How to successfully install and run Windows 3.1 on iPad

Fast Company's technology editor Harry McCracken recently found a way to successfully install Windows 3.1 on an iPad. He used an application called iDOS, which allows you to install a classic desktop environment on your iPad that supports third-party applications. How-to Geek's Benj Edwards has shared a step-by-step guide on how to use iDOS to get Windows 3.1 up and running on an iPad.

iDOS is an app for iOS and iPadOS that's designed to let you play classic DOS games on modern Apple devices. While it doesn't have to be full Windows, it's possible. It also happens to be pretty easy to get up and running.

To run Windows 3.1, you needed to buy iDOS on the App Store for $4.99, and you also needed a legitimate copy of Windows 3.1.

Once you've got the Windows 3.1 files, you'll need to transfer them to your iPad's Files app. You'll want to make sure it ends up there. You can then load the Windows 3.1 files in iDOS and install the OS. You should follow Benj Edwards' detailed guide to make sure you configure everything correctly.

It turns out that you can actually install additional third-party applications on Windows 3.1 through iDOS. Benjamin also covers how to use the Internet Archive to get software for Windows 3.1. You can find games, productivity tools, utilities, and more there. With iDOS and Windows 3.1, you can turn your iPad into a portable classic gaming console. Benj shows off several classic Windows games running on his iPad, including games like Civilization II.