IBM ThinkPad T43 enthusiast installs 'almost' every version of Windows on the single-core laptop without using virtual machine — 26 years of Windows running bare metal, from 1996 Windows NT 4.0 to Windows 10 22H2 working on legendary hardware | Tom's Hardware
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An IBM ThinkPad user boasts that they can install “(almost) all versions of Windows from NT 4 to 10 22H2,” with driver support, without resorting to virtual machine (VM) technology. The ThinkPad T43 from 2005, used by Redditor MatiHalek, was already a firm favorite among retro tech enthusiasts and well known for being IBM’s final design prior to the Lenovo acquisition. The confirmation that it can run 26 years of Windows OSes certainly adds to the T43’s considerable charms.I installed (almost) all versions of Windows from NT 4 to 10 22H2 on my ThinkPad T43 with drivers! from r/windowsSo, what did Mati actually do? In the post embedded above, you can see they posted a gallery with 10 Windows screenshots, most of which show an iteration of the System > About control panel as evidence of the version of Windows installed and running. This gallery will take many readers on a journey down memory lane as the Windows UI evolves through the eras.Mati says that they didn’t use VMs to install any of these Windows versions. They were all real software-to-metal installs on the single-core Pentium M CPU, though it wasn’t always an entirely straightforward process getting Windows to behave. We’d assume most difficulties would be due to support and drivers for graphics and storage interface hardware.Latest Videos FromThe Redditor didn’t install the 26 years of OSes sequentially in a strictly experimental fashion. “When I got this laptop, XP was installed, so I decided to dual-boot Vista with that XP. Then I did the upgrade path Vista-7-8-8.1-10RTM,” they explained. Subsequently, Windows 22H2 wrinkles forced them into doing a clean install for this pretty recent OS from Microsoft. However, modern OSes don’t appear to be Mati’s passion as “after that, I wiped the hard drive and multi-booted 98, NT 4, and 2000.” They end their post by indicating they will be keeping this 20th-century OS trio on the IBM ThinkPad T43, simply out of preference. It's probably the most responsive choice, given the hardware.IBM ThinkPad T43 hardwareAs we mentioned in the intro, the ThinkPad T43 was the final laptop from IBM’s stables, before Lenovo took the reins. Mati was correct to assert that it originally shipped with Windows XP, and it launched just a few months before Vista hit the scene.Key components of the T43 were as follows:Intel Pentium M processorATi Mobility Radeon X300 or X300SE graphics14.1-inch screen in resolutions up to 1,400 x 1,050 pixelsSupport for up to 2GB of DDR2Storage config between 40GB and 100GB HDDWi-Fi, Bluetooth, Ethernet, and modem connectivity optionsPorts included 2x USB 2.0 ports, a parallel port, VGA, S-Video, a PC Card slot, and a docking station port
Beyond the hardware tech specs, the IBM ThinkPad T43 earned a lot of praise due to its durable, perhaps legendary, build and keyboard quality. It isn’t light for a 14-incher in 2026 terms, of course, weighing in at approximately 2.3 kg (5.1 pounds).Stay On the Cutting Edge: Get the Tom's Hardware NewsletterGet Tom's Hardware's best news and in-depth reviews, straight to your inbox.Contact me with news and offers from other Future brandsReceive email from us on behalf of our trusted partners or sponsorsDo any readers still cherish an IBM ThinkPad T43? If so, do you still run an older version of Windows like Mati does, or have you moved to an alternative OS like Linux?
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Mark TysonNews EditorMark Tyson is a news editor at Tom's Hardware. He enjoys covering the full breadth of PC tech; from business and semiconductor design to products approaching the edge of reason.
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"It isn’t light for a 14-incher"
That's what she said
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Maybe they should just throw Lin... kidding. I had a Pentium M notebook and it was awesome, but once the distros started deciding to drop 32-bit x86 they really went for it, choice of distros is QUITE limited, And installing like 24 historical versions of Ubuntu or Red Hat and triple booting between 3 of them doesn't have QUITE the same charm LOL.
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Thats half as many years as Linux. Good job meeting the bare minimum.
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