Unlike Windows 3.0 setup, which runs as a Windows application, Windows 3.1x setup runs in the NTVDM, and tries to "upgrade" Windows 2000 by attempting to install in my system32 folder.
The setup.inf in 3.1x is quite powerful and interesting, with slipstreaming potential for basic applications and drivers.
The only Windows 3.x CD-ROMs that exist would be ones made by OEMs (like Tandy for 3.0 MME) or as part of machine-specific restore CDs (again OEM).
Whats wrong with the archive files? They do not contain floppy disks, but when I opened two of them all the files that are likely parts of the floppies are already in the folder. Can anyone please help to install an archive file from here?
Well, like BF10 said, you can translate the entire system to English using a language driver in your hypervisor, but that can screw everything up, such as the word fonts.
A simple way to anglicise Windows 3.2 is to run it with Calmira 3.3.
This is The Red China version.
I've installed and run on the following minimum IBM PC AT 5170.
CPU : 80286-6
BIOS : 01/10/84
DOS : IBM PC-DOS 3.10 (It can't be installed or run on IBM PC DOS 3.00)
RAM : 1MB (512KB on board + 512KB on expansion card)
HDD : 10MB MFM (Seagate ST-412) (Type 1)
Video : IBM Original EGA
At Windows 3.1 (standard) minimum requirements seems to be following.
DOS : MS-DOS (or IBM PC DOS) 3.10
CPU : 80286
RAM : 1MB
HDD : 7-8MB of space
@SomeGuy said:
Windows 3.1 was never released on CD-ROM. If you have an ISO, it is fake garbage and we don't need it.
That's true. Microsoft never did that. So it is a ''pirated'' version of it. Same thing goes with the fake ''Cougar'' version of Windows that some people think it's true.
@BetaTester24 said:
Whats wrong with the archive files? They do not contain floppy disks, but when I opened two of them all the files that are likely parts of the floppies are already in the folder. Can anyone please help to install an archive file from here?
Well some of these thingies are just the contents that are in the floppies. I don't know why. I'd suggest you to use the OEM version which is ''Windows 3.1 (OEM) (5.25-1.2mb)''
@SomeGuy said:
Not all of the Windows 3.1 archives are in floppy disk image format as they should be. For those that are not, you must put all of the installation files in a single folder on your target hard drive or larger removable media and run setup from there.
Are you saying that Windows 3.1 only works when it is in the floppy disk format? Because I have an ISO image for Windows 3.1, which is in a CD format, and it worked when I used that to install Windows 3.1 in VirtualBox.
Well, you probably got that from YouTube tutorials, the CD-ROM versions did never exist so I suggest it's a ''pirated'' version. Probably someone made that CD because wanted the people to install Windows 3.1 in a quick way.
@SomeGuy said:
Not all of the Windows 3.1 archives are in floppy disk image format as they should be. For those that are not, you must put all of the installation files in a single folder on your target hard drive or larger removable media and run setup from there.
Are you saying that Windows 3.1 only works when it is in the floppy disk format? Because I have an ISO image for Windows 3.1, which is in a CD format, and it worked when I used that to install Windows 3.1 in VirtualBox.
Well, you probably got that from YouTube tutorials, the CD-ROM versions did never exist so I suggest it's a ''pirated'' version. Probably someone made that CD because wanted the people to install Windows 3.1 in a quick way.
To be honest, I did get that ISO image for Windows 3.1 from someone on YouTube who made a video tutorial on how to install the OS in VirtualBox. So I guess it was sort of a "trick" for installing Windows 3.1 the "easy" way.
@SomeGuy said:
Not all of the Windows 3.1 archives are in floppy disk image format as they should be. For those that are not, you must put all of the installation files in a single folder on your target hard drive or larger removable media and run setup from there.
Are you saying that Windows 3.1 only works when it is in the floppy disk format? Because I have an ISO image for Windows 3.1, which is in a CD format, and it worked when I used that to install Windows 3.1 in VirtualBox.
Well, you probably got that from YouTube tutorials, the CD-ROM versions did never exist so I suggest it's a ''pirated'' version. Probably someone made that CD because wanted the people to install Windows 3.1 in a quick way.
To be honest, I did get that ISO image for Windows 3.1 from someone on YouTube who made a video tutorial on how to install the OS in VirtualBox. So I guess it was sort of a "trick" for installing Windows 3.1 the "easy" way.
Well, it was obvious that someone would upload an .ISO to install Windows 3.1 in the fastest way possible. I still preffer using floppy disks instead of a CD-ROM image. Most of these ISOs are found on tutorials about "How to install (insert software/OS here) on VirtualBox/VMware." Since installing an application or OS is way faster to install on VBox or VMware because you don't need a BIOS to make the system know that you have a CD-ROM driver. If you needed a BIOS, you'll need to make the system know manually if you have a CD-ROM driver or not.
@BetaTester24 said:
Whats wrong with the archive files? They do not contain floppy disks, but when I opened two of them all the files that are likely parts of the floppies are already in the folder. Can anyone please help to install an archive file from here?
Archives will probably contain all the files that the floppy diskette had. You'll need to use WinImage to create a diskette to place the files there.
The archives that contain floppy disk files (such as .img or .ima format) are the ones that are labeled as "51/4 Floppy or 31/2 floppy" they contain the all the files on floppy disk format. You won't get on any trouble when installing them on a Hypervisor such as VirtualBox/VMware or PC Emulators such as PCem or 86Box.
Alright. If you have a Windows 3.1 ISO, it is not official.
As far as I know, compact discs did exist all the way back in the 80s (or maybe even earlier) but they weren't very popular. A good example of Microsoft software that was in compact discs in the 80s is Microsoft Bookshelf. Anyway, here is the link for the software here: https://winworldpc.com/product/bookshelf/87. As you can see, it was in compact disc format, and was released in 1987. First, many people didn't have a compact disc drive but they had a floppy diskette drive in 1992/1993. I'm pretty sure the "many people didn't have a compact disc" is why it wasn't on a RTM compact disc.
Also, it is so easy to get Windows 3.1 on a ISO format because you can plop in each diskette in the drive, copy them to a folder, until you get to the last disk and run Setup and you will not need a diskette prompt. For example, they can just create a blank ISO and copy all the Windows 3.1 setup files onto it.
Taking a look at the Windows 3.0 downloads page, you'll notice this so I wouldn't rule out the possibility that some weird OEM or SDK/DDK/MDK versions came on CD ROMs.
Obviously an ISO version wouldn't exist. Maybe because people gave more attention to floppy drives. CDs on PCs would be a new concept for computers and multimedia.
And the majority of computer users back on the 80s and 90s had floppy drives. But then, when some programs really needed way more space, they decided to use CDs, because they had more space.
@BetaTester24 said: Whats wrong with the archive files? They do not contain floppy disks, but when I opened two of them all the files that are likely parts of the floppies are already in the folder. Can anyone please help to install an archive file from here?
Well some of these thingies are just the contents that are in the floppies. I don't know why. I'd suggest you to use the OEM version which is ''Windows 3.1 (OEM) (5.25-1.2mb)''
One use I can think of for the archives is for easier installation in DOSBox, which allows you to mount a folder like a disk image. It saves the user the trouble of having to rip files from the floppies themselves.
While Microsoft had never issued Windows 3.1 on CD-ROM in retail format, there are several LEGAL Windows 3.1 on CD-ROM via OEM, just like Windows 3.0a from Tandy:
I own the Sound Blaster kit (that master disc + Microsoft Bookshelf 1992 + customized Panasonic CR-523-B); with some very minor customizations (e.g. including SB Jukebox in Accessories program group) it is virtually the same Windows 3.1, and technically the disc does not check whether your computer has a Sound Blaster or not.
CD-ROM drives were still relatively expensive. I bought my first computer with Windows 3.1 came out new. The cd-drive was expensive and had to wait a wile. On the surface, judging by the music industry, CD's were relatively cheap to manufacture, but not everyone could use them.
My first outsource burn was 7575, so middle of October 1995. Part of the research involved using an OEM cdrom, that had ordinary DOS 6.22 and WfW 3,11 laid out on the cdrom. It was even at this time well understood how to transfer DOS and Windows from floppy disk to network install. Even PC-DOS 7. And this simply is what a cd-install is.
The Multimedia PC standard included having a cdrom, and there is known to exist, a disk that has PC-DOS 5.00, Windows 3.10, the Win31 MME and OS/2 2.0 on it, as base installs. I've seen the disk described and the resulting output of it.
My first cd burner was a 4x speed, that cost me 600$ at the time.
The copy of build 68 is fine, I checked against the actual fake from years ago and they're different, although there are files that are identical in both. This supports the claim as old as the fake itself that part of it was made from real build 68 files.
Yesterday is uploaded Windows 3.1 Beta 1 on Archive.org. This is 5x1.44m install. Actually build number is 3.1.034f. This official Beta Release 1. Version 3.10.034e in this site is actually 034f (corrupt 5.25"-version without disk2). I think, need add complete release. Source link: https://archive.org/details/windows-3.1-beta-1-build-34f
The Gateway 2000 OEM version doesn't work. After setup, typing in "win" in MS-DOS will show the boot screen for about a split second before returning to MS-DOS.
The only gateway version we have is for a Nomad 486. Are you running it on a genuine Gateway Nomad 486? At a glance, this version preloads special keyboard drivers that may not work on other computers.
Comments
You do A: in the dos prompt if its a floppy disk or find the drive you put windows in.
You type "setup"
I offered all of them.
At least SHA1 is correct, because I dumped them and compared with another uploaded one.
So...
3.2 is just a Chinese version?
Huh.
i have a cd rom version
Unlike Windows 3.0 setup, which runs as a Windows application, Windows 3.1x setup runs in the NTVDM, and tries to "upgrade" Windows 2000 by attempting to install in my system32 folder.
The setup.inf in 3.1x is quite powerful and interesting, with slipstreaming potential for basic applications and drivers.
The only Windows 3.x CD-ROMs that exist would be ones made by OEMs (like Tandy for 3.0 MME) or as part of machine-specific restore CDs (again OEM).
Whats wrong with the archive files? They do not contain floppy disks, but when I opened two of them all the files that are likely parts of the floppies are already in the folder. Can anyone please help to install an archive file from here?
A simple way to anglicise Windows 3.2 is to run it with Calmira 3.3.
This is The Red China version.
That is because Calmira II is in English. Most of the underlying programs are still in Chinese.
I have got a windows 3.1 iso,how to upload it?
Windows 3.1 was never released on CD-ROM. If you have an ISO, it is fake garbage and we don't need it.
I've installed and run on the following minimum IBM PC AT 5170.
CPU : 80286-6
BIOS : 01/10/84
DOS : IBM PC-DOS 3.10 (It can't be installed or run on IBM PC DOS 3.00)
RAM : 1MB (512KB on board + 512KB on expansion card)
HDD : 10MB MFM (Seagate ST-412) (Type 1)
Video : IBM Original EGA
At Windows 3.1 (standard) minimum requirements seems to be following.
DOS : MS-DOS (or IBM PC DOS) 3.10
CPU : 80286
RAM : 1MB
HDD : 7-8MB of space
CDROM versions were never released by Microsoft as we know. So your version might be ''pirated''.
That's true. Microsoft never did that. So it is a ''pirated'' version of it. Same thing goes with the fake ''Cougar'' version of Windows that some people think it's true.
Well some of these thingies are just the contents that are in the floppies. I don't know why. I'd suggest you to use the OEM version which is ''Windows 3.1 (OEM) (5.25-1.2mb)''
Well, you probably got that from YouTube tutorials, the CD-ROM versions did never exist so I suggest it's a ''pirated'' version. Probably someone made that CD because wanted the people to install Windows 3.1 in a quick way.
To be honest, I did get that ISO image for Windows 3.1 from someone on YouTube who made a video tutorial on how to install the OS in VirtualBox. So I guess it was sort of a "trick" for installing Windows 3.1 the "easy" way.
Well, it was obvious that someone would upload an .ISO to install Windows 3.1 in the fastest way possible. I still preffer using floppy disks instead of a CD-ROM image. Most of these ISOs are found on tutorials about "How to install (insert software/OS here) on VirtualBox/VMware." Since installing an application or OS is way faster to install on VBox or VMware because you don't need a BIOS to make the system know that you have a CD-ROM driver. If you needed a BIOS, you'll need to make the system know manually if you have a CD-ROM driver or not.
Archives will probably contain all the files that the floppy diskette had. You'll need to use WinImage to create a diskette to place the files there.
The archives that contain floppy disk files (such as .img or .ima format) are the ones that are labeled as "51/4 Floppy or 31/2 floppy" they contain the all the files on floppy disk format. You won't get on any trouble when installing them on a Hypervisor such as VirtualBox/VMware or PC Emulators such as PCem or 86Box.
As far as I know, compact discs did exist all the way back in the 80s (or maybe even earlier) but they weren't very popular. A good example of Microsoft software that was in compact discs in the 80s is Microsoft Bookshelf. Anyway, here is the link for the software here: https://winworldpc.com/product/bookshelf/87. As you can see, it was in compact disc format, and was released in 1987. First, many people didn't have a compact disc drive but they had a floppy diskette drive in 1992/1993. I'm pretty sure the "many people didn't have a compact disc" is why it wasn't on a RTM compact disc.
Also, it is so easy to get Windows 3.1 on a ISO format because you can plop in each diskette in the drive, copy them to a folder, until you get to the last disk and run Setup and you will not need a diskette prompt. For example, they can just create a blank ISO and copy all the Windows 3.1 setup files onto it.
I was talking about non-OEM versions.
And the majority of computer users back on the 80s and 90s had floppy drives. But then, when some programs really needed way more space, they decided to use CDs, because they had more space.
Whats wrong with the archive files? They do not contain floppy disks, but when I opened two of them all the files that are likely parts of the floppies are already in the folder. Can anyone please help to install an archive file from here?
Sound Blaster multimedia upgrade kit (US English edition): https://www.worthpoint.com/worthopedia/cd-sound-blaster-multimedia-upgrade-1824777519
IBM (Japanese edition): http://blog.livedoor.jp/mshimohi/archives/826308.html
Epson (Japanese edition): https://www.betaarchive.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=33374
I own the Sound Blaster kit (that master disc + Microsoft Bookshelf 1992 + customized Panasonic CR-523-B); with some very minor customizations (e.g. including SB Jukebox in Accessories program group) it is virtually the same Windows 3.1, and technically the disc does not check whether your computer has a Sound Blaster or not.
My first outsource burn was 7575, so middle of October 1995. Part of the research involved using an OEM cdrom, that had ordinary DOS 6.22 and WfW 3,11 laid out on the cdrom. It was even at this time well understood how to transfer DOS and Windows from floppy disk to network install. Even PC-DOS 7. And this simply is what a cd-install is.
The Multimedia PC standard included having a cdrom, and there is known to exist, a disk that has PC-DOS 5.00, Windows 3.10, the Win31 MME and OS/2 2.0 on it, as base installs. I've seen the disk described and the resulting output of it.
My first cd burner was a 4x speed, that cost me 600$ at the time.
This is 5x1.44m install. Actually build number is 3.1.034f. This official Beta Release 1.
Version 3.10.034e in this site is actually 034f (corrupt 5.25"-version without disk2).
I think, need add complete release.
Source link: https://archive.org/details/windows-3.1-beta-1-build-34f