x64 port of Microsoft Word for Windows 1.1a arrives — you can now run this seminal 1990 word processor natively in Windows 11
A developer has ported 1990's Microsoft Word for Windows 1.1a to x64 so it can run natively on Windows 11 PC systems.
Microsoft has released an x64 port of its Windows 1.1a Word processor, enabling it to run natively on Windows 11 systems. The developer, JMarshall23, has shared the fully functional code on GitHub, which utilizes the original source and resources, while incorporating modern replacements for outdated components such as 16-bit assembly, segmented memory, and Win16 platform boundaries.
The port also includes additional features for research purposes. Originally released in 1990, Microsoft Word for Windows 1.1a revolutionized the word processing market with features like WYSIWYG editing, graphics, and table insertion. Despite its efficiency on low-powered systems, it gained significant traction by outperforming DOS-based applications like WordPerfect.
The source code of this version, which is publicly available under non-commercial use terms, comprises over a thousand files and can be obtained from the Computer History Museum. To build and run the port, users need Visual Studio 2022, a Windows 10 or 11 SDK, CMake 3.25 or newer, and PowerShell.
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