Can I install another operating system on Surface RT

[Efanel]

Hello everyone, I've got a Surface RT that, as the name suggests, came with windows rt, which is the worst possible operating system I've ever used, and even if I jailbreak it I don't think it would be any useful to me, but a couple days ago I thought that it might be possible to install another OS on it, maybe even android, linux, or anything like that, does anybody knows if it is possible? 

[PlayStation 2]

Could you? It wouldn't surprise me if you could.

Should you? Probably not.

[zMeul]

you're out of luck: https://www.reddit.com/r/Surface/comments/2thl6i/microsoft_please_unlock_the_bootloaders_of_the/

MS designed from the start ARM devices to have a locked bootloader 

[GoodBytes]

Hmm no, no you can't.

The popular suggestion is to use Remote Desktop. But you need to be always online.

 

You can, maybe jailbreak it with lots of research and work, and be able to install a Linux distro, but seeing how unpopular the device is (including the Surface 2), I don't think you'll have a good base community that will allow you to have a Linux based OS run properly and have everything from the device working. Most likely the keyboard cover won't work, and same for the touch screen, to start with. So, even if you could, it would be annoying to use.

 

You do have 150-200$ Windows 10 powered tablets. I mean the specs sucks, of course, but at least you have a full Windows. Although, don't expect to use Chrome (as such system usually have 1GB of RAM, and a slow Atom CPU), but Firefox might work if you are patient for it to start, and limit yourself with addons.

 

Surface Pro, yes you can. You install any OS you want, you are free. Although, if you install something else than Windows 8 or 10, expect the keyboard cover, digitize pen, and touch screen not work or not work properly due to lack for proper drivers.

[Efanel]

thanks for the replies, I was just thinking if there was anything I could do to my surface rt that could turn it into a super useful device, but anyways, at least it is good to use in college!

[manikyath]

you probably "can" if you try hard enough, is it worth the effort? probably not.

[GoodBytes]

1 minute ago, Efanel said:

thanks for the replies, I was just thinking if there was anything I could do to my surface rt that could turn it into a super useful device, but anyways, at least it is good to use in college!

Yea, nice system if you only need it for Office, and web surfing if you don't mind IE11.

I find it a real shame that Microsoft decided to not release Windows 10 RT version on it, and Universal Apps on it, would have been a billion times better than Modern UI. Not only the framework is better, and more powerful, but also you have Windows 10 users that back it ups. You can have many useful apps on it. If you have a Windows 10 PC, just start to store and see.  What a shame.

 

[manikyath]

3 minutes ago, GoodBytes said:

Yea, nice system if you only need it for Office, and web surfing if you don't mind IE11.

I find it a real shame that Microsoft decided to not release Windows 10 RT version on it, and Universal Apps on it, would have been a billion times better than Modern UI. Not only the framework is better, and more powerful, but also you have Windows 10 users that back it ups. You can have many useful apps on it. If you have a Windows 10 PC, just start to store and see.  What a shame.

 

the only person i know that had good use in a surface RT was someone who literally just used it for opening up PDF's in class... until the flash chip toasted itself.

 

as far as i remember they can boot off of usb tho, what exactly they can boot off of usb i cant quite remember tho.

[GoodBytes]

Probably the recovery image that you can download off Microsoft Surface support website