How To Install Windows 3.1 In Dosbox

Palmer Dianted · Tuesday, April 19, 2022

Since several versions ago, DOSBox supports running Windows 3.10 inside itself. This manner, you can run sometime Windows games via DOSBox - things like Stars!, Zombie Wars (etc.), which no longer work normally (if at all) on modern versions of Windows.
All the same, despite several existing guides, the process tin still be confusing for new users - not least those who never had to deal with Windows 3 earlier in the outset place.

I was hoping to examination mine more extensively earlier making it public, but since I didn't receive any feedback on information technology for almost two months I estimate keeping it under wraps is sort of pointless now:
http://files.abandonia.com/extras/Pr...r%20DOSBox.rar

Windows three.11 for Workgroups (English language version)
S3 Flat Model Trio64V graphic card drivers for Windows 3 (version 1.69.02)
Sound Equalizer sixteen drivers for Windows 3 (Revision 2)
IBM joystick drivers for Windows 3
Video for Windows (version 1.1e)
Win32s (Win32 Subset) (version 1.30c)
WinG v1.0 Runtime Libraries
QuickTime 2.1.2.59
Devlod (a commandline program used to load device drivers in runtime - needed for Audio Blaster's commuter files).
A batch file to launch the whole affair.

List of contents

All you accept to practice is unpack the thing to the location you mountain equally DOSBox' virtual C drive, unless that location is the root of your system drive. You lot don't want to overwrite your copy of Windows, trust me on that.
From now on, all it will accept to run Windows three.eleven in your DOSBox is - once y'all mountain the directory you lot extracted the package into - entering windows.bat from the control line.

This is an experimental fix that should solve problems with games requiring a Borland DPMI server: http://files.abandonia.com/extras/Pr...DPMI%20fix.rar
Unpack to the Windows directory (the one from the higher up bundle, not the one where your computer'south actual operating system is installed), optionally also the game directory and see if it works.

Notes:
* Once again, do non unpack this to the root of your arrangement drive. A subdirectory will be fine.
* This package is meant to be used with DOSBox 0.73 and newer. It most likely volition non piece of work properly in older versions.
* Dragging & Dropping the batch file over DOSBox executable probably won't work.
* Y'all might consider disabling MPU-401 emulation in DOSBox. I found it caused some issues with MIDI music in Windows games.
* The display is set to a 640x480 resolution with 8-bit color depth (256 colors). If you want, you tin can change that under Main >> Windows Setup >> Options >> Alter System Settings >> Display. Upwardly to 800x600 the colour depth can be prepare to upwardly to 24-bit (xvi,seven million colors), upwardly to 1024x764 to sixteen-bit (65 chiliad colors), the higher resolutions (up to the highest supported 1600x1200) only permit 8-flake color depth.

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-- Reed Richards