VirtualPC 2004 and win3.1 install problems

[DaveWin31]

Hi all,

Just found this great forum. I have been programming since 1976 and finally kicking and screaming I was dragged into the IBM-PC world in 1982.

I have a large flatbed plotter that has a specific win3.1 driver and I currently am running win3.1 under DOS 6.22 on a 486. Man it is slow. OK, so I tried to install w3.1 on an Intel Atom board and win3.1 went nuts with the video etc.

I thought I would then install W2K-Pro and then VirtualPC 2004 on that and finally put DOS and w3.1 within VPC. The DOS loaded and works well.

When I try to install win3.1, I get to the end of the second install disk where it launches into win3.1 Setup and asks for a Name and Company. At this point it hangs with no mouse and no flashing cursor.

I thought it might be the mouse or keyboard so I dragged out an old PC that had W2K-Pro on it and same again. Not to be deterred, I did the same with an XP-Pro and same again. All 3 machines same spot, same issues.

Can anyone shed some light here, please??????

Thanks in advance.

Dave

 

[Freestone]

Perhaps the newer Virtual PC 2007 would help? Note the XP Professional minimum OS (no 2000 support).

http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/...02-3199-48A3-AFA2-2DC0B40A73B6&displaylang=en

 

[DaveWin31]

Thanks Freestone,

From experience and the conversations I have had with others VPC 2007 and win3.1 does not work. They have all said go back to 2004 for win3.1.

I downloaded VPC 2007 a few weeks back and it did not even get as far as VPC 2004 install for win3.1. I can't remember the problem.

The other thing is I cannot use the XP-Pro for the plotter as it is at work. I was just using to it test the install of VPC 2004 and win3.1.

Thanks for the reply and link though.

 

[wolluf]

Can't you just install 3.1 on an older PC (people are giving them away) - but not as old as a 486!

 

[DaveWin31]

Hi Wolluf,

I could but I need to have something faster to prepare the artwork to send to the plotter. The old 486 is fine for driving the plotter it is just using Corel 5 that is painful. I also have Corel 10 and the latest X4 but cannot use them under win3.1.

However, great joy, I have it working.

It turns out that DOS needs some Virtual Machine add-ons that do not get installed even though I specified DOS during the building of the VM. DUH!! Micro$oft, what were you thinking?

For future reference if anyone else has the issue, here's the process, Mostly this is from the VPC Help system but it did not work as written.

Run VirtualPC
Start the DOS 6.22 VM
Run Windows Explorer and navigate to the VPC install folder, usually
\Program files\Microsoft VirtualPC\
then go to
\Program files\Microsoft VirtualPC\Virtual Machine Additions
Reduce Explorer on the screen so you can see the file
DOS Virtual Machine Additions.vfd
in the "Additions" folder and also see the VPC Console.
Drag the "DOS Virtual Machine Additions.vfd" file to the floppy image on the bottom line of the console.
Click in the DOS area and type
A:
Press Enter
type
DOSADD
Press Enter
Use the Host key (Right Alt) to release focus from DOS.
Right click the Floppy in the bottom line of the console and Click "Release the Drive A:" or something like that.
Use the Host key combination Right-Alt + R to reboot.= and wait until it completes that.
Now the important stuff...
Shut down the VM
Shut down VPC
Restart VPC
Start the DOS 6.22 VM.
Install win3.1
All should now work.

Dave

 

[wolluf]

Glad you sorted it & thanks for sharing.