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README: Add links/instructions to Windows installer

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@@ -76,18 +76,35 @@ For x86 machines (most systems), you will need a CPU that supports the SSE4.1 in
The main releases page is limited to the last 30 releases due to automatic updater limitations. Older releases can be downloaded from https://github.com/duckstation/old-releases/releases.
### Update Channels
The automatic updater in DuckStation has two channels: "Stable" and "Preview".
- "Stable Releases": Less frequent updates, and tracks the "latest" release on GitHub. Releases in this channel have had more testing.
- "Preview Releases": Built whenever a commit is pushed to the repository, and tracks the pre-release on GitHub. This channel contains builds which have had minimal testing, and may contain bugs or issues.
By default, the updater will track the channel you downloaded from. You can change the channel in `Settings -> Interface -> Updates`.
### Windows
DuckStation **requires** Windows 10/11, specifically version 1809 or newer. If you are still using Windows 7/8/8.1, DuckStation **will not run** on your operating system. Running these operating systems in 2023 should be considered a security risk, and I would recommend updating to something which receives vendor support.
If you must use an older operating system, [v0.1-5624](https://github.com/duckstation/old-releases/releases/tag/v0.1-5624) is the last version which will run. But do not expect to recieve any assistance, these builds are no longer supported.
DuckStation **requires** Windows 10/11, specifically version 1809 or newer. If you are still using Windows 7/8/8.1, DuckStation **will not run** on your operating system. Running these operating systems in 2026 should be considered a security risk, and I would recommend updating to something which receives vendor support.
If you must use an older operating system, [v0.1-5624](https://github.com/duckstation/old-releases/releases/tag/v0.1-5624) is the last version which will run. But do not expect to receive any assistance, these builds are no longer supported.
To download:
Windows builds are provided in two formats:
- **Installer (.exe, recommended):** An installer which extracts DuckStation to your user-local programs directory, and optionally creates Start Menu/Desktop shortcuts.
- **Archive (.zip):** A zip archive containing the prebuilt binary. Choose this option if you want a "portable" installation, or do not want to run an installer.
1. Go to https://github.com/stenzek/duckstation/releases/tag/latest, and download the Windows x64 build. This is a zip archive containing the prebuilt binary. If you have an ARM64 Windows machine such as Snapdragon, download the Windows ARM64 build.
2. Alternatively, direct download link: https://github.com/stenzek/duckstation/releases/download/latest/duckstation-windows-x64-release.zip
3. Extract the archive **to a subdirectory**. The archive has no root subdirectory, so extracting to the current directory will drop a bunch of files in your download directory if you do not extract to a subdirectory.
To use the installer, simply download the installer from the releases page, run it, and follow the prompts.
- Direct download link: https://github.com/stenzek/duckstation/releases/download/latest/duckstation-windows-x64-installer.exe
- ARM64 download link (Snapdragon laptops): https://github.com/stenzek/duckstation/releases/download/latest/duckstation-windows-arm64-installer.exe
- Legacy SSE2 installer (for pre-2008 CPUs): https://github.com/stenzek/duckstation/releases/download/latest/duckstation-windows-x64-sse2-installer.exe
Once downloaded and extracted, you can launch the emulator with `duckstation-qt-x64-ReleaseLTCG.exe`. Follow the Setup Wizard to get started.
The installer is still a new addition, so if you encounter issues please let us know via Discord.
To use the archive or portable installation, follow these steps:
1. Download https://github.com/stenzek/duckstation/releases/download/latest/duckstation-windows-x64-release.zip. If you have an ARM64 Windows machine such as Snapdragon, download `duckstation-windows-arm64-release.zip` instead.
2. Extract the archive **to a subdirectory**. The archive has no root subdirectory, so extracting to the current directory will drop a bunch of files in your download directory if you do not extract to a subdirectory.
3. If you want a portable installation (see [User Directories](#user-directories)), create an empty file named `portable.txt` in the same directory as the executable.
4. Once downloaded and extracted, you can launch the emulator with `duckstation-qt-x64-ReleaseLTCG.exe`. Follow the Setup Wizard to get started.
**If you get an error about `vcruntime140_1.dll` being missing, you will need to update your Visual C++ runtime.** You can do that from this page: https://support.microsoft.com/en-au/help/2977003/the-latest-supported-visual-c-downloads. Specifically, you want the x64 runtime, which can be downloaded from https://aka.ms/vs/17/release/vc_redist.x64.exe.
@@ -99,8 +116,9 @@ DuckStation is provided for x86_64/ARM32/ARM64 Linux in AppImage formats.
The AppImages require a distribution equivalent to Ubuntu 22.04 or newer to run.
1. Go to https://github.com/stenzek/duckstation/releases/tag/latest, and download `duckstation-x64.AppImage`.
2. Run `chmod a+x` on the downloaded AppImage -- following this step, the AppImage can be run like a typical executable.
1. Download https://github.com/stenzek/duckstation/releases/download/latest/DuckStation-x64.AppImage. If you have an ARM64 Linux machine, you should download `DuckStation-arm64.AppImage`.
2. Run `chmod a+x` on the downloaded AppImage -- following this step, the AppImage can be run like a typical executable. Alternatively, in your file manager of choice, enable execute permissions via the file properties dialog.
3. When running the AppImage for the first time, it will prompt to create a launcher shortcut.
If you were previously using the Flatpak package, to migrate your data from the Flatpak to the AppImage, you can run the following command:
```bash
@@ -117,7 +135,7 @@ macOS Ventura (13.3) is required, as this is also the minimum requirement for Qt
To download:
1. Go to https://github.com/stenzek/duckstation/releases/tag/latest, and download `duckstation-mac-release.zip`.
1. Download https://github.com/stenzek/duckstation/releases/download/latest/duckstation-mac-release.zip.
2. Extract the zip by double-clicking it.
3. Open `DuckStation.app`, optionally moving it to your desired location first.