HomeWinBuzzer NewsFlashable Windows 10 ROMs Available for Lumia 950 XL and Even Microsoft’s...

Flashable Windows 10 ROMs Available for Lumia 950 XL and Even Microsoft’s Mark Russinovich Is Using Them

Modders have made it far easier to install Windows 10 on ARM on the Lumia 950 XL, with Microsoft's Mark Russinovich hinting at ARM64 Sysinternals support.

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Modders have given new life to 's end-of-support line with flashable on ARM ROMs. After significant progress, the LumiaWOA project has released the 950 XL firmware, including the tech giant's Mark Russinovich.

Russinovich is currently the CTO of Azure, but he was previously known as the co-founder of Sysinternals, where he published a variety of admin and diagnostic tools from 1996 until his company was acquired in 2006.

On Twitter, Russinovich showed off Process Monitor and Process Explorer running on ARM64, asking users if they'd be interested in ARM64 versions of Sysinternals tools. So far, the response has been very positive.

 

Not Quite a Daily Driver

Windows on ARM for Lumia was previously available via deployers, but they could take multiple hours for some users. With the ROMs, users can flash Windows 10 in less than five minutes. It's very simple, requiring just a few commands and leaving the user with 25GB of free space.

However, while Windows 10 ARM does indeed run on the Lumia 950, there are some major drawbacks. The interface is not at all suited to mobile, making it very difficult to use without the pen. Last month, developers unblocked the cellular functionality, but reports suggest WiFi is still unavailable.

As a result, Windows 10 on Lumia is mostly for the curious. You can dual boot it with regular Windows 10 mobile, though it's likely most Lumia users have another phone now due to Microsoft's lack of support.

Still, the project is making good progress, and it's worth noting it was made possible by Microsoft. When it ended support, it gave users the tools to unlock the phone's bootloader, enabling projects like this.

You can grab the FFU firmware from the website of Gustave Monce, one of the project's contributors. They're currently available for the and RX-130 engineering handsets.

Ryan Maskell
Ryan Maskellhttps://ryanmaskell.co.uk
Ryan has had a passion for gaming and technology since early childhood. Fusing the skills from his Creative Writing and Publishing degree with profound technical knowledge, he enjoys covering news about Microsoft. As an avid writer, he is also working on his debut novel.