Image Credit: Gustave Monce

Published 3 minutes ago

Simon is a Computer Science BSc graduate who has been writing about technology since 2014, and using Windows machines since 3.1. After working for an indie game studio and acting as the family’s go-to technician for all computer issues, he found his passion for writing and decided to use his skill set to write about all things tech.

Since beginning his writing career, he has written for many different publications such as WorldStart, Listverse, and MakeTechEasier. However, after finding his home at MakeUseOf in February 2019, he has been working with it and its sister website, XDA, to bring the latest and greatest in Windows, artificial intelligence, and cybersecurity topics.

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Summary

• Andromeda OS, Microsoft’s canceled Windows-like OS for Surface Duo, has unofficially resurfaced.
• You can download and install it on the original Surface Duo via a GitHub guide - Duo 2 won’t boot it due to drivers.
• It’s preview-only, unstable, and will wipe Android/Windows data - follow the guide at your own risk.

Have you ever heard of Andromeda OS before? If not, it was an operating system Microsoft was developing for the Surface Duo range. It was based on Windows 10 and had a very Windows Phone-esque look to it, but for reasons unknown, Microsoft canned it and replaced it with Android instead. And so, the Surface Duos became Android devices, and Andromeda OS just kinda faded away.

Well, Andromeda OS has unofficially returned, and while it’s by no means stable enough to be a daily driver, it does work. And, best of all, you can download it and throw it on your own Surface Duo if you so desire.

Related

Andromeda OS gets a second life, and you can try it right now

You do need the OG Surface Duo, though

Over on X, user Gustave Monce has been showing off Andromeda OS on their Surface Duo. They’ve been tinkering with it for a little while, and despite it not being stable enough to replace the stock OS just yet, it’s still really cool to see it in action. You can take a peek at it in the video below:

Gustave then linked to a website where you can download Andromeda OS for yourself. The website includes a link to the image and a link to a guide that walks you through installing "Windows 8828080" (Andromeda OS’s placeholder name) on your Surface Duo. And, yes, it has to be the original Surface Duo; Gustave says that driver issues prevent it from loading on the Surface Duo 2.

You can find the installation guide over on GitHub, but before you giddily download and install Andromeda OS on your Surface Duo, I do want to repeat the warnings that are near the top of the guide:

THIS WILL WIPE ALL YOUR ANDROID™ DATA AND WINDOWS DATA!

We don’t take any responsibility for any damage done to your phone. By following this guide, you agree to take full responsibility of your actions. We have done some testing,

but this is STILL IN PREVIEW and things can go wrong.

PLEASE READ AND BE SURE TO UNDERSTAND THE ENTIRE GUIDE BEFORE STARTING

If you accept those terms and feel a little adventurous, go ahead and follow the guide to get Andromeda OS on your Surface Duo. It may not run smoothly, but hey; you’ve now got a cancelled Windows OS that never saw public release running on your Duo. That’s pretty cool in its own respect.