I have access to free downloads of various Operating Systems from my school which are:

1. Windows Embedded 8.1 Industry Pro
2. Windows Embedded Compact 2013
3. Windows Server 2012

Will Skyrim or any games run on these? I have to use Server on at least 1 of my 3 computers for School and I was told to install one of the others to study it for a project. Only one of my three machines can run games. I've been wanting to upgrade to 8/8.1 for a while now for better performance in games. Would I be able to just install one of these and use it for games on my main machine or should I just install them on my other machines and forget about gaming with them?

1. Windows Embedded 8.1 Pro is designed for industry devices, but it seems it has the same functionality as the regular Windows 8.1 pro OS.

So, it looks and works just like regular windows. All programs/games should work without any compatibility/driver issues. As i know, Skyrim and Minecraft should run fine on that.

In case you encounter any driver installation problems:

As the core engine, is the same for regular and Embedded Windows versions, but the difficulty with some graphics drivers, is that their installer may not recognize the embedded version as being a valid Windows OS.

In these cases, it may be necessary to unpack the installer and manually install the .inf and .sys files and register any .dlls, or use **DISM to force the installation.

** https://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/hh825070.aspx

2. Windows embedded is the version of Windows for very small computers and embedded systems. !!!

Windows Embedded Compact is a modular real-time operating system with a specialized kernel. It has many uses, but NO Skyrim will not run on it !!! (i mean, i would be surprised if it does. lol)

3. One thing I'm not sure of though, is program compatibility. Some games or other software might not install on a Server OS !!!

Also, some games have definite performance drop on a Server system environment. Some games will run on a server system, but if you want your *GAMES to be optimized there will be problems. !!!

* http://www.win2012workstation.com/games/?fm-data-page=0

Skyrim will run, sometimes with low and not consistent frame-rates...

HOPE THIS HELPS !!! (so my guess, try it on Windows Embedded 8.1 Pro first)

They aren't officially supported for Skyrim. They aren't packaged/marketed for gaming either. Proceed at your own risk.

What OS do you currently game with?