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Alpha NT: Windows on DEC Alpha Notes

Windows NT supported DECs Alpha CPU Architecture from the first release, Windows NT 3.1, until Windows 2000 Release Candidate 2. Microsoft continued to build 64bit Windows for Alpha for a while longer until Itanium hardware was available.

Useful Links

• Windows NT for Alpha Systems Platform Support - HALs, drivers and other bits
• Digital FX!32 - transparently run x86 applications on Alpha NT
• The AlphaNT Source website mirror - sadly without the actual application catalog
• The AlphaNT Source FTP site mirror - the actual downloads
• Windows NT Service Packs
• Archived Alpha Firmware Update CDs
• DECs Alpha Firmware Update Site (mirror, original long gone)
• HPs archive of Alpha Firmware Updates (mirror, original long gone)
• Some DEC PCI cards including drivers and documentation
• Some DEC ISA and EISA cards including drivers and documentation

Supported Models

Windows NT 3.1

Basically just the DECpc AXP 150 and a few other models based on it: the DEC 2000 AXP Model 300, and DEC 2000 AXP model 500. The Alpha version shipped slightly later than x86 and MIPS, so it wasn't present on the standard Windows NT 3.10 CDs.

Windows NT 3.5

Based on the NT 3.50 HCL. These all have an EV4 or EV45 CPU. Models with faster (or slower) variants of these CPUs than those listed will probably work too. If any other models supported NT 3.50, finding the required HAL will probably be difficult today.

• DECpc AXP 150, DEC 2000 AXP models 300 and 500
• AlphaServer 2x00 4/200, DEC 2100 model A500MP
• AlphaServer 1000 4/200
• AlphaStation 200 4/166 and 4/233
• AlphaStation 400 4/233
• DECpc XL AXP 233
• Multia
• Actech ACTion Alpha AXP 150
• Aspen Systems Inc. Alpine 166 RS
• Aspen Systems Inc. Alpine 233 XS

Windows NT 3.51

Based on the NT 3.51 HCL.

• Aspen Alpine 275XS
• Aspen Summit 300
• Aspen Telluride 275
• Aspen Timberline® 300
• Carrera Cobra 300
• Carrera Cobra 300 with Gamaray 4500
• DCG Computers PC164-266, PC164-300, PC164-333, and PC164-366
• DCG Computers PC64-275, and PC64-300
• DeskStation Technology Raptor 3 45/275, 5/266, and 5/366
• DeskStation Technology UniFlex 45/275, 5/266, and 5/366
• Digital Equipment Corp. Alpha XL 233, 266, 300† and 366†
• Digital Equipment Corp. AlphaServer 1000 4/200, 4/233, and 4/266
• Digital Equipment Corp. AlphaServer 1000 5/xxx†
• Digital Equipment Corp. AlphaServer 1000A† 4/266
• Digital Equipment Corp. AlphaServer 400 4/166
• Digital Equipment Corp. AlphaStation 200 4/166, 4/233, and 4/266
• Digital Equipment Corp. AlphaStation 250 4/266
• Digital Equipment Corp. AlphaStation 255† 4/233, and 4/300
• Digital Equipment Corp. AlphaStation 400 4/233
• Digital Equipment Corp. AlphaStation 500/266, /333, and /400
• Digital Equipment Corp. AlphaStation 600 5/266, 4/300, and 5/333
• Digital Equipment Corp. DECpc AXP 150, DEC 2000 models 300 and 500
• Digital Equipment Corp. Multia
• Digital Equipment Corp. 2100 Server model A500MP
• Digital Equipment Corp. AlphaServer 2000 4/200, and 4/275
• Digital Equipment Corp. AlphaServer 2100 4/200, 4/233, and 4/275
• Digital Equipment Corp. AlphaServer 2100 5/250, and 5/300
• Digital Equipment Corp. AlphaServer 2100A† 4/275, 5/250
• Digital Equipment Corp. AlphaServer 2100A† 5/250 LP, and 5/300 LP
• Digital Equipment Corp. AlphaServer 4100† 5/300E (4p)
• EDV Quant X Series 2/275, and 2/300
• EDV Quant X Series 3/266, 3/300, 3/333, and 3/366
• MaxVision Symbion AXP164 (300Mhz)
• Polywell Alpha 333

† Needs special HAL which you may find in here.

Windows NT 4.0

This would be a long list. Basically a few models from the first half of 1999, plus everything older which has an ISA, EISA or PCI bus should also work. The Alpha HALs for Windows NT page is ultimately the definitive list as many systems either don't have a suitable HAL on the Windows NT 4.0, or the HAL on the NT 4.0 CD is out of date and not compatible with newer Alpha firmware.

For non-DEC systems supported by Windows NT 4.0, check the NT 4.0 HCL (Hardware Compatibility List).

Windows 2000 RC2

As Compaq killed Alpha NT before Windows 2000s final release, Compaq never released any Win2k HALs for Alpha systems so only those machines with HALs on the Win2k CD-ROM are compatible. So the following machines may be compatible:

• Digital AlphaServer 1000 Family Uniprocessor
• Digital AlphaServer 1000 5/xxx Family
• Digital AlphaServer 1000a 5/xxx Family
• Digital AlphaServer 2x00 4/xxx Family
• Digital AlphaServer 2x00 5/xxx Family
• Digital AlphaServer 4x00 5/xxx Family
• Digital AlphaServer 800 5/xxx (Corelle)
• Digital AlphaServer/AlphaStation 1200 5/xxx Family
• Digital AlphaServer 8200/8400
• Compaq AlphaServer GS60/GS140
• Digital AlphaStation 600A 5/500 (Alcor Primo)
• Digital AlphaStation 200/400 Family
• Digital AlphaStation 255
• Digital AXPpci 33
• Digital AlphaStation 500/600 Family
• Digital AlphaPC64
• Digital Alpha EB164
• Digital Alpha PC164SX
• Digital Alpha XL 233/266 Family
• Digital Alpha XL 300/366 Family
• Digital AlphaPC 164LX
• DeskStation Technology UniFlex and Raptor 3 Systems
• Aspen Alpine/Telluride
• Aspen Timberline/Summit
• Digital Alpha 21064A PICMG SBC
• Digital Personal Workstation A-Series
• Digital Alpha 21164A PICMG SBC
• Digital Alpha 21264/Tsunami Uniprocessor (DS10, XP1000)
• Digital Alpha 21264/Tsunami Multiprocessor (DS20, ES40)

Windows XP build 2210 64-bit

This was never officially released, but it eventually leaked and installation media reconstructed. The following HALs were present, though not all are listed in TXTSETUP.SIF so without modifying this file Windows will only install on the first set of machines below:

• Supported
  • AlphaServer 4000
  • AlphaServer 4100
  • AlphaServer 1200
  • AlphaServer DS10
  • AlphaServer DS20
  • AlphaServer ES40
  • Professional Workstation XP1000
• Probably supported (HALs are present, but not present in txtsetup.sif)
  • AlphaServer 1000
  • AlphaServer 1000A1
  • AlphaServer 800 (tested, works)
  • AlphaStation 600
  • AlphaPC 164LX
  • Alpha PC164SX
  • Alpha EB 164