GNet Solutions » Windows Administration

• Table of contents
• Create the Virtual Machine
  • Setup DOS 6.22 Boot Disc
• Install DOS 6.22
• Install Windows 3.1
  • Fix 100% CPU Usage
  • Autostart Windows 3.1
• Resources

This is a guide on how I installed Windows 3.1 in a VirtualBox VM. This guide used 64-bit Arch Linux as the VM host, but any host that VirtualBox can run on should work.

Create the Virtual Machine¶

1. Start by create a new VM in VirtualBox.
   1. Give the VM a name.
   2. Set the type to Microsoft Windows.
   3. Set the version to Windows 3.1.
2. Set the memory size to 64MB
3. Create a new virtual hard disk
   1. Set the type to VDI.
   2. Set the storage type to Dynamically allocated.
   3. Set the file name and give it 1.0GB

Setup DOS 6.22 Boot Disc¶

1. Select the Win3.1 VM and click on the Settings button.
2. Go to the Storage tab and add the DOS 6.22 boot disc to the Virtual CD Drive.
3. Close the Settings window, and boot the VM.

Install DOS 6.22¶

1. Format the hard drive using fdisk:
   

   fdisk
   

   1. Choose 1 to Create DOS partition drive.
   2. Choose 1 to Create primary DOS partition.
   3. Choose Y to use maximum available space and set the partition as active.
   4. The VM will reboot when partitioned.
2. Create the filesystem and copy the DOS system files onto the hard drive:
   

   format /u /s c:
   

3. Power off the VM, this must be done by closing the VirtualBox window and choosing to power off the machine.

Install Windows 3.1¶

1. Boot the Win3.1 VM.
2. Set the date and time
3. Click on the Devices -> Floppy Drives -> Choose disk image and choose the first Win 3.1 image.
4. Change the current drive to the virtual floppy drive:
   

   a:
   

5. Then run the Windows 3.1 setup executable:
   

   setup.exe
   

   1. Press ENTER to begin the installer
   2. Press ENTER to use the express setup option
   3. Click on the Devices -> Floppy Drives -> Choose disk image and choose the second Win 3.1 image, then press ENTER.
   4. Click on the Devices -> Floppy Drives -> Choose disk image and choose the third Win 3.1 image, then press ENTER.
   5. When the GUI starts, enter in a name and click Continue, then Continue again.
   6. Click on the Devices -> Floppy Drives -> Choose disk image and choose the fourth Win 3.1 image, then click Retry.
   7. Click on the Devices -> Floppy Drives -> Choose disk image and choose the fifth Win 3.1 image, then click Retry.
   8. Click on the Devices -> Floppy Drives -> Choose disk image and choose the fourth Win 3.1 image, then click Continue. (I don't know why, but I was prompted to reinsert the fourth disk)
   9. Click on the Devices -> Floppy Drives -> Choose disk image and choose the fifth Win 3.1 image, then click Continue. (I don't know why, but I was prompted to reinsert the fifth disk)
   10. Click on the Devices -> Floppy Drives -> Choose disk image and choose the sixth Win 3.1 image, then click Retry.
   11. Click on the Devices -> Floppy Drives -> Choose disk image and choose the seventh Win 3.1 image, then click Continue.
   12. Select Do not add a printer, then click Install.
   13. Click on skip tutorial
   14. Click on the Devices -> Floppy Drives -> Remove disk from virtual drive
   15. Click Reboot
   16. When the VM finishes rebooting and the DOS prompt appears, start Windows:
       

       WIN
       

Fix 100% CPU Usage¶

1. Boot the DOS VM.
2. Download and mount the dosidle.img file in the virtual Floppy drive
   1. Create the DOSIDLE folder:
      mkdir DOSIDLE
   2. Copy the dosidle program to the DOSIDLE folder:
      

      copy a:*.* DOSIDLE
      

3. Download and mount the wqghlt.img file in the virtual Floppy drive
   1. Copy the wqghlt program to the DOSIDLE folder:
      

      copy a:\wqghlt.386 c:\windows\system
      

4. Start Windows:
   

   win
   

5. Go to Accessories -> Notepad
   1. Click on File -> Open and open c:\autoexec.bat; make sure to change the file type from .txt to all file types.
   2. Add the following to the end of the autoexec.bat file:
      

      C:\DOSIDLE\DOSIDLE.EXE
      

   3. Save and exit.
6. Go to Accessories -> Notepad
   1. Click on File -> Open and open C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM.INI; make sure to change the file type from .txt to all file types.
   2. Add the following to the [386Enh] section of the SYSTEM.INI file:
      

      [386Enh]
      device=WQGHLT.386
      ...
      

   3. Save and exit.
7. Reboot the VM to check that it works.

Autostart Windows 3.1¶

1. Start Windows:
   

   win
   

2. Go to Accessories -> Notepad
3. Click on File -> Open and open c:\autoexec.bat; make sure to change the file type from .txt to all file types.
4. Add the following to the end of the autoexec.bat file:
   

   WIN
   

5. Save and exit. Then reboot the VM to check that it works.

Resources¶

• http://www.legroom.net/howto/msdos
• http://www.allbootdisks.com/download/iso.html
• http://windowshistorylessons.mini-sites.timurtripp.com/Windows-3.1/download.html
• https://www.kirsle.net/blog/entry/ms-dos-and-windows-3-1
• https://www.kirsle.net/msdos