A fast, state-based Windows XP environment running entirely in the browser using a heavily modified v86 / x86-box emulator core.
This project focuses on instant startup, snapshot-based restoration, and minimal file footprint, avoiding traditional disk-image complexity.
 Windows XP Desktop SaveState 80 MB |
 SimCity 2000 SaveState 111 MB |
 Windows 7 SaveState 95 MB |
 Mini Windows Xp 24 MB Live ISO |
Below are live, in-browser demonstrations of different Windows system states running under v86.
A full Windows XP environment using a standard SaveState.
Approximate download size: ~80 MB
Demo:
http://typeright.social/VirtualXP/
An experimental Windows 7 SaveState running in the browser.
Approximate download size: ~90 MB
Demo:
http://typeright.social/VirtualXP/win7/
A highly stripped-down Mini Windows XP live ISO designed for minimal size.
Approximate download size: ~24 MB
Demo:
http://typeright.social/VirtualXP/MiniXP/
These demo links are actively evolving.
Check back often for new system states, updated SaveStates, and additional ISO selections as they become available.
- Custom user interface and seamless control frontend
- Customizable system configuration and runtime layout
- Pre-initialized operating system environments for near-instant startup
- State-based boot architecture with snapshot save/load and restoration
- Optional GZIP-compressed state files for reduced storage and bandwidth
- Windows XP SaveState Only 80MB (27MB if using special Windows XP Mini Version)
- RAM-drive–based emulator restore state
- No traditional hard-drive images
- No fragmented disk files or split
.binimage sets - Basic Experimental Windows 7 Support (Unstable with Loading And Unloading ISO Files)
- Load and eject user-provided ISO files
- Load web-server–hosted ISO files
- Load saved emulator states locally or from a web server directory
- Optional
.gzcompression for:- Emulator state files
- ISO files
- Automatic detection of compressed vs uncompressed assets
- Fully self-hosted
- Requires only a small set of files on a standard web server
- Optimized for fast delivery and minimal configuration
- Modular and extendable UI
- Configurable UI button presets for:
- Downloading remote ISO files
- Automatically mounting them as emulated drives
- Snapshot-first design (runtime state over disk images)
- RAM-native execution model
- Browser-based x86 emulation
- OS-agnostic control frontend
- Designed for experimentation, archival access, and educational use
This web-based system is created and maintained by Joel Lagace.
It is built upon a heavily modified and extended implementation of the open-source
v86 / x86-box emulator project, including a custom UI frontend, runtime layout, and state management system.
This project demonstrates browser-based x86 emulation and snapshot-based system restoration for research, educational, archival, and experimental purposes.
This project incorporates and builds upon the following open-source software:
- v86 / x86-box
Repository: https://github.com/copy/v86
License: BSD-style open-source license
All original open-source licenses, notices, and attributions are preserved in accordance with their respective terms.
Any operating systems shown or demonstrated using this emulator:
- Are not distributed as install media
- Are presented as pre-configured runtime states for demonstration purposes only
Users are responsible for ensuring they have the appropriate rights and licenses to use any operating system software within this environment.
This project is an independent, non-commercial technical demonstration and is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by Microsoft or any other operating system vendor.
- A modern web server (Apache, Nginx, IIS, etc.)
- Must be accessed via http:// or https://
file://access will NOT work
⚠️ This project must be loaded from a web server.
Like all WASM-based applications, the emulator will not initialize if the page is opened directly from the filesystem (file://).
- Copy the entire project directory to your web server.
- Ensure it is accessible via an HTTP or HTTPS URL.
- Navigate to the main HTML UI loader file that initializes the emulator.
This HTML file contains:
- All emulator parameters
- Snapshot configuration
- ISO mount definitions
- UI bindings
The code is well indexed and commented — modify as needed.
Inside the loader HTML file, you may:
- Point to different saved snapshot (
.bin) files - Add additional remote ISO files
When adding remote ISOs:
- Follow the same format as the provided example entries
- Be mindful of CORS restrictions:
- If using HTTP, remote ISOs must be hosted on the same web server
- If using HTTPS, cross-origin loading is allowed
To reduce:
- Download size
- Bandwidth usage
- Load times
You may optionally compress files using GZIP (e.g., with 7-Zip):
- Emulator snapshot files (
.bin.gz) - ISO files (
.iso.gz)
Compression is fully optional.
The emulator automatically detects and loads:
- Raw
.binsnapshots - GZIP-compressed
.bin.gzsnapshots - Raw
.isofiles - GZIP-compressed
.iso.gzfiles
Once the Windows XP desktop is running:
- Mount an ISO file
- Install an application or game
- Test that it runs correctly
- Save the emulator state
You can then:
- Compress the resulting
.binsnapshot - Host it on your web server
- Reload it instantly later
Best practice is to place each saved system snapshot in its own directory.
Example:
/free-solitaire/ ├── index.html ├── emulator files ├── snapshot.bin.gz
Each system:
- Has its own loader HTML
- Points to its own snapshot file
- Can have its own RAM / video configuration
To create a new system:
- Copy the base project folder
- Replace the snapshot file
- Update the loader HTML to point to the new snapshot
When restoring a snapshot, all emulator settings must match exactly.
This includes:
- RAM size (e.g. 512 MB)
- Video memory size (e.g. 32 MB)
- Disk States
If the loader HTML does not match the configuration used when the snapshot was saved:
- The emulator will halt during restore
- The snapshot will not resume
This is expected behavior for snapshot-based systems.
For testing and experimentation without local installation:
- Visit the live demo hosted via archive.org
- The demo provides:
- Preconfigured systems
- Example ISO mounts
- Snapshot loading behavior
Note: The local
iso/directory in this repository may be empty.
Large ISO files are hosted separately on archive.org to keep the repository lightweight.
The following features are planned or under exploration for future versions of this project:
-
NE2000 Network Adapter Injection
- Enable live injection of an emulated NE2000 Ethernet device
- Provide basic TCP/IP networking inside the running guest OS
- Allow networking to be enabled or disabled per snapshot
-
Sound Blaster 16 Audio Support
- Inject Sound Blaster 16 (SB16) audio emulation into the live environment
- Enable legacy audio support for early Windows 16bit applications
- Provide simple UI toggles for sound enable/disable
-
Improved Snapshot Control
- Simplified save/load workflow
- Clear snapshot metadata display (RAM size, video memory, OS type)
- Snapshot compatibility validation before restore
-
Enhanced Frontend UX
- Unified system launcher page
- One-click snapshot deployment
- Cleaner UI for ISO management and system selection
These items are exploratory and will be implemented as emulator capabilities, browser APIs, and stability allow.
This project is inspired by the Archive.org Windows 3.1 live showcase, expanded into a more modern, responsive system without:
- DOSBox limitations
- Long OS boot times
- Buggy legacy emulation paths
The goal is to provide a modernized, snapshot-native browser desktop experience.