Updated
Updated · ZDNet · Aug 11
Justin Marshall Rebuilds 1990 Word 1.1a as 64-Bit App for Windows 10 and 11
Updated
Updated · ZDNet · Aug 11

Justin Marshall Rebuilds 1990 Word 1.1a as 64-Bit App for Windows 10 and 11

1 articles · Updated · ZDNet · Aug 11

Summary

  • Justin Marshall rebuilt Microsoft Word for Windows 1.1a from 1990 into a 64-bit executable that runs on Windows 10 and 11 while preserving the original app experience.
  • Original source code and resources were combined with modern replacements for the old 16-bit platform, letting the 35-year-old software run on current Windows systems.
  • Anyone can replicate the build, but the setup requires 64-bit Windows, PowerShell, Visual Studio 2022 with C++, a Windows 10 or 11 SDK, and CMake 3.25 or newer.
  • Marshall published the project and build steps on GitHub, turning the effort into a hands-on revival of an early WYSIWYG word processor for modern PCs.

Insights

How did one developer rewrite 35-year-old 16-bit memory logic to make Word 1990 run natively on modern PCs without using emulation?
With murky copyright rules surrounding vintage source code, could this stunning 64-bit revival of classic Microsoft Word face a sudden legal takedown?
If a classic 1990 application's internal code is drastically modernized to run on today's hardware, is it still truly the original software?