Windows NT 3.x 3.1

System

Windows NT 3.x 3.1

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SistemaRayoXP

WIndows NT 3.1 Spanish: http://www.mediafire.com/file/6j76rje9eg5xc4l/WINNT31_ES.7z

condor07

Microsoft Windows NT 3.1 Workstation (3.10.511.1) [Dutch] is version 3.10.5098.1 (NO 3.10.511.1)

SomeGuy

Exactly where do you find the official build numbers in NT 3.1?

SistemaRayoXP

He've got this number from the kernel file version, which is not the same as the kernel internal version. CHeck this: https://www.betaarchive.com/forum/viewtopic.php?p=431995#p431995

LaserBeamTube

Microsoft Windows NT 3.1 Workstation (3.10.511.1) (3.5) is version 3.10.528 (NOT 3.10.511)!

Unloading2000

@SomeGuy said:
Exactly where do you find the official build numbers in NT 3.1?

Try this website: https://www.thecollectionbook.info/

DeFacto

Before NT 4.0, the build number stored internally in the kernel differed from the file versions of the kernel files. The latter is lower than the actual build number that's pulled from inside the kernel by winver (it's also displayed on the bootscreen in some builds). If you dig around the imports and exports a bit, you'll find the API call I'm talking about.

I think this was introduced either in build 239 (1991-12) or 297 (1992-06). Before that, the version info was obtained elsewhere, we know 1991-10 has no build number, so it would be interesting to see where and how build 196 stores it.

chromedome45

For those of you wanting and IDE CDROM driver for NT 3.1 here is a link to get one. I tried it on a Pentium II and it worked fine. Link: https://www.ibm-pc.se/drivers/cdrom/AZTECH/aztech.html look for file IDE-NT.ZIP. Extract file to floppy and then run the setup file inside NT 3.1 and let it reboot. Once rebooted check file manager and you should see a CDROM icon next to the C: drive. Isert a CD and it should read it. Good luck

chromedome45

Any interest in the PM plug in for Windows NT 3.1? I actually bought the disks straight from MS$ in hopes it would under NT 3.5 which I actually bought as well. They didn't
work with it. So when I got NT 3.1 installed they worked fine. I imaged the original disks. So let me know where to upload to. If any interest.

ToMi

"Advanced Server 3.10.5098.1" is actually build 511 Advanced Server mislabelled. The version number comes only from kernel's file version.

lippens

Does anyone know if there is a way to get a reasonable video driver working in VMWare for WinNT 3.1 Advanced Server? I can only get the default VGA 800x600 working.

England

Note: This release, for whatever strange reason, does not install on Pentium processors. To get the best performance from PCEM with this OS, I would suggest using a very fast 486.

DeFacto

There's a CPU check implemented that didn't reliably detect Pentium and later models until NT 3.51 was released. There's information online on how to bypass it, it's an artificial limitation with no actual issues if bypassed.

windowsfan

Can the WinWorld staff take a look at the images? I'm under the belief that some may have been modified, given that one of them (Microsoft Windows NT 3.1 Workstation (3.10.511.1)) has files with a modification date of 2003.

SomeGuy

I don't have time to dig in to these myself. If you see specific problems (such as file modification dates), please detail what exactly they are. I can either add a comment that they need a redump, or remove them if they are unusable. If you know of better copies, please let us know.

windowsfan

Never have time for anything, do you? Oh well:
In the I386 folder, every file has a modification date of March 3rd, 1994 except SETUP.IN_ and INITIAL.IN_, which are dated December 20th, 2003 and July 22nd, 2003 respectively, and when I compared the latter with a known unmodified image, not only was it not compressed unlike the other files, but it also had a single line removed when I compared it with the unmodified one: "read-syms ProcessorID", which impedes the image from being used out of the box with emulators like 86Box. Adding back that line makes the image functional.
Those have the same modification dates (with the uncompressed files) present in both the ALPHA and MIPS folders as well.
As you can see, it's not just a matter of the modification dates being wrong, the files themselves may have been modified as well.
It's not something major that would warrant removal, as you can still use the known workaround to bypass it, but it is something that should have been noted WAAAAAY earlier imo, and I'm not sure why it went unnoticed until now.

DeFacto

This sounds a lot like the crappily modified image that used to be on BetaArchive for a long time (and probably other places on the internet too).

SomeGuy

Ok, I have updated the archive "Microsoft Windows NT 3.1 Workstation (3.10.511.1) (ISO)"

Zack13358

How do you install Windows NT 3.1 Workstation (3.10.511.1) (ISO)? The iso isn't bootable, the weren't any bootdisks in the archive, and the floppy disk version never gives the option to install from cd.

jonirob

@Zack13358
Run fdisk and format c: with a Windows 95 boot disk, run lock c: then cd i386 in the cd drive, then winnt and follow the instructions to create your own floppy setup disk.

Zack13358

@jonirob thank you

upseguest

From what I know only 3.10.528.1 added support for the Alpha architecture, it is an RTM Update build that was released 2 months after 3.10.511.1 and it seems that the advanced server and language variant isos are actually 3.10.528.1 since they have the Alpha architecture supported.

upseguest

Also, later service packs of Windows NT 3.1 kept the same build number of 3.10.528.1

i486QX

Here is the post-RTM build of Advanced Server, which added support for DEC Alpha-based systems. It's only the image of the CD-ROM disc, though!

On the following links there's more information about that build's floppies:
https://jeffpar.github.io/kbarchive/kb/105/Q105397/
https://jeffpar.github.io/kbarchive/kb/105/Q105483/

3xGuru

Where is the second release version 3.10.528.1? Do you have to install the service packs to get it? And what even is version 3.10.5098.1? Also why can't you run setup unless you have a Disk Drive A:?