Windows 98 in multiboot system

[Parasitic]

Might want to download it again from Microsoft's site?

 

[Muse]

Originally posted by: Parasitic
Might want to download it again from Microsoft's site?

Might be a good idea. But I installed the 2004 version, and so far so good. I'm right now on my 2nd PC (the one that wasn't booting Windows 98, the reason I started this thread). The 1st machine is loading Windows 98 into the Virtual Machine that I set up. Presumably, although the OS is ostensibly being installed on the C: drive, I assume it's actually being installed on the virtual machine, which is on my F: drive, a 500 GB drive with plenty of space. Anyway, while it's loading I have no access to XP Pro on that machine, the reason I'm using the 2nd machine right now.

After loading, I guess I'll upgrade to Win98SE. I have the Win98 and the Win98SE upgrade CD's, is why.

I allocated a lot more RAM than was suggested by Virtual PC for the Win98 install. It recommended 64 MB, but I figure the app I plan to run (Protools 5.xx) will be RAM hungry, so I allocated around 512 MB. That's around 1/2 the RAM in the machine. I don't know if that will impact me. Maybe it will make it difficult to use XP Pro "simultaneously." Anyway, I figure that wouldn't be a big deal. It isn't an app I will be using daily. I just want to use it to learn Protools, and I figure it's for learning purposes, not for production purposes, which will be done at the radio station. I assume that if I don't start Virtual PC, the full 1 GB will be available to the host OS, XP Pro.

 

[Parasitic]

You could actually do a fresh install of Windows 98SE with the upgrade disc, just put that disc in and it'll ask you to swap for the install disc of a previous version of Windows.

512MB might be too much for Windows 98...I thought 512MB was the stability limit for Win98 before you have to edit the registry to allow more? 128 or even 256MB assigned should suffice?

 

[Muse]

Originally posted by: Parasitic
You could actually do a fresh install of Windows 98SE with the upgrade disc, just put that disc in and it'll ask you to swap for the install disc of a previous version of Windows.

512MB might be too much for Windows 98...I thought 512MB was the stability limit for Win98 before you have to edit the registry to allow more? 128 or even 256MB assigned should suffice?

Um, well, I guess I'd have to go back to square one at this point to undo that assignment. I mean, uninstall Virtual PC, install over again. Maybe I can remove a VM and create a new one with the assigned RAM being 256 MB. Funny, I couldn't choose 512 MB, I could only choose 511 or 513. I forget exactly what I did. Maybe it doesn't matter, don't know. I don't see how I can go from Win98 back to XP, though. I seem to have no access to XP while Win98 is running. I could only get back to XP by shutting down Win98. Haven't messed with it much yet. Can I run Win98 full screen? I had about a 1/4 window while setting it up and after the installation was complete.

 

[Muse]

I have Virtual PC (2004) running (haven't upgraded the Win98 to Win98SE yet), and somehow I can now enlarge the window. At the same time my mouse cursor works inside and outside VPC (without having to hold down the right Alt key, this time). Dunno about that stuff.

Anyway, what's got me baffled now is that the Win98 evidently doesn't see anything but its own partition (which is virtual and called C: ) and the CD drive. There's one partition on one of my HD's which is formatted FAT32, and I figured it would see that. But I don't see it in explorer. I want to install my application, and copied the installation files to that partition, but right now it isn't seen. What do I need to do here? Do I have to copy the installation files to a CD?? 😕

 

[VirtualLarry]

Originally posted by: Muse
Anyway, what's got me baffled now is that the Win98 evidently doesn't see anything but its own partition (which is virtual and called C: ) and the CD drive. There's one partition on one of my HD's which is formatted FAT32, and I figured it would see that. But I don't see it in explorer. I want to install my application, and copied the installation files to that partition, but right now it isn't seen. What do I need to do here? Do I have to copy the installation files to a CD?? 😕

There's a tool included with Virtual Server, that allows you to mount .VHD hard drive images as a drive letter in the host OS, and copy files to/from it. I tried to register to download Virtual Server, but MS wouldn't let me. It's supposedly free to download, but it seems that they only allow companies to register. 🙁

Otherwise, yes, the virtual machine only sees the mounted virtual HDs and virtual CD drive, not any of teh local HDs on the host machine. So burning the files to a CD would be one way of getting them onto the virtual machine. You can also use network file-sharing. (Supposedly - I had trouble getting that working when I was messing around with VPC2007.)

 

[Muse]

Originally posted by: VirtualLarry

Originally posted by: Muse
Anyway, what's got me baffled now is that the Win98 evidently doesn't see anything but its own partition (which is virtual and called C: ) and the CD drive. There's one partition on one of my HD's which is formatted FAT32, and I figured it would see that. But I don't see it in explorer. I want to install my application, and copied the installation files to that partition, but right now it isn't seen. What do I need to do here? Do I have to copy the installation files to a CD?? 😕

There's a tool included with Virtual Server, that allows you to mount .VHD hard drive images as a drive letter in the host OS, and copy files to/from it. I tried to register to download Virtual Server, but MS wouldn't let me. It's supposedly free to download, but it seems that they only allow companies to register. 🙁

Otherwise, yes, the virtual machine only sees the mounted virtual HDs and virtual CD drive, not any of teh local HDs on the host machine. So burning the files to a CD would be one way of getting them onto the virtual machine. You can also use network file-sharing. (Supposedly - I had trouble getting that working when I was messing around with VPC2007.)

Cool, I guess that answers my question. The answer, then, would be to burn the application files to one of the CDRW's I have lieing around and copy them to the VHD and install from there. It's only around 30 MB.

I'm going to try it. I still have a feeling I'm going to get better results running Win98SE in a regular partition on my 2nd machine, once I get it set up. Shouldn't be too tough to do. I have to swap out the mobo, and do some drive work (either format and partition the whole thing or reformat a couple of the partitions), and install Win98SE and probably Windows 2000.