How do you use disk img files?

malachi151

I have a DOS machine with no floppy drive, just a CD-ROM. I also use DOSBox. How do I use a set of 3.5" floppy images? I'm trying to install C++ for DOS, but not sure how to go about it. Even if I had a floppy drive, how would I transfer the images to the floppies?

Thanks

stitch

This is not a site issue. Moving to software.

BigCJ

If you want to do serious work instead of games, you'll want to use Virtual PC 2007 and install DOS inside of that. There's a menu for mounting floppies. If you insist on DOSBox, use WinImage to extract the files to a single folder, put it in DOSBox's path, and run the installer. DOS machine with no floppy drive? That's an issue. CD or tape drive, or replace the missing/busted FDD.

malachi151

So for a DOS machine can I use WinImage to copy the contents of all 5 disks to a single CD and install from that?

I guess I'll need to try it. It seems like some of those old installers expected the disks to be in a certain way.

BlueSun

https://www.dosbox.com/wiki/IMGMOUNT

BigCJ

malachi151 wrote:

So for a DOS machine can I use WinImage to copy the contents of all 5 disks to a single CD and install from that?

I guess I'll need to try it. It seems like some of those old installers expected the disks to be in a certain way.

Use WinImage to extract the files, then burn them to a CD using Windows Explorer, if you have a modern version or Windows. Just remember to Master the disc, don't use that Live File System crap or whatever it's called. If you want, you could also use PowerISO to make a CD image and burn it to a disc from there.

SomeGuy

malachi151 wrote:

I guess I'll need to try it. It seems like some of those old installers expected the disks to be in a certain way.

Correct, some installers will ONLY install from a floppy disk. Some check things like each disk's volume label, and many are hard coded to drive "A:".

Others, especially Microsoft products from ~1994 will take special action if they determine they are not being installed from a floppy, such as expecting sub folders in the form \disk1, \disk2, \disk3.

When using an emulator or virtualizer, ideally the software should simply give you a button or menu item to click on, that will let you specify an IMG file to use as an emulated floppy drive. But some emulators insist on making people's lives hard, so you will have to read the manual and see what obscure command they happen to use.

BigCJ

SomeGuy wrote:

malachi151 wrote:

I guess I'll need to try it. It seems like some of those old installers expected the disks to be in a certain way.

Correct, some installers will ONLY install from a floppy disk. Some check things like each disk's volume label, and many are hard coded to drive "A:".

Others, especially Microsoft products from ~1994 will take special action if they determine they are not being installed from a floppy, such as expecting sub folders in the form \disk1, \disk2, \disk3.

When using an emulator or virtualizer, ideally the software should simply give you a button or menu item to click on, that will let you specify an IMG file to use as an emulated floppy drive. But some emulators insist on making people's lives hard, so you will have to read the manual and see what obscure command they happen to use.

Thanks, SomeGuy, forgot about MS doing that retarded crap. So just test the installer on a VM before you try burning anything to a disc.

02k-guy

I just spent almost an entire day reworking Setup.inf for Image Composer so that it would allow installing from the HD insteead of CD.

What an archaaaic syntax that ACME Setup installer uses!