If you like Windows but hate Microsoft’s increasing interference, why not try an alternative? Wayne Williams explains how to use ReactOS
Windows 10 is undoubtedly a good operating system, but there are elements of it that you might not be so keen on. The fact that it spies on you and makes updates mandatory, for example, may leave you feeling less comfortable than you did with previous versions. If you don’t want to upgrade to Windows 10, and Microsoft’s constant nagging to do so is beginning to grate, perhaps it’s time to consider switching to a brand new operating system.
Although Linux, Mac OS X and Chrome OS are great alternatives to Windows, they all have downsides – not least of which is that you might need to shell out for new hardware to use some of them. ReactOS (www.reactos.org) is potentially a better solution – it’s fully compatible with Windows, which means it will run all your favourite programs, but at the same time it isn’t Windows, and Microsoft has nothing to do with it.
What is ReactOS?
ReactOS is an entirely free open-source operating system that has been written from scratch. It’s based on Windows, looks and behaves like Microsoft’s OS, and can run Windows software and use Windows drivers, so all your hardware should work as intended. Because it’s open-source (unlike Windows, which is closed source), you don’t have to worry about spying or privacy issues. Anyone who has enough technical knowledge can look at the source code and see how it works, report and fix bugs, and even spin off their own version of the OS.
ReactOS has been in development for around 20 years, and a new version has just been released. You should be able to run your favourite programs on it, although there’s no guarantee that everything will function perfectly. That said, new builds are released daily, so if you encounter a problem, it could well be fixed in a day or two – especially if you report the issue.
Download ReactOS
There are two main versions of ReactOS to choose from: a BootCD and a LiveCD. The former lets you install ReactOS on your PC, while the latter gives you a way of testing the operating system without installing it. This is the same approach you’ll find with Linux-based operating systems like Ubuntu. We’d recommend you start with the LiveCD, so you can see whether or not you like it. Despite its long development history, ReactOS is still at the alpha testing stage, which means it is not yet feature-complete and so not recommended for everyday use. You can install it on a PC without any a problems, but it probably shouldn’t replace Windows on your main system just yet.
Three ‘advanced downloads’ are also available. These are versions of the OS that have already been set up and are designed to run using virtualisation software (programs that emulate PC hardware and can run as separate systems inside Windows). To try ReactOS with QEMU, VMware, or VirtualBox, just download the relevant version. Finally, if you want to try the very latest releases, you can download the nightly builds.
Although ReactOS is free, you will be asked to contribute a small fee towards its continuing development, but there’s no obligation to do so, and you can just proceed straight to the downloads.
Unlike many Linux operating systems, ReactOS isn’t a particularly large download. The LiveCD version is just 65.7MB, and the BootCD version is only marginally larger at 93.8MB.
System requirements
ReactOS has very modest hardware needs, so it should run on older computers provided they meet the following requirements:
• RAM: A minimum of 96MB; 256MB is recommended.
• Processor: x86 or x64 architecture, Pentium or later, and equivalents.
• Hard drive: An IDE or SATA drive with at least 450MB of free space on the primary partition (not all SATA controllers will work with ReactOS).
• FAT16 or FAT32 primary boot partition.
• Video: A VGA-compatible video card (VESA BIOS version 2.0 or later).
Run ReactOS from a LiveCD
1 Unzip the LiveCD download and save the ReactOS-0.4.0-Live.iso to your desktop. You can copy this disk image to a CD or DVD or install it on a USB flash drive using Rufus (rufus.akeo.ie). You’ll find instructions for both on the ReactOS website. Boot from your choice of installation media, and select LiveCD in the menu.
2 Your computer will load any drivers it needs and then present you with the ReactOS desktop. You can now start using it. As you can see, ReactOS isn’t the most modern-looking operating system around, with a design that’s reminiscent of Windows 98. You’ll find shortcuts to popular features on the desktop and also a Start menu.
3 Using ReactOS is like going back in time to a simpler Windows era. Click the Start button to access various apps, sorted into categories. Accessories includes Calculator, Paint and WordPad. Entertainment offers a Multimedia Player and Sound Recorder, while Games includes Solitaire and WineMine.
Run ReactOS on VirtualBox
If you want to get started as quickly as possible, the best option is to run ReactOS in a virtualised environment using Oracle VM VirtualBox (www.virtualbox.org). Download and install VirtualBox, then download the preloaded VirtualBox version of ReactOS from the Advanced Downloads section of the website. Unzip the contents of the download to your Windows Desktop. It contains two files: ReactOS 0.4.0.vbox and ReactOS.vhd. Double-click the former and ReactOS will be added to VirtualBox. Select it, and click Start. It should begin to load, but you may encounter an error message stating that VirtualBox failed to open a session. This problem occurs when the program can’t find a USB 2.0 controller in VirtualBox. To get around it, you can either install the Oracle VM VirtualBox Extension Pack or disable USB 2.0 support. To disable USB 2.0, click Settings, select USB in the sidebar and untick ‘Enable USB Controller’. Click OK, then try launching ReactOS again. It should start without a problem this time, allowing you to install ReactOS in the virtual machine.
If you’ve never used VirtualBox before, there are some things you need to know. First, your mouse pointer will appear to be trapped inside the virtual OS. To release it and switch to using Windows, simply press Right Arrow+Ctrl. If you want to change the size of the operating system window, go to the View menu and select Scaled mode. Drag on the corner of the window until it’s the size you want. You can also switch to full screen here.
You might also want to adjust the display resolution of the operating system. If so, right-click the ReactOS Desktop and select Properties. Click the Settings tab, and use the slider to change the size of the screen area.
Install and run Windows software
1 Although ReactOS comes with some basic programs to get you started, you’ll no doubt want to start using your own applications before long. The BootCD and virtual machine editions come with an Applications Manager shortcut on the desktop. Double-click this and you’ll see a selection of programs that are installed or available for installation.
2 It’s a good idea to start by installing web browser, as ReactOS doesn’t provide one by default. Click on Internet & Network and wait for the list of available programs to appear. You have a choice of browsers, including K-Meleon, Opera and Firefox. Select the one you want and click the Install button at the top of the screen.
3 Your chosen browser will be downloaded and installed. You can then access it through the Start menu. Other applications available for installation include Audacity, VLC Media Player, GIMP, LibreOffice, 7-Zip, and CCleaner. You can also search for specific programs by name. Refresh the software list at any time by going to Programs, Update Database.
Give ReactOS a makeover
In its default state, ReactOS looks rather bland – like an old version of Windows, in fact – but you can easily spice it up. Right-click the Desktop and select Properties. In the Background tab, select the Angelus image to use as wallpaper (or click Browse and find an image of your own) and click Apply. Click the Screensaver tab to set up a screensaver, and the Appearance tab to change the default visual style and colour scheme. You can also apply various effects and access the advanced appearance options.
If you want to improve the look of ReactOS further, you can install themes. You’ll find instructions for doing this at bit.ly/reactostheme395.