The history of Android on Windows 7 is a testament to user ingenuity. It showed that where there’s a will—and a large screen, a keyboard, and a mouse—there’s a way to run nearly any app, even across architectural chasms. But time, security, and progress have finally closed that window for good.

In the late 2000s and early 2010s, two operating systems dominated very different spheres: Windows 7 ruled the desktop and laptop world with its stability and familiar UI, while Android was rapidly conquering the mobile landscape. The idea of merging them—running Android apps on a Windows 7 PC—was a tantalizing promise for users who wanted the best of both worlds: the productivity of a mouse, keyboard, and large monitor with the vast ecosystem of the budding Android app store.

Today, however, trying to run Android on Windows 7 is like trying to fit a modern electric car engine into a horse-drawn carriage. You can do it, but the result will be slow, unsafe, and unsupported.