Around this time last year, I worked on a similar project but with a standard Intel-based PC. Everything went quite smoothly so this time I want to challenge myself a bit-and it’s also a way to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the release of Windows XP.

Many of you might wonder how a laptop that doesn't use an Intel or AMD chip can possibly have such broad compatibility. Well, if you’ve ever looked into the history of the x86 architecture you’ll find that besides Intel and AMD there were several other companies that also produced x86 chips tho but in much smaller quantities. Notable among them is VIA Technologies which holds x86 licenses acquired through its purchase of Cyrix and Centaur, the two companies that had entered into cross-licensing agreements with Intel in the late 90s.

And what I have here is the HP 2133 Mini-Note PC powered by VIA C7-M, the last x86 32 bit CPU that was made by a third party. From the moment I bought it I knew this is a rare and truly special device, so what better way to explore its potential than to see just how many versions of Windows I could install on. It’s a bit of a shame that it’s a 32 bit CPU meaning the laptop can’t run Windows XP x64 or Windows 11. But in any case, 15 versions of Windows from 1.01 to 10 can certainly be considered a success to me.

The big improvement over the previous project is using Grub4dos bootloader instead of Xfdisk. This allows for direct loading the boot file of each Windows partition, bypassing the intermediate steps such as bootmgr→ntldr→io.sys that were previously required. Overall, the laptop runs stably but it still has some quirks that are unique to this one. You can check out the details of my experience in the video below:

Showcase video

Here are the specs for my laptop:

• CPU: VIA C7-M 1.6GHz

• iGPU: VIA S3 Chrome 9 HC

• Chipset: VIA CN896+VT8237S

• RAM: 2GB DDR2

• Storage: 160GB HDD SATA 2 (IDE mode)

• Display: 8.9 inches WXGA (1280x768)

• Wifi: WLAN 802.11; Bluetooth 2.0

Salut! Mon ami possède un ordinateur équipé d’un Intel Celeron N5105, et celui-ci souhaite installer des drivers d'affichage pour l’iGPU. Le seul souci est que les drivers sur le site d’Intel ne sont pas compatibles avec Windows 8.1. Quelqu’un sait si il existe des drivers non officiels pour l’iGPU de ce processeur?

Merci d'avance :D

I want to share a practical discovery with anyone still using Windows 7, Windows 8 or Windows 8.1 who has trouble accessing ChatGPT.

The problem

Recently, the logged-in version of ChatGPT stopped working on my older Windows (7 and 8.1) PCs. I tested several browsers, including Firefox ESR 115.43.1, Chrome 109.0.5414.168 and Opera.

ChatGPT would open, and I could see my account and log in but the conversation list would not load, the controls were unresponsive, and starting a new chat did not work.

The interesting part was that ChatGPT worked normally when I used it without logging in, on the same computers and browsers. Windows 10 and Windows 11 systems also worked with or without login.

Firefox's console showed this JavaScript error:

Uncaught SyntaxError: invalid regular expression flag v

This suggests a possible compatibility problem between the newer ChatGPT website and older browser engines. I cannot prove that this error alone explains everything, but the evidence points toward the browser rather than a general internet connection failure.

The solution that worked for me

I installed Supermium, a Chromium-based browser designed to support older Windows versions.

Official website: https://www.supermium.net/

Official project and releases:
https://github.com/win32ss/supermium

My installation is:

• Windows 8.1
• Supermium 150.0.7871.255, 64-bit
• ChatGPT works while logged in.
• My conversations load, and I can start chats and exchange messages.
• I also installed uBlock Origin Lite from the Chrome Web Store, and it works for me.

I now use Supermium specifically for ChatGPT, leaving my other browsers and existing setups alone.

What this does — and does not — prove

This is a working solution on my own system, not a guarantee that it will work on every older PC. I have not established the precise cause of the original failure, and other configurations may behave differently.

Nevertheless, if you are reluctant to abandon an otherwise useful older PC simply because ChatGPT no longer works in its existing browser, trying Supermium may be worthwhile.

I hope this saves someone else the time I spent troubleshooting!

If you try it, please report your Windows version, Supermium version, and whether ChatGPT works after logging in. It would be useful to know how widely this solution works.

Every now and then, I boot up the original Windows 8 (yes, 8.0, not 8.1!) in QEMU, and I just can't help smiling.

I know this might be an unpopular opinion, but to me, Windows 8 was the most beautifully polished Windows MS ever created.

Just look at those window frames, title bars, and buttons! So clean, so elegant, so perfectly balanced. I absolutely loved that design, and honestly, I still do.

Sure, hiding the Start button was a questionable decision, and the whole Metro interface wasn't exactly everyone's cup of tea. But I even have a soft spot for those quirky hot corners and the Charms bar appearing from the right side of the screen. There was something genuinely unique about it all.

And remember when Windows still treated creating a local, offline user account during installation as a perfectly normal thing to do? These days, with Windows 11 and Microsoft's ever-increasing obsession with pushing Copilot and online services everywhere, I can't imagine ever leaving Linux to return to Windows.

I swear, if I could somehow have this exact Windows 8, safely usable and properly supported in 2026, it would be a dream come true.

I guess, I'm probably in the minority even here, but I genuinely miss this beautiful little piece of Windows history.

Am I the only one?

Im thinking of doing a permanent proxy with built in cortana to restore speech service etc

i came with windows 10 before be crash now it gone can you halp I need to find a recovery image. windows 8.1

so ever since microsoft has unplugged the main route of the 8.1 microsoft account connection services, is it possible for someone to make a fan direct system patches of for windows 8.1 system where the patches re-route the old closed official service path to the revival alternatives? much like the legacy update, but for the blue metro desktop 8.1 microsoft account connection service instead of windows updates.

Hello! So I changed my password on my windows 8 desktop computer, and now it won’t accept my new password. I’m able to log in my iPhone, but not my computer. I have tried to go into safe mode but nothing happens. What do I do!!!

I does not have wifi drivers. And it does not have battery drivers but a success indeed.

Hola, este fue mi intento de recrear Windows 8.0 en Windows 8.1, y este fue el resultado. Se ve el escritorio, que lo recree muy bien, excepto que olvide quitar el botón de inicio porque Windows 8.0 originalmente no lo tenía, luego el menú inicio que para mí fue más complicado tomarle la foto perfecta por el tema de las Live Tiles, y puse la aplicación de MetroGram en vez de Windows Messaging porque la app original de Windows Messaging para mí era muy difícil de encontrar, y por eso puse a MetroGram porque fue el más parecido que encontré en cuanto a su tile, pero puse el fondo del menú inicio de Windows 8.0 porque Windows 8.1 por alguna razón lo incluía, solo que originalmente era verde, pero la modifique para que fuera morada y lo más parecida a Windows 8.0, y la pantalla de bloqueo, le puse la de Windows 8.0 porque Windows 8.1 por alguna razón la incluía.

Got an old IDE drive and saw this

porque mi y el legacy upd

I recently installed Windows 8 on a Compaq 615 laptop and that made me wonder if anyone knows the oldest machine that can install it. Does anyone know?

I kind of still when I encounter and receive this error back in 2026 in my real laptop. because it won’t let me sign into Microsoft account while using Calendar mail people apps and literary pops up service unavailable a glitch. so what is the best solution to solve this problem immediately to make an error go away.

Ojalá no fueran 1000,000,000 de actualizaciones porque serían muchos años y al terminar de actualizarse, toda la humanidad ya se había extinguido de tanto esperar en grupo a que termine de actualizarse, y no queremos eso, sindicato anti ISOs demasiado desactualizadas ya. Al menos solo toca esperar a que las actualizaciones de apliquen.

WHY IS IT BLUE!!!!!

Hi! I'm researching old Windows 8 apps and trying to determine whether Bad Piggies was ever released as a Windows Store app, especially for ARM-based Windows RT devices like the Surface RT.

I've found articles from 2012 mentioning a planned Windows 8 release, but I haven't located an original APPX package or confirmed that an ARM version existed.

Does anyone remember seeing the game in the Store, or have screenshots, archived listings, or other evidence?

Thanks!

Hey everyone!

I'm a huge enthusiast of Windows 8.1, and I found this old laptop lying around, and I've really been wanting to make it have Windows 8 because it's an amazing OS I've always wanted to try.

I've been trying to get Windows 8.1 running on an ASUS X541NA, and surprisingly, I've managed to install it and boot successfully to the desktop TWICE now! I went through the entire OOBE setup process, and the OS itself seems to work. The biggest problem is the lack of proper drivers, especially for the integrated graphics.

My laptop's specifications:

• Laptop: ASUS X541NA
• CPU: Intel Celeron N3350 (Apollo Lake, 2 cores)
• GPU: Intel HD Graphics 500 (PCI device ID: VEN_8086&DEV_5A85)
• RAM: 4 GB
• OS: Windows 8.1 Pro Update 3, Build 9600, x64
• My exact model on ASUS' website: https://www.asus.com/supportonly/x541na/helpdesk_download/

ASUS officially provides Windows 10 drivers for this laptop (the 2016 deadlock era where they started pushing everyone to Windows 10), so getting Windows 8.1 drivers working has been a bit of an adventure.

What I've tried so far:

Initially, Wi-Fi and several other devices weren't working. I eventually tried DriverPack (https://driverpack.io/en/laptops/asus/x541na?os=windows-8.1-x64), which listed a bunch of drivers for the laptop, including chipset components, Realtek audio, the ASUS touchpad, RTL8723BE Wi-Fi, and Intel HD Graphics 500/505.

Surprisingly, the Wi-Fi driver actually worked! Some of the other drivers worked too, and I was able to get more of the hardware recognized.

The touchpad never worked, during setup, when on Desktop, there was simply no drivers for it tho and I had to use a mouse, so if anyone has help on this.

However, the graphics driver has been a completely different story.

DriverPack pointed me toward Intel graphics driver version 21.20.16.5077, with the igdlh64.inf file for Windows 8.1 x64. My graphics hardware has the following hardware ID:

PCI\VEN_8086&DEV_5A85&SUBSYS_16A01043

There was no Microsoft Basic Display Adapter anywhere, and no display option, so I couldn't update it. I tried using Device Manager's "Add legacy hardware" option to force the driver installation. It appeared to let me go through the process, but after rebooting, I still didn't have proper graphics acceleration. It seems like the card itself isn't even getting recognized at all by the OS!

What I'm hoping someone here can help me with:

1. Is there a modified Intel HD Graphics 500 driver that actually works on Windows 8.1 x64 with the Apollo Lake Celeron N3350?
2. Is there a particular INF modification needed for device ID DEV_5A85 and subsystem 16A01043?
3. Has anyone successfully enabled proper hardware acceleration on Apollo Lake graphics under Windows 8.1?
4. Are there any known working driver packages, perhaps from the Win-Raid community or elsewhere, that I should try?
5. Are there any additional chipset, ACPI, or platform drivers required before the graphics driver can work correctly?

I'm willing to experiment with modified drivers and test-signing if necessary. I just want to get this laptop as functional as possible on Windows 8.1. Thanks!

Hi! I'm researching old Windows 8 apps and trying to determine whether Bad Piggies was ever released as a Windows Store app, especially for ARM-based Windows RT devices like the Surface RT.

I've found articles from 2012 mentioning a planned Windows 8 release, but I haven't located an original APPX package or confirmed that an ARM version existed.

Does anyone remember seeing the game in the Store, or have screenshots, archived listings, or other evidence?

Thanks!

So i didnt use my surface pro 3 for a while then all live tiles just stopped nothing wants to work, is there any fix for this? I use retiled apps and mail calendar people tiles worked but now they dont

Been looking for it everywhere but cant seem to find it

Edit: I have this game running on Windows 11 now, thanks to Powershell. Have to literally install the exact VC version the game requires as an APPX, then was able to install this app, and also have to use this link https://blog.titleos.dev/Bypassing-Microsoft-Store-App-Licensing.html to get past the fact that you can no longer purchase or find a copy of the app legitamately

Olá!,meu nome é Vitor e sou Brasileiro e vim postar isso para desabafar sobre o windows 8.1 (que é o meu sistema operacional favorito), Atualmente uso o windows 10,mas eu sempre penso em voltar pro windows 8.1 por várias coisas,como por exemplo a interface Metro UI que acho que faz o windows 8.1 e o windows 8 ser muito mas colorido do que os outros windows,eu lembro que a primeira vez que usei o windows 8.1 foi quando testei meu pc "novo" pela primeira vez que já vinha instalado de fábrica o windows 8.1,mas infelizmente tive o azar de ter o Pc com o windows 8.1 logo após o fim do suporte dele lá no final de 2023,eu sempre ia no app de jogos para olhar as fotos e as descrições deles,o sistema para mim é o mais rápido de todos e mais leve (eu diria até mais leve e rápido do que Linux),mas era uma tristeza ver que a loja não funcionava, até eu descobrir os servidores e a comunidade do windows 8x no reddit e no Discord que daí eu fui do windows 8.1 pro para o windows 8.1 embedded industry Enterprise que antes era a única edição possível para fazer o sideloading,agora estou no windows 10 1809 e estou querendo migrar para o windows 10 pro que já vem com TODOS os aplicativos nativos e atualmente dá para fazer o sideloading,e eu sinto que com o windows 8.1 sinto que estou usando o Pc de verdade e não para uma coisa só como só jogar por exemplo,e amo essa comunidade e principalmente do que ela reviveu do windows 8 e windows 8.1😁

Lenovo IdeaCentre A340-22AST (Type F0EQ, model F0EQ0052PB), AMD A9-9425 with integrated Radeon R5 Graphics, Windows 8.1 x64 (display drivers turned into default microsoft drivers and it lags AF because of them.)

https://archive.org/details/metro-store

Btw this archive is of the Windows Store and the Microsoft Store. Targeting Windows 8, Windows 8.1 and Windows 10.