'Not all heroes wear capes': Someone ported Word from 1990 to run in Windows 11, and it's perhaps the ultimate protest against Microsoft's bloat

Date:
Tue, 11 Aug 2026 16:24:52 +0000

Description:
Think Windows 11's Notepad is too bloated these days? Someone got an ancient version of Word running natively in Windows 11.

FULL STORY ======================================================================Copy link Facebook X Whatsapp Reddit Pinterest Flipboard Threads Email Share this article 0 Join the conversation Follow us Add us as a preferred source on Google Newsletter Subscribe to our newsletter Someone has ported Word for Windows 1.1a to Windows 11 It's a fully native port It's not easy to get it
up and running on your system should you wish to but there are other alternatives to the feature-creep of Notepad Somebody has taken a version of Word from 1990 and created a fully functional port for Windows 11 and as you might imagine, this is a word processor with an incredibly light footprint.

Tom's Hardware noticed this feat, which was achieved by Justin Marshall, who's the developer behind the ' Microsoft Word for Windows 1.1a' project on GitHub . As Marshall explains, this is not an emulator or some kind of fudge, rather it's a "fully working native Windows x64 port" of Word for Windows
1.1a which was codenamed 'Opus' back in the day. Latest Videos From TechRadar Watch full video here:

This port was possible because Microsoft released the source code for the app (over 10 years ago), and Marshall took that code and ran with it. (As Tom's notes, it's available from the Computer History Museum).

Marshall explains that the project builds on that original Word source code (and complementary resources) with "modern replacements for the 16-bit assembly, segmented-memory, and Win16 platform boundaries". You may like Want Notepad to be like it was in the Windows XP era? Meet TinyRetroPad Microsoft vows to make Windows 11 run better with 8GB of RAM Windows 11 is 5 years old and I think Microsoft's finally onto a winner

The result is a very simple word processor that takes the idea of a streamlined app to new levels. Indeed, this modern take on Word for Windows 1.1a can fit in less than 1MB of RAM in Windows 11. How's that for lean? And there's not a drop of AI in sight Analysis: Word up (Image credit: Elnur / Shutterstock) Can those fed up with Microsoft's feature-creep in Notepad , or other bloat, go and pick up this spin on Word from 1990 for a breath of fresh air in terms of a lightweight word processor? No, unfortunately, as there's
no installation package to simply download and fire up. Get daily insight, inspiration and deals in your inbox Sign up for breaking news, reviews, opinion, top tech deals, and more. Contact me with news and offers from other Future brands Receive email from us on behalf of our trusted partners or sponsors By submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.

That's because, as Marshall points out, the "historical source files retain their original Microsoft and third-party copyright notices", which means that commercial use or even sharing copies on the web isn't permitted.

This is why if you want to use Word for Windows 1.1a on your modern PC,
you'll need to get it up and running by following the instructions on GitHub. This isn't for the technically faint-of-heart, as you might guess, and you'll need Visual Studio 2022 with Desktop development with C++, a Windows 11 (or 10) SDK installed through Visual Studio, as well as CMake 3.25 (or newer) and PowerShell.

In short, it's unlikely that many people will go to the effort, but it's not surprising that a fair bit of interest has been stoked in this project simply because of not just the novelty although that's obviously the driving factor
but also as it's an illustration of how far Word can be stripped back, running with such a tiny footprint and resource usage. What to read next How
I think Microsoft's campaign to fix Windows 11 is going so far 5 things Microsoft isn't fixing with Windows 11 that I'd love to see happen Microsoft reveals another way that it's making Windows 11 faster

One Redditor commenting on this simply said : "Not all heroes wear capes."

Another observed: "For the curious, Microsoft Office 97 will install and run on Windows 11 with no hassle. I've been using it for years now just for the fun of it."

Bear in mind, of course, that should you take that approach, you'll be
lagging behind considerably for supported file formats, and also in the security stakes (that's the main drawback with using apps that haven't been updated in a long time, and lack patches against exploits that have since popped up).

If you are keen on a lightweight alternative to Notepad, then take a look at TinyRetroPad , which is built very much in the same vein as the original Microsoft text editor, and is just as tiny as the name suggests. Follow TechRadar on Google News and add us as a preferred source to get our expert news, reviews, and opinion in your feeds. The best laptops for all budgets
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Read our full guide to the best laptops 1. Best overall: Apple MacBook Air 13-inch M5 2. Best budget: Apple MacBook Neo 3. Best Windows 11 laptop Microsoft Surface Laptop 13-inch 4. Best thin and light: Lenovo Yoga Slim 9i 5. Best Ultrabook Asus Zenbook S 16



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