[Windows RT Development and Hacking] mamaich:
Changes:

15 may 2013: DInput and DInput8 changes for Fallout2 keyboard compatibility.

12 may 2013: A minor update. Fallout 2 now works, tested on Russian version from 1C.

01 may 2013: Added the ability to automatically launch x86 applications. Added the shell32 interfaces - so that installers now work (at least NSIS and InstallShield installers are known to be working).

05 apr 2013: Fixed a few bugs.

04 apr 2013: Uploaded a new build after a long delay. Now emulator supports 256-color modes. But due to a limitation on an updated Nvidia driver - 640x480 and 800x600 display modes are no longer supported on Windows RT. You'll see the black lines to the right and bottom of the screen if the program tries to set such mode.

25 feb 2013: The tool now outputs its version to log. Now one x86 program may launch another - so some of the installers and, for example, 7Z GUI frontend can now run under emulation. Added ~80 DLLs. Some of them are stubs (like D3D9.DLL), others are mostly untested. I have not done all that I've planned for this build, publishing it just as an update to show that the work is going on. Do not expect it to run much more than the previous build.

13 feb 2013: more informative errors from launcher. Emulator now supports program paths with spaces. EXE files with relocations are now processed correctly. Some bugfixes in kernel32 and advapi32.

11 feb 2013: fixed a typo in winmm.dll emulation, now pinball has sound. Also updated the launcher.

10 feb 2013: now the program reached the beta stage.

Known problems

No D3D and most of COM interfaces. Lots of programs would crash, don't run or have different issues.

Notes:

The program keeps its settings in the HKCU\Software\x86node\Settings registry key. Supported REG_SZ (string) values are:

DosboxCore: "dynamic", "simple" or "normal". Dynamic is the default as it is the fastest, but the most buggy core.

LogFile: path to the log file. If not present - log file is %temp%\win86emu.log

Supported REG_DWORD values:

LogLevel: 0=no log (default), 4=max logging

added 13 feb 2013: now default log level is 2: warnings+errors, so you don't need to edit registry

There are several compatibility hacks that may be useful. Compatibility settings are stored in HKCU\Software\x86node\Compatibility\[filename.exe] key. "filename.exe" - a name of the emulated EXE file without path. All values are DWORD:

SetProcessAffinityMask = bitmask. Specify which CPUs to use for running a program, read SetProcessAffinityMask description in MSDN. 0 or unset == run on all cores.

NoRaiseException = 1. RaiseException would just return. Now exceptions are emulated correctly, so this hack is no longer needed.

UseDirectRegistry = 1. Do not redirect emulated registry keys to HKCU\Software\x86node. Be careful when using it.

MaxProcessorFeaturePresent = max processor feature number that is "supported". See the IsProcessorFeaturePresent function in MSDN. All requests for the value above specified would return 0. Default: 0 (IsProcessorFeaturePresent always returns 0).

SimulateAdminRights = 1. Lie to installers that call OpenSCManager function to determine that it is running as administrator, allowing these programs to run without elevation. Redirect the "common start menu" and similar folders to the per-user folders.

You can fake the OS version to a running program. Default XP SP3:

OSVersionLo=dword:00000001

OSVersionHi=dword:00000005

OSVersionBuild=dword:00000a28

OSServicepackLo=dword:00000000

OSServicepackHi=dword:00000003

Some information on the project internals may appear in my blog: http://mamaich-eng.blogspot.ru, but this thread on XDA would be the main discussion place.