> ## 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.

# Quickstart

> Create your first Winlator container and run a Windows application in under 10 minutes.

This guide walks you through launching your first Windows application with Winlator. By the end, you will have a working container configured with sensible defaults and a Windows `.exe` running on your Android device.

<Info>
  Before continuing, make sure Winlator is installed and the initial system image setup has finished. See [Installation](/installation) if you have not done that yet.
</Info>

<Steps>
  <Step title="Launch Winlator and wait for setup">
    Open Winlator from your app drawer. If this is your first launch, wait for the **Installing system files** progress dialog to finish. This step extracts the internal Linux filesystem image used by Wine and only runs once.

    When the dialog closes, you will land on the Winlator home screen.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Create your first container">
    Containers are isolated Wine environments. Each container has its own Wine prefix, drive mappings, and settings.

    1. Tap the **Containers** tab at the bottom of the home screen.
    2. Tap the **+** (add) button.
    3. Give your container a name — for example, `My Games`.
    4. Leave all other settings at their defaults for now and tap **Save**.

    <Tip>
      You can run multiple containers side by side. Use separate containers for applications that need different Wine configurations — for example, one for older DirectX 9 games and another for newer DirectX 11 titles.
    </Tip>
  </Step>

  <Step title="Review the default container settings">
    The default settings are a good starting point for most Windows applications:

    | Setting         | Default value   | Notes                                                      |
    | --------------- | --------------- | ---------------------------------------------------------- |
    | Screen size     | `1280x720`      | The resolution of the virtual Windows desktop              |
    | Graphics driver | `turnip`        | Adreno Vulkan driver; best performance on Qualcomm devices |
    | DX wrapper      | `dxvk`          | Translates Direct3D calls to Vulkan                        |
    | Audio driver    | `alsa`          | ALSA audio output via Wine                                 |
    | Box64 preset    | `Compatibility` | Balances compatibility and speed                           |

    You can change any of these later in **Container Settings** without creating a new container.

    <Note>
      The `turnip` graphics driver requires a Qualcomm Adreno GPU. If your device uses a Mali, Dimensity, or other GPU, you may need to switch to `virgl` or `zink` in the Graphics Driver setting.
    </Note>
  </Step>

  <Step title="Run a Windows application">
    You can launch a Windows application in two ways:

    **Option A — Browse for an .exe file**

    1. Tap your container to open it.
    2. Tap **Run** and then browse to an `.exe` file on your device storage.
    3. Winlator starts the Wine environment, boots the virtual Windows desktop, and launches the executable.

    **Option B — Create a shortcut (recommended for games)**

    1. Open your container and tap **Add Shortcut**.
    2. Point it to the `.exe` file.
    3. Optionally configure per-shortcut settings such as a custom screen size or Box64 preset.
    4. The shortcut appears on the Winlator home screen for quick access.

    <Tip>
      Running via a shortcut lets you set individual settings for each game without affecting other applications in the same container. This is the preferred workflow for managing multiple games.
    </Tip>
  </Step>

  <Step title="First-run tips">
    If something does not work as expected on the first launch, the following adjustments solve the most common issues:

    **Performance is poor**

    Open **Container Settings** > **Advanced** and change the **Box64 preset** from `Compatibility` to `Performance`. This trades some compatibility for significantly higher emulation throughput on most games.

    **Application uses .NET Framework and crashes or shows missing-component errors**

    Install Wine Mono from inside the running Windows environment: open the **Start Menu** > **System Tools** > **Installers** and run the Wine Mono installer.

    **Older game fails to start or shows a black screen**

    Some pre-2004 games require an older OpenGL extension set. Add the following environment variable in **Container Settings** > **Environment Variables**:

    ```text theme={null}
    MESA_EXTENSION_MAX_YEAR=2003
    ```

    **Low-resolution game does not fill the screen**

    In the shortcut settings, enable the **Force Fullscreen** option. This scales the virtual desktop to fit your display regardless of the game's internal resolution.

    **Unity Engine game crashes or has rendering artifacts**

    Try changing the Box64 preset to `Stability`, or add the following exec argument in the shortcut settings:

    ```text theme={null}
    -force-gfx-direct
    ```
  </Step>
</Steps>

## What's next

Now that you have a container running, explore these areas to get more out of Winlator:

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="Container settings" icon="sliders" href="/containers/settings">
    Configure screen resolution, graphics drivers, Wine components, and drive mappings.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Controls" icon="gamepad" href="/controls/input-controls">
    Set up on-screen controls or map an external gamepad to keyboard and mouse input.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Box64 presets" icon="gauge" href="/graphics/box86-box64-presets">
    Optimize Box64 presets and CPU affinity for better frame rates.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Wine components" icon="puzzle" href="/advanced/wine-components">
    Enable DirectX, Visual C++ runtimes, and other Windows components inside your container.
  </Card>
</CardGroup>