Windows 3.1 (DOSBOX)

**Eric** · March 4th, 2009, 18:25

Hey i just wanted to let everyone know i started up on trying to run Windows 3.1 for Dreamcast. I have a image of it booting to the splash screen but right after the splash screen i get a vgaoem.fon error. I also tried on the PC side installing it in ega. So once moving files over to the DOSBOX dc folder and making an image i got the samething splash screen only this time it tries to write to 4 system folders. So i know now that maybe the vga mode wont work the ega can but we have to bypass the write modes to the 4 window system files. Also no this is not photoshopped.

**Shrygue** · March 4th, 2009, 21:17

Wow that's good Eric, it'd be great to see old Windows 3.1 fully up and running sometime!

**Eric** · March 5th, 2009, 03:42

yeah i want to do more with it but i think it'll need more work maybe some code in the DOSBox to stop writing. Or like i had said before to work with the 4 windows system files but i dont know for sure if it'll work anyways.

**OVERRiDE_DC** · March 5th, 2009, 05:30

Dont know much about DOSBox but maybe it would help to make sure the windows version will run on the PC version of DOSBox first.

And cool idea, keep at it.

**JLF65** · March 5th, 2009, 09:25

If I remember correctly, "enhanced mode" has some issues in Dosbox. You can run Windows 3.1, but only in standard mode. From the dos prompt, run "win /s" to start in standard mode.

**Eric** · March 5th, 2009, 20:42

Override DC it was installed using Dosbox on PC and i did my first boot on the PC using Dosbox. So im sure now it dont think it'll run unless there is someway of stopping write mode and custom write the system files so it wont mess up on the Dreamcast and you may not have to write to them files anyways but not sure. I tried the /S for Standard mode then it said unable to load in standard mode please try /3 for 386 mode. When in the 386 mode it brings back that vgaoem.fon error. What other commands could i try to get it loaded?

**JLF65** · March 5th, 2009, 21:52

Hmm - thinking about it, Windows isn't meant for "Live CD" booting. It is really meant to be booted from a harddrive it can write to. Without the ability to at least fake writing, I rather doubt Windows will work in any mode, even if it were pre-installed on another system with the same version of dosbox.

As to installing/running on dosbox on a PC, Windows 3.1.1 (WfW) was the last version to support standard mode, and some versions of 3.1.1 wouldn't run standard mode either. All 3.1 versions sold for general PCs should run in standard mode. Windows 95 or better will NOT run in standard mode, so don't bother trying with them.

**Eric** · March 6th, 2009, 05:16

From what im hearing there is a way to disable write cache. This doesnt involve coding i believe and if it does theres nothing i can do with that. I believe it involves SMARTDRV.EXE or again i have to edit those 4 system files. So i know im getting closer to something here its the samething as before. Id have to edit autoexec.bat and config.sys i believe and from those files you can disable the write. Theres gotta be away. Im also going to test another old OS and this one might work if i can once again get passed the .fon errors. But i'd like to try and get Geo Works Ensemble to work so its easier to play dos games then having to use command prompt easier for the newbies lol.

**Guaripolo** · March 10th, 2009, 14:38

i've tried before and just could get to the splash screen. If it's trying to write to system folders maybe you could make a ramdisk and run windows from there.