Windows XP 2002 for the Itanium: Unbridled rage
virtuallyfun.com
August 3, 2026
7 min read
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48/100
Summary
A fork of Qemu by Malte Kuhlmann enables workable Itanium Merced emulation that can run Windows XP and Windows Server 2003. The development is based on syunnPC's AI-infused Qemu fork, with ongoing improvements expected.
Key Takeaways
- A fork of QEMU has been developed that successfully emulates Itanium Merced, allowing Windows XP/2003 to run on it.
- The author faced significant challenges while building the necessary tools for the Itanium platform, including issues with GCC and dependencies.
- Despite the Itanium platform being largely defunct, it is still supported by a dedicated user, René Rebe, who continues to maintain its viability.
- The author utilized macOS and Homebrew to streamline the installation of dependencies for building the Itanium cross compiler.
Community Sentiment
Positives
- There's something alluring about Itanium; its ambition in the CPU space was a refreshing break from the norm, and many miss that era of experimentation.
- The special architectural hardware in Itanium for unpredictable memory accesses was impressive, showcasing what could have been with better compiler support.
Concerns
- Itanium's demise feels like a cautionary tale; it struggled with fundamental issues that AI alone won't solve, highlighting the limits of technology without the right context.
- The fact that Itanium never reached consumer-class hardware shows a disconnect from the actual audience, making its existence feel more like a misguided proof of concept.
