> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://mintlify.com/brunodev85/winlator/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Creating a container

> Step-by-step guide to creating, configuring, importing, and exporting Winlator containers.

Each container is a self-contained Windows environment. Creating one extracts a fresh Wine prefix from a built-in template and writes your chosen settings to a `.container` config file.

<Info>
  Container creation extracts several hundred megabytes of data. Make sure you have adequate free storage before starting.
</Info>

## Create a new container

<Steps>
  <Step title="Open the Containers screen">
    Launch Winlator and tap **Containers** in the bottom navigation bar. Then tap the **+** button in the top-right corner to open the new container form.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Set a name">
    Enter a descriptive name in the **Name** field. Winlator pre-fills it as `Container-{id}` (for example, `Container-1` for your first container). You can change this at any time later by editing the container.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Choose a screen resolution">
    Select the virtual display size from the **Screen Size** dropdown. This controls the resolution Windows applications see — it does not have to match your device's physical screen.

    Common options:

    | Resolution   | Use case                                  |
    | ------------ | ----------------------------------------- |
    | 800×600      | Older games with fixed low-res support    |
    | 1024×768     | Classic PC games                          |
    | **1280×720** | Default — good balance for most apps      |
    | 1920×1080    | Higher-fidelity rendering (more GPU load) |

    Select **Custom** to enter any width × height pair. Both values must be even numbers.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Select a graphics driver">
    The **Graphics Driver** controls how OpenGL/Vulkan commands are translated to your device's GPU.

    * **Turnip** (default) — open-source Adreno Vulkan driver; best performance on Adreno GPUs, required for DXVK and VKD3D
    * **VirGL** — Virtio GPU renderer using OpenGL ES; works on all devices but is slower
    * **Zink** — OpenGL-over-Vulkan bridge; for Vulkan-capable non-Adreno GPUs

    See the [graphics drivers](/graphics/drivers) page for a full comparison.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Choose a DX wrapper">
    The **DX Wrapper** translates Windows DirectX calls to Vulkan or OpenGL.

    * **DXVK** (default) — DirectX 9/10/11 → Vulkan; best performance with Turnip
    * **VKD3D** — DirectX 12 → Vulkan; for DX12 titles
    * **WineD3D** — DirectX → OpenGL via Wine's built-in layer; most compatible but slowest

    <Note>
      DXVK and VKD3D are only available when the graphics driver is set to **Turnip**. If you switch to VirGL, only WineD3D appears.
    </Note>

    When DXVK is selected, a **Configure** button appears so you can adjust DXVK-specific options such as frame rate limits and HUD settings.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Configure WoW64 mode">
    **WoW64 mode** lets a 64-bit Wine installation run 32-bit Windows applications alongside 64-bit ones. It is enabled by default and is the recommended setting for most games.

    Disable WoW64 only if you are using a standalone 32-bit Wine build or if a specific application requires a pure 64-bit environment.

    <Note>
      WoW64 mode is only available with the built-in Wine (Custom) version. If you select an alternate Wine build, this option is automatically disabled.
    </Note>
  </Step>

  <Step title="Set the startup selection">
    **Startup Selection** controls which background Windows services are launched when the container starts:

    | Value | Name       | Description                                                      |
    | ----- | ---------- | ---------------------------------------------------------------- |
    | `0`   | Normal     | Starts all standard Windows services                             |
    | `1`   | Essential  | Starts only the minimum required services (default)              |
    | `2`   | Aggressive | Starts only the absolute minimum; fastest boot, least compatible |

    **Essential** is recommended for most games. Use **Normal** if an application requires services like the Windows audio service or task scheduler at startup.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Tap Create">
    Tap the **Create** (checkmark) button. Winlator extracts the container pattern — this can take 10–30 seconds. A progress dialog is shown while the Wine prefix is being set up.

    Once complete, the new container appears in the Containers list.
  </Step>
</Steps>

## Duplicate a container

To copy an existing container (including all installed software and settings), long-press or tap the menu icon on any container in the list, then choose **Duplicate**. The copy gets a new ID and its name is appended with " (Copy)".

<Warning>
  Duplicating a container copies the entire Wine prefix directory. For large containers with many installed games, this can use gigabytes of additional storage.
</Warning>

## Delete a container

Tap the menu icon on a container and choose **Remove**. You will be asked to confirm. Deletion permanently removes the container directory and all installed software inside it.

<Warning>
  Container deletion is irreversible. Back up any save files or important data before removing a container.
</Warning>

## Storage location

<Info>
  Containers are stored inside Winlator's private app storage under the path:

  ```
  /data/data/com.winlator/files/imagefs/home/xuser-{id}/
  ```

  This location is not accessible without root unless you use Winlator's built-in export feature.
</Info>