Someone ported Microsoft Word from 1990 onto x64 systems, and you can download it right now

Published Aug 11, 2026, 1:15 AM EDT Simon is a Computer Science BSc graduate who has been writing about technology since 2014, and using Windows machines since 3.1. After working for an indie game studio and acting as the family's go-to technician for all computer issues, he found his passion for writing and decided to use his skill set to write about all things tech. Since beginning his writing career, he has written for many different publications such as WorldStart, Listverse, and MakeTechEasier. However, after finding his home at MakeUseOf in February 2019, he would eventually move on to its sister site, XDA, to bring the latest and greatest in Windows, Linux, and DIY electronics. Sign in to your XDA account Summary This native x64 port of Word for Windows 1.1a (Opus) brings 1990 Word to modern Windows. It's a direct port from original source, not emulation or a modern reimplementation. Grab it from the GitHub repo to run the authentic 1990 Word on current x64 Windows. It has been a good few months for people interested in preserving the apps of the past. Back in June, we saw the 30-year-old build of GIMP used to design Tux the Penguin re-released for modern Linux distros. Now, Windows is getting its own retro flashback, as someone has ported Word for Windows 1.1 to x64 systems. You can now download this fan port of Word for Windows 1.1 for your system A time long before Copilot arrived on the scene Windows 3.0 Workspace | Image credit: Wikipedia (Modernponderer) As spotted by TechSpot, this cool feat was performed by jmarshall23 over on GitHub. They released a port of an old version of Microsoft Word from 1990, and it's so old that it's not even called "Microsoft Word." It's back when Microsoft used the product name "Word for Windows," which is definitely a cool blast from the past. Here's how jmarshall23 describes their project: This project is a fully working native Windows x64 port of Microsoft Word for Windows 1.1a, whose historical codename was Opus. It builds the original Word source and resources together with modern replacements for the 16-bit assembly, segmented-memory, and Win16 platform boundaries. Jmarshall23 notes that their integration isn't an emulation; neither is it a reimplementation using modern-day editors. It's a port of the original app tweaked to work with new versions of Windows, so it's about as close to the real deal as you can get. If you'd like to give it a go, head over to the GitHub repository for the project and follow the instructions to set it up on your system.