Can I run my XP games on Android?

QI copied some old Windows XP games to my Windows 10 computer. I want to play them on my Samsung tablet, which I believe runs APK files. So, I need to know how to convert the EXE files into APK files.

AYou cannot do this: EXE files are executable files for computers running Windows (or possibly DOS), while APK (or Android Package Kit) files are for Android devices. The two are in no way compatible. An experienced programmer might be able to take the source code from an EXE file and rewrite it for Android, but that’s a long, manual task for an expert.

We sense that you might’ve found one of the very many websites that claim to offer ‘EXE to APK’ conversion software, but these are all fakes. Some of these tools will install PUPS on your system, while others are outright malware — but none of them will actually work, despite the promises.

If the games that you ran under Windows XP were DOS titles then it’s possible that they’d work on your Samsung tablet in a Dos-emulator app, such as Freebox ( www.snipca.com/24771, see screenshot). However, while this might suffice for puzzle or adventure games, using an on-screen keyboard to control arcade-style titles is unlikely to be great fun. If you want to try, drag an EXE file to your tablet’s Download folder, launch Freebox then type the EXE name (such as ‘game.exe’) and tap Enter.