS and install the operating system.

With iDOS and Windows 3.1, you can convert your iPad into a portable classic gaming machine, and even surprise your friends and family. The app is available to download from the App Store for $4.99 currently. If you install Windows 3.1 on your iPad, let us know how it goes in the comments below.

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About the Author

Usman has been playing games for as long as he can remember. He is an editor at iThinkDifferent and writes about games, Apple news, hardware, productivity guides, and more. When not writing for iTD, Usman loves to play competitive Team Fortress 2, spends time honing his football skills, and watches superhero movies.