ARM Windows - it is getting a gain

Targets Windows
1

For the last few weeks, I’ve been getting requests from my users for an ARM version of my Windows app.
It seems that people are buying ARM-based Windows systems, which is supported by Microsoft’s new Surface Laptop 7 that is getting rave reviews everywhere.
With the Prism “emulator” layer, it is possible to run Intel software, but it is rather slow (about 30%).

I know Xojo can compile to Windows ARM these days, but I don’t have an ARM-based Windows system and can’t do any testing myself yet.

Would it be safe to just compile to ARM and release it anyway? Are there any caveats that need to be expedited? Are the Windows MBS Plugins ready for ARM?

2

The new Qualcomm ARM chips seem to be quite good. I suspect we will see Microsoft make ARM a much bigger priority going forward.

If you have an Apple Silicon Mac, you should be able to install Windows 11 ARM as a Virtual Machine and test a Windows ARM build on that.

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3

Interesting. Will check that.

EDIT: I totally forgotten that I already have Windows ARM running on my MBP Apple Silicon with UTM. :face_with_open_eyes_and_hand_over_mouth:

Hmm… It seems there is no ARM compiled Xojo available yet. Any reason for this?

4

from what I read, it seems that the intel emulator on arm windows is really slow.
take that into account for long processes in your app.
windows arm on mac silicon works really well, makes even work many old windows xp apps !

5

Their expecting 50% at least in the next 5 years.

The laptops will largely go to it for sure.

6

Update:

The compiled app for Windows arm64 (compiled on my Windows Intel laptop) did crash on Windows ARM (shows the main window and then suddenly crashes without any warning).
Hard to know what exactly crashes. Maybe the MBS plugins (which I use a lot in this app)?

7

Start debugging it.

MBS Plugins have been compiled for ARM for years.

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8

Remember that the Windows ARM target does not support XojoScript, which means it’s a non-starter for me.

9

I trying to debug this but the app just crashes without any error. Maybe because I am running Xojo in a Windows ARM VM.

10

Set up remote debugging, add a breakpoint early, and step through it to see where it crashes. Basic debugging.

2 Likes
11

May try Parallels Desktop 19, there is a 14-Day trial.

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12

Been using Parallels 19 ever since they announce they would support Windows 11 ARM. We started with the user preview of Windows 11 ARM and then eventually switched over to the paid version of Windows 11 ARM. No issues thus far.

13

Plugins would need to be a version that supports Windows ARM, but also look out for declares. They can change based on CPU some times.

14

Update:
One of my users has tested the Windows ARM compiled app on a real Windows ARM device and it works fine. So all used declares and MBS plugins I used are working.

Relieved. :smile:

FWW I also tested it with Parallels 19 and it sadly crashed too.

15

Build app or debug build running Xojo in VM?

16

Both

17

I would file a bug report with Xojo.

Also, run the app from a terminal. The output might tell you what the problem is.

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18

The VM’s nowadays are so good that you should not get difference in VM vs hard metal box.

Usually problems would rather be some setup differences. Like permissions and other such.

(From which directory you run it can matter also)

1 Like
19

I build my apps on an Intel iMac and have not had any issues running my apps in a Parallels VM running Windows 11 ARM with my MacBook Air (M1). My app built for x86 also runs fine along with most other software I’ve tried.

20

I had this question several weeks and chatted with Paul at Xojo. I have a desktop app compiled for:

  • macOS Intel/Apple Silicon 64-bit
  • Windows Intel 64-bit

I bought a Lenovo Snapdragon 7X to use and test. Paul said, Xojo has been on Arm (Windows forever) and I contacted a plugin vendor I used (ZIP compression library) and the engineer said that Windows Arm is also supported.

So, I went ahead and added a new build target: Windows 64-bit Arm. I also used JR Software Inno Setup to build the installer.

Guys, I can’t believe it! Everything works!!!

Seriously. Maybe I’m missing something but as far as I know this third Windows Arm build (and installer package) doesn’t deal with Prism (emulation) at all. I couldn’t be happier and I encouraged Paul to write about this! This is big time good news.

Ken Whitaker
Southerner in the Pacific NW